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Proverbs 23-31
New International Version
Proverbs 23-31
New International Version
Saying 7
23 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well what[a] is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
3 Do not crave his delicacies,(A)
for that food is deceptive.
Saying 8
4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
do not trust your own cleverness.
5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,(B)
for they will surely sprout wings
and fly off to the sky like an eagle.(C)
Saying 9
6 Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
do not crave his delicacies;(D)
7 for he is the kind of person
who is always thinking about the cost.[b]
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten
and will have wasted your compliments.
Saying 10
9 Do not speak to fools,
for they will scorn your prudent words.(E)
Saying 11
10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone(F)
or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Defender(G) is strong;(H)
he will take up their case against you.(I)
Saying 12
12 Apply your heart to instruction(J)
and your ears to words of knowledge.
Saying 13
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.
14 Punish them with the rod
and save them from death.(K)
Saying 14
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
then my heart will be glad indeed;
16 my inmost being will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.(L)
Saying 15
17 Do not let your heart envy(M) sinners,
but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.
18 There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.(N)
Saying 16
19 Listen, my son,(O) and be wise,
and set your heart on the right path:
20 Do not join those who drink too much wine(P)
or gorge themselves on meat,
21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,(Q)
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Saying 17
22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.(R)
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it—
wisdom, instruction and insight as well.(S)
24 The father of a righteous child has great joy;
a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.(T)
25 May your father and mother rejoice;
may she who gave you birth be joyful!(U)
Saying 18
26 My son,(V) give me your heart
and let your eyes delight in my ways,(W)
27 for an adulterous woman is a deep pit,(X)
and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Like a bandit she lies in wait(Y)
and multiplies the unfaithful among men.
Saying 19
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Those who linger over wine,(Z)
who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly!
32 In the end it bites like a snake
and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange sights,
and your mind will imagine confusing things.
34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
lying on top of the rigging.
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up
so I can find another drink?”(AA)
Saying 20
24 Do not envy(AB) the wicked,
do not desire their company;
2 for their hearts plot violence,(AC)
and their lips talk about making trouble.(AD)
Saying 21
3 By wisdom a house is built,(AE)
and through understanding it is established;
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.(AF)
Saying 22
5 The wise prevail through great power,
and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
6 Surely you need guidance to wage war,
and victory is won through many advisers.(AG)
Saying 23
7 Wisdom is too high for fools;
in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.
Saying 24
8 Whoever plots evil
will be known as a schemer.
9 The schemes of folly are sin,
and people detest a mocker.
Saying 25
10 If you falter in a time of trouble,
how small is your strength!(AH)
11 Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.(AI)
12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
does not he who weighs(AJ) the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay(AK) everyone according to what they have done?(AL)
Saying 26
13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
14 Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:
If you find it, there is a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.(AM)
Saying 27
15 Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous,
do not plunder their dwelling place;
16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,
but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.(AN)
Saying 28
17 Do not gloat(AO) when your enemy falls;
when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,(AP)
18 or the Lord will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from them.(AQ)
Saying 29
19 Do not fret(AR) because of evildoers
or be envious of the wicked,
20 for the evildoer has no future hope,
and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.(AS)
Saying 30
21 Fear the Lord and the king,(AT) my son,
and do not join with rebellious officials,
22 for those two will send sudden destruction(AU) on them,
and who knows what calamities they can bring?
Further Sayings of the Wise
23 These also are sayings of the wise:(AV)
To show partiality(AW) in judging is not good:(AX)
24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,”(AY)
will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and rich blessing will come on them.
26 An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips.
27 Put your outdoor work in order
and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house.
28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause(AZ)—
would you use your lips to mislead?
29 Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me;
I’ll pay them back for what they did.”(BA)
30 I went past the field of a sluggard,(BB)
past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
31 thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest(BC)—
34 and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.(BD)
More Proverbs of Solomon
25 These are more proverbs(BE) of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:(BF)
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.(BG)
3 As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
4 Remove the dross from the silver,
and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
5 remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,(BH)
and his throne will be established(BI) through righteousness.(BJ)
6 Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
7 it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”(BK)
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.
What you have seen with your eyes
8 do not bring[c] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame?(BL)
9 If you take your neighbor to court,
do not betray another’s confidence,
10 or the one who hears it may shame you
and the charge against you will stand.
11 Like apples[d] of gold in settings of silver(BM)
is a ruling rightly given.
12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.(BN)
13 Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time
is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;
he refreshes the spirit of his master.(BO)
14 Like clouds and wind without rain
is one who boasts of gifts never given.
16 If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.(BR)
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.
18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.(BS)
19 Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
or like vinegar poured on a wound,
is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals(BT) on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.(BU)
23 Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain
is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.
24 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(BV)
25 Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land.(BW)
26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
are the righteous who give way to the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey,(BX)
nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep.(BY)
28 Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control.
26 Like snow in summer or rain(BZ) in harvest,
honor is not fitting for a fool.(CA)
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse does not come to rest.(CB)
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,(CC)
and a rod for the backs of fools!(CD)
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him.(CE)
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.(CF)
6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool(CG)
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(CH)
8 Like tying a stone in a sling
is the giving of honor to a fool.(CI)
9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(CJ)
10 Like an archer who wounds at random
is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,(CK)
so fools repeat their folly.(CL)
12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?(CM)
There is more hope for a fool than for them.(CN)
13 A sluggard says,(CO) “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”(CP)
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.(CQ)
15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.(CR)
16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.
17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.
18 Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
19 is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”
20 Without wood a fire goes out;
without a gossip a quarrel dies down.(CS)
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.(CT)
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.(CU)
23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
are fervent[e] lips with an evil heart.
24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,(CV)
but in their hearts they harbor deceit.(CW)
25 Though their speech is charming,(CX) do not believe them,
for seven abominations fill their hearts.(CY)
26 Their malice may be concealed by deception,
but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit(CZ) will fall into it;(DA)
if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.(DB)
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth(DC) works ruin.
2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
an outsider, and not your own lips.(DF)
3 Stone is heavy and sand(DG) a burden,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?(DH)
5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses.(DI)
7 One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
8 Like a bird that flees its nest(DJ)
is anyone who flees from home.
9 Perfume(DK) and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the pleasantness of a friend
springs from their heartfelt advice.
10 Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster(DL) strikes you—
better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.
11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;(DM)
then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.(DN)
12 The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.(DO)
13 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.(DP)
14 If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
it will be taken as a curse.
15 A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping(DQ)
of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind
or grasping oil with the hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
18 The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,(DR)
and whoever protects their master will be honored.(DS)
19 As water reflects the face,
so one’s life reflects the heart.[f]
21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,(DV)
but people are tested by their praise.
22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
grinding them like grain with a pestle,
you will not remove their folly from them.
23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,(DW)
give careful attention to your herds;
24 for riches do not endure forever,(DX)
and a crown is not secure for all generations.
25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats with the price of a field.
27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
and to nourish your female servants.
2 When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.
3 A ruler[h] who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.
4 Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,
but those who heed it resist them.
5 Evildoers do not understand what is right,
but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.
6 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than the rich whose ways are perverse.(EB)
7 A discerning son heeds instruction,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.(EC)
8 Whoever increases wealth by taking interest(ED) or profit from the poor
amasses it for another,(EE) who will be kind to the poor.(EF)
9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
even their prayers are detestable.(EG)
10 Whoever leads the upright along an evil path
will fall into their own trap,(EH)
but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.
11 The rich are wise in their own eyes;
one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;(EI)
but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.(EJ)
13 Whoever conceals their sins(EK) does not prosper,
but the one who confesses(EL) and renounces them finds mercy.(EM)
14 Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.
15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
16 A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.
17 Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
will seek refuge(EN) in the grave;
let no one hold them back.
18 The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe,(EO)
but the one whose ways are perverse will fall(EP) into the pit.[i]
19 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.(EQ)
20 A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.(ER)
22 The stingy are eager to get rich
and are unaware that poverty awaits them.(EV)
23 Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
rather than one who has a flattering tongue.(EW)
24 Whoever robs their father or mother(EX)
and says, “It’s not wrong,”
is partner to one who destroys.(EY)
27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,(FD)
but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.(FE)
28 When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;(FF)
but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.
29 Whoever remains stiff-necked(FG) after many rebukes
will suddenly be destroyed(FH)—without remedy.(FI)
2 When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;(FJ)
when the wicked rule,(FK) the people groan.(FL)
3 A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,(FM)
but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.(FN)
4 By justice a king gives a country stability,(FO)
but those who are greedy for[j] bribes tear it down.
5 Those who flatter their neighbors
are spreading nets for their feet.(FP)
6 Evildoers are snared by their own sin,(FQ)
but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.
7 The righteous care about justice for the poor,(FR)
but the wicked have no such concern.
8 Mockers stir up a city,
but the wise turn away anger.(FS)
9 If a wise person goes to court with a fool,
the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.
10 The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity
and seek to kill the upright.(FT)
13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common:
The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.(FY)
14 If a king judges the poor with fairness,
his throne will be established forever.(FZ)
15 A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.(GA)
16 When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
but the righteous will see their downfall.(GB)
17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;
they will bring you the delights you desire.(GC)
18 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.(GD)
19 Servants cannot be corrected by mere words;
though they understand, they will not respond.
20 Do you see someone who speaks in haste?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.(GE)
21 A servant pampered from youth
will turn out to be insolent.
22 An angry person stirs up conflict,
and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.(GF)
24 The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;
they are put under oath and dare not testify.(GI)
27 The righteous detest the dishonest;
the wicked detest the upright.(GO)
Sayings of Agur
30 The sayings(GP) of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.
This man’s utterance to Ithiel:
“I am weary, God,
but I can prevail.[k]
2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
I do not have human understanding.
3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.(GQ)
4 Who has gone up(GR) to heaven and come down?
Whose hands(GS) have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters(GT) in a cloak?(GU)
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name,(GV) and what is the name of his son?
Surely you know!
5 “Every word of God is flawless;(GW)
he is a shield(GX) to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add(GY) to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
7 “Two things I ask of you, Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.(GZ)
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown(HA) you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’(HB)
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.(HC)
10 “Do not slander a servant to their master,
or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.
11 “There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers;(HD)
12 those who are pure in their own eyes(HE)
and yet are not cleansed of their filth;(HF)
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty,(HG)
whose glances are so disdainful;
14 those whose teeth(HH) are swords
and whose jaws are set with knives(HI)
to devour(HJ) the poor(HK) from the earth
and the needy from among mankind.(HL)
15 “The leech has two daughters.
‘Give! Give!’ they cry.
“There are three things that are never satisfied,(HM)
four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
16 the grave,(HN) the barren womb,
land, which is never satisfied with water,
and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
17 “The eye that mocks(HO) a father,
that scorns an aged mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
will be eaten by the vultures.(HP)
18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me,
four that 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 young woman.
20 “This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth
and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’(HQ)
21 “Under three things the earth trembles,
under four it cannot bear up:
22 a servant who becomes king,(HR)
a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
23 a contemptible woman who gets married,
and a servant who displaces her mistress.
24 “Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:
25 Ants are creatures of little strength,
yet they store up their food in the summer;(HS)
26 hyraxes(HT) are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags;
27 locusts(HU) have no king,
yet they advance together in ranks;
28 a lizard can be caught with the hand,
yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride,
four that move with stately bearing:
30 a lion, mighty among beasts,
who retreats before nothing;
31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
and a king secure against revolt.[l]
32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
or if you plan evil,
clap your hand over your mouth!(HV)
33 For as churning cream produces butter,
and as twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife.”
Sayings of King Lemuel
31 The sayings(HW) of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.
2 Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb!
Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!(HX)
3 Do not spend your strength[m] on women,
your vigor on those who ruin kings.(HY)
4 It is not for kings, Lemuel—
it is not for kings to drink wine,(HZ)
not for rulers to crave beer,
5 lest they drink(IA) and forget what has been decreed,(IB)
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
6 Let beer be for those who are perishing,
wine(IC) for those who are in anguish!
7 Let them drink(ID) and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
8 Speak(IE) up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
9 Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.(IF)
Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character
Footnotes
- Proverbs 23:1 Or who
- Proverbs 23:7 Or for as he thinks within himself, / so he is; or for as he puts on a feast, / so he is
- Proverbs 25:8 Or nobles / on whom you had set your eyes. / 8 Do not go
- Proverbs 25:11 Or possibly apricots
- Proverbs 26:23 Hebrew; Septuagint smooth
- Proverbs 27:19 Or so others reflect your heart back to you
- Proverbs 27:20 Hebrew Abaddon
- Proverbs 28:3 Or A poor person
- Proverbs 28:18 Syriac (see Septuagint); Hebrew into one
- Proverbs 29:4 Or who give
- Proverbs 30:1 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text utterance to Ithiel, / to Ithiel and Ukal:
- Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Proverbs 31:3 Or wealth
- Proverbs 31:10 Verses 10-31 are an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
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