Proverbs 15
Living Bible
15 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words cause quarrels.
2 A wise teacher makes learning a joy; a rebellious teacher spouts foolishness.
3 The Lord is watching everywhere and keeps his eye on both the evil and the good.
4 Gentle words cause life and health; griping brings discouragement.
5 Only a fool despises his father’s advice; a wise son considers each suggestion.
6 There is treasure in being good, but trouble dogs the wicked.
7 Only the good can give good advice. Rebels can’t.
8 The Lord hates the gifts of the wicked but delights in the prayers of his people.
9-10 The Lord despises the deeds of the wicked but loves those who try to be good. If they stop trying, the Lord will punish them; if they rebel against that punishment, they will die.
11 The depths of hell are open to God’s knowledge. How much more the hearts of all mankind!
12 A mocker stays away from wise men because he hates to be scolded.
13 A happy face means a glad heart; a sad face means a breaking heart.
14 A wise man is hungry for truth, while the mocker feeds on trash.
15 When a man is gloomy, everything seems to go wrong; when he is cheerful, everything seems right!
16 Better a little with reverence for God than great treasure and trouble with it.
17 It is better to eat soup with someone you love than steak with someone you hate.
18 A quick-tempered man starts fights; a cool-tempered man tries to stop them.
19 A lazy fellow has trouble all through life; the good man’s path is easy!
20 A sensible son gladdens his father. A rebellious son saddens his mother.[a]
21 If a man enjoys folly, something is wrong! The sensible stay on the pathways of right.
22 Plans go wrong with too few counselors; many counselors bring success.
23 Everyone enjoys giving good advice, and how wonderful it is to be able to say the right thing at the right time!
24 The road of the godly leads upward, leaving hell behind.
25 The Lord destroys the possessions of the proud but cares for widows.
26 The Lord hates the thoughts of the wicked but delights in kind words.[b]
27 Dishonest money brings grief to all the family, but hating bribes brings happiness.[c]
28 A good man thinks before he speaks; the evil man pours out his evil words without a thought.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.
30 Pleasant sights and good reports give happiness and health.
31-32 If you profit from constructive criticism, you will be elected to the wise men’s hall of fame. But to reject criticism is to harm yourself and your own best interests.
33 Humility and reverence for the Lord will make you both wise and honored.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:20 saddens his mother, literally, “despises his mother.”
- Proverbs 15:26 but delights in kind words, literally, “but kind words are pure.”
- Proverbs 15:27 brings happiness, literally, “you will live.”
Proverbs 15
The Message
God Doesn’t Miss a Thing
15 A gentle response defuses anger,
but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.
2 Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise;
fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.
3 God doesn’t miss a thing—
he’s alert to good and evil alike.
4 Kind words heal and help;
cutting words wound and maim.
5 Moral dropouts won’t listen to their elders;
welcoming correction is a mark of good sense.
6 The lives of God-loyal people flourish;
a misspent life is soon bankrupt.
7 Perceptive words spread knowledge;
fools are hollow—there’s nothing to them.
8 God can’t stand pious poses,
but he delights in genuine prayers.
9 A life frittered away disgusts God;
he loves those who run straight for the finish line.
10 It’s a school of hard knocks for those who leave God’s path,
a dead-end street for those who hate God’s rules.
11 Even hell holds no secrets from God—
do you think he can’t read human hearts?
Life Ascends to the Heights
12 Know-it-alls don’t like being told what to do;
they avoid the company of wise men and women.
13 A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face;
a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.
14 An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth;
fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.
15 A miserable heart means a miserable life;
a cheerful heart fills the day with song.
16 A simple life in the Fear-of-God
is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches.
17 Better a bread crust shared in love
than a slab of prime rib served in hate.
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.
28 Prayerful answers come from God-loyal people;
the wicked are sewers of abuse.
29 God keeps his distance from the wicked;
he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people.
30 A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart,
and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle.
31 Listen to good advice if you want to live well,
an honored guest among wise men and women.
32 An undisciplined, self-willed life is puny;
an obedient, God-willed life is spacious.
33 Fear-of-God is a school in skilled living—
first you learn humility, then you experience glory.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson