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Solomon's Proverbs

10 These are Solomon's proverbs:

Wise children make their fathers proud of them; foolish ones bring their mothers grief.

Wealth you get by dishonesty will do you no good, but honesty can save your life.

The Lord will not let good people go hungry, but he will keep the wicked from getting what they want.

Being lazy will make you poor, but hard work will make you rich.

A sensible person gathers the crops when they are ready; it is a disgrace to sleep through the time of harvest.

Good people will receive blessings. The words of the wicked hide a violent nature.

Good people will be remembered as a blessing, but the wicked will soon be forgotten.

Sensible people accept good advice. People who talk foolishly will come to ruin.

Honest people are safe and secure, but the dishonest will be caught.

10 Someone who holds back the truth causes trouble, but one who openly criticizes works for peace.[a]

11 A good person's words are a fountain of life, but a wicked person's words hide a violent nature.

12 (A)Hate stirs up trouble, but love forgives all offenses.

13 Intelligent people talk sense, but stupid people need to be punished.

14 The wise get all the knowledge they can, but when fools speak, trouble is not far off.

15 Wealth protects the rich; poverty destroys the poor.

16 The reward for doing good is life, but sin leads only to more sin.

17 People who listen when they are corrected will live, but those who will not admit that they are wrong are in danger.

18 Anyone who hides hatred is a liar. Anyone who spreads gossip is a fool.

19 The more you talk, the more likely you are to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet.

20 A good person's words are like pure silver; a wicked person's ideas are worthless.

21 A good person's words will benefit many people, but you can kill yourself with stupidity.

22 It is the Lord's blessing that makes you wealthy. Hard work can make you no richer.[b]

23 It is foolish to enjoy doing wrong. Intelligent people take pleasure in wisdom.

24 The righteous get what they want, but the wicked will get what they fear most.

25 Storms come, and the wicked are blown away, but honest people are always safe.

26 Never get a lazy person to do something for you; he will be as irritating as vinegar on your teeth or smoke in your eyes.

27 Obey the Lord, and you will live longer. The wicked die before their time.

28 The hopes of good people lead to joy, but wicked people can look forward to nothing.

29 The Lord protects honest people, but destroys those who do wrong.

30 Righteous people will always have security, but the wicked will not survive in the land.

31 Righteous people speak wisdom, but the tongue that speaks evil will be stopped.

32 Righteous people know the kind thing to say, but the wicked are always saying things that hurt.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:10 One ancient translation but one … peace; Hebrew repeats verse 8b.
  2. Proverbs 10:22 Hard work … richer; or And the Lord does not add sorrow to your wealth.

Proverbs of Solomon

10 The proverbs(A) of Solomon:(B)

A wise son brings joy to his father,(C)
    but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value,(D)
    but righteousness delivers from death.(E)

The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,(F)
    but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.(G)

Lazy hands make for poverty,(H)
    but diligent hands bring wealth.(I)

He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son,
    but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.(J)

Blessings crown the head of the righteous,
    but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.[a](K)

The name of the righteous(L) is used in blessings,[b]
    but the name of the wicked(M) will rot.(N)

The wise in heart accept commands,
    but a chattering fool comes to ruin.(O)

Whoever walks in integrity(P) walks securely,(Q)
    but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.(R)

10 Whoever winks maliciously(S) causes grief,
    and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,(T)
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.(U)

12 Hatred stirs up conflict,
    but love covers over all wrongs.(V)

13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,(W)
    but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.(X)

14 The wise store up knowledge,(Y)
    but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.(Z)

15 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,(AA)
    but poverty is the ruin of the poor.(AB)

16 The wages of the righteous is life,(AC)
    but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.(AD)

17 Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,(AE)
    but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips(AF)
    and spreads slander is a fool.

19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
    but the prudent hold their tongues.(AG)

20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
    but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

21 The lips of the righteous nourish many,
    but fools die for lack of sense.(AH)

22 The blessing of the Lord(AI) brings wealth,(AJ)
    without painful toil for it.(AK)

23 A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes,(AL)
    but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.

24 What the wicked dread(AM) will overtake them;(AN)
    what the righteous desire will be granted.(AO)

25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,
    but the righteous stand firm(AP) forever.(AQ)

26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke(AR) to the eyes,
    so are sluggards to those who send them.(AS)

27 The fear of the Lord adds length to life,(AT)
    but the years of the wicked are cut short.(AU)

28 The prospect of the righteous is joy,
    but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.(AV)

29 The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless,
    but it is the ruin of those who do evil.(AW)

30 The righteous will never be uprooted,
    but the wicked will not remain in the land.(AX)

31 From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom,(AY)
    but a perverse tongue(AZ) will be silenced.

32 The lips of the righteous know what finds favor,(BA)
    but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.(BB)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:6 Or righteous, / but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence
  2. Proverbs 10:7 See Gen. 48:20.