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10 Wisdom will ·come into your mind [penetrate your heart],
    and knowledge will be ·pleasing [attractive] to you.
11 ·Good sense [Discretion] will protect you;
    understanding will guard you.

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10 For wisdom will enter your heart,(A)
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.(B)

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20 ·But wisdom will help you be good [or Stay on the path of good people]
    and ·do what is right [guard the road of the righteous].

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20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.

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14 Don’t ·follow the ways [go in the way] of the wicked;
    don’t ·do what evil people do [L walk straight on to the path of evil people].
15 Avoid their ways, and don’t ·follow [cross over to] them.
    Stay away from them and keep on going,
16 because they cannot sleep until they do evil.
    ·They cannot rest until they harm someone [L They are robbed of sleep unless they cause people to stumble].
17 They feast on wickedness as if they were eating bread.
    They drink violence as if they were drinking wine.

18 The way of the ·good [righteous] person is like the ·light of dawn [L shining light],
    growing brighter and brighter until full daylight.
19 But the ·wicked walk around in the dark [L path of the wicked is like deep darkness];
    they ·can’t even see what makes them [L don’t know where they will] stumble.

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14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
    or walk in the way of evildoers.(A)
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
    turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;(B)
    they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.(C)

18 The path of the righteous(D) is like the morning sun,(E)
    shining ever brighter till the full light of day.(F)
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;(G)
    they do not know what makes them stumble.(H)

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20 ·Spend time [L Walk; Go] with the wise and you will become wise,
but the friends of fools will ·suffer [or get into trouble].

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20 Walk with the wise and become wise,
    for a companion of fools suffers harm.(A)

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28 A ·useless [perverse] person causes ·trouble [conflicts],
and a gossip ruins close friendships.

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28 A perverse person stirs up conflict,(A)
    and a gossip separates close friends.(B)

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12 It is ·better [safer] to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than to meet a fool doing foolish things.

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12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
    than a fool bent on folly.(A)

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17 A friend loves you all the time,
and a brother ·helps in [L is born for a] time of trouble.

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17 A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for a time of adversity.(A)

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24 Some friends may ruin you,
but a real friend will ·be more loyal [cling closer] than a brother.

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24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.(A)

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Wealthy people are always finding more friends,
but the poor lose all theirs.

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Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(A)

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Many people ·want to please [L seek the face of] a leader,
and everyone is friends with those who give gifts.

Poor people’s relatives ·avoid [L hate] them;
    ·even [L how much more do] their friends stay far away.
They run after them, begging,
    but they are gone.

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Many curry favor with a ruler,(A)
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.(B)

The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
    how much more do their friends avoid them!(C)
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
    they are nowhere to be found.[a](D)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.

19 Gossips ·can’t keep [reveal] secrets,
so avoid people who ·talk too much [L are foolish with their lips].

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19 A gossip betrays a confidence;(A)
    so avoid anyone who talks too much.

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24 Don’t make friends with ·quick-tempered people [people controlled by anger]
    or ·spend time [associate] with those who have bad tempers.
25 If you do, you will ·be like them [learn their ways].
    Then you will ·be in real danger [L get yourself trapped].

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Saying 3

24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
    do not associate with one easily angered,
25 or you may learn their ways
    and get yourself ensnared.(A)

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17 Don’t let your heart envy sinners [Ps. 73],
    but always ·respect [fear; 1:7] the Lord.
18 Then you will have a future,
    and your ·wishes [hopes] will ·come true [L not be cut off].

19 Listen, my child, and be wise.
    Keep your ·mind on what is right [L heart straight on the path].
20 Don’t ·drink too much [get drunk on] wine
    or ·eat too much food [L stuff yourself with meat].
21 Those who ·drink [get drunk] and ·eat too much [stuff themselves] ·become poor [lose possessions].
    They ·sleep too much [or are in a stupor] and end up wearing rags.

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Saying 15

17 Do not let your heart envy(A) sinners,
    but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.
18 There is surely a future hope for you,
    and your hope will not be cut off.(B)

Saying 16

19 Listen, my son,(C) and be wise,
    and set your heart on the right path:
20 Do not join those who drink too much wine(D)
    or gorge themselves on meat,
21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,(E)
    and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

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