Proverbs 15
New Living Translation
15 A gentle answer deflects anger,
but harsh words make tempers flare.
2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing,
but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.
3 The Lord is watching everywhere,
keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.
4 Gentle words are a tree of life;
a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
5 Only a fool despises a parent’s[a] discipline;
whoever learns from correction is wise.
6 There is treasure in the house of the godly,
but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble.
7 The lips of the wise give good advice;
the heart of a fool has none to give.
8 The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
but he delights in the prayers of the upright.
9 The Lord detests the way of the wicked,
but he loves those who pursue godliness.
10 Whoever abandons the right path will be severely disciplined;
whoever hates correction will die.
11 Even Death and Destruction[b] hold no secrets from the Lord.
How much more does he know the human heart!
12 Mockers hate to be corrected,
so they stay away from the wise.
13 A glad heart makes a happy face;
a broken heart crushes the spirit.
14 A wise person is hungry for knowledge,
while the fool feeds on trash.
15 For the despondent, every day brings trouble;
for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.
16 Better to have little, with fear for the Lord,
than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.
17 A bowl of vegetables with someone you love
is better than steak with someone you hate.
18 A hot-tempered person starts fights;
a cool-tempered person stops them.
19 A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers,
but the path of the upright is an open highway.
20 Sensible children bring joy to their father;
foolish children despise their mother.
21 Foolishness brings joy to those with no sense;
a sensible person stays on the right path.
22 Plans go wrong for lack of advice;
many advisers bring success.
23 Everyone enjoys a fitting reply;
it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!
24 The path of life leads upward for the wise;
they leave the grave[c] behind.
25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud,
but he protects the property of widows.
26 The Lord detests evil plans,
but he delights in pure words.
27 Greed brings grief to the whole family,
but those who hate bribes will live.
28 The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking;
the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayers of the righteous.
30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart;
good news makes for good health.
31 If you listen to constructive criticism,
you will be at home among the wise.
32 If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself;
but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.
33 Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom;
humility precedes honor.
Proverbs 15
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 15
1 [a]A mild answer turns back wrath,(A)
but a harsh word stirs up anger.[b]
2 The tongue of the wise pours out knowledge,
but the mouth of fools spews folly.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life,
but a perverse one breaks the spirit.
5 The fool spurns a father’s instruction,
but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.[c](B)
6 In the house of the just there are ample resources,
but the harvest of the wicked is in peril.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
but the heart of fools is not steadfast.[d]
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,(C)
but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
but he loves one who pursues justice.(D)
10 Discipline seems bad to those going astray;
one who hates reproof will die.[e]
11 Sheol and Abaddon[f] lie open before the Lord;
how much more the hearts of mortals!
12 Scoffers do not love reproof;
to the wise they will not go.
13 A glad heart lights up the face,
but an anguished heart breaks the spirit.(E)
14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge,
but the mouth of fools feeds on folly.[g]
15 All the days of the poor are evil,
but a good heart is a continual feast.[h]
16 [i]Better a little with fear of the Lord
than a great fortune with anxiety.
17 Better a dish of herbs where love is
than a fatted ox and hatred with it.
18 The ill-tempered stir up strife,(F)
but the patient settle disputes.
19 The way of the sluggard is like a thorn hedge,
but the path of the diligent is a highway.
20 A wise son gives his father joy,
but a fool despises his mother.(G)
21 Folly is joy[j] to the senseless,
but the person of understanding goes the straight way.
22 Plans fail when there is no counsel,
but they succeed when advisers are many.[k](H)
23 One has joy from an apt response;
a word in season, how good it is
24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent,
turning them from Sheol below.[m]
25 The Lord pulls down the house of the proud,
but preserves intact the widow’s landmark.
26 The schemes of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,(J)
but gracious words are pure.[n]
27 The greedy tear down their own house,
but those who hate bribes will live.[o]
28 The heart of the just ponders a response,
but the mouth of the wicked spews evil.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but hears the prayer of the just.
30 A cheerful glance brings joy to the heart;
good news invigorates the bones.
31 The ear that listens to salutary reproof(K)
is at home among the wise.[p]
32 Those who disregard discipline hate themselves,
but those who heed reproof acquire understanding.
33 The fear of the Lord is training for wisdom,
and humility goes before honors.(L)
Footnotes
- 15:1–7 These verses form a section beginning and ending with the topic of words.
- 15:1 Paradoxically, where words are concerned soft is powerful and hard is ineffective.
- 15:5 One becomes wise by keeping and foolish by rejecting. One must accept the tradition of the community.
- 15:7 “Lips” and “heart” are a fixed pair, in Proverbs signifying, respectively, expression and source. The wise disseminate what they have in their heart, but the wicked are unsound even in the source of their words, their hearts.
- 15:10 Discipline, always a good thing in Proverbs, seems bad to those deliberately wandering from justice.
- 15:11 Sheol and Abaddon: terms for the abode of the dead, signifying the profound obscurity which is open nevertheless to the sight and power of God; cf. 27:20.
- 15:14 The contrasts include heart (organ of reflection) and mouth (organ of expression), and the wise and fools. One type feeds its mind with wisdom and the other feeds its face with folly.
- 15:15 Good heart does not refer to good intentions but to an instructed mind. Wisdom makes poverty not only bearable but even joyful like the joy of feast days.
- 15:16–17 The sages favor wealth over poverty—but not at any price; cf. Ps 37:16.
- 15:21 The word “joy” occurs in the first line of vv. 20, 21, and 23. The state of folly is joy to a fool but the wise person is totally absorbed in keeping on the right or straight road.
- 15:22 Failure to consult makes it likely a plan will not succeed. The point is nicely made by contrasting the singular number in the first line (“no counsel”) with the plural number in the second line (“many advisers”).
- 15:23 Conversation is the art of saying the right thing at the right time. It gives pleasure to speaker and hearer alike.
- 15:24 Death is personified as Sheol, the underworld. “Up” and “down” in Hebrew as in English are metaphors for success and failure (see Dt 28:43). One who stays on the path of life need not fear the punishment that stalks sinners.
- 15:26 “Pure” here means acceptable. The language of ritual (acceptable or pure) is applied to ordinary human actions. “Gracious words” are words that bring peace to the neighbor.
- 15:27 The same lesson as the opening scene of Proverbs (1:8–19): one cannot build a house by unjust gain. Injustice will come back upon a house so built.
- 15:31 To become wise, one must hear and integrate perspectives contrary to one’s own, which means accepting “reproof.” Wisdom does not isolate one but places one in the company of the wise.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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