Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked

10 The (A)proverbs of Solomon.

(B)A wise son makes a father glad,
But (C)a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
[a](D)Ill-gotten gains do not benefit,
But righteousness rescues from death.
The Lord (E)will not allow the [b]righteous to hunger,
But He (F)will [c]reject the craving of the wicked.
Poor is one who works with [d]a lazy hand,
But the (G)hand of the diligent makes rich.
He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.
(H)Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But (I)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
The (J)mentioning of the righteous is a blessing,
But (K)the name of the wicked will rot.
The (L)wise of heart will receive commands,
But [e]a babbling fool will come to ruin.
One (M)who walks in integrity walks securely,
But (N)one who perverts his ways will be found out.
10 He (O)who winks the eye causes trouble,
And [f](P)a babbling fool will come to ruin.
11 The (Q)mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But (R)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But (S)love covers all offenses.
13 On (T)the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But (U)a rod is for the back of him who has no [g]sense.
14 Wise people (V)store up knowledge,
But with (W)the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
15 The (X)rich person’s wealth is his [h]fortress,
The (Y)ruin of the poor is their poverty.
16 The [i](Z)wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.
17 One who (AA)is on the path of life follows instruction,
But one who ignores a rebuke goes astray.
18 One (AB)who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And one who spreads slander is a fool.
19 When there are (AC)many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable,
But (AD)one who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is like (AE)choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The (AF)lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools (AG)die for lack of [j]understanding.
22 It is the (AH)blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.
23 Doing wickedness is like (AI)sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a person of understanding.
24 What (AJ)the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the (AK)desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the (AL)whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the (AM)righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the [k](AN)lazy one to those who send him.
27 The (AO)fear of the Lord prolongs [l]life,
But the (AP)years of the wicked will be shortened.
28 The (AQ)hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the (AR)expectation of the wicked perishes.
29 The (AS)way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright,
But (AT)ruin to the workers of injustice.
30 The (AU)righteous will never be shaken,
But (AV)the wicked will not live in the land.
31 The (AW)mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the (AX)perverted tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know (AY)what is acceptable,
But the (AZ)mouth of the wicked, what is perverted.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:2 Lit Treasures of wickedness
  2. Proverbs 10:3 Lit soul of the righteous
  3. Proverbs 10:3 Lit thrust away
  4. Proverbs 10:4 Lit an idle hand
  5. Proverbs 10:8 Lit the foolish of lips
  6. Proverbs 10:10 Lit the foolish of lips
  7. Proverbs 10:13 Lit heart
  8. Proverbs 10:15 Lit strong city
  9. Proverbs 10:16 Or work
  10. Proverbs 10:21 Lit heart
  11. Proverbs 10:26 Lit idle one
  12. Proverbs 10:27 Lit days

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.