PROVERBS
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 -
6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 -
12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 -
18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 -
23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 -
28 - 29 - 30 - 31
TOC
Maps
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 For learning about wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight,
3 for gaining instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity; 4
to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young-- 5 Let
the wise also hear and gain in learning, and the discerning acquire skill, 6 to
understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. 7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and
instruction. 8 Hear, my child, your father's instruction, and do not reject your
mother's teaching; 9 for they are a fair garland for your head, and pendants for
your neck. 10 My child, if sinners entice you, do not consent. 11 If they say,
"Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us wantonly ambush the
innocent; 12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive and whole, like those who go
down to the Pit. 13 We shall find all kinds of costly things; we shall fill our
houses with booty. 14 Throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse"--
15 my child, do not walk in their way, keep your foot from their paths; 16 for
their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed blood. 17 For in vain is the net
baited while the bird is looking on; 18 yet they lie in wait--to kill
themselves! and set an ambush--for their own lives! 19 Such is the end of all
who are greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its possessors. 20 Wisdom
cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice. 21 At the busiest
corner she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: 22 "How
long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight
in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? 23 Give heed to my reproof; I will
pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you. 24 Because I
have called and you refused, have stretched out my hand and no one heeded, 25
and because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes you, 27
when panic strikes you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you. 28 Then they will call upon me, but I
will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but will not find me. 29 Because
they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, 30 would have none
of my counsel, and despised all my reproof, 31 therefore they shall eat the
fruit of their way and be sated with their own devices. 32 For waywardness kills
the simple, and the complacency of fools destroys them; 33 but those who listen
to me will be secure and will live at ease, without dread of disaster."
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My child, if you accept my words and treasure up my commandments
within you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to
understanding; 3 if you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for
understanding; 4 if you seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden
treasures-- 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the
knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and
understanding; 7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to
those who walk blamelessly, 8 guarding the paths of justice and preserving the
way of his faithful ones. 9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path; 10 for wisdom will come into your heart, and
knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 prudence will watch over you; and
understanding will guard you. 12 It will save you from the way of evil, from
those who speak perversely, 13 who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in
the ways of darkness, 14 who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the
perverseness of evil; 15 those whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in
their ways. 16 You will be saved from the loose woman, from the adulteress with
her smooth words, 17 who forsakes the partner of her youth and forgets her
sacred covenant; 18 for her way leads down to death, and her paths to the
shades; 19 those who go to her never come back, nor do they regain the paths of
life. 20 Therefore walk in the way of the good, and keep to the paths of the
just. 21 For the upright will abide in the land, and the innocent will remain in
it; 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be
rooted out of it.
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My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my
commandments; 2 for length of days and years of life and abundant welfare they
will give you. 3 Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them
around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find
favor and good repute in the sight of God and of people. 5 Trust in the LORD
with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. 6 In all your ways
acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your
own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be a healing for
your flesh and a refreshment for your body. 9 Honor the LORD with your substance
and with the first fruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled
with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. 11 My child, do not
despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, 12 for the LORD
reproves the one he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. 13 Happy are
those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding, 14 for her income is
better than silver, and her revenue better than gold. 15 She is more precious
than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. 16 Long life is in her
right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are ways of
pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who
lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called happy. 19 The LORD by wisdom
founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; 20 by his
knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. 21 My child,
do not let these escape from your sight: keep sound wisdom and prudence, 22 and
they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. 23 Then you will
walk on your way securely and your foot will not stumble. 24 If you sit down,
you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not
be afraid of sudden panic, or of the storm that strikes the wicked; 26 for the
LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. 27 Do
not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do
it. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give
it"--when you have it with you. 29 Do not plan harm against your neighbor who
lives trustingly beside you. 30 Do not quarrel with anyone without cause, when
no harm has been done to you. 31 Do not envy the violent and do not choose any
of their ways; 32 for the perverse are an abomination to the LORD, but the
upright are in his confidence. 33 The Lord's curse is on the house of the
wicked, but he blesses the abode of the righteous. 34 Toward the scorners he is
scornful, but to the humble he shows favor. 35 The wise will inherit honor, but
stubborn fools, disgrace.
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) Listen, children, to a father's instruction, and be attentive,
that you may gain insight; 2 for I give you good precepts: do not forsake my
teaching. 3 When I was a son with my father, tender, and my mother's favorite, 4
he taught me, and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my
commandments, and live. 5 Get wisdom; get insight: do not forget, nor turn away
from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love
her, and she will guard you. 7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and
whatever else you get, get insight. 8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head a fair
garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown." 10 Hear, my child, and
accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. 11 I have taught you
the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. 12 When you walk,
your step will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble. 13 Keep
hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. 14 Do not
enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evildoers. 15 Avoid
it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. 16 For they cannot sleep
unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made
someone stumble. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of
violence. 18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which
shines brighter and brighter until full day. 19 The way of the wicked is like
deep darkness; they do not know what they stumble over. 20 My child, be
attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them escape
from your sight; keep them within your heart. 22 For they are life to those who
find them, and healing to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all
vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. 24 Put away from you crooked
speech, and put devious talk far from you. 25 Let your eyes look directly
forward, and your gaze be straight before you. 26 Keep straight the path of your
feet, and all your ways will be sure. 27 Do not swerve to the right or to the
left; turn your foot away from evil.
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My child, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my
understanding, 2 so that you may hold on to prudence, and your lips may guard
knowledge. 3 For the lips of a loose woman drip honey, and her speech is
smoother than oil; 4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a
two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to
Sheol. 6 She does not keep straight to the path of life; her ways wander, and
she does not know it. 7 And now, my child, listen to me, and do not depart from
the words of my mouth. 8 Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door
of her house; 9 or you will give your honor to others, and your years to the
merciless, 10 and strangers will take their fill of your wealth, and your labors
will go to the house of an alien; 11 and at the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed, 12 and you say, "Oh, how I hated
discipline, and my heart despised reproof! 13 I did not listen to the voice of
my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors. 14 Now I am at the point of
utter ruin in the public assembly." 15 Drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well. 16 Should your springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water in the streets? 17 Let them be for yourself alone, and not for
sharing with strangers. 18 Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife
of your youth, 19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe. May her breasts satisfy you at
all times; may you be intoxicated always by her love. 20 Why should you be
intoxicated, my son, by another woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? 21
For human ways are under the eyes of the LORD, and he examines all their paths.
22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare them, and they are caught in the toils
of their sin. 23 They die for lack of discipline, and because of their great
folly they are lost.
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My child, if you have given your pledge to your neighbor, if you
have bound yourself to another, 2 you are snared by the utterance of your lips,
caught by the words of your mouth. 3 So do this, my child, and save yourself,
for you have come into your neighbor's power: go, hurry, and plead with your
neighbor. 4 Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; 5 save yourself
like a gazelle from the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler. 6 Go to
the ant, you lazybones; consider its ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any
chief or officer or ruler, 8 it prepares its food in summer, and gathers its
sustenance in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O lazybones? When will you
rise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of
the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want,
like an armed warrior. 12 A scoundrel and a villain goes around with crooked
speech, 13 winking the eyes, shuffling the feet, pointing the fingers, 14 with
perverted mind devising evil, continually sowing discord; 15 on such a one
calamity will descend suddenly; in a moment, damage beyond repair. 16 There are
six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty
eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that
devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil, 19 a lying witness who
testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family. 20 My child, keep your
father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching. 21 Bind them
upon your heart always; tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk, they will
lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they
will talk with you. 23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, 24 to preserve you from the
wife of another, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. 25 Do not desire her
beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; 26 for
a prostitute's fee is only a loaf of bread, but the wife of another stalks a
man's very life. 27 Can fire be carried in the bosom without burning one's
clothes? 28 Or can one walk on hot coals without scorching the feet? 29 So is he
who sleeps with his neighbor's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 Thieves are not despised who steal only to satisfy their appetite when they
are hungry. 31 Yet if they are caught, they will pay sevenfold; they will
forfeit all the goods of their house. 32 But he who commits adultery has no
sense; he who does it destroys himself. 33 He will get wounds and dishonor, and
his disgrace will not be wiped away. 34 For jealousy arouses a husband's fury,
and he shows no restraint when he takes revenge. 35 He will accept no
compensation, and refuses a bribe no matter how great.
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) My child, keep my words and store up my commandments with you; 2
keep my commandments and live, keep my teachings as the apple of your eye; 3
bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to
wisdom, "You are my sister," and call insight your intimate friend, 5 that they
may keep you from the loose woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words. 6
For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice, 7 and I saw among
the simple ones, I observed among the youths, a young man without sense, 8
passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house 9 in the
twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. 10 Then a woman
comes toward him, decked out like a prostitute, wily of heart. 11 She is loud
and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; 12 now in the street, now in the
squares, and at every corner she lies in wait. 13 She seizes him and kisses him,
and with impudent face she says to him: 14 "I had to offer sacrifices, and today
I have paid my vows; 15 so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly,
and I have found you! 16 I have decked my couch with coverings, colored spreads
of Egyptian linen; 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18
Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us delight ourselves with
love. 19 For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. 20 He
took a bag of money with him; he will not come home until full moon." 21 With
much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him.
22 Right away he follows her, and goes like an ox to the slaughter, or bounds
like a stag toward the trap 23 until an arrow pierces its entrails. He is like a
bird rushing into a snare, not knowing that it will cost him his life. 24 And
now, my children, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. 25 Do
not let your hearts turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths. 26 for
many are those she has laid low, and numerous are her victims. 27 Her house is
the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.
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Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her
voice? 2 On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she
cries out: 4 "To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live. 5 O
simple ones, learn prudence; acquire intelligence, you who lack it. 6 Hear, for
I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right; 7 for my
mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words
of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. 9 They
are all straight to one who understands and right to those who find knowledge.
10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare
with her. 12 I, wisdom, live with prudence, and I attain knowledge and
discretion. 13 The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and
the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. 14 I have good advice and sound
wisdom; I have insight, I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree
what is just; 16 by me rulers rule, and nobles, all who govern rightly. 17 I
love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. 18 Riches and
honor are with me, enduring wealth and prosperity. 19 My fruit is better than
gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. 20 I walk in the way of
righteousness, along the paths of justice, 21 endowing with wealth those who
love me, and filling their treasuries. 22 The LORD created me at the beginning
of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the
first, before the beginning of the earth. 24 When there were no depths I was
brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the
mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth-- 26 when he
had not yet made earth and fields, or the world's first bits of soil. 27 When he
established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the
deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of
the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not
transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then
I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing
before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the
human race. 32 And now, my children, listen to me: happy are those who keep my
ways. 33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. 34 Happy is the
one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. 35
For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD; 36 but those
who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death."
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Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn her seven pillars. 2
She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine, she has also set her
table. 3 She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls from the highest places
in the town, 4 "You that are simple, turn in here!" To those without sense she
says, 5 "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. 6 Lay aside
immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight." 7 Whoever corrects a
scoffer wins abuse; whoever rebukes the wicked gets hurt. 8 A scoffer who is
rebuked will only hate you; the wise, when rebuked, will love you. 9 Give
instruction to the wise, and they will become wiser still; teach the righteous
and they will gain in learning. 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. 11 For by me your days
will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. 12 If you are wise,
you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it. 13 The foolish
woman is loud; she is ignorant and knows nothing. 14 She sits at the door of her
house, on a seat at the high places of the town, 15 calling to those who pass
by, who are going straight on their way, 16 "You who are simple, turn in here!"
And to those without sense she says, 17 "Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten
in secret is pleasant." 18 But they do not know that the dead are there, that
her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
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The proverbs of Solomon. A wise child makes a glad father, but
a foolish child is a mother's grief. 2 Treasures gained by wickedness do not
profit, but righteousness delivers from death. 3 The LORD does not let the
righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. 4 A slack hand
causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 A child who gathers
in summer is prudent, but a child who sleeps in harvest brings shame. 6
Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals
violence. 7 The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the
wicked will rot. 8 The wise of heart will heed commandments, but a babbling fool
will come to ruin. 9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever
follows perverse ways will be found out. 10 Whoever winks the eye causes
trouble, but the one who rebukes boldly makes peace. 11 The mouth of the
righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. 13 On the lips of one
who has understanding wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of one who
lacks sense. 14 The wise lay up knowledge, but the babbling of a fool brings
ruin near. 15 The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor
is their ruin. 16 The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the
wicked to sin. 17 Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but one who
rejects a rebuke goes astray. 18 Lying lips conceal hatred, and whoever utters
slander is a fool. 19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the
prudent are restrained in speech. 20 The tongue of the righteous is choice
silver; the mind of the wicked is of little worth. 21 The lips of the righteous
feed many, but fools die for lack of sense. 22 The blessing of the LORD makes
rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. 23 Doing wrong is like sport to a fool, but
wise conduct is pleasure to a person of understanding. 24 What the wicked dread
will come upon them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. 25 When
the tempest passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are established
forever. 26 Like vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes, so are the lazy to
their employers. 27 The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the
wicked will be short. 28 The hope of the righteous ends in gladness, but the
expectation of the wicked comes to nothing. 29 The way of the LORD is a
stronghold for the upright, but destruction for evildoers. 30 The righteous will
never be removed, but the wicked will not remain in the land. 31 The mouth of
the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. 32
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked
what is perverse.
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A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate
weight is his delight. 2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is
with the humble. 3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness
of the treacherous destroys them. 4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death. 5 The righteousness of the blameless
keeps their ways straight, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness. 6 The
righteousness of the upright saves them, but the treacherous are taken captive
by their schemes. 7 When the wicked die, their hope perishes, and the
expectation of the godless comes to nothing. 8 The righteous are delivered from
trouble, and the wicked get into it instead. 9 With their mouths the godless
would destroy their neighbors, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. 10
When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked
perish, there is jubilation. 11 By the blessing of the upright a city is
exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. 12 Whoever belittles
another lacks sense, but an intelligent person remains silent. 13 A gossip goes
about telling secrets, but one who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a confidence.
14 Where there is no guidance, a nation falls, but in an abundance of counselors
there is safety. 15 To guarantee loans for a stranger brings trouble, but there
is safety in refusing to do so. 16 A gracious woman gets honor, but she who
hates virtue is covered with shame. The timid become destitute, but the
aggressive gain riches. 17 Those who are kind reward themselves, but the cruel
do themselves harm. 18 The wicked earn no real gain, but those who sow
righteousness get a true reward. 19 Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will
live, but whoever pursues evil will die. 20 Crooked minds are an abomination to
the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight. 21 Be assured, the wicked
will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will escape. 22 Like a gold
ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without good sense. 23 The desire of
the righteous ends only in good; the expectation of the wicked in wrath. 24 Some
give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only
suffer want. 25 A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will
get water. 26 The people curse those who hold back grain, but a blessing is on
the head of those who sell it. 27 Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but
evil comes to the one who searches for it. 28 Those who trust in their riches
will wither, but the righteous will flourish like green leaves. 29 Those who
trouble their households will inherit wind, and the fool will be servant to the
wise. 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence takes lives
away. 31 If the righteous are repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the
sinner!
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Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but those who hate to
be rebuked are stupid. 2 The good obtain favor from the LORD, but those who
devise evil he condemns. 3 No one finds security by wickedness, but the root of
the righteous will never be moved. 4 A good wife is the crown of her husband,
but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones. 5 The thoughts of the
righteous are just; the advice of the wicked is treacherous. 6 The words of the
wicked are a deadly ambush, but the speech of the upright delivers them. 7 The
wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will
stand. 8 One is commended for good sense, but a perverse mind is despised. 9
Better to be despised and have a servant, than to be self-important and lack
food. 10 The righteous know the needs of their animals, but the mercy of the
wicked is cruel. 11 Those who till their land will have plenty of food, but
those who follow worthless pursuits have no sense. 12 The wicked covet the
proceeds of wickedness, but the root of the righteous bears fruit. 13 The evil
are ensnared by the transgression of their lips, but the righteous escape from
trouble. 14 From the fruit of the mouth one is filled with good things, and
manual labor has its reward. 15 Fools think their own way is right, but the wise
listen to advice. 16 Fools show their anger at once, but the prudent ignore an
insult. 17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness
speaks deceitfully. 18 Rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the
wise brings healing. 19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts
only a moment. 20 Deceit is in the mind of those who plan evil, but those who
counsel peace have joy. 21 No harm happens to the righteous, but the wicked are
filled with trouble. 22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who
act faithfully are his delight. 23 One who is clever conceals knowledge, but the
mind of a fool broadcasts folly. 24 The hand of the diligent will rule, while
the lazy will be put to forced labor. 25 Anxiety weighs down the human heart,
but a good word cheers it up. 26 The righteous gives good advice to friends, but
the way of the wicked leads astray. 27 The lazy do not roast their game, but the
diligent obtain precious wealth. 28 In the path of righteousness there is life,
in walking its path there is no death.
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A wise child loves discipline, but a scoffer does not listen to
rebuke. 2 From the fruit of their words good persons eat good things, but the
desire of the treacherous is for wrongdoing. 3 Those who guard their mouths
preserve their lives; those who open wide their lips come to ruin. 4 The
appetite of the lazy craves, and gets nothing, while the appetite of the
diligent is richly supplied. 5 The righteous hate falsehood, but the wicked act
shamefully and disgracefully. 6 Righteousness guards one whose way is upright,
but sin overthrows the wicked. 7 Some pretend to be rich, yet have nothing;
others pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth. 8 Wealth is a ransom for a
person's life, but the poor get no threats. 9 The light of the righteous
rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked goes out. 10 By insolence the heedless make
strife, but wisdom is with those who take advice. 11 Wealth hastily gotten will
dwindle, but those who gather little by little will increase it. 12 Hope
deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. 13
Those who despise the word bring destruction on themselves, but those who
respect the commandment will be rewarded. 14 The teaching of the wise is a
fountain of life, so that one may avoid the snares of death. 15 Good sense wins
favor, but the way of the faithless is their ruin. 16 The clever do all things
intelligently, but the fool displays folly. 17 A bad messenger brings trouble,
but a faithful envoy, healing. 18 Poverty and disgrace are for the one who
ignores instruction, but one who heeds reproof is honored. 19 A desire realized
is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools. 20
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools suffers
harm. 21 Misfortune pursues sinners, but prosperity rewards the righteous. 22
The good leave an inheritance to their children's children, but the sinner's
wealth is laid up for the righteous. 23 The field of the poor may yield much
food, but it is swept away through injustice. 24 Those who spare the rod hate
their children, but those who love them are diligent to discipline them. 25 The
righteous have enough to satisfy their appetite, but the belly of the wicked is
empty.
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The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down
with her own hands. 2 Those who walk uprightly fear the LORD, but one who is
devious in conduct despises him. 3 The talk of fools is a rod for their backs,
but the lips of the wise preserve them. 4 Where there are no oxen, there is no
grain; abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. 5 A faithful witness does
not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. 6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in
vain, but knowledge is easy for one who understands. 7 Leave the presence of a
fool, for there you do not find words of knowledge. 8 It is the wisdom of the
clever to understand where they go, but the folly of fools misleads. 9 Fools
mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy God's favor. 10 The heart
knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. 11 The house of the
wicked is destroyed, but the tent of the upright flourishes. 12 There is a way
that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death. 13 Even in
laughter the heart is sad, and the end of joy is grief. 14 The perverse get what
their ways deserve, and the good, what their deeds deserve. 15 The simple
believe everything, but the clever consider their steps. 16 The wise are
cautious and turn away from evil, but the fool throws off restraint and is
careless. 17 One who is quick-tempered acts foolishly, and the schemer is hated.
18 The simple are adorned with folly, but the clever are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor are disliked even by their neighbors, but the rich have many
friends. 21 Those who despise their neighbors are sinners, but happy are those
who are kind to the poor. 22 Do they not err that plan evil? Those who plan good
find loyalty and faithfulness. 23 In all toil there is profit, but mere talk
leads only to poverty. 24 The crown of the wise is their wisdom, but folly is
the garland of fools. 25 A truthful witness saves lives, but one who utters lies
is a betrayer. 26 In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and one's
children will have a refuge. 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, so
that one may avoid the snares of death. 28 The glory of a king is a multitude of
people; without people a prince is ruined. 29 Whoever is slow to anger has great
understanding, but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly. 30 A tranquil mind
gives life to the flesh, but passion makes the bones rot. 31 Those who oppress
the poor insult their Maker, but those who are kind to the needy honor him. 32
The wicked are overthrown by their evildoing, but the righteous find a refuge in
their integrity. 33 Wisdom is at home in the mind of one who has understanding,
but it is not known in the heart of fools. 34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but
sin is a reproach to any people. 35 A servant who deals wisely has the king's
favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
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A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up
anger. 2 The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge, but the mouths of fools
pour out folly. 3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the
evil and the good. 4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it
breaks the spirit. 5 A fool despises a parent's instruction, but the one who
heeds admonition is prudent. 6 In the house of the righteous there is much
treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. 7 The lips of the wise
spread knowledge; not so the minds of fools. 8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an
abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. 9 The way
of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but he loves the one who pursues
righteousness. 10 There is severe discipline for one who forsakes the way, but
one who hates a rebuke will die. 11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD,
how much more human hearts! 12 Scoffers do not like to be rebuked; they will not
go to the wise. 13 A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of
heart the spirit is broken. 14 The mind of one who has understanding seeks
knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. 15 All the days of the poor
are hard, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast. 16 Better is a little with
the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it. 17 Better is a
dinner of vegetables where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it. 18 Those
who are hot-tempered stir up strife, but those who are slow to anger calm
contention. 19 The way of the lazy is overgrown with thorns, but the path of the
upright is a level highway. 20 A wise child makes a glad father, but the foolish
despise their mothers. 21 Folly is a joy to one who has no sense, but a person
of understanding walks straight ahead. 22 Without counsel, plans go wrong, but
with many advisers they succeed. 23 To make an apt answer is a joy to anyone,
and a word in season, how good it is! 24 For the wise the path of life leads
upward, in order to avoid Sheol below. 25 The LORD tears down the house of the
proud, but maintains the widow's boundaries. 26 Evil plans are an abomination to
the LORD, but gracious words are pure. 27 Those who are greedy for unjust gain
make trouble for their households, but those who hate bribes will live. 28 The
mind of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours
out evil. 29 The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the
righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes
the body. 31 The ear that heeds wholesome admonition will lodge among the wise.
32 Those who ignore instruction despise themselves, but those who heed
admonition gain understanding. 33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,
and humility goes before honor.
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>) The plans of the mind belong to mortals, but the answer of the
tongue is from the LORD. 2 All one's ways may be pure in one's own eyes, but the
LORD weighs the spirit. 3 Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be
established. 4 The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for
the day of trouble. 5 All those who are arrogant are an abomination to the LORD;
be assured, they will not go unpunished. 6 By loyalty and faithfulness iniquity
is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one avoids evil. 7 When the ways of
people please the LORD, he causes even their enemies to be at peace with them. 8
Better is a little with righteousness than large income with injustice. 9 The
human mind plans the way, but the LORD directs the steps. 10 Inspired decisions
are on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. 11 Honest
balances and scales are the Lord's; all the weights in the bag are his work. 12
It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by
righteousness. 13 Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves those
who speak what is right. 14 A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and whoever
is wise will appease it. 15 In the light of a king's face there is life, and his
favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. 16 How much better to get
wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. 17
The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their way preserve their
lives. 18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19
It is better to be of a lowly spirit among the poor than to divide the spoil
with the proud. 20 Those who are attentive to a matter will prosper, and happy
are those who trust in the LORD. 21 The wise of heart is called perceptive, and
pleasant speech increases persuasiveness. 22 Wisdom is a fountain of life to one
who has it, but folly is the punishment of fools. 23 The mind of the wise makes
their speech judicious, and adds persuasiveness to their lips. 24 Pleasant words
are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. 25 Sometimes
there is a way that seems to be right, but in the end it is the way to death. 26
The appetite of workers works for them; their hunger urges them on. 27
Scoundrels concoct evil, and their speech is like a scorching fire. 28 A
perverse person spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. 29 The
violent entice their neighbors, and lead them in a way that is not good. 30 One
who winks the eyes plans perverse things; one who compresses the lips brings
evil to pass. 31 Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous
life. 32 One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and one whose
temper is controlled than one who captures a city. 33 The lot is cast into the
lap, but the decision is the Lord's alone.
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Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting
with strife. 2 A slave who deals wisely will rule over a child who acts
shamefully, and will share the inheritance as one of the family. 3 The crucible
is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, but the LORD tests the heart. 4 An
evildoer listens to wicked lips; and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue.
5 Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who are glad at calamity
will not go unpunished. 6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory
of children is their parents. 7 Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still
less is false speech to a ruler. 8 A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of
those who give it; wherever they turn they prosper. 9 One who forgives an
affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a
friend. 10 A rebuke strikes deeper into a discerning person than a hundred blows
into a fool. 11 Evil people seek only rebellion, but a cruel messenger will be
sent against them. 12 Better to meet a she-bear robbed of its cubs than to
confront a fool immersed in folly. 13 Evil will not depart from the house of one
who returns evil for good. 14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water;
so stop before the quarrel breaks out. 15 One who justifies the wicked and one
who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD. 16 Why
should fools have a price in hand to buy wisdom, when they have no mind to
learn? 17 A friend loves at all times, and kinsfolk are born to share adversity.
18 It is senseless to give a pledge, to become surety for a neighbor. 19 One who
loves transgression loves strife; one who builds a high threshold invites broken
bones. 20 The crooked of mind do not prosper, and the perverse of tongue fall
into calamity. 21 The one who begets a fool gets trouble; the parent of a fool
has no joy. 22 A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries
up the bones. 23 The wicked accept a concealed bribe to pervert the ways of
justice. 24 The discerning person looks to wisdom, but the eyes of a fool to the
ends of the earth. 25 Foolish children are a grief to their father and
bitterness to her who bore them. 26 To impose a fine on the innocent is not
right, or to flog the noble for their integrity. 27 One who spares words is
knowledgeable; one who is cool in spirit has understanding. 28 Even fools who
keep silent are considered wise; when they close their lips, they are deemed
intelligent.
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The one who lives alone is self-indulgent, showing contempt for
all who have sound judgment. 2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but
only in expressing personal opinion. 3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes
also; and with dishonor comes disgrace. 4 The words of the mouth are deep
waters; the fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream. 5 It is not right to be
partial to the guilty, or to subvert the innocent in judgment. 6 A fool's lips
bring strife, and a fool's mouth invites a flogging. 7 The mouths of fools are
their ruin, and their lips a snare to themselves. 8 The words of a whisperer are
like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. 9 One who
is slack in work is close kin to a vandal. 10 The name of the LORD is a strong
tower; the righteous run into it and are safe. 11 The wealth of the rich is
their strong city; in their imagination it is like a high wall. 12 Before
destruction one's heart is haughty, but humility goes before honor. 13 If one
gives answer before hearing, it is folly and shame. 14 The human spirit will
endure sickness; but a broken spirit--who can bear? 15 An intelligent mind
acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 16 A gift opens
doors; it gives access to the great. 17 The one who first states a case seems
right, until the other comes and cross-examines. 18 Casting the lot puts an end
to disputes and decides between powerful contenders. 19 An ally offended is
stronger than a city; such quarreling is like the bars of a castle. 20 From the
fruit of the mouth one's stomach is satisfied; the yield of the lips brings
satisfaction. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who
love it will eat its fruits. 22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and
obtains favor from the LORD. 23 The poor use entreaties, but the rich answer
roughly. 24 Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than
one's nearest kin.
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Better the poor walking in integrity than one perverse of
speech who is a fool. 2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and one who moves
too hurriedly misses the way. 3 One's own folly leads to ruin, yet the heart
rages against the LORD. 4 Wealth brings many friends, but the poor are left
friendless. 5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will not
escape. 6 Many seek the favor of the generous, and everyone is a friend to a
giver of gifts. 7 If the poor are hated even by their kin, how much more are
they shunned by their friends! When they call after them, they are not there. 8
To get wisdom is to love oneself; to keep understanding is to prosper. 9 A false
witness will not go unpunished, and the liar will perish. 10 It is not fitting
for a fool to live in luxury, much less for a slave to rule over princes. 11
Those with good sense are slow to anger, and it is their glory to overlook an
offense. 12 A king's anger is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like
dew on the grass. 13 A stupid child is ruin to a father, and a wife's quarreling
is a continual dripping of rain. 14 House and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a prudent wife is from the LORD. 15 Laziness brings on deep sleep; an idle
person will suffer hunger. 16 Those who keep the commandment will live; those
who are heedless of their ways will die. 17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to
the LORD, and will be repaid in full. 18 Discipline your children while there is
hope; do not set your heart on their destruction. 19 A violent tempered person
will pay the penalty; if you effect a rescue, you will only have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom for the
future. 21 The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the
LORD that will be established. 22 What is desirable in a person is loyalty, and
it is better to be poor than a liar. 23 The fear of the LORD is life indeed;
filled with it one rests secure and suffers no harm. 24 The lazy person buries a
hand in the dish, and will not even bring it back to the mouth. 25 Strike a
scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove the intelligent, and they
will gain knowledge. 26 Those who do violence to their father and chase away
their mother are children who cause shame and bring reproach. 27 Cease straying,
my child, from the words of knowledge, in order that you may hear instruction.
28 A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours
iniquity. 29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and flogging for the backs of
fools.
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Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led
astray by it is not wise. 2 The dread anger of a king is like the growling of a
lion; anyone who provokes him to anger forfeits life itself. 3 It is honorable
to refrain from strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. 4 The lazy person
does not plow in season; harvest comes, and there is nothing to be found. 5 The
purposes in the human mind are like deep water, but the intelligent will draw
them out. 6 Many proclaim themselves loyal, but who can find one worthy of
trust? 7 The righteous walk in integrity-- happy are the children who follow
them! 8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his
eyes. 9 Who can say, "I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin"? 10
Diverse weights and diverse measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
11 Even children make themselves known by their acts, by whether what they do is
pure and right. 12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye-- the LORD has made them
both. 13 Do not love sleep, or else you will come to poverty; open your eyes,
and you will have plenty of bread. 14 "Bad, bad," says the buyer, then goes away
and boasts. 15 There is gold, and abundance of costly stones; but the lips
informed by knowledge are a precious jewel. 16 Take the garment of one who has
given surety for a stranger; seize the pledge given as surety for foreigners. 17
Bread gained by deceit is sweet, but afterward the mouth will be full of gravel.
18 Plans are established by taking advice; wage war by following wise guidance.
19 A gossip reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a babbler. 20 If
you curse father or mother, your lamp will go out in utter darkness. 21 An
estate quickly acquired in the beginning will not be blessed in the end. 22 Do
not say, "I will repay evil"; wait for the LORD, and he will help you. 23
Differing weights are an abomination to the LORD, and false scales are not good.
24 All our steps are ordered by the LORD; how then can we understand our own
ways? 25 It is a snare for one to say rashly, "It is holy," and begin to reflect
only after making a vow. 26 A wise king winnows the wicked, and drives the wheel
over them. 27 The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD, searching every inmost
part. 28 Loyalty and faithfulness preserve the king, and his throne is upheld by
righteousness. 29 The glory of youths is their strength, but the beauty of the
aged is their gray hair. 30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil; beatings make
clean the innermost parts.
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The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD;
he turns it wherever he will. 2 All deeds are right in the sight of the doer,
but the LORD weighs the heart. 3 To do righteousness and justice is more
acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. 4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart-- the
lamp of the wicked--are sin. 5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to
abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to want. 6 The getting of
treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death. 7 The
violence of the wicked will sweep them away, because they refuse to do what is
just. 8 The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is right.
9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a
contentious wife. 10 The souls of the wicked desire evil; their neighbors find
no mercy in their eyes. 11 When a scoffer is punished, the simple become wiser;
when the wise are instructed, they increase in knowledge. 12 The Righteous One
observes the house of the wicked; he casts the wicked down to ruin. 13 If you
close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard. 14 A
gift in secret averts anger; and a concealed bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.
15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous, but dismay to evildoers.
16 Whoever wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of
the dead. 17 Whoever loves pleasure will suffer want; whoever loves wine and oil
will not be rich. 18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the faithless
for the upright. 19 It is better to live in a desert land than with a
contentious and fretful wife. 20 Precious treasure remains in the house of the
wise, but the fool devours it. 21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
will find life and honor. 22 One wise person went up against a city of warriors
and brought down the stronghold in which they trusted. 23 To watch over mouth
and tongue is to keep out of trouble. 24 The proud, haughty person, named
"Scoffer," acts with arrogant pride. 25 The craving of the lazy person is fatal,
for lazy hands refuse to labor. 26 All day long the wicked covet, but the
righteous give and do not hold back. 27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an
abomination; how much more when brought with evil intent. 28 A false witness
will perish, but a good listener will testify successfully. 29 The wicked put on
a bold face, but the upright give thought to their ways. 30 No wisdom, no
understanding, no counsel, can avail against the LORD. 31 The horse is made
ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.
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A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor
is better than silver or gold. 2 The rich and the poor have this in common: the
LORD is the maker of them all. 3 The clever see danger and hide; but the simple
go on, and suffer for it. 4 The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is
riches and honor and life. 5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
the cautious will keep far from them. 6 Train children in the right way, and
when old, they will not stray. 7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower
is the slave of the lender. 8 Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the
rod of anger will fail. 9 Those who are generous are blessed, for they share
their bread with the poor. 10 Drive out a scoffer, and strife goes out;
quarreling and abuse will cease. 11 Those who love a pure heart and are gracious
in speech will have the king as a friend. 12 The eyes of the LORD keep watch
over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the faithless. 13 The lazy person
says, "There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!" 14 The mouth
of a loose woman is a deep pit; he with whom the LORD is angry falls into it. 15
Folly is bound up in the heart of a boy, but the rod of discipline drives it far
away. 16 Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich,
will lead only to loss. 17 The words of the wise: Incline your ear and hear my
words, and apply your mind to my teaching; 18 for it will be pleasant if you
keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. 19 So that your
trust may be in the LORD, I have made them known to you today--yes, to you. 20
Have I not written for you thirty sayings of admonition and knowledge, 21 to
show you what is right and true, so that you may give a true answer to those who
sent you? 22 Do not rob the poor because they are poor, or crush the afflicted
at the gate; 23 for the LORD pleads their cause and despoils of life those who
despoil them. 24 Make no friends with those given to anger, and do not associate
with hotheads, 25 or you may learn their ways and entangle yourself in a snare.
26 Do not be one of those who give pledges, who become surety for debts. 27 If
you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?
28 Do not remove the ancient landmark that your ancestors set up. 29 Do you see
those who are skillful in their work? they will serve kings; they will not serve
common people.
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When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what
is before you, 2 and put a knife to your throat if you have a big appetite. 3 Do
not desire the ruler's delicacies, for they are deceptive food. 4 Do not wear
yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to desist. 5 When your eyes light upon
it, it is gone; for suddenly it takes wings to itself, flying like an eagle
toward heaven. 6 Do not eat the bread of the stingy; do not desire their
delicacies; 7 for like a hair in the throat, so are they. "Eat and drink!" they
say to you; but they do not mean it. 8 You will vomit up the little you have
eaten, and you will waste your pleasant words. 9 Do not speak in the hearing of
a fool, who will only despise the wisdom of your words. 10 Do not remove an
ancient landmark or encroach on the fields of orphans, 11 for their redeemer is
strong; he will plead their cause against you. 12 Apply your mind to instruction
and your ear to words of knowledge. 13 Do not withhold discipline from your
children; if you beat them with a rod, they will not die. 14 If you beat them
with the rod, you will save their lives from Sheol. 15 My child, if your heart
is wise, my heart too will be glad. 16 My soul will rejoice when your lips speak
what is right. 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the
fear of the LORD. 18 Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut
off. 19 Hear, my child, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way. 20 Do not
be among winebibbers, or among gluttonous eaters of meat; 21 for the drunkard
and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them with rags.
22 Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she
is old. 23 Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and
understanding. 24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who
begets a wise son will be glad in him. 25 Let your father and mother be glad;
let her who bore you rejoice. 26 My child, give me your heart, and let your eyes
observe my ways. 27 For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow
well. 28 She lies in wait like a robber and increases the number of the
faithless. 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who linger late
over wine, those who keep trying mixed wines. 31 Do not look at wine when it is
red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. 32 At the last it bites
like a serpent, and stings like an adder. 33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your mind utter perverse things. 34 You will be like one who lies down in
the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. 35 "They struck
me," you will say, "but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake? I will seek another drink."
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Do not envy the wicked, nor desire to be with them; 2 for their
minds devise violence, and their lips talk of mischief. 3 By wisdom a house is
built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the rooms are
filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 5 Wise warriors are mightier than
strong ones, and those who have knowledge than those who have strength; 6 for by
wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is
victory. 7 Wisdom is too high for fools; in the gate they do not open their
mouths. 8 Whoever plans to do evil will be called a mischief-maker. 9 The
devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to all. 10 If you
faint in the day of adversity, your strength being small; 11 if you hold back
from rescuing those taken away to death, those who go staggering to the
slaughter; 12 if you say, "Look, we did not know this"-- does not he who weighs
the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it? And
will he not repay all according to their deeds? 13 My child, eat honey, for it
is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. 14 Know
that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, you will find a future, and
your hope will not be cut off. 15 Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against the
home of the righteous; do no violence to the place where the righteous live; 16
for though they fall seven times, they will rise again; but the wicked are
overthrown by calamity. 17 Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let
your heart be glad when they stumble, 18 or else the LORD will see it and be
displeased, and turn away his anger from them. 19 Do not fret because of
evildoers. Do not envy the wicked; 20 for the evil have no future; the lamp of
the wicked will go out. 21 My child, fear the LORD and the king, and do not
disobey either of them; 22 for disaster comes from them suddenly, and who knows
the ruin that both can bring? 23 These also are sayings of the wise: Partiality
in judging is not good. 24 Whoever says to the wicked, "You are innocent," will
be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations; 25 but those who rebuke the wicked
will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. 26 One who gives an
honest answer gives a kiss on the lips. 27 Prepare your work outside, get
everything ready for you in the field; and after that build your house. 28 Do
not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with
your lips. 29 Do not say, "I will do to others as they have done to me; I will
pay them back for what they have done." 30 I passed by the field of one who was
lazy, by the vineyard of a stupid person; 31 and see, it was all overgrown with
thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. 33 A little
sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34 and poverty
will come upon you like a robber, and want, like an armed warrior.
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These are other proverbs of Solomon that the officials of King
Hezekiah of Judah copied. 2 It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the
glory of kings is to search things out. 3 Like the heavens for height, like the
earth for depth, so the mind of kings is unsearchable. 4 Take away the dross
from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; 5 take away the wicked
from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in
righteousness. 6 Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in
the place of the great; 7 for it is better to be told, "Come up here," than to
be put lower in the presence of a noble. What your eyes have seen 8 do not
hastily bring into court; for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor
puts you to shame? 9 Argue your case with your neighbor directly, and do not
disclose another's secret; 10 or else someone who hears you will bring shame
upon you, and your ill repute will have no end. 11 A word fitly spoken is like
apples of gold in a setting of silver. 12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of
gold is a wise rebuke to a listening ear. 13 Like the cold of snow in the time
of harvest are faithful messengers to those who send them; they refresh the
spirit of their masters. 14 Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts
of a gift never given. 15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft
tongue can break bones. 16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, or
else, having too much, you will vomit it. 17 Let your foot be seldom in your
neighbor's house, otherwise the neighbor will become weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a war club, a sword, or a sharp arrow is one who bears false witness
against a neighbor. 19 Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is trust in a faithless
person in time of trouble. 20 Like vinegar on a wound is one who sings songs to
a heavy heart. Like a moth in clothing or a worm in wood, sorrow gnaws at the
human heart. 21 If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat; and if they
are thirsty, give them water to drink; 22 for you will heap coals of fire on
their heads, and the LORD will reward you. 23 The north wind produces rain, and
a backbiting tongue, angry looks. 24 It is better to live in a corner of the
housetop than in a house shared with a contentious wife. 25 Like cold water to a
thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. 26 Like a muddied spring or a
polluted fountain are the righteous who give way before the wicked. 27 It is not
good to eat much honey, or to seek honor on top of honor. 28 Like a city
breached, without walls, is one who lacks self-control.
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Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting
for a fool. 2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, an
undeserved curse goes nowhere. 3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the back of fools. 4 Do not answer fools according to their folly,
or you will be a fool yourself. 5 Answer fools according to their folly, or they
will be wise in their own eyes. 6 It is like cutting off one's foot and drinking
down violence, to send a message by a fool. 7 The legs of a disabled person hang
limp; so does a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 8 It is like binding a stone in
a sling to give honor to a fool. 9 Like a thornbush brandished by the hand of a
drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 10 Like an archer who wounds
everybody is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. 11 Like a dog that
returns to its vomit is a fool who reverts to his folly. 12 Do you see persons
wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for fools than for them. 13 The lazy
person says, "There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!" 14
As a door turns on its hinges, so does a lazy person in bed. 15 The lazy person
buries a hand in the dish, and is too tired to bring it back to the mouth. 16
The lazy person is wiser in self-esteem than seven who can answer discreetly. 17
Like somebody who takes a passing dog by the ears is one who meddles in the
quarrel of another. 18 Like a maniac who shoots deadly firebrands and arrows, 19
so is one who deceives a neighbor and says, "I am only joking!" 20 For lack of
wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. 21
As charcoal is to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for
kindling strife. 22 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go
down into the inner parts of the body. 23 Like the glaze covering an earthen
vessel are smooth lips with an evil heart. 24 An enemy dissembles in speaking
while harboring deceit within; 25 when an enemy speaks graciously, do not
believe it, for there are seven abominations concealed within; 26 though hatred
is covered with guile, the enemy's wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on the one
who starts it rolling. 28 A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering
mouth works ruin.
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Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may
bring. 2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth-- a stranger, and not
your own lips. 3 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool's provocation
is heavier than both. 4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who is able
to stand before jealousy? 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Well meant
are the wounds a friend inflicts, but profuse are the kisses of an enemy. 7 The
sated appetite spurns honey, but to a ravenous appetite even the bitter is
sweet. 8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is one who strays from home. 9
Perfume and incense make the heart glad, but the soul is torn by trouble. 10 Do
not forsake your friend or the friend of your parent; do not go to the house of
your kindred in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is nearby
than kindred who are far away. 11 Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad, so
that I may answer whoever reproaches me. 12 The clever see danger and hide; but
the simple go on, and suffer for it. 13 Take the garment of one who has given
surety for a stranger; seize the pledge given as surety for foreigners. 14
Whoever blesses a neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will
be counted as cursing. 15 A continual dripping on a rainy day and a contentious
wife are alike; 16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in
the right hand. 17 Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of
another. 18 Anyone who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and anyone who takes
care of a master will be honored. 19 Just as water reflects the face, so one
human heart reflects another. 20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and
human eyes are never satisfied. 21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace
is for gold, so a person is tested by being praised. 22 Crush a fool in a mortar
with a pestle along with crushed grain, but the folly will not be driven out. 23
Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds; 24 for
riches do not last forever, nor a crown for all generations. 25 When the grass
is gone, and new growth appears, and the herbage of the mountains is gathered,
26 the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field; 27
there will be enough goats' milk for your food, for the food of your household
and nourishment for your servant-girls.
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The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as
bold as a lion. 2 When a land rebels it has many rulers; but with an intelligent
ruler there is lasting order. 3 A ruler who oppresses the poor is a beating rain
that leaves no food. 4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those
who keep the law struggle against them. 5 The evil do not understand justice,
but those who seek the LORD understand it completely. 6 Better to be poor and
walk in integrity than to be crooked in one's ways even though rich. 7 Those who
keep the law are wise children, but companions of gluttons shame their parents.
8 One who augments wealth by exorbitant interest gathers it for another who is
kind to the poor. 9 When one will not listen to the law, even one's prayers are
an abomination. 10 Those who mislead the upright into evil ways will fall into
pits of their own making, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance. 11
The rich is wise in self-esteem, but an intelligent poor person sees through the
pose. 12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked
prevail, people go into hiding. 13 No one who conceals transgressions will
prosper, but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. 14 Happy is
the one who is never without fear, but one who is hard-hearted will fall into
calamity. 15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a
poor people. 16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor; but one
who hates unjust gain will enjoy a long life. 17 If someone is burdened with the
blood of another, let that killer be a fugitive until death; let no one offer
assistance. 18 One who walks in integrity will be safe, but whoever follows
crooked ways will fall into the Pit. 19 Anyone who tills the land will have
plenty of bread, but one who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of
poverty. 20 The faithful will abound with blessings, but one who is in a hurry
to be rich will not go unpunished. 21 To show partiality is not good-- yet for a
piece of bread a person may do wrong. 22 The miser is in a hurry to get rich and
does not know that loss is sure to come. 23 Whoever rebukes a person will
afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue. 24 Anyone who
robs father or mother and says, "That is no crime," is partner to a thug. 25 The
greedy person stirs up strife, but whoever trusts in the LORD will be enriched.
26 Those who trust in their own wits are fools; but those who walk in wisdom
come through safely. 27 Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but one who
turns a blind eye will get many a curse. 28 When the wicked prevail, people go
into hiding; but when they perish, the righteous increase.
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One who is often reproved, yet remains stubborn, will suddenly
be broken beyond healing. 2 When the righteous are in authority, the people
rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan. 3 A child who loves wisdom
makes a parent glad, but to keep company with prostitutes is to squander one's
substance. 4 By justice a king gives stability to the land, but one who makes
heavy exactions ruins it. 5 Whoever flatters a neighbor is spreading a net for
the neighbor's feet. 6 In the transgression of the evil there is a snare, but
the righteous sing and rejoice. 7 The righteous know the rights of the poor; the
wicked have no such understanding. 8 Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise
turn away wrath. 9 If the wise go to law with fools, there is ranting and
ridicule without relief. 10 The bloodthirsty hate the blameless, and they seek
the life of the upright. 11 A fool gives full vent to anger, but the wise
quietly holds it back. 12 If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials
will be wicked. 13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common: the LORD
gives light to the eyes of both. 14 If a king judges the poor with equity, his
throne will be established forever. 15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a
mother is disgraced by a neglected child. 16 When the wicked are in authority,
transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall. 17
Discipline your children, and they will give you rest; they will give delight to
your heart. 18 Where there is no prophecy, the people cast off restraint, but
happy are those who keep the law. 19 By mere words servants are not disciplined,
for though they understand, they will not give heed. 20 Do you see someone who
is hasty in speech? There is more hope for a fool than for anyone like that. 21
A slave pampered from childhood will come to a bad end. 22 One given to anger
stirs up strife, and the hothead causes much transgression. 23 A person's pride
will bring humiliation, but one who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. 24 To
be a partner of a thief is to hate one's own life; one hears the victim's curse,
but discloses nothing. 25 The fear of others lays a snare, but one who trusts in
the LORD is secure. 26 Many seek the favor of a ruler, but it is from the LORD
that one gets justice. 27 The unjust are an abomination to the righteous, but
the upright are an abomination to the wicked.
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The words of Agur son of Jakeh. An oracle. Thus says the man: I
am weary, O God, I am weary, O God. How can I prevail? 2 Surely I am too stupid
to be human; I do not have human understanding. 3 I have not learned wisdom, nor
have I knowledge of the holy ones. 4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of the hand? Who has wrapped up the
waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is the
person's name? And what is the name of the person's child? Surely you know! 5
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6
Do not add to his words, or else he will rebuke you, and you will be found a
liar. 7 Two things I ask of you; do not deny them to me before I die: 8 Remove
far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me
with the food that I need, 9 or I shall be full, and deny you, and say, "Who is
the LORD?" or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God. 10 Do
not slander a servant to a master, or the servant will curse you, and you will
be held guilty. 11 There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless
their mothers. 12 There are those who are pure in their own eyes yet are not
cleansed of their filthiness. 13 There are those--how lofty are their eyes, how
high their eyelids lift! 14 There are those whose teeth are swords, whose teeth
are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mortals.
15 The leech has two daughters; "Give, give," they cry. Three things are never
satisfied; four never say, "Enough": 16 Sheol, the barren womb, the earth ever
thirsty for water, and the fire that never says, "Enough." 17 The eye that mocks
a father and scorns to obey a mother will be pecked out by the ravens of the
valley and eaten by the vultures. 18 Three things are too wonderful for me; four
I do not understand: 19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a
rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a girl. 20
This is the way of an adulteress: she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, "I
have done no wrong." 21 Under three things the earth trembles; under four it
cannot bear up: 22 a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when glutted with
food; 23 an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maid when she succeeds
her mistress. 24 Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:
25 the ants are a people without strength, yet they provide their food in the
summer; 26 the badgers are a people without power, yet they make their homes in
the rocks; 27 the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; 28 the
lizard can be grasped in the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces. 29 Three
things are stately in their stride; four are stately in their gait: 30 the lion,
which is mightiest among wild animals and does not turn back before any; 31 the
strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king striding before his people. 32 If you
have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put
your hand on your mouth. 33 For as pressing milk produces curds, and pressing
the nose produces blood, so pressing anger produces strife.
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The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:
2 No, my son! No, son of my womb! No, son of my vows! 3 Do not give your
strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. 4 It is not for kings,
O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire strong
drink; 5 or else they will drink and forget what has been decreed, and will
pervert the rights of all the afflicted. 6 Give strong drink to one who is
perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; 7 let them drink and forget
their poverty, and remember their misery no more. 8 Speak out for those who
cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. 9 Speak out, judge
righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. 10 A capable wife who can
find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts
in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing
hands. 14 She is like the ships of the merchant, she brings her food from far
away. 15 She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household
and tasks for her servant-girls. 16 She considers a field and buys it; with the
fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength,
and makes her arms strong. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night. 19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her
hands hold the spindle. 20 She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her
hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for
all her household are clothed in crimson. 22 She makes herself coverings; her
clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the city gates,
taking his seat among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and
sells them; she supplies the merchant with sashes. 25 Strength and dignity are
her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with
wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the
ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children
rise up and call her happy; her husband too, and he praises her: 29 "Many women
have done excellently, but you surpass them all." 30 Charm is deceitful, and
beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her a
share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates.
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