Proverbs 8-12

English Standard Version

¹² “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
    and I find knowledge and ^(S)discretion.
^13 (T)The fear of the Lord is ^(U)hatred of evil.
^(V)Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
    and ^(W)perverted speech I hate.
¹⁴ I have ^(X)counsel and ^(Y)sound wisdom;
    I have insight; ^(Z)I have strength.
¹⁵ By me ^(AA)kings reign,
    and rulers decree what is just;
¹⁶ by me princes rule,
    and nobles, all who govern justly.^[a]
17 (AB)I love those who love me,
    and ^(AC)those who seek me diligently find me.
^18 (AD)Riches and honor are with me,
    ^(AE)enduring wealth and ^(AF)righteousness.
¹⁹ My fruit is ^(AG)better than ^(AH)gold, even fine gold,
    and my yield than ^(AI)choice silver.
²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness,
    in the paths of justice,
²¹ granting an inheritance to those who love me,
    and filling their treasuries.

^22 (AJ)“The Lord ^(AK)possessed^[b] me at the beginning of his work,^[c]
    the first of his acts ^(AL)of old.
²³ Ages ago I was ^(AM)set up,
    at the first, ^(AN)before the beginning of the earth.
²⁴ When there were no ^(AO)depths I was ^(AP)brought forth,
    when there were no springs abounding with water.
²⁵ Before the mountains ^(AQ)had been shaped,
    ^(AR)before the hills, I was brought forth,
²⁶ before he had made the earth with its fields,
    or the first of the dust of the world.
²⁷ When he ^(AS)established the heavens, I was there;
    when he drew ^(AT)a circle on the face of the deep,
²⁸ when he ^(AU)made firm the skies above,
    when he established^[d] the fountains of the deep,
²⁹ when he ^(AV)assigned to the sea its ^(AW)limit,
    so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out ^(AX)the foundations of the earth,
³⁰     then ^(AY)I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his^{[e] (AZ)}delight,
    rejoicing before him always,
^31 (BA)rejoicing in his ^(BB)inhabited world
    and delighting in the children of man.

³² “And now, ^(BC)O sons, listen to me:
    ^(BD)blessed are those who keep my ways.
^33 (BE)Hear instruction and be wise,
    and do not neglect it.
^34 (BF)Blessed is the one who listens to me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting beside my doors.
³⁵ For ^(BG)whoever finds me ^(BH)finds life
    and ^(BI)obtains favor from the Lord,
³⁶ but he who fails to find me ^(BJ)injures himself;
    all who ^(BK)hate me ^(BL)love death.”

⁷ Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
    and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
^8 (CD)Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
    ^(CE)reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
⁹ Give instruction^[g] to a wise man, and he will be ^(CF)still wiser;
    teach a righteous man, and he will ^(CG)increase in learning.
^10 (CH)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and ^(CI)the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
¹¹ For by me ^(CJ)your days will be multiplied,
    and years will be added to your life.
^12 (CK)If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
    if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

^(CV)A wise son makes a glad father,
    ^(CW)but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
^2 (CX)Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
    ^(CY)but righteousness delivers from death.
^3 (CZ)The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
    ^(DA)but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
⁴ A slack hand ^(DB)causes poverty,
    ^(DC)but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
⁵ He who ^(DD)gathers in summer is a prudent son,
    but he who sleeps in harvest is ^(DE)a son who brings shame.
⁶ Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
    but ^(DF)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.^[j]
7 (DG)The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
    but ^(DH)the name of the wicked will rot.
^8 (DI)The wise of heart will receive commandments,
    but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
^9 (DJ)Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
    but he who makes his ways crooked ^(DK)will be found out.
¹⁰ Whoever ^(DL)winks the eye causes trouble,
    and a babbling fool will come to ruin.
^11 (DM)The mouth of the righteous is ^(DN)a fountain of life,
    but the mouth of the wicked ^(DO)conceals violence.
¹² Hatred stirs up strife,
    but ^(DP)love covers all offenses.
¹³ On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found,
    but ^(DQ)a rod is for the back of him who ^(DR)lacks sense.
¹⁴ The wise ^(DS)lay up knowledge,
    but ^(DT)the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.
^15 (DU)A rich man's wealth is his strong city;
    the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
¹⁶ The wage of the righteous leads ^(DV)to life,
    the gain of the wicked to sin.
¹⁷ Whoever heeds instruction is on ^(DW)the path to life,
    but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.
¹⁸ The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
    and whoever utters slander is a fool.
^19 (DX)When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
    ^(DY)but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is ^(DZ)choice silver;
    the heart of the wicked is of little worth.
²¹ The lips of the righteous feed many,
    but fools die for ^(EA)lack of sense.
^22 (EB)The blessing of the Lord makes rich,
    and he adds no sorrow with it.^[k]
23 Doing wrong is ^(EC)like a joke to a fool,
    but ^(ED)wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
^24 (EE)What the wicked dreads ^(EF)will come upon him,
    but ^(EG)the desire of the righteous will be granted.
²⁵ When ^(EH)the tempest passes, the wicked is no more,
    but ^(EI)the righteous is established forever.
²⁶ Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
    so is the sluggard to those who send him.
^27 (EJ)The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
    ^(EK)but the years of the wicked will be short.
^28 (EL)The hope of the righteous brings joy,
    ^(EM)but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
^29 (EN)The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless,
    but destruction to evildoers.
^30 (EO)The righteous will never be removed,
    but ^(EP)the wicked will not dwell in the land.
^31 (EQ)The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
    but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
³² The lips of the righteous ^(ER)know what is acceptable,
    but the mouth of the wicked, ^(ES)what is perverse.
11 ^(ET)A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
    ^(EU)but a just weight is his delight.
^2 (EV)When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
    but with ^(EW)the humble is wisdom.
^3 (EX)The integrity of the upright guides them,
    ^(EY)but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
^4 (EZ)Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
    ^(FA)but righteousness delivers from death.
⁵ The righteousness of the blameless ^(FB)keeps his way straight,
    but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
^6 (FC)The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
    but the treacherous ^(FD)are taken captive by their lust.
⁷ When the wicked dies, his ^(FE)hope will perish,
    and ^(FF)the expectation of wealth^[l] perishes too.
^8 (FG)The righteous is delivered from trouble,
    and the wicked walks into it instead.
⁹ With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
    but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
^10 (FH)When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
    and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
¹¹ By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
    but ^(FI)by the mouth of the wicked ^(FJ)it is overthrown.
¹² Whoever ^(FK)belittles his neighbor lacks sense,
    but a man of understanding remains silent.
¹³ Whoever ^(FL)goes about slandering reveals secrets,
    but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
¹⁴ Where there is ^(FM)no guidance, a people falls,
    ^(FN)but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
^15 (FO)Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm,
    but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
^16 (FP)A gracious woman gets honor,
    and ^(FQ)violent men get riches.
^17 (FR)A man who is kind benefits himself,
    but a cruel man hurts himself.
¹⁸ The wicked earns deceptive wages,
    but one who ^(FS)sows righteousness gets a sure reward.
¹⁹ Whoever is steadfast in righteousness ^(FT)will live,
    but ^(FU)he who pursues evil will die.
²⁰ Those of ^(FV)crooked heart are ^(FW)an abomination to the Lord,
    but those of ^(FX)blameless ways are ^(FY)his delight.
^21 (FZ)Be assured, ^(GA)an evil person will not go unpunished,
    but ^(GB)the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.
²² Like ^(GC)a gold ring in a pig's snout
    is a beautiful woman without discretion.
²³ The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
    ^(GD)the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
^24 (GE)One gives ^(GF)freely, yet grows all the richer;
    another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
^25 (GG)Whoever brings blessing ^(GH)will be enriched,
    and ^(GI)one who waters will himself be watered.
^26 (GJ)The people curse him who holds back grain,
    but ^(GK)a blessing is on the head of him who ^(GL)sells it.
²⁷ Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,^[m]
    but evil comes to ^(GM)him who searches for it.
²⁸ Whoever ^(GN)trusts in his riches will fall,
    but the righteous will ^(GO)flourish like a green leaf.
²⁹ Whoever ^(GP)troubles his own household will ^(GQ)inherit the wind,
    and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is ^(GR)a tree of life,
    and whoever ^(GS)captures souls is wise.
³¹ If ^(GT)the righteous is repaid on earth,
    how much more the wicked and the sinner!
12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but he who ^(GU)hates reproof is ^(GV)stupid.
² A good man ^(GW)obtains favor from the Lord,
    but a man of evil devices he condemns.
³ No one is established by wickedness,
    but the root of ^(GX)the righteous will never be moved.
^4 (GY)An excellent wife is ^(GZ)the crown of her husband,
    but she who ^(HA)brings shame is like ^(HB)rottenness in his bones.
^5 (HC)The thoughts of the righteous are just;
    the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
⁶ The words of the wicked ^(HD)lie in wait for blood,
    but ^(HE)the mouth of the upright delivers them.
^7 (HF)The wicked are ^(HG)overthrown and are no more,
    ^(HH)but the house of the righteous will stand.
⁸ A man is commended according to his good sense,
    but one of twisted mind is ^(HI)despised.
⁹ Better to be lowly and have a servant
    than to play the great man and lack bread.
^10 (HJ)Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast,
    but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
^11 (HK)Whoever works his land ^(HL)will have plenty of bread,
    ^(HM)but he who follows ^(HN)worthless pursuits lacks sense.
¹² Whoever is wicked covets ^(HO)the spoil of evildoers,
    but the root of the righteous bears fruit.
¹³ An evil man is ensnared ^(HP)by the transgression of his lips,^{[n]
    (HQ)}but the righteous escapes from trouble.
¹⁴ From the fruit of his mouth ^(HR)a man is satisfied with good,
    ^(HS)and the work of a man's hand comes back to him.
^15 (HT)The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
    but a wise man listens to advice.
^16 (HU)The vexation of a fool is known at once,
    but the prudent ignores an insult.
^17 (HV)Whoever speaks^[o] the truth gives honest evidence,
    but ^(HW)a false witness utters deceit.
^18 (HX)There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
    but the tongue of the wise brings ^(HY)healing.
¹⁹ Truthful lips endure forever,
    but ^(HZ)a lying tongue is but for a moment.
²⁰ Deceit is in the heart of ^(IA)those who devise evil,
    but those who plan peace have joy.
^21 (IB)No ill befalls the righteous,
    but the wicked are filled with trouble.
^22 (IC)Lying lips are ^(ID)an abomination to the Lord,
    ^(IE)but those who act faithfully are his delight.
^23 (IF)A prudent man conceals knowledge,
    ^(IG)but the heart of fools proclaims folly.
^24 (IH)The hand of the diligent will rule,
    while the slothful will be ^(II)put to forced labor.
^25 (IJ)Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down,
    but a good word makes him glad.
²⁶ One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor,^[p]
    but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
^27 (IK)Whoever is slothful will not roast his game,
    but the diligent man will get precious wealth.^[q]
28 (IL)In the path of righteousness is life,
    and in its pathway there is no death.