Proverbs 3:27-32
The Voice
27 Do not withhold what is good from those who deserve it;
if it is within your power to give it, do it.
28 Do not send your neighbor away, saying, “Get back with me tomorrow.
I can give it to you then,”
when what he needs is already in your hand.
29 Make no plans that could result in injury to your neighbor;
after all, he should be more secure because he lives near you.
30 Avoid fighting with anyone without good reason,
especially when no one has hurt you;
you have nothing to fight about.
31 Do not envy someone who profits at the expense of others
or copy any of his tyrannical ways,
32 For crooked people are detestable to the Eternal,
but those with integrity receive His counsel.
Proverbs 10:2
The Voice
Solomon’s proverbs were originally short, pithy, easily remembered sayings brought together around certain themes. They started as oral traditions and were eventually written in a Hebrew poetic form known as parallelism. Chapters 10–15 are dominated by antithetical parallelism, meaning a statement is made in line 1 and then contrasted in line 2. Chapters 16–22 contain both synonymous and synthetic parallelism. In synonymous parallelism, the ideas in line 1 are repeated in line 2 using different words. In synthetic parallelism, later lines serve to expand, define, and elaborate the first lines.
2 Riches gained through dishonest means will eventually vanish,
but doing what is right avoids a deadly consequence.
Proverbs 11:1
The Voice
11 Dishonesty in business disgusts the Eternal,
but fair dealing delights Him.
Proverbs 13:3
The Voice
3 Those who guard their speech insure they will take another breath,
but those who talk without thinking guarantee their demise.
Proverbs 13:11
The Voice
11 Money earned hastily is easily lost,
but hard-earned money continues to grow.
Proverbs 14:2
The Voice
2 Whoever travels through life with integrity respects the Eternal,
but whoever turns from it hates Him.
Proverbs 14:5
The Voice
5 An honest witness can always be trusted,
but a false witness breathes out nothing but lies.
Proverbs 15:27
The Voice
27 Those who take illegal gains injure their families,
but those who refuse a bribe will live in peace.
Proverbs 16:6
The Voice
6 The penalty of sin is removed by love and loyalty;
and by devotion to the Eternal, evil is avoided.
Proverbs 16:8
The Voice
8 Better to have little and stand for what is right
than to become rich by doing what is wrong.
Proverbs 16:11
The Voice
11 The Eternal requires that business be conducted honestly;
He wants fairness in all your dealings.
Proverbs 17:2
The Voice
2 A wise servant will be put in charge of a child who behaves badly
and will take a share of the inheritance like one of the family.
Proverbs 17:8
The Voice
8 A bribe is like an enchanting charm to one who counts on it—
everywhere he looks he sees the illusion of success.
Proverbs 17:23
The Voice
23 A wicked person accepts a bribe under the table
to derail the course of justice.
Proverbs 20:21
The Voice
21 An inheritance acquired hastily at first
will end up not being blessed after all.
Proverbs 21:3
The Voice
3 To do what is right and to seek justice—
these please Him more than sacrifice.
Proverbs 21:6-8
The Voice
6 The fortune made by a swindler
is a fast-burning fog and a recipe for death.
7 Wicked people will be swept up in their own violence
because they refuse to seek justice.
8 Dishonest people walk along the crooked path they have made,
but the innocent travel the straight course they have laid.
Proverbs 22:22-23
The Voice
22 Do not cheat poor people just because they are vulnerable
or use shady tactics in court to crush those already suffering;
23 For the Eternal is ready to take their case,
and He ruins anyone who is out to ruin them.
Proverbs 24:23-26
The Voice
23 The wise also say,
It is not good for a judge to be partial.
24 When a judge says to the guilty, “You are innocent,”
he will be cursed by all people; he will be hated by nations.
25 But those who reprimand evildoers will be celebrated,
and good fortune will come their way.
26 A straight answer is as precious
as a kiss on the lips.
Proverbs 28:3
The Voice
3 A poor person who oppresses others who are poor
is like a driving rain that destroys the crops and leaves no food.
Proverbs 28:6
The Voice
6 It is better to be a pauper walking in integrity
than a dishonest man, even if he is rich.
Proverbs 28:8
The Voice
8 Anyone who increases his wealth by charging a high rate of interest
is only collecting it for another who will deal more liberally with the poor.
Proverbs 31:8-9
The Voice
8 Speak out on behalf of those who have no voice,
and defend all those who have been passed over.
9 Open your mouth, judge fairly,
and stand up for the rights of the afflicted and the poor.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
