Proverbs 13-14

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

13 A wise child loves discipline,^[a]
    but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
² From the fruit of their words good persons eat good things,
    but the desire of the treacherous is for wrongdoing.
³ Those who guard their mouths preserve their lives;
    those who open wide their lips come to ruin.
⁴ The appetite of the lazy craves, and gets nothing,
    while the appetite of the diligent is richly supplied.
⁵ The righteous hate falsehood,
    but the wicked act shamefully and disgracefully.
⁶ Righteousness guards one whose way is upright,
    but sin overthrows the wicked.
⁷ Some pretend to be rich, yet have nothing;
    others pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth.
⁸ Wealth is a ransom for a person’s life,
    but the poor get no threats.
⁹ The light of the righteous rejoices,
    but the lamp of the wicked goes out.
¹⁰ By insolence the heedless make strife,
    but wisdom is with those who take advice.
¹¹ Wealth hastily gotten^[b] will dwindle,
    but those who gather little by little will increase it.
¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
¹³ Those who despise the word bring destruction on themselves,
    but those who respect the commandment will be rewarded.
¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
    so that one may avoid the snares of death.
¹⁵ Good sense wins favor,
    but the way of the faithless is their ruin.^[c]
16 The clever do all things intelligently,
    but the fool displays folly.
¹⁷ A bad messenger brings trouble,
    but a faithful envoy, healing.
¹⁸ Poverty and disgrace are for the one who ignores instruction,
    but one who heeds reproof is honored.
¹⁹ A desire realized is sweet to the soul,
    but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.
²⁰ Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
    but the companion of fools suffers harm.
²¹ Misfortune pursues sinners,
    but prosperity rewards the righteous.
²² The good leave an inheritance to their children’s children,
    but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
²³ The field of the poor may yield much food,
    but it is swept away through injustice.
²⁴ Those who spare the rod hate their children,
    but those who love them are diligent to discipline them.
²⁵ The righteous have enough to satisfy their appetite,
    but the belly of the wicked is empty.
14 The wise woman^[d] builds her house,
    but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
² Those who walk uprightly fear the Lord,
    but one who is devious in conduct despises him.
³ The talk of fools is a rod for their backs,^[e]
    but the lips of the wise preserve them.
⁴ Where there are no oxen, there is no grain;
    abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
⁵ A faithful witness does not lie,
    but a false witness breathes out lies.
⁶ A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
    but knowledge is easy for one who understands.
⁷ Leave the presence of a fool,
    for there you do not find words of knowledge.
⁸ It is the wisdom of the clever to understand where they go,
    but the folly of fools misleads.
⁹ Fools mock at the guilt offering,^[f]
    but the upright enjoy God’s favor.
¹⁰ The heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no stranger shares its joy.
¹¹ The house of the wicked is destroyed,
    but the tent of the upright flourishes.
¹² There is a way that seems right to a person,
    but its end is the way to death.^[g]
13 Even in laughter the heart is sad,
    and the end of joy is grief.
¹⁴ The perverse get what their ways deserve,
    and the good, what their deeds deserve.^[h]
15 The simple believe everything,
    but the clever consider their steps.
¹⁶ The wise are cautious and turn away from evil,
    but the fool throws off restraint and is careless.
¹⁷ One who is quick-tempered acts foolishly,
    and the schemer is hated.
¹⁸ The simple are adorned with^[i] folly,
    but the clever are crowned with knowledge.
¹⁹ The evil bow down before the good,
    the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
²⁰ The poor are disliked even by their neighbors,
    but the rich have many friends.
²¹ Those who despise their neighbors are sinners,
    but happy are those who are kind to the poor.
²² Do they not err that plan evil?
    Those who plan good find loyalty and faithfulness.
²³ In all toil there is profit,
    but mere talk leads only to poverty.
²⁴ The crown of the wise is their wisdom,^[j]
    but folly is the garland^[k] of fools.
²⁵ A truthful witness saves lives,
    but one who utters lies is a betrayer.
²⁶ In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence,
    and one’s children will have a refuge.
²⁷ The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
    so that one may avoid the snares of death.
²⁸ The glory of a king is a multitude of people;
    without people a prince is ruined.
²⁹ Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
    but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
³⁰ A tranquil mind gives life to the flesh,
    but passion makes the bones rot.
³¹ Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
    but those who are kind to the needy honor him.
³² The wicked are overthrown by their evildoing,
    but the righteous find a refuge in their integrity.^[l]
33 Wisdom is at home in the mind of one who has understanding,
    but it is not^[m] known in the heart of fools.
³⁴ Righteousness exalts a nation,
    but sin is a reproach to any people.
³⁵ A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor,
    but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.