Proverbs 10
Lexham English Bible
Proverbs of Solomon
10 The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise child makes a father glad,
but a foolish child grieves his mother.
2 Treasures of wickedness do not profit,
but righteousness delivers from death.
3 Yahweh will not cause a righteous person[a] to go hungry,
but the craving of the wicked he will thwart.
4 A slack hand causes poverty,
but the hand of the diligent enriches.
5 He who gathers in the summer is a child who is prudent;
he who sleeps at the harvest is a child who brings shame.
6 Blessings belong to the head of the righteous,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The memory of righteousness is like a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.
8 A heart of wisdom will heed commandments,
but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
9 Whoever walks in integrity[b] will walk securely,
but whoever follows perversity, his ways will be made known.
10 The winking of an eye causes[c] trouble,
and the foolishness of lips comes to ruin.
11 A fountain of life is a mouth of righteousness,
and a mouth of wickedness conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers over all offenses.
13 On the lips of one who has understanding, wisdom is found,
but a rod is for the back of one who lacks sense.[d]
14 Those who are wise lay up knowledge,
but to the mouth of the fool, ruin draws near.
15 The wealth of the rich is the city of his strength;
the ruin of the poor is their poverty.
16 The wage of the righteous leads to life;
the gain of the wicked to sin.
17 On the path to life is he who guards instruction,
but he who rejects rebuke goes astray.
18 He who conceals hatred has lips of deceit,
and he who utters slander—he is a fool.
19 In many words, transgression is not lacking,
but he who restrains his lips is prudent.
20 Choice silver is a tongue of righteousness,
a heart[e] of wickedness is of little worth.[f]
21 Lips of righteousness feed many,
but fools die for lack of sense.[g]
22 The blessing of Yahweh makes one rich,
and he does not increase sorrow with it.
23 It is like a sport for a fool to do wrong,
wisdom for a person of understanding.
24 The dread of the wicked will come upon him,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 With the passing of the tempest, there is no wickedness,
but the righteous have a foundation forever.
26 Like vinegar to the tooth and like smoke to the eyes,
thus is the lazy to one who employs[h] him.
27 The fear of Yahweh adds life,
but the years of the wicked are shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous is gladness,
but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing.
29 A stronghold for the upright is the way of Yahweh,
but ruin belongs to evildoers.[i]
30 The righteous one is forever; he will not be removed.
But the wicked will not remain in the land.[j]
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
but a tongue of perversity will be cut off.
32 The lips of the righteous know the acceptable,
but the mouth of the wicked, the perverse.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:3 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 10:9 Hebrew “in the integrity”
- Proverbs 10:10 Or “gives, sets up”
- Proverbs 10:13 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 10:20 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 10:20 Literally “like a little”
- Proverbs 10:21 Literally “in the lack of heart, they die”
- Proverbs 10:26 Or “sends”
- Proverbs 10:29 Literally “them who do evil”
- Proverbs 10:30 Or “earth”
Proverbs 10
Contemporary English Version
Solomon's Wise Sayings
10 Here are some proverbs
of Solomon:
Children with good sense
make their parents happy,
but foolish children
make them sad.
2 What you gain by doing evil
won't help you at all.
Obeying God is the only way
to be saved from death.
3 If you obey the Lord,
you won't go hungry;
if you are wicked,
God won't let you have
what you want.
4 Laziness leads to poverty;
hard work makes you rich.
5 At harvest season
it's smart to work hard,
but stupid to sleep.
6 Everyone praises good people,
but evil hides behind
the words of the wicked.
7 Good people are remembered
long after they are gone,
but the wicked
are soon forgotten.
8 If you have good sense,
you will listen and obey;
if all you do is talk foolishly,
you will destroy yourself.
9 You will be safe,
if you always do right,
but you will get caught,
if you are dishonest.
10 Deceit causes trouble,
and foolish talk
will bring you to ruin.[a]
11 The words of good people
are a source of life,
but evil hides behind
the words of the wicked.
12 (A) Hatred stirs up trouble;
love overlooks the wrongs
that others do.
13 If you have good sense,
it will show when you speak.
But if you are stupid,
you will be beaten
with a stick.
14 If you have good sense,
you will learn all you can,
but foolish talk
will soon destroy you.
15 Great wealth can be a fortress,
but poverty
is no protection at all.
16 If you live right,
the reward is a good life;
if you are evil,
all you have is sin.
17 Accept correction,
and you will find life;
reject correction,
and you will miss the road.
18 You can hide your hatred
by telling lies,
but you are a fool
to spread lies.
19 You will say the wrong thing
if you talk too much—
so be sensible and watch
what you say.
20 The words of a good person
are like pure silver,
but the thoughts
of an evil person
are almost worthless.
21 Many are helped
by useful instruction,
but fools are killed
by their own stupidity.
22 When the Lord blesses you
with riches,
you have nothing to regret.[b]
23 Fools enjoy doing wrong,
but anyone with good sense
enjoys acting wisely.
24 What evil people dread most
will happen to them,
but good people will get
what they want most.
25 Those crooks will disappear
when a storm strikes,
but God will keep safe
all who obey him.
26 Having a lazy person on the job
is like a mouth full of vinegar
or smoke in your eyes.
27 If you respect the Lord,
you will live longer;
if you keep doing wrong,
your life will be cut short.
28 If you obey the Lord,
you will be happy,
but there is no future
for the wicked.
29 The Lord protects everyone
who lives right,
but he destroys anyone
who does wrong.
30 Good people will stand firm,
but the wicked will disappear
from the land.
31 Honest people speak sensibly,
but deceitful liars
will be silenced.
32 If you obey the Lord,
you will always know
the right thing to say.
But no one will trust you
if you tell lies.
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
