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Proverbs of Solomon

10 The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise child makes a father glad,
    but a foolish child grieves his mother.
Treasures of wickedness do not profit,
    but righteousness delivers from death.
Yahweh will not cause a righteous person[a] to go hungry,
    but the craving of the wicked he will thwart.
A slack hand causes poverty,
    but the hand of the diligent enriches.
He who gathers in the summer is a child who is prudent;
    he who sleeps at the harvest is a child who brings shame.
Blessings belong to the head of the righteous,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
The memory of righteousness is like a blessing,
    but the name of the wicked will rot.
A heart of wisdom will heed commandments,
    but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
Whoever walks in integrity[b] will walk securely,
    but whoever follows perversity, his ways will be made known.
10 The winking of an eye causes[c] trouble,
    and the foolishness of lips comes to ruin.
11 A fountain of life is a mouth of righteousness,
    and a mouth of wickedness conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
    but love covers over all offenses.
13 On the lips of one who has understanding, wisdom is found,
    but a rod is for the back of one who lacks sense.[d]
14 Those who are wise lay up knowledge,
    but to the mouth of the fool, ruin draws near.
15 The wealth of the rich is the city of his strength;
    the ruin of the poor is their poverty.
16 The wage of the righteous leads to life;
    the gain of the wicked to sin.
17 On the path to life is he who guards instruction,
    but he who rejects rebuke goes astray.
18 He who conceals hatred has lips of deceit,
    and he who utters slander—he is a fool.
19 In many words, transgression is not lacking,
    but he who restrains his lips is prudent.
20 Choice silver is a tongue of righteousness,
    a heart[e] of wickedness is of little worth.[f]
21 Lips of righteousness feed many,
    but fools die for lack of sense.[g]
22 The blessing of Yahweh makes one rich,
    and he does not increase sorrow with it.
23 It is like a sport for a fool to do wrong,
    wisdom for a person of understanding.
24 The dread of the wicked will come upon him,
    but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 With the passing of the tempest, there is no wickedness,
    but the righteous have a foundation forever.
26 Like vinegar to the tooth and like smoke to the eyes,
    thus is the lazy to one who employs[h] him.
27 The fear of Yahweh adds life,
    but the years of the wicked are shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous is gladness,
    but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing.
29 A stronghold for the upright is the way of Yahweh,
    but ruin belongs to evildoers.[i]
30 The righteous one is forever; he will not be removed.
    But the wicked will not remain in the land.[j]
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
    but a tongue of perversity will be cut off.
32 The lips of the righteous know the acceptable,
    but the mouth of the wicked, the perverse.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:3 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  2. Proverbs 10:9 Hebrew “in the integrity”
  3. Proverbs 10:10 Or “gives, sets up”
  4. Proverbs 10:13 Literally “heart”
  5. Proverbs 10:20 Or “mind”
  6. Proverbs 10:20 Literally “like a little”
  7. Proverbs 10:21 Literally “in the lack of heart, they die”
  8. Proverbs 10:26 Or “sends”
  9. Proverbs 10:29 Literally “them who do evil”
  10. Proverbs 10:30 Or “earth”

Proverbs of Solomon

10 The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise child makes a father glad,
    but a foolish child brings sorrow to his mother.
The treasure of the wicked won’t profit them,
    but righteousness rescues people from death.
The Lord doesn’t let the righteous starve,
    but he rejects the desires of the wicked.
Laziness brings poverty;
    hard work makes one rich.
A wise son harvests in the summer;
    a disgraceful son sleeps right through the harvest.
Blessings cover the head of the righteous,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
    but the name of the wicked rots.
The skilled mind accepts commands,
    but a foolish talker is ruined.
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.