Proverbs 15:18-27

The Message

¹⁸ Hot tempers start fights;
    a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.

¹⁹ The path of lazy people is overgrown with briers;
    the diligent walk down a smooth road.

²⁰ Intelligent children make their parents proud;
    lazy students embarrass their parents.

²¹ The empty-headed treat life as a plaything;
    the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it.

²² Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail;
    take good counsel and watch them succeed.

²³ Congenial conversation—what a pleasure!
    The right word at the right time—beautiful!

²⁴ Life ascends to the heights for the thoughtful—
    it’s a clean about-face from descent into hell.

²⁵ God smashes the pretensions of the arrogant;
    he stands with those who have no standing.

²⁶ God can’t stand evil scheming,
    but he puts words of grace and beauty on display.

²⁷ A greedy and grasping person destroys community;
    those who refuse to exploit live and let live.