Beginning
Who is a Wise Son?
13 A wise son heeds[a] a father’s correction,
but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.
2 From the fruit of his words a man receives benefit,[b]
but the treacherous crave violence.
3 Anyone who guards his words protects his life;
anyone who talks too much[c] is ruined.
4 The lazy person craves, yet receives nothing,
but the desires of the diligent are satisfied.
5 A righteous person hates deceit,
but the wicked person is shameful and disgraceful.
6 Righteousness protects the blameless,
but wickedness brings down[d] the sinner.
7 One person pretends to be wealthy, but has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet is rich.
8 The life of a wealthy man may be held for ransom,
but whoever is poor receives no threats.
9 The light of the righteous shines,
but the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
10 Arrogance only brings quarreling,
but those receiving advice are wise.
11 Wealth gained dishonestly dwindles away,
but whoever works diligently increases his prosperity.[e]
12 Delayed hope makes the heart ill,
but fulfilled longing is a tree of life.
13 Anyone who despises a word of advice will pay for it,
but whoever heeds a command will be rewarded.
14 What the wise have to teach is a fountain of life
and causes someone to avoid the snares of death.
15 Good understanding produces grace,
but the lifestyle of the treacherous never changes.[f]
16 Every sensible person acts from knowledge,
but a fool demonstrates folly.
17 An evil messenger stumbles into trouble,
but a faithful envoy brings healing.
18 Poverty and shame are for those who ignore correction,
but whoever listens to instruction gains honor.
19 Fulfilled longing is sweet to the soul,
but avoiding evil is detestable to the fool.
20 Whoever keeps company with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools suffers harm.
21 Disaster pursues the sinful,
but good will reward the righteous.
22 A good person leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren,
but the wealth of the wicked is reserved for the righteous.
23 The field of the poor may produce much food,
but it can be swept away through injustice.
24 Whoever does not discipline[g] his son hates him,
but whoever loves him is diligent to correct him.
25 A righteous person eats to his heart’s content,
but the stomach of the wicked remains hungry.
How Wise People Live
14 Every wise woman builds up her household,
but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2 Someone whose conduct is upright fears the Lord,
but whoever is devious in his ways despises him.
3 What a fool says brings[h] a rod to his back,
but the words of the wise protect them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is clean,
but profits come through the strength of the ox.
5 A trustworthy witness does not deceive,
but a false witness spews lies.
6 A mocker seeks wisdom and finds[i] none,
but learning comes easily to someone who understands.
7 Stay away from a foolish man,
for you will not find competent advice.
8 The wisdom of the prudent helps him know how to live,
but a fool’s stupidity deceives him.
9 Fools make fun of guilt,
but among the upright there are good intentions.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness—
an outsider cannot share in its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a pathway that seems right to a man,
but in the end it’s a road to death.
13 Even in laughter there may be heartache,
and at the end of joy there may be grief.
14 The faithless one will pay for his behavior,[j]
but a good man will be rewarded[k] for his.
15 An unthinking person believes everything,
but the prudent one thinks before acting.[l]
16 The wise person fears and turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and overconfident.
17 A quick tempered person does foolish things,
and a devious man is hated.
18 The naïve inherit folly,
but the careful are crowned with knowledge.
19 Evil men will bow down in the presence of good men
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor person is shunned by his neighbor,
but many are the friends of the wealthy.
21 Whoever despises his neighbor sins,
but whoever shows kindness to the poor will be happy.
22 Won’t those who plot evil go astray?
But gracious love and truth are for those who plan what is good.
23 In hard work there is always profit,
but too much chattering[m] leads to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but the stupidity of fools is just that—stupidity!
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but the person who lies is deceitful.
26 Rock-solid security is found[n] in the fear of the Lord,
and within it one’s children find refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
enabling anyone to escape the snares of death.
28 A large population is a king’s glory,
but a shortage of people is a ruler’s ruin.
29 Being slow to get angry compares to great understanding
as being quick-tempered compares to stupidity.
30 A tranquil mind brings life to one’s body,
but jealousy causes one’s bones to rot.
31 Whoever oppresses the poor defies their Creator,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors them.
32 The wicked person is thrown down by his own wrongdoing,
but the righteous person has a place of safety in death.[o]
33 Wisdom is at rest in the mind of the discerning—
even fools know this.[p]
34 Righteousness makes a nation great,
but sin diminishes[q] any people.
35 The king approves the wise servant,
but he is angry at anyone who acts shamefully.
How to Live Wisely
15 A gentle response diverts anger,
but a harsh statement incites fury.
2 The wise speak, presenting[r] knowledge appropriately,
but fools spout foolishness.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
observing both the evil and the good.
4 A gentle statement[s] is a tree of life,
but perverted speech shatters the spirit.
5 A fool rejects his father’s instructions,
but anyone who respects[t] reproof acts sensibly.
6 The righteous house is itself[u] a great treasure,
but within the revenue of the wicked calamity is at work.
7 What the wise have to say disseminates[v] knowledge,
but it’s not in the heart of fools to do so.
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the Lord,
but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
9 The lifestyle of the wicked is detestable to the Lord,
but he loves those who ardently pursue righteousness.
10 Severe punishment awaits anyone who wanders off the path—
anyone who despises reproof will die.
11 Since Sheol[w] and Abaddon[x] lie open in the Lord’s presence,
how much more the hearts of human beings!
12 The arrogant mocker never loves the one who corrects him;
he will not inquire of[y] the wise.
13 A happy heart enlightens the face,
but a sad heart reflects a broken spirit.
14 A discerning mind seeks knowledge,
but the mouth of fools feeds on stupidity.
15 The entire life[z] of the afflicted seems disastrous,
but a good heart feasts continuously.
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[aa] served with love is better
than a big, thick steak[ab] with a plateful of[ac] animosity.
18 The quickly angered man stirs up contention,
but anyone who controls his temper calms a dispute.
19 The lifestyle of the lazy is like a thorny hedge,
but the path taken by the upright is an open highway.
20 A wise son makes a father glad,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Stupidity is the delight of the senseless,
but an understanding man walks uprightly.
22 Plans fail without advice,
but with many counselors they are confirmed.
23 An appropriate answer brings joy to a person,
and a well-timed word is a good thing.
24 The way of life leads upward for the wise
so he may avoid Sheol[ad] below.
25 The house of the proud the Lord will demolish,
but he will protect the widow’s boundary line.
26 To the Lord evil plans are detestable,
but pleasant words are pure.
27 Those who are greedy for unjust gain bring trouble into their homes,
but the person who hates bribes will live.
28 The mind of the righteous thinks before speaking,
but the wicked person spews out evil.
29 The Lord is far away from the wicked,
but he hears the prayers of the righteous.
31 Whoever listens to a life-giving rebuke
will be at home among the wise.
32 Whoever ignores instruction hates himself,
but anyone who heeds reproof gains understanding.[ag]
33 The fear of the Lord teaches wisdom,
and humility precedes honor.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.