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
Christian Standard Bible
2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive,
but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness.(C)
3 The eyes of the Lord are everywhere,
observing the wicked and the good.(D)
5 A fool despises his father’s discipline,
but a person who accepts correction is sensible.(F)
6 The house of the righteous has great wealth,
but trouble accompanies the income of the wicked.
7 The lips of the wise broadcast knowledge,
but not so the heart of fools.
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the Lord,(G)
but the prayer of the upright is his delight.(H)
9 The Lord detests the way of the wicked,
but he loves the one who pursues righteousness.(I)
10 Discipline is harsh for the one who leaves the path;
the one who hates correction will die.
12 A mocker doesn’t love one who corrects him;(L)
he will not consult the wise.
13 A joyful heart makes a face cheerful,
but a sad heart produces a broken spirit.(M)
15 All the days of the oppressed are miserable,
but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.
16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure with turmoil.(P)
19 A slacker’s way is like a thorny hedge,
but the path of the upright is a highway.(U)
20 A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.(V)
21 Foolishness brings joy to one without sense,
but a person with understanding walks a straight path.(W)
22 Plans fail when there is no counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.(X)
24 For the prudent the path of life leads upward,
so that he may avoid going down to Sheol.
25 The Lord tears apart the house of the proud,
but he protects the widow’s territory.(Z)
26 The Lord detests the plans of the one who is evil,
but pleasant words are pure.(AA)
27 The one who profits dishonestly(AB) troubles his household,
but the one who hates bribes will live.(AC)
28 The mind of the righteous person thinks before answering,(AD)
but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things.(AE)
32 Anyone who ignores discipline despises himself,(AJ)
but whoever listens to correction acquires good sense.[e](AK)
33 The fear of the Lord is what wisdom teaches,
and humility comes before honor.(AL)
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