15 温和的回答平息怒气,
    粗暴的言词激起愤怒。
智者的舌头传扬知识,
    愚人的嘴巴吐露愚昧。
耶和华的眼目无所不在,
    善人和恶人都被祂鉴察。
温和的言词带来生命,
    乖谬的话语伤透人心。
愚人蔑视父亲的管教,
    接受责备的才算明智。
义人家中财富充足,
    恶人得利惹来祸患。
智者的嘴传扬知识,
    愚人的心并非如此。
耶和华憎恨恶人的祭物,
    悦纳正直人的祈祷。
耶和华憎恨恶人的行径,
    喜爱追求公义的人。
10 背离正道,必遭严惩;
    厌恶责备,必致死亡。
11 阴间和冥府[a]在耶和华面前尚且无法隐藏,
    何况世人的心思呢!
12 嘲讽者不爱听责备,
    也不愿请教智者。
13 心中喜乐,容光焕发;
    心里悲伤,精神颓丧。
14 哲士渴慕知识,
    愚人安于愚昧。
15 困苦人天天受煎熬,
    乐观者常常有喜乐。
16 财物虽少但敬畏耶和华,
    胜过家财万贯却充满烦恼。
17 粗茶淡饭但彼此相爱,
    胜过美酒佳肴却互相憎恨。
18 脾气暴躁,惹起争端;
    忍耐克制,平息纠纷。
19 懒惰人的路布满荆棘,
    正直人的道平坦宽阔。
20 智慧之子使父亲欢喜,
    愚昧的人却藐视母亲。
21 无知者以愚昧为乐,
    明哲人遵循正道。
22 独断专行,计划失败;
    集思广益,事无不成。
23 应对得体,心中愉快;
    言语合宜,何等美好!
24 智者循生命之路上升,
    以免坠入阴间。
25 耶和华拆毁傲慢人的房屋,
    祂使寡妇的地界完整无损。
26 耶和华憎恨恶人的意念,
    喜爱纯洁的言语。
27 贪爱财富,自害己家;
    厌恶贿赂,安然存活。
28 义人三思而后答,
    恶人张口吐恶言。
29 耶和华远离恶人,
    却听义人的祷告。
30 笑颜令人心喜,
    喜讯滋润骨头。
31 倾听生命的训诫,
    使人与智者同列。
32 不受管教就是轻看自己,
    听从责备才能得到智慧。
33 敬畏耶和华使人得智慧,
    学会谦卑后才能得尊荣。

Footnotes

  1. 15:11 冥府”希伯来文是“亚巴顿”,参考启示录9:11

15 A ·gentle [soft; tender] answer ·will calm a person’s anger [L turns back/T away wrath],
but an ·unkind [painful; sharp] answer ·will cause more [raises] anger.

Wise people use knowledge when they speak,
but fools ·pour out [bubble forth with] foolishness.

The Lord’s eyes ·see everything [L are everywhere];
he watches both evil and good people.

·As a tree gives fruit, healing words give life [L A healthy/healing tongue is a tree of life],
but ·dishonest [deceitful; perverse] words crush the spirit.

Fools ·reject [disdain] their ·parents’ [father’s] ·correction [discipline],
but anyone who ·accepts [guards] correction is wise.

Much ·wealth [treasure] is in the houses of ·good [righteous] people,
but evil people get nothing but trouble.

Wise people use their ·words [L lips] to ·spread [scatter; disperse] knowledge,
but there is no knowledge in the ·thoughts [hearts; minds] of fools.

The Lord ·hates [detests] the sacrifice that the wicked offer,
but he ·likes [favors] the prayers of ·honest people [people with integrity].

The Lord ·hates [detests] ·what evil people do [L the path of the wicked],
but he ·loves [favors] those who ·do what is right [pursue righteousness].

10 The person who ·quits doing what is right [L abandons the way] will be punished,
and the one who hates to be corrected will die.

11 ·The Lord knows what is happening in the world of the dead [L Sheol and Abaddon/Destruction are before the Lord],
so he surely knows the ·thoughts of the living [L human heart].

12 ·Those who make fun of wisdom [L Mockers] don’t like to be corrected;
they will not ·ask the wise for advice [L go to the wise].

13 ·Happiness makes a person smile [L A joyful heart brightens one’s face],
but ·sadness [L a troubled heart] can break a person’s spirit.

14 ·People with understanding want more [L Understanding hearts seek] knowledge,
but fools ·just want more [L feed on] foolishness.

15 Every day is hard for ·those who suffer [or the poor],
but a happy heart is like a continual feast.

16 It is better to ·be poor [have little] and ·respect [fear] the Lord
than to ·be wealthy [have great treasure] and ·have much trouble [turmoil].

17 It is better to eat vegetables with those who love you
than ·to eat meat [L an ox of the stall] with those who hate you.

18 People with quick tempers cause ·trouble [conflict],
but ·those who control their tempers [patient people] stop ·a quarrel [accusations].

19 A lazy person’s ·life [L path] is like a patch of thorns,
but an ·honest [virtuous] person’s ·life [path] is like a smooth highway.

20 Wise ·children [sons] make their father happy,
but foolish ·children [L people] disrespect their mother.

21 A person without ·wisdom [sense/heart] enjoys being foolish,
but someone with understanding ·does what is right [walks straight ahead].

22 Plans fail without good advice,
but they succeed with the advice of many others.

23 People enjoy giving ·good advice [L a right reply].
Saying the right word at the right time is so pleasing.

24 ·Wise [Insightful] people’s ·lives [L way] ·get better and better [move upward].
They ·avoid whatever would cause their death [L turn aside from Sheol/the grave below].

25 The Lord will ·tear down [uproot] the proud person’s house,
but he will ·protect [establish] the widow’s ·property [boundaries].

26 The Lord ·hates [detests] evil ·thoughts [or plans]
but ·is pleased with kind words [L pleasing words are pure].

27 ·Greedy people [L Those who get unjust gain] bring trouble to their ·families [L house],
but the person who ·can’t be paid to do wrong [L hates gifts/bribes] will live.

28 ·Good people [L The heart/mind of the righteous] ·think [reflect; meditate] before they answer,
but the wicked simply ·pour [blurt] out evil.

29 The Lord ·does not listen to [L is far from] the wicked,
but he hears the prayers of ·those who do right [the righteous].

30 Good news ·makes you feel better [L refreshes the bone].
·Your happiness will show in your eyes [L The light of the eyes give joy to the heart].

31 ·If you listen to correction to improve your life,
you [L The ear that listens to correction] will ·live [lodge] among the wise.

32 Those who ·refuse [neglect] ·correction [discipline] hate themselves,
but those who ·accept [listen to] correction ·gain understanding [L acquire heart/mind].

33 ·Respect [Fear] for the Lord ·will teach you wisdom [is wise instruction/discipline].
·If you want to be honored, you must be humble [L Humility comes before glory].