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19 Longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,
    but fools detest turning from evil.
20 One who walks with wise men grows wise,
    but a companion of fools suffers harm.

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19 Desire fulfilled is sweet to the taste,
but to turn from evil is detestable to fools.(A)

20 The one who walks with the wise will become wise,
but a companion of fools will suffer harm.

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Stay away from a foolish man,
    for you won’t find knowledge on his lips.
The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way,
    but the folly of fools is deceit.
Fools mock at making atonement for sins,
    but among the upright there is good will.

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Stay away from a foolish person;
you will gain no knowledge from his speech.(A)

The sensible person’s wisdom is to consider his way,
but the stupidity of fools deceives them.

Fools mock at making reparation,[a]
but there is goodwill among the upright.

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Footnotes

  1. 14:9 Or at guilt offerings

16 A wise man fears and shuns evil,
    but the fool is hot headed and reckless.
17 He who is quick to become angry will commit folly,
    and a crafty man is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

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16 A wise person is cautious and turns from evil,(A)
but a fool is easily angered and is careless.[a]

17 A quick-tempered person acts foolishly,
and one who schemes is hated.(B)

18 The inexperienced inherit foolishness,
but the sensible are crowned with knowledge.

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Footnotes

  1. 14:16 Or and falls

29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
    but he who has a quick temper displays folly.

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29 A patient person shows great understanding,(A)
but a quick-tempered one promotes foolishness.

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A fool despises his father’s correction,
    but he who heeds reproof shows prudence.

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A fool despises his father’s discipline,
but a person who accepts correction is sensible.(A)

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14 The heart of one who has understanding seeks knowledge,
    but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

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14 A discerning mind seeks knowledge,(A)
but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.(B)

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10 A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding
    than a hundred lashes into a fool.

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10 A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person
more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

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16 Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom,
    since he has no understanding?

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16 Why does a fool have money in his hand
with no intention of buying wisdom?(A)

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24 Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding,
    but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

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24 Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes(A) roam to the ends of the earth.

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28 Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is counted wise.
    When he shuts his lips, he is thought to be discerning.

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28 Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent—
discerning, when he seals his lips.(A)

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A fool has no delight in understanding,
    but only in revealing his own opinion.

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A fool does not delight in understanding,
but only wants to show off his opinions.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 18:2 Lit to uncover his heart

13 He who answers before he hears,
    that is folly and shame to him.

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13 The one who gives an answer before he listens—
this is foolishness and disgrace for him.(A)

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