Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.

Proverbs 27:23-24

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Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.
When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in, the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field.
You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family and to nourish your female servants.

Proverbs 27:23-27

Commentary

In the time that the book of Proverbs was written, one of the main ways that wealth was stored and grown was with livestock. Livestock has many parallels to other kinds of investing (and in fact is still a solid investment for those who make a career of livestock management). Probably most of you reading this won’t have your wealth tied in up livestock. But if you do have wealth, know its condition. It won’t automatically keep being valuable forever. (Enron, Detroit real estate, Bitcoin are some examples of things that once had more value than they do now.) This passage also speaks of how wealth brings income – the lambs give you clothing and the goats give you milk for food. Many modern investments also bring income. Many stocks pay dividends. Real estate can bring rent. So, if you’ve been entrusted with wealth, manage it well.