Proverbs 10
New American Standard Bible
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.
2 [a](D)Ill-gotten gains do not benefit,
But righteousness rescues from death.
3 The Lord (E)will not allow the [b]righteous to hunger,
But He (F)will [c]reject the craving of the wicked.
4 Poor is one who works with [d]a lazy hand,
But the (G)hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.
6 (H)Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But (I)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The (J)mentioning of the righteous is a blessing,
But (K)the name of the wicked will rot.
8 The (L)wise of heart will receive commands,
But [e]a babbling fool will come to ruin.
9 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
- Proverbs 10:2 Lit Treasures of wickedness
- Proverbs 10:3 Lit soul of the righteous
- Proverbs 10:3 Lit thrust away
- Proverbs 10:4 Lit an idle hand
- Proverbs 10:8 Lit the foolish of lips
- Proverbs 10:10 Lit the foolish of lips
- Proverbs 10:13 Lit heart
- Proverbs 10:15 Lit strong city
- Proverbs 10:16 Or work
- Proverbs 10:21 Lit heart
- Proverbs 10:26 Lit idle one
- Proverbs 10:27 Lit days
Proverbs 10
Revised Standard Version
Wise Sayings of Solomon
10 The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
2 Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
but righteousness delivers from death.
3 The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
4 A slack hand causes poverty,
but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 A son who gathers in summer is prudent,
but a son who sleeps in harvest brings shame.
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.
8 The wise of heart will heed commandments,
but a prating fool will come to ruin.
9 He who walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who perverts his ways will be found out.
10 He who winks the eye causes trouble,
but he who boldly reproves makes peace.[a]
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all offenses.
13 On the lips of him who has understanding wisdom is found,
but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.
14 Wise men lay up knowledge,
but the babbling of a fool brings ruin near.
15 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
16 The wage of the righteous leads to life,
the gain of the wicked to sin.
17 He who heeds instruction is on the path to life,
but he who rejects reproof goes astray.
18 He who conceals hatred has lying lips,
and he who utters slander is a fool.
19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
but he who restrains his lips is prudent.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
the mind of the wicked is of little worth.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of sense.
22 The blessing of the Lord makes rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.[b]
23 It is like sport to a fool to do wrong,
but wise conduct is pleasure to a man of understanding.
24 What the wicked dreads will come upon him,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more,
but the righteous is established for ever.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes,
so is the sluggard to those who send him.
27 The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
but the years of the wicked will be short.
28 The hope of the righteous ends in gladness,
but the expectation of the wicked comes to nought.
29 The Lord is a stronghold to him whose way is upright,
but destruction to evildoers.
30 The righteous will never be removed,
but the wicked will not dwell in the land.
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:10 Gk: Heb but a prating fool will come to ruin
- Proverbs 10:22 Or and toil adds nothing to it
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.