Wisdom Loves Righteousness

13 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
(A)But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

(B)A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth,
But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.
(C)He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

(D)The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

A righteous man hates lying,
But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame.
(E)Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,
But wickedness overthrows the sinner.

(F)There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;
And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.

The ransom of a man’s life is his riches,
But the poor does not hear rebuke.

The light of the righteous rejoices,
(G)But the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

10 By pride comes nothing but (H)strife,
But with the well-advised is wisdom.

11 (I)Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished,
But he who gathers by labor will increase.

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But (J)when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

13 He who (K)despises the word will be destroyed,
But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.
14 (L)The law of the wise is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from (M)the snares of death.

15 Good understanding [a]gains (N)favor,
But the way of the unfaithful is hard.
16 (O)Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
But a fool lays open his folly.

17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
But (P)a faithful ambassador brings health.

18 Poverty and shame will come to him who [b]disdains correction,
But (Q)he who regards a rebuke will be honored.

19 A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.

20 He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

21 (R)Evil pursues sinners,
But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.

22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
But (S)the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

23 (T)Much food is in the [c]fallow ground of the poor,
And for lack of justice there is [d]waste.

24 (U)He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him [e]promptly.

25 (V)The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul,
But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:15 gives
  2. Proverbs 13:18 Lit. ignores
  3. Proverbs 13:23 uncultivated
  4. Proverbs 13:23 Lit. what is swept away
  5. Proverbs 13:24 early

13 A wise son -- the instruction of a father, And a scorner -- he hath not heard rebuke.

From the fruit of the mouth a man eateth good, And the soul of the treacherous -- violence.

Whoso is keeping his mouth, is keeping his soul, Whoso is opening wide his lips -- ruin to him!

The soul of the slothful is desiring, and hath not. And the soul of the diligent is made fat.

A false word the righteous hateth, And the wicked causeth abhorrence, and is confounded.

Righteousness keepeth him who is perfect in the way, And wickedness overthroweth a sin offering.

There is who is making himself rich, and hath nothing, Who is making himself poor, and wealth [is] abundant.

The ransom of a man's life [are] his riches, And the poor hath not heard rebuke.

The light of the righteous rejoiceth, And the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

10 A vain man through pride causeth debate, And with the counselled [is] wisdom.

11 Wealth from vanity becometh little, And whoso is gathering by the hand becometh great.

12 Hope prolonged is making the heart sick, And a tree of life [is] the coming desire.

13 Whoso is despising the Word is destroyed for it, And whoso is fearing the Command is repayed.

14 The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.

15 Good understanding giveth grace, And the way of the treacherous [is] hard.

16 Every prudent one dealeth with knowledge, And a fool spreadeth out folly.

17 A wicked messenger falleth into evil, And a faithful ambassador is healing.

18 Whoso is refusing instruction -- poverty and shame, And whoso is observing reproof is honoured.

19 A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, And an abomination to fools [is]: Turn from evil.

20 Whoso is walking with wise men is wise, And a companion of fools suffereth evil.

21 Evil pursueth sinners, And good recompenseth the righteous.

22 A good man causeth sons' sons to inherit, And laid up for the righteous [is] the sinner's wealth.

23 Abundance of food -- the tillage of the poor, And substance is consumed without judgment.

24 Whoso is sparing his rod is hating his son, And whoso is loving him hath hastened him chastisement.

25 The righteous is eating to the satiety of his soul, And the belly of the wicked lacketh!