A Soft Answer Turns Away Wrath

15 A (A)soft answer turns away wrath,
But (B)a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
(C)But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

(D)The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

A [a]wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

(E)A fool despises his father’s instruction,
(F)But he who [b]receives correction is prudent.

In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.

The lips of the wise [c]disperse knowledge,
But the heart of the fool does not do so.

(G)The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves him who (H)follows righteousness.

10 (I)Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way,
And (J)he who hates correction will die.

11 (K)Hell[d] and [e]Destruction are before the Lord;
So how much more (L)the hearts of the sons of men.

12 (M)A scoffer does not love one who corrects him,
Nor will he go to the wise.

13 (N)A merry heart makes a cheerful [f]countenance,
But (O)by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.

15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
(P)But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

16 (Q)Better is a little with the fear of the Lord,
Than great treasure with trouble.
17 (R)Better is a dinner of [g]herbs where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred.

18 (S)A wrathful man stirs up strife,
But he who is slow to anger allays contention.

19 (T)The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns,
But the way of the upright is a highway.

20 (U)A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man despises his mother.

21 (V)Folly is joy to him who is destitute of [h]discernment,
(W)But a man of understanding walks uprightly.

22 (X)Without counsel, plans go awry,
But in the multitude of counselors they are established.

23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth,
And (Y)a word spoken [i]in due season, how good it is!

24 (Z)The way of life winds upward for the wise,
That he may (AA)turn away from [j]hell below.

25 (AB)The Lord will destroy the house of the proud,
But (AC)He will establish the boundary of the widow.

26 (AD)The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
(AE)But the words of the pure are pleasant.

27 (AF)He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,
But he who hates bribes will live.

28 The heart of the righteous (AG)studies how to answer,
But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.

29 (AH)The Lord is far from the wicked,
But (AI)He hears the prayer of the righteous.

30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
And a good report makes the bones [k]healthy.

31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life
Will abide among the wise.
32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
33 (AJ)The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom,
And (AK)before honor is humility.

Wisdom Is Better Than Gold

16 The (AL)preparations[l] of the heart belong to man,
(AM)But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

All the ways of a man are pure in his own (AN)eyes,
But the Lord weighs the spirits.

(AO)Commit[m] your works to the Lord,
And your thoughts will be established.

The (AP)Lord has made all for Himself,
(AQ)Yes, even the wicked for the day of [n]doom.

(AR)Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Though they join [o]forces, none will go unpunished.

(AS)In mercy and truth
Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And (AT)by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.

When a man’s ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

(AU)Better is a little with righteousness,
Than vast revenues without justice.

(AV)A man’s heart plans his way,
(AW)But the Lord directs his steps.

10 Divination is on the lips of the king;
His mouth must not transgress in judgment.
11 (AX)Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s;
All the weights in the bag are His [p]work.
12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,
For (AY)a throne is established by righteousness.
13 (AZ)Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And they love him who speaks what is right.
14 As messengers of death is the king’s wrath,
But a wise man will (BA)appease it.
15 In the light of the king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a (BB)cloud of the latter rain.

16 (BC)How much better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before [q]a fall.
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the [r]spoil with the proud.

20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever (BD)trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

21 The wise in heart will be called prudent,
And sweetness of the lips increases learning.

22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.
But the correction of fools is folly.

23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
And adds learning to his lips.

24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of (BE)death.

26 The person who labors, labors for himself,
For his hungry mouth drives (BF)him on.

27 [s]An ungodly man digs up evil,
And it is on his lips like a burning (BG)fire.
28 A perverse man sows strife,
And (BH)a whisperer separates the best of friends.
29 A violent man entices his neighbor,
And leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things;
He [t]purses his lips and brings about evil.

31 (BI)The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness.

32 (BJ)He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

33 The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the Lord.

The Lord Tests Hearts

17 Better is (BK)a dry morsel with quietness,
Than a house full of [u]feasting with strife.

A wise servant will rule over (BL)a son who causes shame,
And will share an inheritance among the brothers.

The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
(BM)But the Lord tests the hearts.

An evildoer gives heed to false lips;
A liar listens eagerly to a [v]spiteful tongue.

(BN)He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;
(BO)He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

(BP)Children’s children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father.

Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
Much less lying lips to a prince.

A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.

(BQ)He who covers a transgression seeks love,
But (BR)he who repeats a matter separates friends.

10 (BS)Rebuke is more effective for a wise man
Than a hundred blows on a fool.

11 An evil man seeks only rebellion;
Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12 Let a man meet (BT)a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.

13 Whoever (BU)rewards evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.

14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water;
Therefore (BV)stop contention before a quarrel starts.

15 (BW)He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

16 Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,
Since he has no heart for it?

17 (BX)A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.

18 (BY)A man devoid of [w]understanding [x]shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes [y]surety for his friend.

19 He who loves transgression loves strife,
And (BZ)he who exalts his gate seeks destruction.

20 He who has a [z]deceitful heart finds no good,
And he who has (CA)a perverse tongue falls into evil.

21 He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.

22 A (CB)merry heart [aa]does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.

23 A wicked man accepts a bribe [ab]behind the back
To pervert the ways of justice.

24 (CC)Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

25 A (CD)foolish son is a grief to his father,
And bitterness to her who bore him.

26 Also, to punish the righteous is not good,
Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.

27 (CE)He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
28 (CF)Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:4 Lit. healing
  2. Proverbs 15:5 Lit. keeps
  3. Proverbs 15:7 spread
  4. Proverbs 15:11 Or Sheol
  5. Proverbs 15:11 Heb. Abaddon
  6. Proverbs 15:13 face
  7. Proverbs 15:17 Or vegetables
  8. Proverbs 15:21 Lit. heart
  9. Proverbs 15:23 Lit. in its time
  10. Proverbs 15:24 Or Sheol
  11. Proverbs 15:30 Lit. fat
  12. Proverbs 16:1 plans
  13. Proverbs 16:3 Lit. Roll
  14. Proverbs 16:4 Lit. evil
  15. Proverbs 16:5 Lit. hand to hand
  16. Proverbs 16:11 concern
  17. Proverbs 16:18 stumbling
  18. Proverbs 16:19 plunder
  19. Proverbs 16:27 Lit. A man of Belial
  20. Proverbs 16:30 Lit. compresses
  21. Proverbs 17:1 Or sacrificial meals
  22. Proverbs 17:4 Lit. destructive
  23. Proverbs 17:18 Lit. heart
  24. Proverbs 17:18 Lit. strikes the hands
  25. Proverbs 17:18 guaranty or collateral
  26. Proverbs 17:20 crooked
  27. Proverbs 17:22 Or makes medicine even better
  28. Proverbs 17:23 Under cover, lit. from the bosom

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