The house of the righteous contains great treasure,(A)
    but the income of the wicked brings ruin.(B)

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The righteous house is itself[a] a great treasure,
    but within the revenue of the wicked calamity is at work.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:6 The Heb. lacks itself

16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord
    than great wealth with turmoil.(A)

17 Better a small serving of vegetables with love
    than a fattened calf with hatred.(B)

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On Contentment and Other Good Things of Life

16 Better is a little accompanied by fear of the Lord
    than abundant wealth with turmoil.
17 A vegetarian meal[a] served with love is better
    than a big, thick steak[b] with a plateful of[c] animosity.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:17 Lit. A meal of herbs
  2. Proverbs 15:17 Lit. a fattened ox
  3. Proverbs 15:17 The Heb. lacks a plateful of

20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,[a](A)
    and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:20 Or whoever speaks prudently finds what is good

20 Whoever listens to a word of instruction prospers,
    and anyone who trusts in the Lord is blessed.

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11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;(A)
    they imagine it a wall too high to scale.

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11 The wealth of a rich person is his fortified city;
    in his own imagination, it is like a high wall.

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Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(A)

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Wealth brings many friends,
    but a poor man is deserted by his friend.

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21 An inheritance claimed too soon
    will not be blessed at the end.

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21 An inheritance quickly obtained at the beginning
    will not be blessed at the end.

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The plans of the diligent lead to profit(A)
    as surely as haste leads to poverty.

A fortune made by a lying tongue
    is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.[a](B)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death

Plans of the persistent surely lead to productivity,
    but all who are hasty will surely become poor.

A fortune gained by deceit[a]
    is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:6 Lit. by a lying tongue
  2. Proverbs 21:6 So MT; LXX reads is pursuing worthlessness into deadly snares

Humility is the fear of the Lord;
    its wages are riches and honor(A) and life.(B)

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The reward of humility is the fear of the Lord,
    along with wealth, honor, and life.

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The rich rule over the poor,
    and the borrower is slave to the lender.

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The wealthy rule over the poor,
    and anyone who borrows is a slave to the lender.

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16 One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
    and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

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16 Whoever oppresses the poor to enrich himself
    and whoever gives gifts to the wealthy
        will yield only loss.

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Saying 8

Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
    do not trust your own cleverness.
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,(A)
    for they will surely sprout wings
    and fly off to the sky like an eagle.(B)

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Don’t exhaust yourself acquiring wealth;
    be smart enough to stop.
When you fix your gaze on it, it’s gone,
    for it sprouts wings for itself
        and flies to the sky like an eagle.

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11 The rich are wise in their own eyes;
    one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.

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11 The rich man may be wise in his own opinion;
    but a discerning, poor man sees through him.

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