Proverbs 19:11-20

The Message

¹¹ Smart people know how to hold their tongue;
    their grandeur is to forgive and forget.

¹² Mean-tempered leaders are like mad dogs;
    the good-natured are like fresh morning dew.

¹³ A parent is worn to a frazzle by an irresponsible child;
    a nagging spouse is a leaky faucet.

¹⁴ House and land are handed down from parents,
    but a congenial spouse comes straight from God.

¹⁵ Life collapses on loafers;
    lazybones go hungry.

¹⁶ Keep the rules and keep your life;
    careless living kills.

¹⁷ Mercy to the needy is a loan to God,
    and God pays back those loans in full.

¹⁸ Discipline your children while you still have the chance;
    indulging them destroys them.

¹⁹ Let angry people endure the backlash of their own anger;
    if you try to make it better, you’ll only make it worse.

²⁰ Take good counsel and accept correction—
    that’s the way to live wisely and well.