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12 Whoso loveth [a]correction loveth knowledge;
But he that hateth reproof is brutish.
A good man shall obtain favor of Jehovah;
But a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
A man shall not be established by wickedness;
But the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
A worthy woman is the crown of her husband;
But she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
The thoughts of the righteous are just;
But the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
The words of the wicked [b]are of lying in wait for blood;
But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.
[c]The wicked are overthrown, and are not;
But the house of the righteous shall stand.
A man shall be commended according to his wisdom;
But he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.
Better is he that is lightly esteemed, and hath a servant,
Than he that honoreth himself, and lacketh bread.
10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast;
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread;
But he that followeth after [d]vain persons is void of understanding.
12 The wicked desireth [e]the net of evil men;
But the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
13 In the transgression of the lips is [f]a snare to the evil man;
But the righteous shall come out of trouble.
14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth;
And the doings of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes;
But he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel.
16 A fool’s vexation is [g]presently known;
But a prudent man concealeth shame.
17 He that [h]uttereth truth showeth forth righteousness;
But a false witness, deceit.
18 There is that speaketh rashly like the piercings of a sword;
But the tongue of the wise is health.
19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever;
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of them that devise evil;
But to the counsellors of peace is joy.
21 There shall no mischief happen to the righteous;
But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to Jehovah;
But they that deal truly are his delight.
23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge;
But the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule;
But [i]the slothful shall be put under taskwork.
25 [j]Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it stoop;
But a good word maketh it glad.
26 The righteous is a guide to his neighbor;
But the way of the wicked causeth them to err.
27 [k]The slothful man [l]roasteth not that which he took in hunting;
But the precious substance of men [m]is to the diligent.
28 In the way of righteousness is life;
And in the pathway thereof there is no death.
13 A wise son heareth his father’s [n]instruction;
But a scoffer heareth not rebuke.
A man shall eat good [o]by the fruit of his mouth;
But [p]the soul of the treacherous shall eat violence.
He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his life;
But he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
A righteous man hateth lying;
But a wicked man [q]is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
Righteousness guardeth [r]him that is upright in the way;
But wickedness overthroweth [s]the sinner.
There is that [t]maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing:
There is that [u]maketh himself poor, yet hath great wealth.
The ransom of a man’s life is his riches;
But the poor heareth no [v]threatening.
The light of the righteous rejoiceth;
But the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
10 By pride cometh only contention;
But with the well-advised is wisdom.
11 Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished;
But he that gathereth [w]by labor shall have increase.
12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick;
But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
13 Whoso despiseth the word [x]bringeth destruction on himself;
But he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
14 The [y]law of the wise is a fountain of life,
That one may depart from the snares of death.
15 Good understanding [z]giveth favor;
But the way of the transgressor is hard.
16 Every prudent man worketh with knowledge;
But a fool flaunteth his folly.
17 A wicked messenger falleth into evil;
But a faithful ambassador is health.
18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth [aa]correction;
But he that regardeth reproof shall be honored.
19 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul;
But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.
20 [ab]Walk with wise men, and thou shalt be wise;
But the companion of fools shall [ac]smart for it.
21 Evil pursueth sinners;
But the righteous shall be recompensed with good.
22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children;
And the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous.
23 Much food is in the [ad]tillage of the poor;
But there is that is destroyed by reason of injustice.
24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son;
But he that loveth him chasteneth him [ae]betimes.
25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul;
But the belly of the wicked shall want.
14 Every wise woman buildeth her house;
But [af]the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands.
He that walketh in his uprightness feareth Jehovah;
But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his pride;
But the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean;
But much increase is by the strength of the ox.
A faithful witness will not lie;
But a false witness [ag]uttereth lies.
A scoffer seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not;
But knowledge is easy unto him that hath understanding.
[ah]Go into the presence of a foolish man,
And thou shalt not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way;
But the folly of fools is deceit.
[ai]A trespass-offering mocketh fools;
But among the upright there is [aj]good will.
10 The heart knoweth its own bitterness;
And a stranger doth not intermeddle with its joy.
11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown;
But the tent of the upright shall flourish.
12 There is a way which [ak]seemeth right unto a man;
But the end thereof are the ways of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful;
And the end of mirth is heaviness.
14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways;
And a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
15 The simple believeth every word;
But the prudent man looketh well to his going.
16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil;
But the fool beareth himself insolently, and is confident.
17 He that is soon angry will deal foolishly;
And a man of wicked devices is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly;
But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow down before the good;
And the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbor;
But the rich hath many friends.
21 He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth;
But he that hath pity on the poor, happy is he.
22 [al]Do they not err that devise evil?
But mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.
23 In all labor there is profit;
But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
24 [am]The crown of the wise is their riches;
But the folly of fools is only folly.
25 A true witness delivereth souls;
But he that [an]uttereth lies causeth deceit.
26 In the fear of Jehovah is strong confidence;
And [ao]his children shall have a place of refuge.
27 The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life,
That one may depart from the snares of death.
28 In the multitude of people is the king’s glory;
But in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.
29 He that is slow to anger is of great understanding;
But he that is hasty of spirit [ap]exalteth folly.
30 A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh;
But [aq]envy is the rottenness of the bones.
31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker;
But he that hath mercy on the needy honoreth him.
32 The wicked is thrust down in his [ar]evil-doing;
But the righteous hath a refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding;
[as]But that which is in the inward part of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness exalteth a nation;
But sin is a reproach to [at]any people.
35 The king’s favor is toward a servant that dealeth wisely;
But his wrath will be against him that [au]causeth shame.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:1 Or, instruction
  2. Proverbs 12:6 Or, are a lying in wait
  3. Proverbs 12:7 Or, Overthrow the wicked, and they are not
  4. Proverbs 12:11 Or, vain things
  5. Proverbs 12:12 Or, the prey
  6. Proverbs 12:13 Or, an evil snare
  7. Proverbs 12:16 Or, openly. Hebrew in the day.
  8. Proverbs 12:17 Hebrew breatheth out.
  9. Proverbs 12:24 Hebrew slothfulness.
  10. Proverbs 12:25 Or, Care
  11. Proverbs 12:27 Hebrew slothfulness.
  12. Proverbs 12:27 Or, catcheth not his prey
  13. Proverbs 12:27 Or, is to be diligent
  14. Proverbs 13:1 Or, correction
  15. Proverbs 13:2 Or, from
  16. Proverbs 13:2 Or, the desire of the treacherous is for violence
  17. Proverbs 13:5 Or, causeth shame and bringeth reproach
  18. Proverbs 13:6 Hebrew uprightness of way.
  19. Proverbs 13:6 Hebrew sin.
  20. Proverbs 13:7 Or, feigneth
  21. Proverbs 13:7 Or, feigneth
  22. Proverbs 13:8 Or, rebuke
  23. Proverbs 13:11 Hebrew with the hand.
  24. Proverbs 13:13 Or, maketh himself a debtor thereto
  25. Proverbs 13:14 Or, teaching
  26. Proverbs 13:15 Or, getteth
  27. Proverbs 13:18 Or, instruction
  28. Proverbs 13:20 According to another reading, He that walketh with wise men shall be wise.
  29. Proverbs 13:20 Hebrew be broken.
  30. Proverbs 13:23 Or, tilled land
  31. Proverbs 13:24 Or, diligently
  32. Proverbs 14:1 Hebrew folly.
  33. Proverbs 14:5 Hebrew breatheth out.
  34. Proverbs 14:7 Or, Go from . . . For thou wilt not etc.
  35. Proverbs 14:9 Or, Fools make a mock at sin
  36. Proverbs 14:9 Or, the favor of God
  37. Proverbs 14:12 Or, is straight before
  38. Proverbs 14:22 Or, Shall they not go astray
  39. Proverbs 14:24 Or, Their riches is a crown unto the wise
  40. Proverbs 14:25 Hebrew breatheth out.
  41. Proverbs 14:26 Or, the children of him that hath it
  42. Proverbs 14:29 Or, carrieth away
  43. Proverbs 14:30 Or, jealousy
  44. Proverbs 14:32 Or, calamity
  45. Proverbs 14:33 Or, And in the midst of fools it maketh itself known
  46. Proverbs 14:34 Hebrew peoples.
  47. Proverbs 14:35 Or, doeth shamefully

12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but whoever hates correction is stupid.(A)

Good people obtain favor from the Lord,(B)
    but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.(C)

No one can be established through wickedness,
    but the righteous cannot be uprooted.(D)

A wife of noble character(E) is her husband’s crown,
    but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.(F)

The plans of the righteous are just,
    but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
    but the speech of the upright rescues them.(G)

The wicked are overthrown and are no more,(H)
    but the house of the righteous stands firm.(I)

A person is praised according to their prudence,
    and one with a warped(J) mind is despised.

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.

13 Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,(M)
    and so the innocent escape trouble.(N)

14 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,(O)
    and the work of their hands brings them reward.(P)

15 The way of fools seems right to them,(Q)
    but the wise listen to advice.(R)

16 Fools(S) show their annoyance at once,(T)
    but the prudent overlook an insult.(U)

17 An honest witness tells the truth,
    but a false witness tells lies.(V)

18 The words of the reckless pierce like swords,(W)
    but the tongue of the wise brings healing.(X)

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.

22 The Lord detests lying lips,(AA)
    but he delights(AB) in people who are trustworthy.(AC)

23 The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,(AD)
    but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.(AE)

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.

13 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
    but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.(AJ)

From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things,(AK)
    but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence.

Those who guard their lips(AL) preserve their lives,(AM)
    but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.(AN)

A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,(AO)
    but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

The righteous hate what is false,(AP)
    but the wicked make themselves a stench
    and bring shame on themselves.

Righteousness guards the person of integrity,
    but wickedness overthrows the sinner.(AQ)

One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;(AR)
    another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.(AS)

A person’s riches may ransom their life,
    but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes.(AT)

The light of the righteous shines brightly,
    but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.(AU)

10 Where there is strife, there is pride,
    but wisdom is found in those who take advice.(AV)

11 Dishonest money dwindles away,(AW)
    but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.(AX)

13 Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it,(AY)
    but whoever respects(AZ) a command is rewarded.(BA)

14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,(BB)
    turning a person from the snares of death.(BC)

15 Good judgment wins favor,
    but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction.[b]

16 All who are prudent act with[c] knowledge,
    but fools expose(BD) their folly.(BE)

17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble,(BF)
    but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.(BG)

18 Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,(BH)
    but whoever heeds correction is honored.(BI)

19 A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,(BJ)
    but fools detest turning from evil.

20 Walk with the wise and become wise,
    for a companion of fools suffers harm.(BK)

21 Trouble pursues the sinner,(BL)
    but the righteous(BM) are rewarded with good things.(BN)

22 A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children,
    but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.(BO)

23 An unplowed field produces food for the poor,
    but injustice sweeps it away.

24 Whoever spares the rod(BP) hates their children,
    but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline(BQ) them.(BR)

25 The righteous eat to their hearts’ content,
    but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.(BS)

14 The wise woman builds her house,(BT)
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
    but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,(BU)
    but the lips of the wise protect them.(BV)

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
    but from the strength of an ox(BW) come abundant harvests.

An honest witness does not deceive,
    but a false witness pours out lies.(BX)

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
    but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.(BY)

Stay away from a fool,
    for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,(BZ)
    but the folly of fools is deception.(CA)

Fools mock at making amends for sin,
    but goodwill is found among the upright.

10 Each heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no one else can share its joy.

11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,(CB)
    but the tent of the upright will flourish.(CC)

12 There is a way that appears to be right,(CD)
    but in the end it leads to death.(CE)

13 Even in laughter(CF) the heart may ache,
    and rejoicing may end in grief.

14 The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,(CG)
    and the good rewarded for theirs.(CH)

15 The simple believe anything,
    but the prudent give thought to their steps.(CI)

16 The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,(CJ)
    but a fool(CK) is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

17 A quick-tempered person(CL) does foolish things,(CM)
    and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.(CN)

18 The simple inherit folly,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

19 Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good,
    and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.(CO)

20 The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
    but the rich have many friends.(CP)

21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,(CQ)
    but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.(CR)

22 Do not those who plot evil go astray?(CS)
    But those who plan what is good find[d] love and faithfulness.

23 All hard work brings a profit,
    but mere talk leads only to poverty.

24 The wealth of the wise is their crown,
    but the folly of fools yields folly.(CT)

25 A truthful witness saves lives,
    but a false witness is deceitful.(CU)

26 Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,(CV)
    and for their children it will be a refuge.(CW)

27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,(CX)
    turning a person from the snares of death.(CY)

28 A large population is a king’s glory,
    but without subjects a prince is ruined.(CZ)

29 Whoever is patient has great understanding,(DA)
    but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.(DB)

30 A heart at peace gives life to the body,
    but envy rots the bones.(DC)

31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,(DD)
    but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.(DE)

32 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,(DF)
    but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.(DG)

33 Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning(DH)
    and even among fools she lets herself be known.[e]

34 Righteousness exalts a nation,(DI)
    but sin condemns any people.

35 A king delights in a wise servant,
    but a shameful servant arouses his fury.(DJ)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:27 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  2. Proverbs 13:15 Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  3. Proverbs 13:16 Or prudent protect themselves through
  4. Proverbs 14:22 Or show
  5. Proverbs 14:33 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac discerning / but in the heart of fools she is not known