Proverbs 15
New King James Version
A Soft Answer Turns Away Wrath
15 A (A)soft answer turns away wrath,
But (B)a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
(C)But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
3 (D)The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A [a]wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.
7 The lips of the wise [c]disperse knowledge,
But the heart of the fool does not do so.
8 (G)The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves him who (H)follows righteousness.
11 (K)Hell[d] and [e]Destruction are before the Lord;
So how much more (L)the hearts of the sons of men.
12 (M)A scoffer does not love one who corrects him,
Nor will he go to the wise.
13 (N)A merry heart makes a cheerful [f]countenance,
But (O)by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
(P)But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.
16 (Q)Better is a little with the fear of the Lord,
Than great treasure with trouble.
17 (R)Better is a dinner of [g]herbs where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred.
18 (S)A wrathful man stirs up strife,
But he who is slow to anger allays contention.
19 (T)The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns,
But the way of the upright is a highway.
20 (U)A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man despises his mother.
21 (V)Folly is joy to him who is destitute of [h]discernment,
(W)But a man of understanding walks uprightly.
22 (X)Without counsel, plans go awry,
But in the multitude of counselors they are established.
25 (AB)The Lord will destroy the house of the proud,
But (AC)He will establish the boundary of the widow.
26 (AD)The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
(AE)But the words of the pure are pleasant.
27 (AF)He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,
But he who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous (AG)studies how to answer,
But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.
30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
And a good report makes the bones [k]healthy.
31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life
Will abide among the wise.
32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
33 (AJ)The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom,
And (AK)before honor is humility.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:4 Lit. healing
- Proverbs 15:5 Lit. keeps
- Proverbs 15:7 spread
- Proverbs 15:11 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 15:11 Heb. Abaddon
- Proverbs 15:13 face
- Proverbs 15:17 Or vegetables
- Proverbs 15:21 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 15:23 Lit. in its time
- Proverbs 15:24 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 15:30 Lit. fat
Proverbs 15
Living Bible
15 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words cause quarrels.
2 A wise teacher makes learning a joy; a rebellious teacher spouts foolishness.
3 The Lord is watching everywhere and keeps his eye on both the evil and the good.
4 Gentle words cause life and health; griping brings discouragement.
5 Only a fool despises his father’s advice; a wise son considers each suggestion.
6 There is treasure in being good, but trouble dogs the wicked.
7 Only the good can give good advice. Rebels can’t.
8 The Lord hates the gifts of the wicked but delights in the prayers of his people.
9-10 The Lord despises the deeds of the wicked but loves those who try to be good. If they stop trying, the Lord will punish them; if they rebel against that punishment, they will die.
11 The depths of hell are open to God’s knowledge. How much more the hearts of all mankind!
12 A mocker stays away from wise men because he hates to be scolded.
13 A happy face means a glad heart; a sad face means a breaking heart.
14 A wise man is hungry for truth, while the mocker feeds on trash.
15 When a man is gloomy, everything seems to go wrong; when he is cheerful, everything seems right!
16 Better a little with reverence for God than great treasure and trouble with it.
17 It is better to eat soup with someone you love than steak with someone you hate.
18 A quick-tempered man starts fights; a cool-tempered man tries to stop them.
19 A lazy fellow has trouble all through life; the good man’s path is easy!
20 A sensible son gladdens his father. A rebellious son saddens his mother.[a]
21 If a man enjoys folly, something is wrong! The sensible stay on the pathways of right.
22 Plans go wrong with too few counselors; many counselors bring success.
23 Everyone enjoys giving good advice, and how wonderful it is to be able to say the right thing at the right time!
24 The road of the godly leads upward, leaving hell behind.
25 The Lord destroys the possessions of the proud but cares for widows.
26 The Lord hates the thoughts of the wicked but delights in kind words.[b]
27 Dishonest money brings grief to all the family, but hating bribes brings happiness.[c]
28 A good man thinks before he speaks; the evil man pours out his evil words without a thought.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.
30 Pleasant sights and good reports give happiness and health.
31-32 If you profit from constructive criticism, you will be elected to the wise men’s hall of fame. But to reject criticism is to harm yourself and your own best interests.
33 Humility and reverence for the Lord will make you both wise and honored.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:20 saddens his mother, literally, “despises his mother.”
- Proverbs 15:26 but delights in kind words, literally, “but kind words are pure.”
- Proverbs 15:27 brings happiness, literally, “you will live.”
Proverbs 15
Easy-to-Read Version
15 A gentle answer makes anger disappear, but a rough answer makes it grow.
2 Listening to wise people increases your knowledge, but only nonsense comes from the mouths of fools.
3 The Lord sees what happens everywhere. He watches everyone, good and evil.
4 Kind words are like a life-giving tree, but lying words will crush your spirit.
5 Fools refuse to listen to their father’s advice, but those who accept discipline are smart.
6 Good people are rich in many ways, but those who are evil get nothing but trouble.
7 Wise people say things that give you new knowledge, but fools say nothing worth hearing.
8 The Lord hates the offerings of the wicked, but he is happy to hear the prayers of those who live right.
9 The Lord hates the way evil people live, but he loves those who try to do good.
10 Whoever stops living right will be punished. Whoever hates to be corrected will be destroyed.
11 The Lord knows everything, even what happens in the place of death. So surely he knows what people are thinking.
12 Fools hate to be told they are wrong, so they refuse to ask wise people for advice.
13 If you are happy, your face shows it. If you are sad, your spirit feels defeated.
14 Intelligent people want more knowledge, but fools only want more nonsense.
15 Life is always hard for the poor, but the right attitude can turn it into a party.
16 It is better to be poor and respect the Lord than to be rich and have many troubles.
17 It is better to eat a little where there is love than to eat a lot where there is hate.
18 A quick temper causes fights, but patience brings peace and calm.
19 For lazy people, life is a path overgrown with thorns and thistles. For those who do what is right, it is a smooth highway.
20 Wise children make their parents happy. Foolish children bring them shame.
21 Doing foolish things makes a fool happy, but a wise person is careful to do what is right.
22 If you don’t ask for advice, your plans will fail. With many advisors, they will succeed.
23 People are happy when they give a good answer. And there is nothing better than the right word at the right time.
24 What wise people do leads to life here on earth[a] and stops them from going down to the place of death.
25 The Lord destroys a proud man’s house but protects a widow’s property.
26 The Lord hates evil thoughts, but he is pleased with kind words.
27 Whoever takes money to do wrong invites disaster. Refuse such gifts, and you will live.
28 Good people think before they answer, but the wicked do not, and what they say causes trouble.
29 The Lord is far away from the wicked, but he always hears the prayers of those who do what is right.
30 A smile[b] makes people happy. Good news makes them feel better.
31 To be counted among the wise, you must learn to accept helpful criticism.
32 If you refuse to be corrected, you are only hurting yourself. Listen to criticism, and you will gain understanding.
33 Wisdom teaches you to respect the Lord. You must be humbled before you can be honored.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:24 here on earth Literally, “above,” that is, “above the ground.”
- Proverbs 15:30 smile Literally, “a sparkle in the eyes.”
Proverbs 15
New Living Translation
15 A gentle answer deflects anger,
but harsh words make tempers flare.
2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing,
but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.
3 The Lord is watching everywhere,
keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.
4 Gentle words are a tree of life;
a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
5 Only a fool despises a parent’s[a] discipline;
whoever learns from correction is wise.
6 There is treasure in the house of the godly,
but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble.
7 The lips of the wise give good advice;
the heart of a fool has none to give.
8 The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
but he delights in the prayers of the upright.
9 The Lord detests the way of the wicked,
but he loves those who pursue godliness.
10 Whoever abandons the right path will be severely disciplined;
whoever hates correction will die.
11 Even Death and Destruction[b] hold no secrets from the Lord.
How much more does he know the human heart!
12 Mockers hate to be corrected,
so they stay away from the wise.
13 A glad heart makes a happy face;
a broken heart crushes the spirit.
14 A wise person is hungry for knowledge,
while the fool feeds on trash.
15 For the despondent, every day brings trouble;
for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.
16 Better to have little, with fear for the Lord,
than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.
17 A bowl of vegetables with someone you love
is better than steak with someone you hate.
18 A hot-tempered person starts fights;
a cool-tempered person stops them.
19 A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers,
but the path of the upright is an open highway.
20 Sensible children bring joy to their father;
foolish children despise their mother.
21 Foolishness brings joy to those with no sense;
a sensible person stays on the right path.
22 Plans go wrong for lack of advice;
many advisers bring success.
23 Everyone enjoys a fitting reply;
it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!
24 The path of life leads upward for the wise;
they leave the grave[c] behind.
25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud,
but he protects the property of widows.
26 The Lord detests evil plans,
but he delights in pure words.
27 Greed brings grief to the whole family,
but those who hate bribes will live.
28 The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking;
the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayers of the righteous.
30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart;
good news makes for good health.
31 If you listen to constructive criticism,
you will be at home among the wise.
32 If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself;
but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.
33 Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom;
humility precedes honor.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
