Proverbs 9-10

Amplified Bible

⁷ 
He who corrects and instructs a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man gets insults for himself.
^8 
[a]Do not correct a scoffer [who foolishly ridicules and takes no responsibility for his error] or he will hate you;
Correct a wise man [who learns from his error], and he will love you.^(C)
9 
Give instruction to a wise man and he will become even wiser;
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
¹⁰ 
The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence],
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight.
¹¹ 
For by me (wisdom from God) your days will be multiplied,
And years of life shall be increased.
¹² 
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself [for your own benefit];
If you scoff [thoughtlessly ridicule and disdain], you alone will pay the penalty.

¹³ 
The foolish woman is restless and noisy;
She is naive and easily misled and thoughtless, and knows nothing at all [of eternal value].
¹⁴ 
She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by the high and conspicuous places of the city,
¹⁵ 
Calling to those who pass by,
Who are making their paths straight:
¹⁶ 
“Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks understanding (common sense), she says,
¹⁷ 
“Stolen waters (pleasures) are sweet [because they are forbidden];
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”^(D)
18 
But he does not know that the spirits of the dead are there,
And that her guests are [already] in the depths of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish [stubborn] son [who refuses to learn] is a grief to his mother.
² 
Treasures of wickedness and ill-gotten gains do not profit,
But righteousness and moral integrity in daily life rescues from death.
³ 
The Lord will not allow the ^[b]righteous to hunger [God will meet all his needs],
But He will reject and cast away the craving of the wicked.^(E)
4 
Poor is he who works with a negligent and idle hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes him rich.
⁵ 
He who gathers during summer and takes advantage of his opportunities is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps during harvest and ignores the moment of opportunity is a son who acts shamefully.
⁶ 
Blessings are on the head of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God],
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
⁷ 
The ^[c]memory of the righteous [person] is a [source of] blessing,
But the name of the wicked will [be forgotten and] rot [like a corpse].^(F)
8 
The wise in heart [are willing to learn so they] will accept and obey commands (instruction),
But the babbling fool [who is arrogant and thinks himself wise] will come to ruin.
⁹ 
He who walks in integrity and with moral character walks securely,
But he who takes a crooked way will be discovered and punished.
¹⁰ 
He who [maliciously] winks the eye [of evil intent] causes trouble;
And the babbling fool [who is arrogant and thinks himself wise] will come to ruin.
¹¹ 
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life and his words of wisdom are a source of blessing,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence and evil.
¹² 
Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers and overwhelms all transgressions [forgiving and overlooking another’s faults].
¹³ 
On the lips of the discerning, [skillful and godly] wisdom is found,
But discipline and the rod are for the back of the one who is without common sense and understanding.
¹⁴ 
Wise men store up and treasure knowledge [in mind and heart],
But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
¹⁵ 
The rich man’s wealth is his fortress;
The ruin of the poor is their poverty.^(G)
16 
The wages of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God] is [a worthwhile, meaningful] life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.^(H)
17 
He who learns from instruction and correction is on the [right] path of life [and for others his example is a path toward wisdom and blessing],
But he who ignores and refuses correction goes off course [and for others his example is a path toward sin and ruin].
¹⁸ 
He who hides hatred has lying lips,
And he who spreads slander is a fool.^(I)
19 
When there are many words, transgression and offense are unavoidable,
But he who controls his lips and keeps thoughtful silence is wise.
²⁰ 
The tongue of the righteous is like precious silver (greatly valued);
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
²¹ 
The lips of the righteous feed and guide many,
But fools [who reject God and His wisdom] die for lack of understanding.
²² 
The blessing of the Lord brings [true] riches,
And He adds no sorrow to it [for it comes as a blessing from God].
²³ 
Engaging in evil is like sport to the fool [who refuses wisdom and chases sin],
But to a man of understanding [skillful and godly] wisdom brings joy.
²⁴ 
What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous [for the blessings of God] will be granted.
²⁵ 
When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.^(J)
26 
Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him to work.
²⁷ 
The [reverent] fear of the Lord [worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect] prolongs one’s life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
²⁸ 
The hope of the righteous [those of honorable character and integrity] is joy,
But the expectation of the wicked [those who oppose God and ignore His wisdom] comes to nothing.
²⁹ 
The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright,
But it is ruin to those who do evil.
³⁰ 
The [consistently] righteous will never be shaken,
But the wicked will not inhabit the earth.^(K)
31 
The mouth of the righteous flows with [skillful and godly] wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.
³² 
The lips of the righteous know (speak) what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked knows (speaks) what is perverted (twisted).