Proverbs 15-20

New International Version

15 A gentle answer^(A) turns away wrath,^(B)
    but a harsh word stirs up anger.

² The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,^(C)
    but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.^(D)

³ The eyes^(E) of the Lord are everywhere,^(F)
    keeping watch on the wicked and the good.^(G)

⁴ The soothing tongue^(H) is a tree of life,^(I)
    but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.^(J)

⁵ A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
    but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.^(K)

⁶ The house of the righteous contains great treasure,^(L)
    but the income of the wicked brings ruin.^(M)

⁷ The lips of the wise spread knowledge,^(N)
    but the hearts of fools are not upright.

⁸ The Lord detests the sacrifice^(O) of the wicked,^(P)
    but the prayer of the upright pleases him.^(Q)

⁹ The Lord detests the way of the wicked,^(R)
    but he loves those who pursue righteousness.^(S)

¹⁰ Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path;
    the one who hates correction will die.^(T)

¹¹ Death and Destruction^[a] lie open before the Lord^(U)—
    how much more do human hearts!^(V)

¹² Mockers resent correction,^(W)
    so they avoid the wise.

¹³ A happy heart makes the face cheerful,^(X)
    but heartache crushes the spirit.^(Y)

¹⁴ The discerning heart seeks knowledge,^(Z)
    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.^(AA)

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

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

¹⁸ A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,^(AD)
    but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.^(AE)

¹⁹ The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns,^(AF)
    but the path of the upright is a highway.

²⁰ A wise son brings joy to his father,^(AG)
    but a foolish man despises his mother.

²¹ Folly brings joy to one who has no sense,^(AH)
    but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course.

²² Plans fail for lack of counsel,^(AI)
    but with many advisers^(AJ) they succeed.^(AK)

²³ A person finds joy in giving an apt reply^(AL)—
    and how good is a timely word!^(AM)

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,^(AN)
    but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place.^(AO)

²⁶ The Lord detests the thoughts^(AP) of the wicked,^(AQ)
    but gracious words are pure^(AR) in his sight.

²⁷ The greedy bring ruin to their households,
    but the one who hates bribes will live.^(AS)

²⁸ The heart of the righteous weighs its answers,^(AT)
    but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.^(AU)

²⁹ The Lord is far from the wicked,
    but he hears the prayer of the righteous.^(AV)

³⁰ Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart,
    and good news gives health to the bones.^(AW)

³¹ Whoever heeds life-giving correction
    will be at home among the wise.^(AX)

³² Those who disregard discipline despise themselves,^(AY)
    but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.^(AZ)

³³ Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord,^(BA)
    and humility comes before honor.^(BB)

16 To humans belong the plans of the heart,
    but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.^(BC)

² All a person’s ways seem pure to them,^(BD)
    but motives are weighed^(BE) by the Lord.^(BF)

³ Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
    and he will establish your plans.^(BG)

⁴ The Lord works out everything to its proper end^(BH)—
    even the wicked for a day of disaster.^(BI)

⁵ The Lord detests all the proud of heart.^(BJ)
    Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.^(BK)

⁶ Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
    through the fear of the Lord^(BL) evil is avoided.^(BM)

⁷ When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,
    he causes their enemies to make peace^(BN) with them.^(BO)

⁸ Better a little with righteousness
    than much gain^(BP) with injustice.^(BQ)

⁹ In their hearts humans plan their course,
    but the Lord establishes their steps.^(BR)

¹⁰ The lips of a king speak as an oracle,
    and his mouth does not betray justice.^(BS)

¹¹ Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord;
    all the weights in the bag are of his making.^(BT)

¹² Kings detest wrongdoing,
    for a throne is established through righteousness.^(BU)

¹³ Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
    they value the one who speaks what is right.^(BV)

¹⁴ A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,^(BW)
    but the wise will appease it.^(BX)

¹⁵ When a king’s face brightens, it means life;^(BY)
    his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.^(BZ)

¹⁶ How much better to get wisdom than gold,
    to get insight^(CA) rather than silver!^(CB)

¹⁷ The highway of the upright avoids evil;
    those who guard their ways preserve their lives.^(CC)

¹⁸ Pride^(CD) goes before destruction,
    a haughty spirit^(CE) before a fall.^(CF)

¹⁹ Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed
    than to share plunder with the proud.

²⁰ Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,^[b](CG)
    and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.^(CH)

²¹ The wise in heart are called discerning,
    and gracious words promote instruction.^[c](CI)

²² Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent,^(CJ)
    but folly brings punishment to fools.

²³ The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,^(CK)
    and their lips promote instruction.^[d](CL)

²⁴ Gracious words are a honeycomb,^(CM)
    sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.^(CN)

²⁵ There is a way that appears to be right,^(CO)
    but in the end it leads to death.^(CP)

²⁶ The appetite of laborers works for them;
    their hunger drives them on.

²⁷ A scoundrel^(CQ) plots evil,
    and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.^(CR)

²⁸ A perverse person stirs up conflict,^(CS)
    and a gossip separates close friends.^(CT)

²⁹ A violent person entices their neighbor
    and leads them down a path that is not good.^(CU)

³⁰ Whoever winks^(CV) with their eye is plotting perversity;
    whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.

³¹ Gray hair is a crown of splendor;^(CW)
    it is attained in the way of righteousness.

³² Better a patient person than a warrior,
    one with self-control than one who takes a city.

³³ The lot is cast^(CX) into the lap,
    but its every decision^(CY) is from the Lord.^(CZ)

17 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
    than a house full of feasting, with strife.^(DA)

² A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
    and will share the inheritance as one of the family.

³ The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,^(DB)
    but the Lord tests the heart.^(DC)

⁴ A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
    a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

⁵ Whoever mocks the poor^(DD) shows contempt for their Maker;^(DE)
    whoever gloats over disaster^(DF) will not go unpunished.^(DG)

⁶ Children’s children^(DH) are a crown to the aged,
    and parents are the pride of their children.

⁷ Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
    how much worse lying lips to a ruler!^(DI)

⁸ A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
    they think success will come at every turn.^(DJ)

⁹ Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,^(DK)
    but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.^(DL)

¹⁰ A rebuke impresses a discerning person
    more than a hundred lashes a fool.

¹¹ Evildoers foster rebellion against God;
    the messenger of death will be sent against them.

¹² Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
    than a fool bent on folly.^(DM)

¹³ Evil will never leave the house
    of one who pays back evil^(DN) for good.^(DO)

¹⁴ Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
    so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.^(DP)

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent^(DQ)—
    the Lord detests them both.^(DR)

¹⁶ Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
    when they are not able to understand it?^(DS)

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for a time of adversity.^(DT)

¹⁸ One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
    and puts up security for a neighbor.^(DU)

¹⁹ Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
    whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

²⁰ One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
    one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

²¹ To have a fool for a child brings grief;
    there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.^(DV)

²² A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed^(DW) spirit dries up the bones.^(DX)

²³ The wicked accept bribes^(DY) in secret
    to pervert the course of justice.^(DZ)

²⁴ A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
    but a fool’s eyes^(EA) wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵ A foolish son brings grief to his father
    and bitterness to the mother who bore him.^(EB)

²⁶ If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,^(EC)
    surely to flog honest officials is not right.

²⁷ The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,^(ED)
    and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.^(EE)

²⁸ Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
    and discerning if they hold their tongues.^(EF)

18 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
    and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.

² Fools find no pleasure in understanding
    but delight in airing their own opinions.^(EG)

³ When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
    and with shame comes reproach.

⁴ The words of the mouth are deep waters,^(EH)
    but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.

⁵ It is not good to be partial to the wicked^(EI)
    and so deprive the innocent of justice.^(EJ)

⁶ The lips of fools bring them strife,
    and their mouths invite a beating.^(EK)

⁷ The mouths of fools are their undoing,
    and their lips are a snare^(EL) to their very lives.^(EM)

⁸ The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
    they go down to the inmost parts.^(EN)

⁹ One who is slack in his work
    is brother to one who destroys.^(EO)

¹⁰ The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;^(EP)
    the righteous run to it and are safe.^(EQ)

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

¹² Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
    but humility comes before honor.^(ES)

¹³ To answer before listening—
    that is folly and shame.^(ET)

¹⁴ The human spirit can endure in sickness,
    but a crushed spirit who can bear?^(EU)

¹⁵ The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,^(EV)
    for the ears of the wise seek it out.

¹⁶ A gift^(EW) opens the way
    and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.

¹⁷ In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
    until someone comes forward and cross-examines.

¹⁸ Casting the lot settles disputes^(EX)
    and keeps strong opponents apart.

¹⁹ A brother wronged^(EY) is more unyielding than a fortified city;
    disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

²⁰ From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
    with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.^(EZ)

²¹ The tongue has the power of life and death,^(FA)
    and those who love it will eat its fruit.^(FB)

²² He who finds a wife finds what is good^(FC)
    and receives favor from the Lord.^(FD)

²³ The poor plead for mercy,
    but the rich answer harshly.

²⁴ One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.^(FE)

19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than a fool whose lips are perverse.^(FF)

² Desire without knowledge is not good—
    how much more will hasty feet miss the way!^(FG)

³ A person’s own folly^(FH) leads to their ruin,
    yet their heart rages against the Lord.^(FI)

⁴ Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.^(FJ)

⁵ A false witness^(FK) will not go unpunished,^(FL)
    and whoever pours out lies will not go free.^(FM)

⁶ Many curry favor with a ruler,^(FN)
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.^(FO)

⁷ The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
    how much more do their friends avoid them!^(FP)
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
    they are nowhere to be found.^[e](FQ)

⁸ The one who gets wisdom loves life;
    the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.^(FR)

⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and whoever pours out lies will perish.^(FS)

¹⁰ It is not fitting for a fool^(FT) to live in luxury—
    how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!^(FU)

¹¹ A person’s wisdom yields patience;^(FV)
    it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

¹² A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,^(FW)
    but his favor is like dew^(FX) on the grass.^(FY)

¹³ A foolish child is a father’s ruin,^(FZ)
    and a quarrelsome wife is like
    the constant dripping of a leaky roof.^(GA)

¹⁴ Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,^(GB)
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.^(GC)

¹⁵ Laziness brings on deep sleep,
    and the shiftless go hungry.^(GD)

¹⁶ Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
    but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.^(GE)

¹⁷ Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,^(GF)
    and he will reward them for what they have done.^(GG)

¹⁸ Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
    do not be a willing party to their death.^(GH)

¹⁹ A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
    rescue them, and you will have to do it again.

²⁰ Listen to advice and accept discipline,^(GI)
    and at the end you will be counted among the wise.^(GJ)

²¹ Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.^(GK)

²² What a person desires is unfailing love^[f];
    better to be poor than a liar.

²³ The fear of the Lord leads to life;
    then one rests content, untouched by trouble.^(GL)

²⁴ A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he will not even bring it back to his mouth!^(GM)

²⁵ Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
    rebuke the discerning,^(GN) and they will gain knowledge.^(GO)

²⁶ Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother^(GP)
    is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

²⁷ Stop listening to instruction, my son,^(GQ)
    and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸ A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.^(GR)

²⁹ Penalties are prepared for mockers,
    and beatings for the backs of fools.^(GS)

20 Wine^(GT) is a mocker^(GU) and beer a brawler;
    whoever is led astray^(GV) by them is not wise.^(GW)

² A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion;^(GX)
    those who anger him forfeit their lives.^(GY)

³ It is to one’s honor to avoid strife,
    but every fool^(GZ) is quick to quarrel.^(HA)

⁴ Sluggards^(HB) do not plow in season;
    so at harvest time they look but find nothing.^(HC)

⁵ The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,^(HD)
    but one who has insight draws them out.

⁶ Many claim to have unfailing love,
    but a faithful person who can find?^(HE)

⁷ The righteous lead blameless lives;^(HF)
    blessed are their children after them.^(HG)

⁸ When a king sits on his throne to judge,^(HH)
    he winnows out all evil with his eyes.^(HI)

⁹ Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;^(HJ)
    I am clean and without sin”?^(HK)

¹⁰ Differing weights and differing measures—
    the Lord detests them both.^(HL)

¹¹ Even small children are known by their actions,
    so is their conduct really pure^(HM) and upright?

¹² Ears that hear and eyes that see—
    the Lord has made them both.^(HN)

¹³ Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;^(HO)
    stay awake and you will have food to spare.

¹⁴ “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—
    then goes off and boasts about the purchase.

¹⁵ Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,
    but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

¹⁶ Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
    hold it in pledge^(HP) if it is done for an outsider.^(HQ)

¹⁷ Food gained by fraud tastes sweet,^(HR)
    but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.^(HS)

¹⁸ Plans are established by seeking advice;
    so if you wage war, obtain guidance.^(HT)

¹⁹ A gossip betrays a confidence;^(HU)
    so avoid anyone who talks too much.

²⁰ If someone curses their father or mother,^(HV)
    their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.^(HW)

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

²² Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”^(HX)
    Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.^(HY)

²³ The Lord detests differing weights,
    and dishonest scales do not please him.^(HZ)

²⁴ A person’s steps are directed^(IA) by the Lord.^(IB)
    How then can anyone understand their own way?^(IC)

²⁵ It is a trap to dedicate something rashly
    and only later to consider one’s vows.^(ID)

²⁶ A wise king winnows out the wicked;
    he drives the threshing wheel over them.^(IE)

²⁷ The human spirit is^[g] the lamp of the Lord^(IF)
    that sheds light on one’s inmost being.^(IG)

²⁸ Love and faithfulness keep a king safe;
    through love^(IH) his throne is made secure.^(II)

²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength,
    gray hair the splendor of the old.^(IJ)

³⁰ Blows and wounds scrub^(IK) away evil,
    and beatings^(IL) purge the inmost being.