Proverbs 13
New American Standard Bible
Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked
13 A (A)wise son accepts his father’s discipline,
But a (B)scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
2 From the fruit of a person’s mouth he [a](C)enjoys good,
But the [b]desire of the treacherous is (D)violence.
3 One who (E)guards his mouth protects his life;
One who (F)opens wide his lips [c]comes to ruin.
4 The soul of the [d]lazy one craves and gets nothing,
But the soul of the diligent is made [e]prosperous.
5 A righteous person (G)hates a false statement,
But a wicked person [f](H)acts disgustingly and shamefully.
6 Righteousness (I)guards the [g]one whose way is blameless,
But wickedness brings the [h]sinner to ruin.
7 There is one who (J)pretends to be rich but has nothing;
Another pretends to be (K)poor, but has great wealth.
8 The ransom of a person’s life is his wealth,
But the poor hears no rebuke.
9 The (L)light of the righteous [i]rejoices,
But the (M)lamp of the wicked goes out.
10 Through overconfidence [j]comes nothing but strife,
But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.
11 Wealth obtained from [k]nothing dwindles,
But one who gathers [l]by labor increases it.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire [m]fulfilled is a tree of life.
13 One who (N)despises the word will do badly,
But one who fears the commandment will be (O)rewarded.
14 The [n]teaching of the wise is a (P)fountain of life,
To turn aside from the (Q)snares of death.
15 (R)Good understanding produces favor,
But the way of the treacherous is [o]their own disaster.
16 Every (S)prudent person acts with knowledge,
But a fool [p]displays foolishness.
17 A wicked messenger falls into adversity,
But (T)a faithful messenger brings healing.
18 Poverty and shame will come to one who (U)neglects [q]discipline,
But one who complies with rebuke will be honored.
19 Desire realized is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.
20 (V)One who walks with wise people will be wise,
But a companion of fools will suffer harm.
21 (W)Adversity pursues sinners,
But the (X)righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.
22 A good person (Y)leaves an inheritance to his [r]grandchildren,
And the (Z)wealth of a sinner is stored up for the righteous.
23 (AA)Abundant food is in the uncultivated ground of the poor,
But [s]it is swept away by injustice.
24 He who (AB)withholds his [t]rod hates his son,
But he who loves him [u](AC)disciplines him diligently.
25 The (AD)righteous [v]has enough to satisfy his appetite,
But the stomach of the (AE)wicked is in need.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:2 Lit eats
- Proverbs 13:2 Lit soul
- Proverbs 13:3 Lit ruin is his
- Proverbs 13:4 Lit idle
- Proverbs 13:4 Lit fat
- Proverbs 13:5 Lit causes a bad odor and causes shame
- Proverbs 13:6 Lit blamelessness of way
- Proverbs 13:6 Lit sin
- Proverbs 13:9 I.e., shines brightly
- Proverbs 13:10 Lit gives
- Proverbs 13:11 Prob. referring to fraud
- Proverbs 13:11 Lit by hand
- Proverbs 13:12 Lit coming
- Proverbs 13:14 Or law
- Proverbs 13:15 Cf. LXX in destruction; MT constant
- Proverbs 13:16 Lit spreads out
- Proverbs 13:18 Or instruction
- Proverbs 13:22 Lit sons’ sons
- Proverbs 13:23 Lit there is what is swept
- Proverbs 13:24 I.e., correction or discipline
- Proverbs 13:24 Lit seeks him diligently with discipline
- Proverbs 13:25 Lit eats to the satisfaction of his soul
Proverbs 13
The Message
Walk with the Wise
13 Intelligent children listen to their parents;
foolish children do their own thing.
2 The good acquire a taste for helpful conversation;
bullies push and shove their way through life.
3 Careful words make for a careful life;
careless talk may ruin everything.
4 Indolence wants it all and gets nothing;
the energetic have something to show for their lives.
5 A good person hates false talk;
a bad person wallows in gibberish.
6 A God-loyal life keeps you on track;
sin dumps the wicked in the ditch.
7 A pretentious, showy life is an empty life;
a plain and simple life is a full life.
8 The rich can be sued for everything they have,
but the poor are free of such threats.
9 The lives of good people are brightly lit streets;
the lives of the wicked are dark alleys.
10 Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord,
but wise men and women listen to each other’s counsel.
11 Easy come, easy go,
but steady diligence pays off.
12 Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick,
but a sudden good break can turn life around.
13 Ignore the Word and suffer;
honor God’s commands and grow rich.
14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
so, no more drinking from death-tainted wells!
15 Sound thinking makes for gracious living,
but liars walk a rough road.
16 A commonsense person lives good sense;
fools litter the country with silliness.
17 Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things,
but a reliable reporter is a healing presence.
18 Refuse discipline and end up homeless;
embrace correction and live an honored life.
19 Souls who follow their hearts thrive;
fools bent on evil despise matters of soul.
20 Become wise by walking with the wise;
hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.
21 Disaster entraps sinners,
but God-loyal people get a good life.
22 A good life gets passed on to the grandchildren;
ill-gotten wealth ends up with good people.
23 Banks foreclose on the farms of the poor,
or else the poor lose their shirts to crooked lawyers.
24 A refusal to correct is a refusal to love;
love your children by disciplining them.
25 An appetite for good brings much satisfaction,
but the belly of the wicked always wants more.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson