Proverbs 15
New King James Version
A Soft Answer Turns Away Wrath
15 A (A)soft answer turns away wrath,
But (B)a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
(C)But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
3 (D)The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A [a]wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.
7 The lips of the wise [c]disperse knowledge,
But the heart of the fool does not do so.
8 (G)The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves him who (H)follows righteousness.
11 (K)Hell[d] and [e]Destruction are before the Lord;
So how much more (L)the hearts of the sons of men.
12 (M)A scoffer does not love one who corrects him,
Nor will he go to the wise.
13 (N)A merry heart makes a cheerful [f]countenance,
But (O)by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
(P)But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.
16 (Q)Better is a little with the fear of the Lord,
Than great treasure with trouble.
17 (R)Better is a dinner of [g]herbs where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred.
18 (S)A wrathful man stirs up strife,
But he who is slow to anger allays contention.
19 (T)The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns,
But the way of the upright is a highway.
20 (U)A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man despises his mother.
21 (V)Folly is joy to him who is destitute of [h]discernment,
(W)But a man of understanding walks uprightly.
22 (X)Without counsel, plans go awry,
But in the multitude of counselors they are established.
25 (AB)The Lord will destroy the house of the proud,
But (AC)He will establish the boundary of the widow.
26 (AD)The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
(AE)But the words of the pure are pleasant.
27 (AF)He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,
But he who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous (AG)studies how to answer,
But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.
30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
And a good report makes the bones [k]healthy.
31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life
Will abide among the wise.
32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
33 (AJ)The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom,
And (AK)before honor is humility.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:4 Lit. healing
- Proverbs 15:5 Lit. keeps
- Proverbs 15:7 spread
- Proverbs 15:11 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 15:11 Heb. Abaddon
- Proverbs 15:13 face
- Proverbs 15:17 Or vegetables
- Proverbs 15:21 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 15:23 Lit. in its time
- Proverbs 15:24 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 15:30 Lit. fat
Proverbs 15
Common English Bible
15 A sensitive answer turns back wrath,
but an offensive word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise enhances knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool gushes with stupidity.
3 The Lord’s eyes are everywhere,
keeping watch on evil and good people.
4 Wholesome speech is a tree of life,
but dishonest talk breaks the spirit.
5 A fool doesn’t like a father’s instruction,
but those who heed correction are mature.
6 Great treasure is in the house of the righteous,
but the gain of the wicked brings trouble.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
but the hearts of fools have none.
8 The Lord detests the sacrifices of the wicked,
but favors the prayers of those who do right.
9 The Lord detests the path of the wicked,
but loves those who pursue righteousness.
10 Discipline is severe for those who abandon the way;
those who hate correction will die.
11 The grave[a] and the underworld[b] lie open before the Lord;
how much more the hearts of human beings!
12 Mockers don’t like those who correct them.
They won’t go to the wise.
13 A joyful heart brightens one’s face,
but a troubled heart breaks the spirit.
14 An understanding heart seeks knowledge;
but fools feed on folly.
15 All the days of the needy are hard,
but a happy heart has a continual feast.
16 Better a little with fear of the Lord
than a great treasure with turmoil.
17 Better a meal of greens with love
than a plump calf with hate.
18 Hotheads stir up conflict,
but patient people calm down strife.
19 The path of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns,
but the way of those who do right is a clear road.
20 A wise child brings joy to a father,
but fools despise their mothers.
21 Folly is joy to those who lack sense,
but those with understanding walk straight ahead.
22 Plans fail with no counsel,
but with many counselors they succeed.
23 To give an appropriate answer is a joy;
how good is a word at the right time!
24 For those with insight, life is an upward path,
avoiding the grave [c] below.
25 The Lord snatches away the arrogant one’s house,
but he preserves the widow’s boundaries.
26 The Lord detests evil plans,
but gracious words are pure.
27 Those who acquire things unjustly gain trouble for their house,
but those who hate bribes will live.
28 The righteous heart reflects before answering,
but the wicked mouth blurts out evil.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he listens to the prayers of the righteous.
30 Bright eyes give joy to the heart;
good news strengthens the bones.
31 The ear that listens to life-giving correction
dwells among the wise.
32 Those who refuse discipline despise themselves,
but those who listen to correction gain understanding.
33 The fear of the Lord is wise instruction,
and humility comes before respect.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:11 Heb Sheol
- Proverbs 15:11 Heb Abaddon
- Proverbs 15:24 Heb Sheol
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible