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Proverbs 21:4-24:12
English Standard Version
Proverbs 21:4-24:12
English Standard Version
4 (A)Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
(B)the lamp[a] of the wicked, are sin.
5 The plans of (C)the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is (D)hasty comes (E)only to poverty.
6 (F)The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
is a (G)fleeting (H)vapor and a (I)snare of death.[b]
7 The violence of the wicked will (J)sweep them away,
because they refuse to do what is just.
8 The way of the guilty (K)is crooked,
but the conduct of the pure is upright.
9 It is (L)better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.
11 When (M)a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;
when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
12 The Righteous One (N)observes the house of the wicked;
he throws the wicked down to ruin.
13 (O)Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered.
14 (P)A gift in secret averts anger,
and a concealed bribe,[c] strong wrath.
15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous
(Q)but terror to evildoers.
16 One who wanders from the way of good sense
(R)will rest in the assembly of the dead.
17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;
he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
18 (S)The wicked is a (T)ransom for the righteous,
and the traitor for the upright.
19 It is (U)better to live in a desert land
than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.
20 (V)Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling,
but a foolish man (W)devours it.
21 Whoever (X)pursues righteousness and kindness
will find (Y)life, righteousness, and honor.
22 (Z)A wise man scales the city of the mighty
and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 (AA)Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue
(AB)keeps himself out of (AC)trouble.
24 (AD)“Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man
who acts with arrogant pride.
25 The desire of (AE)the sluggard kills him,
for his hands refuse to labor.
26 All day long he craves and craves,
but the righteous (AF)gives and does not hold back.
27 (AG)The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
how much more (AH)when he brings it with evil intent.
28 (AI)A false witness will perish,
but the word of a man who hears will endure.
29 A wicked man puts on a bold face,
but the upright (AJ)gives thought to[d] his ways.
30 (AK)No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the Lord.
31 (AL)The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but (AM)the victory belongs to the Lord.
22 (AN)A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.
2 (AO)The rich and the poor meet together;
the Lord is (AP)the Maker of them all.
3 (AQ)The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
is (AR)riches and honor and life.[e]
5 (AS)Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
whoever (AT)guards his soul will keep far from them.
6 (AU)Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
7 (AV)The rich rules over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
8 Whoever (AW)sows injustice will reap calamity,
and (AX)the rod of his fury will fail.
9 (AY)Whoever has a bountiful[f] eye will be blessed,
for he (AZ)shares his bread with the poor.
10 (BA)Drive out a scoffer, (BB)and strife will go out,
and (BC)quarreling and abuse will cease.
11 He who (BD)loves purity of heart,
and whose (BE)speech is gracious, (BF)will have the king as his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he (BG)overthrows the words of the traitor.
13 (BH)The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of (BI)forbidden[g] women is (BJ)a deep pit;
(BK)he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but (BL)the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
or gives to the rich, (BM)will only come to poverty.
Words of the Wise
17 (BN)Incline your ear, and hear (BO)the words of the wise,
(BP)and apply your heart to my knowledge,
18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
19 That your trust may be in the Lord,
I have made them known to you today, even to you.
20 Have I not written for you (BQ)thirty sayings
of counsel and knowledge,
21 to (BR)make you know what is right and true,
that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?
22 (BS)Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,
or (BT)crush the afflicted at (BU)the gate,
23 for (BV)the Lord will plead their cause
and rob of life those who rob them.
24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
nor go with a wrathful man,
25 lest you learn his ways
and entangle yourself in a snare.
26 Be not one of those who (BW)give pledges,
who put up security for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should (BX)your bed be taken from under you?
28 Do not move the ancient (BY)landmark
that your fathers have set.
29 Do you see a man skillful in his work?
He will (BZ)stand before kings;
he will not stand before obscure men.
23 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
observe carefully what[h] is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.
3 (CA)Do not desire his delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.
4 (CB)Do not toil to acquire wealth;
(CC)be discerning enough to desist.
5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
(CD)for suddenly it sprouts wings,
flying like an eagle toward heaven.
6 (CE)Do not eat the bread of a man who is (CF)stingy;[i]
(CG)do not desire his delicacies,
7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.[j]
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
but his (CH)heart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,
and waste your pleasant words.
9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
for he will despise the good sense of your words.
10 (CI)Do not move an ancient landmark
or enter the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their (CJ)Redeemer is strong;
he will (CK)plead their cause against you.
12 Apply your heart to instruction
and your ear to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold (CL)discipline from a child;
(CM)if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14 If you strike him with the rod,
you will (CN)save his soul from Sheol.
15 (CO)My son, if your heart is wise,
my heart too will be glad.
16 My (CP)inmost being[k] will exult
when your lips speak (CQ)what is right.
17 Let not your heart (CR)envy sinners,
but continue in (CS)the fear of the Lord all the day.
18 Surely (CT)there is a future,
and your (CU)hope will not be cut off.
19 Hear, my son, and (CV)be wise,
and (CW)direct your heart in the way.
20 Be not among (CX)drunkards[l]
or among (CY)gluttonous eaters of meat,
21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
and (CZ)slumber will clothe them with rags.
22 (DA)Listen to your father who gave you life,
(DB)and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 (DC)Buy truth, and do not sell it;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
24 (DD)The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
25 (DE)Let your father and mother be glad;
let (DF)her who bore you rejoice.
26 My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe[m] my ways.
27 For a prostitute is (DG)a deep pit;
(DH)an adulteress[n] is a narrow (DI)well.
28 (DJ)She lies in wait like a robber
and increases the traitors among mankind.
29 (DK)Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has (DL)wounds without cause?
Who has (DM)redness of eyes?
30 Those who (DN)tarry long over wine;
those who go to try (DO)mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup
and goes down smoothly.
32 In the end it (DP)bites like a serpent
and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart utter (DQ)perverse things.
34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
like one who lies on the top of a mast.[o]
35 “They (DR)struck me,” you will say,[p] “but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I (DS)must have another drink.”
24 Be not (DT)envious of evil men,
nor desire to be (DU)with them,
2 for their hearts (DV)devise violence,
and their lips (DW)talk of trouble.
3 By (DX)wisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all (DY)precious and pleasant riches.
5 (DZ)A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
6 for by (EA)wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in (EB)abundance of counselors there is victory.
7 Wisdom is (EC)too high for a fool;
in (ED)the gate he does not open his mouth.
8 Whoever (EE)plans to do evil
will be called a schemer.
9 (EF)The devising[q] of folly is sin,
and (EG)the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.
10 If you (EH)faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
11 (EI)Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
(EJ)does not he who (EK)weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who (EL)keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man (EM)according to his work?
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:4 Or the plowing
- Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Latin; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
- Proverbs 21:14 Hebrew a bribe in the bosom
- Proverbs 21:29 Or establishes
- Proverbs 22:4 Or The reward for humility is the fear of the Lord, riches and honor and life
- Proverbs 22:9 Hebrew good
- Proverbs 22:14 Hebrew strange
- Proverbs 23:1 Or who
- Proverbs 23:6 Hebrew whose eye is evil
- Proverbs 23:7 Or for as he calculates in his soul, so is he
- Proverbs 23:16 Hebrew My kidneys
- Proverbs 23:20 Hebrew those who drink too much wine
- Proverbs 23:26 Or delight in
- Proverbs 23:27 Hebrew a foreign woman
- Proverbs 23:34 Or of the rigging
- Proverbs 23:35 Hebrew lacks you will say
- Proverbs 24:9 Or scheming
Proverbs 21:4-24:12
New International Version
Proverbs 21:4-24:12
New International Version
4 Haughty eyes(A) and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit(B)
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,(D)
for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,(E)
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(F)
10 The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.(G)
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.(K)
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.(L)
16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.(M)
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.(N)
18 The wicked become a ransom(O) for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.(P)
20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.
22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty(S)
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.
24 The proud and arrogant person(V)—“Mocker” is his name—
behaves with insolent fury.
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,(W)
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous(X) give without sparing.(Y)
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable(Z)—
how much more so when brought with evil intent!(AA)
29 The wicked put up a bold front,
but the upright give thought to their ways.(AD)
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.(AG)
22 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.(AH)
2 Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the Maker of them all.(AI)
5 In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,(AN)
but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.
6 Start(AO) children off on the way they should go,(AP)
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.(AQ)
7 The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.
10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
quarrels and insults are ended.(AV)
11 One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
will have the king for a friend.(AW)
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.
13 The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!(AX)
I’ll be killed in the public square!”
14 The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;(AY)
a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.(AZ)
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.(BA)
16 One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.
Thirty Sayings of the Wise
Saying 1
17 Pay attention(BB) and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise;(BC)
apply your heart to what I teach,(BD)
18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I teach you today, even you.
20 Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
sayings of counsel and knowledge,
21 teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth,(BE)
so that you bring back truthful reports
to those you serve?
Saying 2
22 Do not exploit the poor(BF) because they are poor
and do not crush the needy in court,(BG)
23 for the Lord will take up their case(BH)
and will exact life for life.(BI)
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.(BJ)
Saying 4
26 Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge(BK)
or puts up security for debts;
27 if you lack the means to pay,
your very bed will be snatched from under you.(BL)
Saying 5
28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone(BM)
set up by your ancestors.
Saying 6
29 Do you see someone skilled(BN) in their work?
They will serve(BO) before kings;(BP)
they will not serve before officials of low rank.
Saying 7
23 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well what[d] is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
3 Do not crave his delicacies,(BQ)
for that food is deceptive.
Saying 8
4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
do not trust your own cleverness.
5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,(BR)
for they will surely sprout wings
and fly off to the sky like an eagle.(BS)
Saying 9
6 Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
do not crave his delicacies;(BT)
7 for he is the kind of person
who is always thinking about the cost.[e]
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten
and will have wasted your compliments.
Saying 10
9 Do not speak to fools,
for they will scorn your prudent words.(BU)
Saying 11
10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone(BV)
or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Defender(BW) is strong;(BX)
he will take up their case against you.(BY)
Saying 12
12 Apply your heart to instruction(BZ)
and your ears to words of knowledge.
Saying 13
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.
14 Punish them with the rod
and save them from death.(CA)
Saying 14
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
then my heart will be glad indeed;
16 my inmost being will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.(CB)
Saying 15
17 Do not let your heart envy(CC) 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.(CD)
Saying 16
19 Listen, my son,(CE) and be wise,
and set your heart on the right path:
20 Do not join those who drink too much wine(CF)
or gorge themselves on meat,
21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,(CG)
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Saying 17
22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.(CH)
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it—
wisdom, instruction and insight as well.(CI)
24 The father of a righteous child has great joy;
a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.(CJ)
25 May your father and mother rejoice;
may she who gave you birth be joyful!(CK)
Saying 18
26 My son,(CL) give me your heart
and let your eyes delight in my ways,(CM)
27 for an adulterous woman is a deep pit,(CN)
and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Like a bandit she lies in wait(CO)
and multiplies the unfaithful among men.
Saying 19
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Those who linger over wine,(CP)
who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly!
32 In the end it bites like a snake
and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange sights,
and your mind will imagine confusing things.
34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
lying on top of the rigging.
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up
so I can find another drink?”(CQ)
Saying 20
24 Do not envy(CR) the wicked,
do not desire their company;
2 for their hearts plot violence,(CS)
and their lips talk about making trouble.(CT)
Saying 21
3 By wisdom a house is built,(CU)
and through understanding it is established;
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.(CV)
Saying 22
5 The wise prevail through great power,
and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
6 Surely you need guidance to wage war,
and victory is won through many advisers.(CW)
Saying 23
7 Wisdom is too high for fools;
in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.
Saying 24
8 Whoever plots evil
will be known as a schemer.
9 The schemes of folly are sin,
and people detest a mocker.
Saying 25
10 If you falter in a time of trouble,
how small is your strength!(CX)
11 Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.(CY)
12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
does not he who weighs(CZ) the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay(DA) everyone according to what they have done?(DB)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
- Proverbs 21:12 Or The righteous person
- Proverbs 21:21 Or righteousness
- Proverbs 23:1 Or who
- Proverbs 23:7 Or for as he thinks within himself, / so he is; or for as he puts on a feast, / so he is
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.