Proverbs 15
Good News Translation
15 A gentle answer quiets anger, but a harsh one stirs it up.
2 When wise people speak, they make knowledge attractive, but stupid people spout nonsense.
3 The Lord sees what happens everywhere; he is watching us, whether we do good or evil.
4 Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit.
5 It is foolish to ignore what your parents taught you; it is wise to accept their correction.
6 Righteous people keep their wealth, but the wicked lose theirs when hard times come.
7 Knowledge is spread by people who are wise, not by fools.
8 The Lord is pleased when good people pray, but hates the sacrifices that the wicked bring him.
9 The Lord hates the ways of evil people, but loves those who do what is right.
10 If you do what is wrong, you will be severely punished; you will die if you do not let yourself be corrected.
11 Not even the world of the dead can keep the Lord from knowing what is there; how then can we hide our thoughts from God?
12 Conceited people do not like to be corrected; they never ask for advice from those who are wiser.
13 When people are happy, they smile, but when they are sad, they look depressed.
14 Intelligent people want to learn, but stupid people are satisfied with ignorance.
15 The life of the poor is a constant struggle, but happy people always enjoy life.
16 Better to be poor and fear the Lord than to be rich and in trouble.
17 Better to eat vegetables with people you love than to eat the finest meat where there is hate.
18 Hot tempers cause arguments, but patience brings peace.
19 If you are lazy, you will meet difficulty everywhere, but if you are honest, you will have no trouble.
20 Wise children make their fathers happy. Only fools despise their mothers.
21 Stupid people are happy with their foolishness, but the wise will do what is right.
22 Get all the advice you can, and you will succeed; without it you will fail.
23 What a joy it is to find just the right word for the right occasion!
24 Wise people walk the road that leads upward to life, not the road that leads downward to death.
25 The Lord will destroy the homes of arrogant men, but he will protect a widow's property.
26 The Lord hates evil thoughts, but he is pleased with friendly words.
27 Try to make a profit dishonestly, and you get your family in trouble. Don't take bribes and you will live longer.
28 Good people think before they answer. Evil people have a quick reply, but it causes trouble.
29 When good people pray, the Lord listens, but he ignores those who are evil.
30 Smiling faces make you happy, and good news makes you feel better.
31 If you pay attention when you are corrected, you are wise.
32 If you refuse to learn, you are hurting yourself. If you accept correction, you will become wiser.
33 Reverence for the Lord is an education in itself. You must be humble before you can ever receive honors.
Proverbs 15
Complete Jewish Bible
15 A gentle response deflects fury,
but a harsh word makes tempers rise.
2 The tongue of the wise presents knowledge well,
but the mouth of a fool spews out folly.
3 The eyes of Adonai are everywhere,
watching the evil and the good.
4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life,
but when it twists things, it breaks the spirit.
5 A fool despises his father’s discipline,
but he who heeds warnings is prudent.
6 The home of the righteous is a storehouse of treasure,
but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
not so the hearts of fools.
8 Adonai detests the sacrifices of the wicked
but delights in the prayers of the upright.
9 Adonai detests the way of the wicked
but loves anyone who pursues righteousness.
10 Discipline is severe for one who leaves the way,
and whoever can’t stand correction will die.
11 Sh’ol and Abaddon lie open to Adonai;
so how much more people’s hearts!
12 A scorner does not like being corrected;
he won’t go to the wise [for advice].
13 A glad heart makes a face happy,
but heartache breaks the spirit.
14 The mind of a person with discernment seeks knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
15 For the poor, every day is hard;
but the good-hearted have a perpetual feast.
16 Better little with the fear of Adonai
than great wealth coupled with worry.
17 Better a vegetable dinner with love
than a stall-fattened ox with hate.
18 Hot-tempered people stir up strife,
but patient people quiet quarrels.
19 The lazy person’s way seems overgrown by thorns,
but the path of the upright is a level highway.
20 A wise son is a joy to his father,
and only a fool despises his mother.
21 Folly appeals to one who lacks sense,
but a person of discernment goes straight ahead.
22 Without deliberation, plans go wrong;
but with many advisers, they succeed.
23 People take pleasure in anything they say;
but a word at the right time, how good it is!
24 For the prudent, the path of life goes upward;
thus he avoids Sh’ol below.
25 Adonai will pull down the houses of the proud,
but preserves intact the widow’s boundaries.
26 Adonai detests plans to do evil,
but kind words are pure.
27 The greedy for gain brings trouble to his home,
but he who hates bribes will live.
28 The mind of the righteous thinks before speaking,
but the mouth of the wicked spews out evil stuff.
29 Adonai is far from the wicked,
but he listens to the prayer of the righteous.
30 A cheerful glance brings joy to the heart,
and good news invigorates the bones.
31 He who heeds life-giving correction
will be at home in the company of the wise.
32 He who spurns discipline detests himself,
but he who listens to correction grows in understanding.
33 The discipline of wisdom is fear of Adonai,
so before being honored, a person must be humble.
Proverbs 15
The Message
God Doesn’t Miss a Thing
15 A gentle response defuses anger,
but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.
2 Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise;
fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.
3 God doesn’t miss a thing—
he’s alert to good and evil alike.
4 Kind words heal and help;
cutting words wound and maim.
5 Moral dropouts won’t listen to their elders;
welcoming correction is a mark of good sense.
6 The lives of God-loyal people flourish;
a misspent life is soon bankrupt.
7 Perceptive words spread knowledge;
fools are hollow—there’s nothing to them.
8 God can’t stand pious poses,
but he delights in genuine prayers.
9 A life frittered away disgusts God;
he loves those who run straight for the finish line.
10 It’s a school of hard knocks for those who leave God’s path,
a dead-end street for those who hate God’s rules.
11 Even hell holds no secrets from God—
do you think he can’t read human hearts?
Life Ascends to the Heights
12 Know-it-alls don’t like being told what to do;
they avoid the company of wise men and women.
13 A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face;
a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.
14 An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth;
fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.
15 A miserable heart means a miserable life;
a cheerful heart fills the day with song.
16 A simple life in the Fear-of-God
is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches.
17 Better a bread crust shared in love
than a slab of prime rib served in hate.
18 Hot tempers start fights;
a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.
19 The path of lazy people is overgrown with briers;
the diligent walk down a smooth road.
20 Intelligent children make their parents proud;
lazy students embarrass their parents.
21 The empty-headed treat life as a plaything;
the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it.
22 Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail;
take good counsel and watch them succeed.
23 Congenial conversation—what a pleasure!
The right word at the right time—beautiful!
24 Life ascends to the heights for the thoughtful—
it’s a clean about-face from descent into hell.
25 God smashes the pretensions of the arrogant;
he stands with those who have no standing.
26 God can’t stand evil scheming,
but he puts words of grace and beauty on display.
27 A greedy and grasping person destroys community;
those who refuse to exploit live and let live.
28 Prayerful answers come from God-loyal people;
the wicked are sewers of abuse.
29 God keeps his distance from the wicked;
he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people.
30 A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart,
and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle.
31 Listen to good advice if you want to live well,
an honored guest among wise men and women.
32 An undisciplined, self-willed life is puny;
an obedient, God-willed life is spacious.
33 Fear-of-God is a school in skilled living—
first you learn humility, then you experience glory.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson