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Proverbs 12
EasyEnglish Bible
Proverbs 12
EasyEnglish Bible
12 Do you want to know the right way to live?
Then you must accept it when people warn you that you have done something wrong.
Only stupid people hate it when people warn them.
2 The Lord helps good people.
But he punishes people who want to do evil things.
3 No one can use wicked things to make himself safe.
But a righteous person has strong roots.
4 A good wife will bring honour to her husband, like a crown.
But a wife who brings shame to her husband will take away his strength.
5 Righteous people want to do things that are right.
But do not trust the advice of wicked people.
6 The words of wicked people are like a trap that will kill good people.
But the words of honest people will save people's lives.
7 Wicked people soon come to an end and they disappear.
But the families of righteous people will continue to be strong.
8 People will praise a wise person, as much as his wisdom deserves.
But no one will respect a person who is stupid.
9 It is better to be a humble person who has a servant
than a proud person who has no food to eat.
10 Righteous people take care of their animals.
But wicked people are cruel even when they think they are kind.
11 A farmer who works hard will have plenty of food to eat.
But anyone who works only on useless things is foolish.
12 Wicked people want to take the things that other bad people have.
But righteous people remain strong, with deep roots.
13 The lies of evil people put them in trouble.
But righteous people escape from trouble.
14 If you say good things, you will receive good things that make you happy.
You will receive what you deserve from the things that you do.
15 Foolish people always do what seems right to them.
But wise people listen to advice from others.
16 When a fool becomes angry, everybody knows it!
But a careful person keeps quiet when someone insults him.
17 Honest people speak the truth in court.
But a person who tells lies never says what is true.
18 If you speak in a careless way, you may hurt other people.
But when wise people speak, it makes people feel well.
19 True words continue to be true for ever.
But people quickly see that lies are lies.
20 Someone who wants to cause trouble has a mind that is full of lies.
But someone who wants to bring peace has a mind that is full of joy.
21 Trouble keeps away from righteous people.
But wicked people have trouble all the time.
22 The Lord hates people who tell lies.
But he is pleased with people who do what they promise to do.
23 Careful people keep quiet about how much they know.
But foolish people show everyone how silly they are.
24 If you work hard, you will become a leader.
But if you are lazy, you will become a slave.
25 If you worry all the time, it will make you sad.
But kind words will make you happy.
26 A righteous person gives good advice to his friends.
But wicked people are always taking the wrong path.
27 A lazy person does not cook the animals that he has caught.
But if you work hard, you will enjoy many valuable things.
28 If you do what is right, you will find true life.
Along that path, there is no death.
Proverbs 12
New Catholic Bible
Proverbs 12
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 12
On the Way of Righteousness[a]
1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but the one who hates correction is stupid.
2 The good man wins the favor of the Lord,
but the malicious man incurs his condemnation.
3 No one earns security by wickedness,
but the roots of the righteous will not be shaken.
4 A good wife is her husband’s crown,
but one who disgraces him is like decay in his bones.
5 The aims of the righteous are honorable,
but the schemes of the wicked are full of deceit.
6 The words of the wicked are snares to shed blood,
but those of the upright keep them safe.
7 Once the wicked are overthrown, they are no more,
but the house of the righteous remains firm.
8 A man will be praised if he exhibits good sense,
but one with a perverse mind is despised.
9 It is better to be a laborer and have food to eat
than to put on airs and have an empty stomach.
10 A righteous person supplies the needs of his animals,[b]
but the heart of the wicked is without mercy.
11 One who tills his land has an abundance of food,
but he who chases fantasies[c] is a fool.
12 The wicked desire the prey of evil men,
but the root of the righteous bears fruit.
13 The wicked man is ensnared by the sin of his lips,
but the righteous frees himself from misfortune.
14 An abundance of good things flow from the fruit of one’s lips,
and a man’s labor will give him a suitable reward.[d]
15 The fool is convinced of the rightness of his ways,
but the man who listens to advice shows wisdom.
16 A fool is quick to show his anger,
but a prudent man ignores an insult.
17 A truthful witness is honest in his testimony,
but a false witness testifies deceitfully.
18 Thoughtless words wound like a sword thrust,
but the tongue of the wise produces healing.
19 Truthful speech endures forever,
but deceitful lies last only for a moment.[e]
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil,
but those who counsel peace have joy.
21 No harm befalls the righteous,
but endless are the misfortunes of the wicked.
22 The Lord abhors lying lips,
but he delights in those who are truthful.
23 A prudent man does not flaunt his knowledge,
but the heart of fools proclaims their folly.
24 Authority will be granted to the diligent,
but the lazy will be enslaved.
25 Anxiety in the human heart weighs it down,
but a kind word makes it glad.
26 A righteous man gives good advice to his neighbor,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 A lazy man never reaps a rich harvest,
but the diligent man acquires precious wealth.
28 The way of righteousness leads to life,
but the way of vengeance leads to death.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:1 In this endless and already known variation on the theme of the righteous and the wicked and the sage and the fool, one could perhaps note a more marked insistence on truth in human relationships and on dislike of the foolish word. However, each maxim brings its own observation or its own teaching from popular good sense and sometimes from its religious certitude. From time to time, opposing portraits of women are evoked.
- Proverbs 12:10 A person who is good is kind even to animals (see Prov 27:23; Deut 25:4).
- Proverbs 12:11 This text is repeated almost verbatim in Prov 28:19. Chases fantasies: schemes to acquire ill-gotten goods.
- Proverbs 12:14 A man’s words of wisdom will yield a good harvest in the same way that his physical labor will bring him an abundant crop (see note on Prov 1:31; see also Job 34:11).
- Proverbs 12:19 A person who has spoken the truth has said it once and for all and need not open the mouth again; a liar must fall back on ever-new lies.
Proverbs 12
New International Version
Proverbs 12
New International Version
12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates correction is stupid.(A)
3 No one can be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.(D)
4 A wife of noble character(E) is her husband’s crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.(F)
5 The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.(G)
8 A person is praised according to their prudence,
and one with a warped(J) mind is despised.
9 Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food.
10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals,(K)
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
11 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.(L)
12 The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous endures.
14 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,(O)
and the work of their hands brings them reward.(P)
17 An honest witness tells the truth,
but a false witness tells lies.(V)
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
20 Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but those who promote peace have joy.(Y)
21 No harm overtakes the righteous,(Z)
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
24 Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in forced labor.(AF)
25 Anxiety weighs down the heart,(AG)
but a kind word cheers it up.
26 The righteous choose their friends carefully,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.(AH)
27 The lazy do not roast[a] any game,
but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
28 In the way of righteousness there is life;(AI)
along that path is immortality.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:27 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Nkwa Asem (NA-TWI)
Akuapem Twi, dialect of Akan, Nkwa Asɛm Apam Foforo Ne Nnwom (Akuapem Twi New Testament and Psalms) Copyright © 2000 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
EasyEnglish Bible (EASY)
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.