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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.

Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
    but righteousness delivers from death.

The Lord will not allow the soul of the righteous to famish,
    but He casts away the desire of the wicked.

He becomes poor who deals with a slack hand,
    but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

He who gathers in summer is a wise son,
    but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.

Blessings are on the head of the just,
    but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

The memory of the just is blessed,
    but the name of the wicked will rot.

The wise in heart will receive commandments,
    but a prating fool will fall.

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 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”