Proverbs 10
Good News Translation
Solomon's Proverbs
10 These are Solomon's proverbs:
Wise children make their fathers proud of them; foolish ones bring their mothers grief.
2 Wealth you get by dishonesty will do you no good, but honesty can save your life.
3 The Lord will not let good people go hungry, but he will keep the wicked from getting what they want.
4 Being lazy will make you poor, but hard work will make you rich.
5 A sensible person gathers the crops when they are ready; it is a disgrace to sleep through the time of harvest.
6 Good people will receive blessings. The words of the wicked hide a violent nature.
7 Good people will be remembered as a blessing, but the wicked will soon be forgotten.
8 Sensible people accept good advice. People who talk foolishly will come to ruin.
9 Honest people are safe and secure, but the dishonest will be caught.
10 Someone who holds back the truth causes trouble, but one who openly criticizes works for peace.[a]
11 A good person's words are a fountain of life, but a wicked person's words hide a violent nature.
12 (A)Hate stirs up trouble, but love forgives all offenses.
13 Intelligent people talk sense, but stupid people need to be punished.
14 The wise get all the knowledge they can, but when fools speak, trouble is not far off.
15 Wealth protects the rich; poverty destroys the poor.
16 The reward for doing good is life, but sin leads only to more sin.
17 People who listen when they are corrected will live, but those who will not admit that they are wrong are in danger.
18 Anyone who hides hatred is a liar. Anyone who spreads gossip is a fool.
19 The more you talk, the more likely you are to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet.
20 A good person's words are like pure silver; a wicked person's ideas are worthless.
21 A good person's words will benefit many people, but you can kill yourself with stupidity.
22 It is the Lord's blessing that makes you wealthy. Hard work can make you no richer.[b]
23 It is foolish to enjoy doing wrong. Intelligent people take pleasure in wisdom.
24 The righteous get what they want, but the wicked will get what they fear most.
25 Storms come, and the wicked are blown away, but honest people are always safe.
26 Never get a lazy person to do something for you; he will be as irritating as vinegar on your teeth or smoke in your eyes.
27 Obey the Lord, and you will live longer. The wicked die before their time.
28 The hopes of good people lead to joy, but wicked people can look forward to nothing.
29 The Lord protects honest people, but destroys those who do wrong.
30 Righteous people will always have security, but the wicked will not survive in the land.
31 Righteous people speak wisdom, but the tongue that speaks evil will be stopped.
32 Righteous people know the kind thing to say, but the wicked are always saying things that hurt.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:10 One ancient translation but one … peace; Hebrew repeats verse 8b.
- Proverbs 10:22 Hard work … richer; or And the Lord does not add sorrow to your wealth.
Proverbs 10
Modern English Version
The Proverbs of Solomon
10 The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
but righteousness delivers from death.
3 The Lord will not allow the soul of the righteous to famish,
but He casts away the desire of the wicked.
4 He becomes poor who deals with a slack hand,
but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son,
but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
6 Blessings are on the head of the just,
but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the just is blessed,
but the name of the wicked will rot.
8 The wise in heart will receive commandments,
but a prating fool will fall.
9 He who walks uprightly walks surely,
but he who perverts his ways will be known.
10 He who winks with the eye causes sorrow,
but a prating fool will fall.
11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life,
but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all sins.
13 In the lips of him who has understanding wisdom is found,
but a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding.
14 Wise men store up knowledge,
but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
15 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
the destruction of the poor is their poverty.
16 The labor of the righteous tends to life,
the fruit of the wicked to sin.
17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
but he who refuses reproof errs.
18 He who hides hatred has lying lips,
and he who spreads slander is a fool.
19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
but he who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver;
the heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of wisdom.
22 The blessing of the Lord makes rich,
and He adds no sorrow with it.
23 To do mischief is like sport to a fool,
but a man of understanding has wisdom.
24 The fear of the wicked will come upon him,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 As the whirlwind passes, so is the wicked no more,
but the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 As vinegar to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes,
so is the sluggard to those who send him.
27 The fear of the Lord prolongs days,
but the years of the wicked will be shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness,
but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright,
but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
30 The righteous will never be removed,
but the wicked will not inhabit the earth.
31 The mouth of the just brings forth wisdom,
but the perverse tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
but the mouth of the wicked speaks what is perverse.
Proverbs 10
Common English Bible
Proverbs of Solomon
10 The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise child makes a father glad,
but a foolish child brings sorrow to his mother.
2 The treasure of the wicked won’t profit them,
but righteousness rescues people from death.
3 The Lord doesn’t let the righteous starve,
but he rejects the desires of the wicked.
4 Laziness brings poverty;
hard work makes one rich.
5 A wise son harvests in the summer;
a disgraceful son sleeps right through the harvest.
6 Blessings cover the head of the righteous,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
but the name of the wicked rots.
8 The skilled mind accepts commands,
but a foolish talker is ruined.
9 Those who walk in innocence walk with confidence,
but those on crooked paths will be found out.
10 Those who wink an eye bring trouble;
those who speak foolishly are ruined.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hate stirs up conflict,
but love covers all offenses.
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of those who have understanding,
but there is a rod for the back of those with no sense.
14 The wise store up knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool brings on ruin.
15 The riches of the wealthy are their strong city;
the ruin of the poor is their poverty.
16 The wages of the righteous lead to life;
the earnings of the wicked lead to sin.
17 Those who heed instruction are on the way to life,
but those who ignore correction lose their way.
18 Lying lips conceal hate,
and those who spread slander are fools.
19 With lots of words comes wrongdoing,
but the wise restrain their lips.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
but the heart of the wicked lacks value.
21 The lips of the righteous nourish many people,
but fools who lack sense will die.
22 The Lord’s blessing makes a person rich,
and no trouble is added to it.
23 Fools enjoy vile deeds,
but those with understanding take pleasure in wisdom.
24 What the wicked dread will come on them,
but what the righteous desire will be given to them.
25 After a whirlwind passes by, the wicked are no more,
but the righteous stand firm forever.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
so are lazy people to those who authorize them.
27 The fear of the Lord increases one’s life,
but the years of the wicked will be cut short.
28 The expectations of the righteous result in joy,
but the hopes of the wicked will perish.
29 The path of the Lord is a refuge for the innocent
and ruin for those who do evil.
30 The righteous will never be shaken,
but the wicked won’t dwell in the land.
31 The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
but the twisted tongue will be cut off.
32 The lips of the wise know what is acceptable,
but the mouth of the wicked knows only what is perverse.
Proverbs 10
New International Version
Proverbs of Solomon
10 The proverbs(A) of Solomon:(B)
A wise son brings joy to his father,(C)
but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.
5 He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son,
but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.(J)
8 The wise in heart accept commands,
but a chattering fool comes to ruin.(O)
9 Whoever walks in integrity(P) walks securely,(Q)
but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.(R)
10 Whoever winks maliciously(S) causes grief,
and a chattering fool comes to ruin.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,(T)
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.(U)
12 Hatred stirs up conflict,
but love covers over all wrongs.(V)
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,(W)
but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.(X)
17 Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,(AE)
but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips(AF)
and spreads slander is a fool.
19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
but the prudent hold their tongues.(AG)
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
but the heart of the wicked is of little value.
21 The lips of the righteous nourish many,
but fools die for lack of sense.(AH)
23 A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes,(AL)
but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.
28 The prospect of the righteous is joy,
but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.(AV)
29 The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless,
but it is the ruin of those who do evil.(AW)
30 The righteous will never be uprooted,
but the wicked will not remain in the land.(AX)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:6 Or righteous, / but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence
- Proverbs 10:7 See Gen. 48:20.
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