Beginning
The Priorities of Life Contrasted
19 A poor man who walks blamelessly is better
than a fool who speaks perversely.
2 Furthermore, it isn’t good to be ignorant,[a]
and whoever rushes into things[b] misses the mark.
3 A man’s foolishness ruins his life,[c]
yet his heart rages against the Lord.
4 Wealth brings many friends,
but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
5 A witness to lies will not go unpunished;
the teller of falsehoods will not escape.
6 Many curry favor of an official;
everyone is a friend of the gift giver.
7 All the relatives of a poor person shun him—
how much more do his friends avoid him!
Though he runs after them pleading,
they aren’t around.
8 Whoever obtains wisdom loves himself,
and whoever treasures understanding will prosper.
9 A witness to lies will not go unpunished;
the teller of falsehoods will perish.
10 It’s not fitting for a fool to live in luxury;
neither is it for a servant to rule over princes.
11 A person’s discretion makes him slow to anger,
and it is to his credit that he ignores an offence.
12 The king’s anger is like the roaring of a lion,
but his goodwill is like dew on the grass.
13 A father’s ruin is a foolish son,
and a wife’s quarreling is like[d] dripping water that never stops.
14 A house and self-sufficiency are a father’s inheritance,
but from the Lord comes an insightful wife.
15 Laziness puts one to sleep,
and an idle person will go hungry.
16 Whoever obeys a commandment keeps himself safe,[e]
but someone who is contemptuous in conduct[f] will die.
17 Whoever is kind to the poor is lending to the Lord—
the benefit of his gift will return to him in abundance.
18 Discipline your son while there is still hope—
but don’t set your heart on his destruction.
19 The person who has great anger must pay the consequences,
because if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,
and you’ll be wise for the rest of your life.[g]
21 Many plans occupy the mind[h] of a man,
but the Lord’s purposes will prevail.[i]
22 Human beings long for grace,
and it’s better to be poor than a man of deceit.
23 The fear of the Lord leads[j] to life;
whoever is satisfied with it will rest,
untouched by evil.
24 The lazy person buries his hand in his dish
and doesn’t bother to bring it back to his mouth.
25 If you scourge a scoffer,
the simple person may learn to be discreet;
rebuke a discerning man
and he will gain understanding.
26 Whoever mistreats his father
and alienates his mother
is a son who brings both shame and disrespect.
27 My son, if you stop listening to instruction,
you will stray from the principles of knowledge.
28 A corrupt witness[k] mocks justice,
and the wicked person feeds on iniquity.
29 Condemnation is appropriate for mockers,
just as beatings are for the backs of fools.
Advice on How to Live
20 Wine causes mocking, and beer causes fights;
everyone led astray by them lacks wisdom.
2 A king’s anger is like a lion’s roar;
anyone who angers him forfeits his life.
3 Avoiding strife brings a man honor,
but every fool is quarrelsome.
4 A lazy person doesn’t plow in the proper[l] season;
he looks for a harvest, but there is nothing.
5 The intentions of a person’s heart are deep waters,
but a discerning person reveals them.
6 Many claim “I’m a loyal person!”[m]
but who can find someone who truly is?
7 The righteous person lives a life of integrity;
happy are his children who follow him!
8 A king sits on a throne of justice,
sifting out all sorts of evil with his glance.
9 Who can say, “My intentions are pure;
I am clean from any sin?”
10 False[n] weights and measures—
the Lord surely detests both of them.
11 Even a child is known by his actions,
whether his deeds are pure and right.
12 The ear that hears and the eye that sees—
the Lord surely made them both.
13 Do not love sleep or you’ll become poor,
keep your eyes open and you’ll have plenty of food.
14 “This is bad, bad,” says whoever is buying—
but then he brags as he walks away after the sale.[o]
15 There is an abundance of gold and precious stones,
but lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.
16 Take the garment of anyone who puts up collateral for a stranger;
hold it in pledge if he does it for an unfamiliar woman.
17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
but later his mouth will be full of gravel.
18 Make plans by seeking advice;
make war by obtaining guidance.
19 Whoever spreads gossip betrays confidences;
so don’t get involved with someone who talks too much.
20 Whoever curses his father or mother,
his lamp will be extinguished in the deepest darkness.
21 An inheritance quickly obtained at the beginning
will not be blessed at the end.
22 Don’t say “I’ll avenge that wrong!”
Wait on the Lord and he will deliver you.
23 The Lord detests differing weights,
and dishonest scales are not good.
24 A man’s steps are directed by the Lord;
how then can anyone understand his own way?
25 It is a trap for a person to declare quickly, “This is sacred,”
and only later to have second thoughts about the vows.
26 A wise king sifts the wicked,
crushing them with the threshing wheel.
27 A person’s spirit is the lamp of the Lord;
it searches throughout one’s innermost being.
28 Gracious love and truth preserve a king;
through love his throne is made secure.
29 The glory of young men is their strength;
and the splendor of elders is their gray hair.
30 Blows that wound clean away evil;
such beatings cleanse[p] the innermost being.
Thoughts on the Sovereignty of God
21 A king’s heart is a water stream that the Lord controls;
he directs it wherever he pleases.
2 Every man’s lifestyle is proper in his own view,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 A proud attitude,[q] accompanied by[r] a haughty look, is sin;
they reveal[s] wicked people.
5 Plans of the persistent surely lead to productivity,
but all who are hasty will surely become poor.
7 Devastation caused by the wicked will drag them away
because they refuse to do what is just.
8 The conduct[v] of a guilty man is perverse,
but the behavior of the pure is upright.
9 It’s better to live in a corner on the roof
than to share a house with a contentious woman.
10 The soul of the wicked craves evil;
he extends no mercy to his neighbor.
11 When a mocker is punished, the fool gains wisdom;
but when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
12 The righteous God[w] considers the house of the wicked,
bringing the wicked to ruin.
13 Whoever refuses to hear the cry of the poor
will also cry himself, but he won’t be answered.
15 Administering justice brings joy to the righteous,
but terror to those who practice iniquity.
16 Whoever wanders from the path of understanding
will end up where the dead[z] are gathered.
17 Pleasure lovers become poor;
loving wine and oil doesn’t bring riches.
18 The wicked are ransom for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 It’s better to live in the wilderness
than to live with a contentious and irritable woman.
20 Precious treasures and oil are found[aa] where the wise live,
but a foolish man devours them.
21 Whoever pursues righteousness and gracious love
finds life, righteousness, and honor.
22 A wise man attacks the city of the mighty,
bringing down the fortress in which they trust.
23 Whoever watches his mouth and tongue
keeps himself from trouble.
24 The names “Proud,” “Arrogant,” and “Mocker”
fit whoever acts with presumptuous conceit.
25 What the lazy person craves will kill him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he continues to crave,
while the righteous person gives without holding back.
27 What the wicked person sacrifices is detestable—
how much more when he offers it with vile motives!
28 A false witness will perish,
but whoever listens will testify successfully.[ab]
29 The wicked man puts up a bold appearance,
but the upright thinks about what he is doing.[ac]
30 No wisdom, insight, or counsel
can prevail[ad] against the Lord.
31 The horse may be prepared for the day of battle,
but to the Lord goes the victory.
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