Proverbs 15
Lexham English Bible
15 A soft answer will turn away wrath,
but a word of trouble will stir anger.[a]
2 The tongue of the wise will dispense knowledge,
but the mouth of fools will pour out folly.
3 In every place, the eyes of Yahweh
keep watch over the evil and the good.
4 Gentleness[b] of tongue is a tree of life,
but perverseness in it[c] causes a break in spirit.
5 A fool will despise the instruction of his father,
but he who guards reproof is prudent.
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
but the income of the wicked brings trouble.
7 The lips of the wise will spread knowledge,
but the heart[d] of fools, not so.
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination of Yahweh,
but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
9 An abomination of Yahweh is the way of the wicked,
but he who pursues righteousness he will love.
10 Severe discipline belongs to him who forsakes the way;
he who hates a rebuke will die.
11 Sheol[e] and Abaddon[f] are before Yahweh,
how much more[g] the hearts of the children of men!
12 A scoffer does not like his rebuke;[h]
to the wise he will not go.
13 A heart[i] of gladness will make good countenance,[j]
but in sorrow of heart[k] a spirit is broken.
14 The heart of him who understands will seek knowledge,
but the faces of fools, they[l] will feed on folly.
15 All the days of the poor are hard,
but goodness of heart[m] is a continuous feast.
16 Better is little with the fear of Yahweh
than great treasure and trouble with it.[n]
17 Better is a dinner of vegetables when[o] love is there
than a fattened ox and hatred with it.[p]
18 A man who is hot-tempered will stir up strife,
but he who is slow to anger,[q] he will calm contention.
19 The way of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns,[r]
but the path of the upright is a highway.
20 A child of wisdom will make a father glad,
but a foolish person,[s] he despises his mother.
21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,[t]
and a person of understanding will walk upright.[u]
22 Plans go wrong when there is no counsel,
but with many advisors it will succeed.
23 Joy belongs to a man with answers in his mouth,
and a word in its time, how good it is!
24 The path of life leads upward for him who has insight,
in order to turn away from Sheol below.
25 The house of the proud, Yahweh will tear it down,
but he will maintain the property line[v] of the widow.
26 Plans of evil are an abomination of Yahweh,
but gracious words are pure.
27 He who makes trouble for his house is he who is greedy for unjust gain,
but he who hates bribes will live.
28 A heart[w] of righteousness will ponder the answer,
but a mouth of wickedness will pour out deceit.
29 Yahweh is far from the wicked,
but the prayers of the righteous he will hear.
30 From the light of the eyes, the heart[x] will rejoice,
and good news will enliven the bones.[y]
31 The ear of him who listens to admonitions of life,
in the midst of the wise it will lodge.
32 He who ignores instruction despises himself,[z]
but he who hears admonition gains heart.[aa]
33 Fear of Yahweh is the instruction of the wise,
and before honor comes humility.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:1 Literally “nostril”
- Proverbs 15:4 Or “Healing”
- Proverbs 15:4 That is, the tongue
- Proverbs 15:7 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 15:11 A term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the Underworld
- Proverbs 15:11 Poetic synonym for “Sheol.” Only mentioned in the ot in relation to Sheol, the grave, or death.
- Proverbs 15:11 Literally “more for”
- Proverbs 15:12 Literally “rebuke belonging to him”
- Proverbs 15:13 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 15:13 Literally “faces”
- Proverbs 15:13 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 15:14 Hebrew “he/it”
- Proverbs 15:15 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 15:16 Or “him”
- Proverbs 15:17 Hebrew “and”
- Proverbs 15:17 Or “him”
- Proverbs 15:18 Literally “nostrils”
- Proverbs 15:19 Hebrew “thorn”
- Proverbs 15:20 Literally “foolishness of humankind”
- Proverbs 15:21 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 15:21 Literally “he will walk upright walking”
- Proverbs 15:25 Literally “boundary”
- Proverbs 15:28 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 15:30 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 15:30 Hebrew “bone”
- Proverbs 15:32 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 15:32 Or “mind”
Proverbs 15
Common English Bible
15 A sensitive answer turns back wrath,
but an offensive word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise enhances knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool gushes with stupidity.
3 The Lord’s eyes are everywhere,
keeping watch on evil and good people.
4 Wholesome speech is a tree of life,
but dishonest talk breaks the spirit.
5 A fool doesn’t like a father’s instruction,
but those who heed correction are mature.
6 Great treasure is in the house of the righteous,
but the gain of the wicked brings trouble.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
but the hearts of fools have none.
8 The Lord detests the sacrifices of the wicked,
but favors the prayers of those who do right.
9 The Lord detests the path of the wicked,
but loves those who pursue righteousness.
10 Discipline is severe for those who abandon the way;
those who hate correction will die.
11 The grave[a] and the underworld[b] lie open before the Lord;
how much more the hearts of human beings!
12 Mockers don’t like those who correct them.
They won’t go to the wise.
13 A joyful heart brightens one’s face,
but a troubled heart breaks the spirit.
14 An understanding heart seeks knowledge;
but fools feed on folly.
15 All the days of the needy are hard,
but a happy heart has a continual feast.
16 Better a little with fear of the Lord
than a great treasure with turmoil.
17 Better a meal of greens with love
than a plump calf with hate.
18 Hotheads stir up conflict,
but patient people calm down strife.
19 The path of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns,
but the way of those who do right is a clear road.
20 A wise child brings joy to a father,
but fools despise their mothers.
21 Folly is joy to those who lack sense,
but those with understanding walk straight ahead.
22 Plans fail with no counsel,
but with many counselors they succeed.
23 To give an appropriate answer is a joy;
how good is a word at the right time!
24 For those with insight, life is an upward path,
avoiding the grave [c] below.
25 The Lord snatches away the arrogant one’s house,
but he preserves the widow’s boundaries.
26 The Lord detests evil plans,
but gracious words are pure.
27 Those who acquire things unjustly gain trouble for their house,
but those who hate bribes will live.
28 The righteous heart reflects before answering,
but the wicked mouth blurts out evil.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he listens to the prayers of the righteous.
30 Bright eyes give joy to the heart;
good news strengthens the bones.
31 The ear that listens to life-giving correction
dwells among the wise.
32 Those who refuse discipline despise themselves,
but those who listen to correction gain understanding.
33 The fear of the Lord is wise instruction,
and humility comes before respect.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:11 Heb Sheol
- Proverbs 15:11 Heb Abaddon
- Proverbs 15:24 Heb Sheol
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