Proverbs 13
New American Standard Bible
Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked
13 A (A)wise son accepts his father’s discipline,
But a (B)scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
2 From the fruit of a person’s mouth he [a](C)enjoys good,
But the [b]desire of the treacherous is (D)violence.
3 One who (E)guards his mouth protects his life;
One who (F)opens wide his lips [c]comes to ruin.
4 The soul of the [d]lazy one craves and gets nothing,
But the soul of the diligent is made [e]prosperous.
5 A righteous person (G)hates a false statement,
But a wicked person [f](H)acts disgustingly and shamefully.
6 Righteousness (I)guards the [g]one whose way is blameless,
But wickedness brings the [h]sinner to ruin.
7 There is one who (J)pretends to be rich but has nothing;
Another pretends to be (K)poor, but has great wealth.
8 The ransom of a person’s life is his wealth,
But the poor hears no rebuke.
9 The (L)light of the righteous [i]rejoices,
But the (M)lamp of the wicked goes out.
10 Through overconfidence [j]comes nothing but strife,
But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.
11 Wealth obtained from [k]nothing dwindles,
But one who gathers [l]by labor increases it.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire [m]fulfilled is a tree of life.
13 One who (N)despises the word will do badly,
But one who fears the commandment will be (O)rewarded.
14 The [n]teaching of the wise is a (P)fountain of life,
To turn aside from the (Q)snares of death.
15 (R)Good understanding produces favor,
But the way of the treacherous is [o]their own disaster.
16 Every (S)prudent person acts with knowledge,
But a fool [p]displays foolishness.
17 A wicked messenger falls into adversity,
But (T)a faithful messenger brings healing.
18 Poverty and shame will come to one who (U)neglects [q]discipline,
But one who complies with rebuke will be honored.
19 Desire realized is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.
20 (V)One who walks with wise people will be wise,
But a companion of fools will suffer harm.
21 (W)Adversity pursues sinners,
But the (X)righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.
22 A good person (Y)leaves an inheritance to his [r]grandchildren,
And the (Z)wealth of a sinner is stored up for the righteous.
23 (AA)Abundant food is in the uncultivated ground of the poor,
But [s]it is swept away by injustice.
24 He who (AB)withholds his [t]rod hates his son,
But he who loves him [u](AC)disciplines him diligently.
25 The (AD)righteous [v]has enough to satisfy his appetite,
But the stomach of the (AE)wicked is in need.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:2 Lit eats
- Proverbs 13:2 Lit soul
- Proverbs 13:3 Lit ruin is his
- Proverbs 13:4 Lit idle
- Proverbs 13:4 Lit fat
- Proverbs 13:5 Lit causes a bad odor and causes shame
- Proverbs 13:6 Lit blamelessness of way
- Proverbs 13:6 Lit sin
- Proverbs 13:9 I.e., shines brightly
- Proverbs 13:10 Lit gives
- Proverbs 13:11 Prob. referring to fraud
- Proverbs 13:11 Lit by hand
- Proverbs 13:12 Lit coming
- Proverbs 13:14 Or law
- Proverbs 13:15 Cf. LXX in destruction; MT constant
- Proverbs 13:16 Lit spreads out
- Proverbs 13:18 Or instruction
- Proverbs 13:22 Lit sons’ sons
- Proverbs 13:23 Lit there is what is swept
- Proverbs 13:24 I.e., correction or discipline
- Proverbs 13:24 Lit seeks him diligently with discipline
- Proverbs 13:25 Lit eats to the satisfaction of his soul
Proverbs 13
New Living Translation
13 A wise child accepts a parent’s discipline;[a]
a mocker refuses to listen to correction.
2 Wise words will win you a good meal,
but treacherous people have an appetite for violence.
3 Those who control their tongue will have a long life;
opening your mouth can ruin everything.
4 Lazy people want much but get little,
but those who work hard will prosper.
5 The godly hate lies;
the wicked cause shame and disgrace.
6 Godliness guards the path of the blameless,
but the evil are misled by sin.
7 Some who are poor pretend to be rich;
others who are rich pretend to be poor.
8 The rich can pay a ransom for their lives,
but the poor won’t even get threatened.
9 The life of the godly is full of light and joy,
but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.
10 Pride leads to conflict;
those who take advice are wise.
11 Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears;
wealth from hard work grows over time.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
13 People who despise advice are asking for trouble;
those who respect a command will succeed.
14 The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain;
those who accept it avoid the snares of death.
15 A person with good sense is respected;
a treacherous person is headed for destruction.[b]
16 Wise people think before they act;
fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.
17 An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble,
but a reliable messenger brings healing.
18 If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace;
if you accept correction, you will be honored.
19 It is pleasant to see dreams come true,
but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them.
20 Walk with the wise and become wise;
associate with fools and get in trouble.
21 Trouble chases sinners,
while blessings reward the righteous.
22 Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren,
but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.
23 A poor person’s farm may produce much food,
but injustice sweeps it all away.
24 Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children.
Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.
25 The godly eat to their hearts’ content,
but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
