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Proverbs 13-15
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 13-15
New American Standard Bible
Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked
13 A (A)wise son accepts his father’s discipline,
But a (B)scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
2 From the fruit of a person’s mouth he [a](C)enjoys good,
But the [b]desire of the treacherous is (D)violence.
3 One who (E)guards his mouth protects his life;
One who (F)opens wide his lips [c]comes to ruin.
4 The soul of the [d]lazy one craves and gets nothing,
But the soul of the diligent is made [e]prosperous.
5 A righteous person (G)hates a false statement,
But a wicked person [f](H)acts disgustingly and shamefully.
6 Righteousness (I)guards the [g]one whose way is blameless,
But wickedness brings the [h]sinner to ruin.
7 There is one who (J)pretends to be rich but has nothing;
Another pretends to be (K)poor, but has great wealth.
8 The ransom of a person’s life is his wealth,
But the poor hears no rebuke.
9 The (L)light of the righteous [i]rejoices,
But the (M)lamp of the wicked goes out.
10 Through overconfidence [j]comes nothing but strife,
But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.
11 Wealth obtained from [k]nothing dwindles,
But one who gathers [l]by labor increases it.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire [m]fulfilled is a tree of life.
13 One who (N)despises the word will do badly,
But one who fears the commandment will be (O)rewarded.
14 The [n]teaching of the wise is a (P)fountain of life,
To turn aside from the (Q)snares of death.
15 (R)Good understanding produces favor,
But the way of the treacherous is [o]their own disaster.
16 Every (S)prudent person acts with knowledge,
But a fool [p]displays foolishness.
17 A wicked messenger falls into adversity,
But (T)a faithful messenger brings healing.
18 Poverty and shame will come to one who (U)neglects [q]discipline,
But one who complies with rebuke will be honored.
19 Desire realized is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.
20 (V)One who walks with wise people will be wise,
But a companion of fools will suffer harm.
21 (W)Adversity pursues sinners,
But the (X)righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.
22 A good person (Y)leaves an inheritance to his [r]grandchildren,
And the (Z)wealth of a sinner is stored up for the righteous.
23 (AA)Abundant food is in the uncultivated ground of the poor,
But [s]it is swept away by injustice.
24 He who (AB)withholds his [t]rod hates his son,
But he who loves him [u](AC)disciplines him diligently.
25 The (AD)righteous [v]has enough to satisfy his appetite,
But the stomach of the (AE)wicked is in need.
Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked
14 The (AF)wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
2 One who (AG)walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
But one who is (AH)devious in his ways despises Him.
3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
But (AI)the lips of the wise will protect them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean;
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.
5 A (AJ)trustworthy witness will not lie,
But a (AK)false witness (AL)declares lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,
But knowledge is easy for one who has understanding.
7 Leave the (AM)presence of a fool,
Or you will not [w]discern [x]words of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,
But (AN)the foolishness of fools is deceit.
9 Fools mock at [y]sin,
But (AO)among the upright there is [z]goodwill.
10 The heart knows its own (AP)bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.
11 The (AQ)house of the wicked will be destroyed,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There (AR)is a way which seems right to a person,
But its (AS)end is the way of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
And the (AT)end of joy may be grief.
14 One with a wayward heart will have his (AU)fill of his own ways,
But a good person will (AV)be satisfied [aa]with his.
15 The naive believes everything,
But the sensible person considers his steps.
16 A wise person [ab]is cautious and (AW)turns away from evil,
But a fool is arrogant and careless.
17 A quick-tempered person acts foolishly,
And a person of evil devices is hated.
18 The naive inherit foolishness,
But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.
19 The (AX)evil will bow down before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The (AY)poor is hated even by his neighbor,
But those who love the rich are many.
21 One who (AZ)despises his neighbor sins,
But (BA)one who is gracious to the [ac]poor is blessed.
22 Will they who (BB)devise evil not go astray?
But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.
23 In all labor there is profit,
But [ad]mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The (BC)crown of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is simply foolishness.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
But one who (BD)declares lies is [ae]deceitful.
26 In [af](BE)the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And [ag]his children will have refuge.
27 [ah]The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
By which one may avoid the snares of death.
28 In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,
But in the scarcity of people is a prince’s ruin.
29 One who is (BF)slow to anger has great understanding;
But one who is [ai]quick-tempered exalts foolishness.
30 A (BG)tranquil heart is life to the body,
But jealousy is (BH)rottenness to the bones.
31 One (BI)who oppresses the poor taunts (BJ)his Maker,
But one who is gracious to the needy honors Him.
32 The wicked is (BK)thrust down by his own wrongdoing,
But the (BL)righteous has a refuge when he dies.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,
But among fools it is made known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 The king’s favor is toward a (BM)servant who acts wisely,
But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.
Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked
15 A (BN)gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a [aj](BO)harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The (BP)tongue of the wise makes knowledge pleasant,
But the (BQ)mouth of fools spouts foolishness.
3 The (BR)eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Watching the evil and the good.
4 A [ak]soothing tongue is a tree of life,
But perversion in it [al]crushes the spirit.
5 A fool [am]rejects his father’s discipline,
But he who complies with rebuke is sensible.
6 Great wealth is in the house of the (BS)righteous,
But trouble is in the income of the wicked.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
But the hearts of fools are not so.
8 The (BT)sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But (BU)the prayer of the upright is His delight.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves the one who (BV)pursues righteousness.
10 There is severe punishment for one who abandons the way;
One who hates a rebuke will die.
11 [an](BW)Sheol and [ao]Abaddon lie open before the Lord,
How much more the (BX)hearts of [ap]mankind!
12 A (BY)scoffer does not love one who rebukes him;
He will not go to the wise.
13 A (BZ)joyful heart makes a [aq]cheerful face,
But [ar]when the heart is (CA)sad, the (CB)spirit is broken.
14 The (CC)mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.
15 All the days of the [as]needy are bad,
But a [at]cheerful heart has a continual feast.
16 (CD)Better is a little with [au]the fear of the Lord
Than great treasure, and turmoil with [av]the treasure.
17 (CE)Better is a portion of [aw]vegetables where there is love,
Than a (CF)fattened ox served with hatred.
18 A (CG)hot-tempered person stirs up strife,
But the (CH)slow to anger (CI)calms a dispute.
19 The way of the [ax]lazy one is like a hedge of thorns,
But the path of the upright is a highway.
20 A (CJ)wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man (CK)despises his mother.
21 Foolishness is joy to one who lacks [ay]sense,
But a person of understanding (CL)walks straight.
22 Without consultation, plans are frustrated,
But with many counselors they [az]succeed.
23 A (CM)person has joy in an [ba]apt answer,
And how delightful is a timely (CN)word!
24 The (CO)path of life leads upward for the wise,
So that he may keep away from [bb]Sheol below.
25 The Lord will (CP)tear down the house of the proud,
But He will (CQ)set the boundary of the (CR)widow.
26 Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord,
But pleasant words are pure.
27 He who (CS)profits illicitly troubles his own house,
But he who (CT)hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous (CU)ponders how to answer,
But the (CV)mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
29 The Lord is (CW)far from the wicked,
But He (CX)hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 [bc]Bright eyes gladden the heart;
Good news [bd]refreshes the bones.
31 One whose ear listens to a life-giving rebuke
Will stay among the wise.
32 One who (CY)neglects discipline (CZ)rejects himself,
But one who (DA)listens to a rebuke acquires [be]understanding.
33 [bf]The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom,
And before honor comes humility.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:2 Lit eats
- Proverbs 13:2 Lit soul
- Proverbs 13:3 Lit ruin is his
- Proverbs 13:4 Lit idle
- Proverbs 13:4 Lit fat
- Proverbs 13:5 Lit causes a bad odor and causes shame
- Proverbs 13:6 Lit blamelessness of way
- Proverbs 13:6 Lit sin
- Proverbs 13:9 I.e., shines brightly
- Proverbs 13:10 Lit gives
- Proverbs 13:11 Prob. referring to fraud
- Proverbs 13:11 Lit by hand
- Proverbs 13:12 Lit coming
- Proverbs 13:14 Or law
- Proverbs 13:15 Cf. LXX in destruction; MT constant
- Proverbs 13:16 Lit spreads out
- Proverbs 13:18 Or instruction
- Proverbs 13:22 Lit sons’ sons
- Proverbs 13:23 Lit there is what is swept
- Proverbs 13:24 I.e., correction or discipline
- Proverbs 13:24 Lit seeks him diligently with discipline
- Proverbs 13:25 Lit eats to the satisfaction of his soul
- Proverbs 14:7 Lit know
- Proverbs 14:7 Lit lips
- Proverbs 14:9 Lit guilt
- Proverbs 14:9 Or the favor of God
- Proverbs 14:14 Lit from himself
- Proverbs 14:16 Lit fears
- Proverbs 14:21 Or afflicted
- Proverbs 14:23 Lit word of lips
- Proverbs 14:25 Lit a fraud
- Proverbs 14:26 Or reverence for
- Proverbs 14:26 Or His
- Proverbs 14:27 Or Reverence for
- Proverbs 14:29 Lit short of spirit
- Proverbs 15:1 Lit painful
- Proverbs 15:4 Lit healing
- Proverbs 15:4 Lit is the crushing of the spirit
- Proverbs 15:5 Or despises
- Proverbs 15:11 I.e., The netherworld
- Proverbs 15:11 I.e., place of destruction
- Proverbs 15:11 Lit sons of mankind
- Proverbs 15:13 Lit good
- Proverbs 15:13 Lit in sadness of heart
- Proverbs 15:15 Or wretched
- Proverbs 15:15 Lit good
- Proverbs 15:16 Or reverence for
- Proverbs 15:16 Lit it
- Proverbs 15:17 Or herbs
- Proverbs 15:19 Lit idle
- Proverbs 15:21 Lit heart
- Proverbs 15:22 Or are established
- Proverbs 15:23 Lit answer of his mouth
- Proverbs 15:24 I.e., the netherworld
- Proverbs 15:30 Lit The light of the eyes gladdens
- Proverbs 15:30 Lit makes fat
- Proverbs 15:32 Lit heart
- Proverbs 15:33 Or Reverence for
Proverbs 13-15
New International Version
Proverbs 13-15
New International Version
13 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.(A)
2 From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things,(B)
but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence.
3 Those who guard their lips(C) preserve their lives,(D)
but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.(E)
4 A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,(F)
but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
5 The righteous hate what is false,(G)
but the wicked make themselves a stench
and bring shame on themselves.
6 Righteousness guards the person of integrity,
but wickedness overthrows the sinner.(H)
7 One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;(I)
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.(J)
8 A person’s riches may ransom their life,
but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes.(K)
9 The light of the righteous shines brightly,
but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.(L)
10 Where there is strife, there is pride,
but wisdom is found in those who take advice.(M)
11 Dishonest money dwindles away,(N)
but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.(O)
15 Good judgment wins favor,
but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction.[a]
18 Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,(Y)
but whoever heeds correction is honored.(Z)
19 A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,(AA)
but fools detest turning from evil.
20 Walk with the wise and become wise,
for a companion of fools suffers harm.(AB)
22 A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children,
but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.(AF)
23 An unplowed field produces food for the poor,
but injustice sweeps it away.
24 Whoever spares the rod(AG) hates their children,
but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline(AH) them.(AI)
25 The righteous eat to their hearts’ content,
but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.(AJ)
14 The wise woman builds her house,(AK)
but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
2 Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
but those who despise him are devious in their ways.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
but from the strength of an ox(AN) come abundant harvests.
5 An honest witness does not deceive,
but a false witness pours out lies.(AO)
6 The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.(AP)
7 Stay away from a fool,
for you will not find knowledge on their lips.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,(AQ)
but the folly of fools is deception.(AR)
9 Fools mock at making amends for sin,
but goodwill is found among the upright.
10 Each heart knows its own bitterness,
and no one else can share its joy.
13 Even in laughter(AW) the heart may ache,
and rejoicing may end in grief.
15 The simple believe anything,
but the prudent give thought to their steps.(AZ)
17 A quick-tempered person(BC) does foolish things,(BD)
and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.(BE)
18 The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good,
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.(BF)
20 The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
but the rich have many friends.(BG)
22 Do not those who plot evil go astray?(BJ)
But those who plan what is good find[c] love and faithfulness.
23 All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The wealth of the wise is their crown,
but the folly of fools yields folly.(BK)
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but a false witness is deceitful.(BL)
26 Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,(BM)
and for their children it will be a refuge.(BN)
28 A large population is a king’s glory,
but without subjects a prince is ruined.(BQ)
29 Whoever is patient has great understanding,(BR)
but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.(BS)
30 A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.(BT)
31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,(BU)
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.(BV)
32 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,(BW)
but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.(BX)
33 Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning(BY)
and even among fools she lets herself be known.[d]
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,(BZ)
but sin condemns any people.
35 A king delights in a wise servant,
but a shameful servant arouses his fury.(CA)
5 A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.(CL)
6 The house of the righteous contains great treasure,(CM)
but the income of the wicked brings ruin.(CN)
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,(CO)
but the hearts of fools are not upright.
8 The Lord detests the sacrifice(CP) of the wicked,(CQ)
but the prayer of the upright pleases him.(CR)
10 Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path;
the one who hates correction will die.(CU)
12 Mockers resent correction,(CX)
so they avoid the wise.
14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge,(DA)
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.(DB)
16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord
than great wealth with turmoil.(DC)
17 Better a small serving of vegetables with love
than a fattened calf with hatred.(DD)
19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns,(DG)
but the path of the upright is a highway.
20 A wise son brings joy to his father,(DH)
but a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Folly brings joy to one who has no sense,(DI)
but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course.
24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent
to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead.
25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud,(DO)
but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place.(DP)
26 The Lord detests the thoughts(DQ) of the wicked,(DR)
but gracious words are pure(DS) in his sight.
27 The greedy bring ruin to their households,
but the one who hates bribes will live.(DT)
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.(DW)
30 Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones.(DX)
31 Whoever heeds life-giving correction
will be at home among the wise.(DY)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:15 Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Proverbs 13:16 Or prudent protect themselves through
- Proverbs 14:22 Or show
- Proverbs 14:33 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac discerning / but in the heart of fools she is not known
- Proverbs 15:11 Hebrew Abaddon
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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