Beginning
16 People make plans in their hearts.
But only the Lord can make those plans come true.
2 A person may believe he is doing right.
But the Lord will judge his reasons.
3 Depend on the Lord in whatever you do.
Then your plans will succeed.
4 The Lord makes everything work the way he wants it.
He even has a day of disaster for evil people.
5 The Lord hates those who are proud.
You can be sure that they will be punished.
6 Love and truth bring forgiveness of sin.
By respecting the Lord you will avoid evil.
7 A person should live so that he pleases the Lord.
If he does, even his enemies will make peace with him.
8 It is better to be poor and do what is right
than to be wealthy and be unfair.
9 A person may think up plans.
But the Lord decides what he will do.
10 The words of a king are like a message from God.
So his decisions should be fair.
11 The Lord wants honest balances and scales to be used.
He wants all weights to be honest.
12 Kings hate those who do wrong
because governments only last if they are fair.
13 Kings are pleased with those who speak honest words.
They value a person who speaks the truth.
14 If a king becomes angry, he may put someone to death.
So a wise man will try to keep peace.
15 A king’s kindness can give people life.
His kindness is like a spring shower.
16 It is better to get wisdom than gold.
It is better to choose understanding than silver!
17 A good person stays away from evil.
A person who watches what he does protects his life.
18 Pride leads to destruction.
A proud attitude brings ruin.
19 It is better not to be proud and to be with those who suffer
than to share stolen property with proud people.
20 Whoever pays attention to what he is taught will succeed.
And whoever trusts the Lord will be happy.
21 A wise person is known for his understanding.
He wins people to his side with pleasant words.
22 Understanding is like a fountain of water which gives life to those who use it.
But foolishness will cause foolish people to be punished.
23 A wise person’s mind tells him what to say.
This helps him to teach others better.
24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb.
They make a person happy and healthy.
25 Some people think they are doing what’s right.
But in the end it causes them to die.
26 The worker’s hunger helps him.
His desire to eat makes him work.
27 An evil person makes evil plans.
And his words are like a burning fire.
28 An evil person causes trouble.
And a person who gossips ruins friendships.
29 A cruel man tricks his neighbor.
He leads him to do wrong.
30 Someone who winks at you is planning evil.
And the one who grins at you is about to do something wrong.
31 Gray hair is like a crown of honor.
You earn it by living a good life.
32 Patience is better than strength.
Controlling your temper is better than capturing a city.
33 People throw lots to make a decision.
But the answer comes from the Lord.
17 It is better to eat a dry crust of bread in peace
than to have a feast where there is quarreling.
2 A wise servant will rule over his master’s disgraceful son.
And he will even inherit a share of what the master leaves his sons.
3 A hot furnace tests silver and gold.
In the same way, the Lord tests a person’s heart.
4 An evil person listens to evil words.
A liar pays attention to cruel words.
5 If you make fun of the poor,
you insult God, who made them.
If you laugh at someone’s trouble,
you will be punished.
6 Grandchildren are the reward of old people.
And children are proud of their parents.
7 Foolish people should not be proud.
And rulers should not be liars!
8 A person might think he can pay people and they will do anything he asks.
He thinks it will succeed every time.
9 Whoever forgives someone’s sin makes a friend.
But the one who tells about the sin breaks up friendships.
10 A wise man will learn more from a warning
than a foolish person will learn from 100 lashings.
11 A disobedient person is only looking for trouble.
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than to meet a foolish person doing foolish things.
13 If a person gives evil in return for good,
his house will always be full of trouble.
14 Starting a quarrel is like a leak in a dam.
So stop the quarrel before a fight breaks out.
15 The Lord hates both these things:
letting guilty people go free and punishing those who are not guilty.
16 It won’t do a fool any good to try to buy wisdom.
He doesn’t really want to be wise.
17 A friend loves you all the time.
A brother is always there to help you.
18 It is not wise to promise
to pay what your neighbor owes.
19 Whoever loves to quarrel loves to sin.
Whoever is proud is asking for trouble.
20 A person with an evil heart will find no success.
And the person whose words are evil will get into trouble.
21 It is sad to have a foolish son.
There is no joy in being the father of a fool.
22 A happy heart is like good medicine.
But a broken spirit drains your strength.
23 A wicked person secretly accepts money to do wrong.
Then there will be no fairness.
24 The person with understanding looks for wisdom.
But a foolish person lets his mind wander everywhere.
25 A foolish son makes his father sad.
And he causes his mother great sorrow.
26 It is not good to punish those who have done what is right.
Nor is it good to punish leaders for being honest.
27 The person who has knowledge says very little.
And a person with understanding stays calm.
28 Even a foolish person seems to be wise if he keeps quiet.
He appears to have understanding if he doesn’t speak.
18 An unfriendly person cares only about himself.
He makes fun of all wisdom.
2 A foolish person does not want to understand anything.
He only enjoys telling others what he thinks.
3 Do something evil, and people won’t like you.
Do something shameful, and they will make fun of you.
4 Understanding people’s words is as hard as getting water out of a deep well.
But understanding wisdom is as easy as getting water from a flowing stream.
5 It is not good to honor the wicked.
Nor is it good to be unfair to the innocent.
6 A fool’s words start quarrels.
They make people want to give him a beating.
7 A fool’s words will ruin him.
He will be trapped by his own words.
8 The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food.
People take them all in.
9 A person who doesn’t work hard
is just like a person who destroys things.
10 The Lord is like a strong tower.
Those who do what is right can run to him for safety.
11 Rich people trust their wealth to protect them.
They think it is like the high walls of a city.
12 People who are proud will be ruined.
But those who are not proud will be honored.
13 A person who answers without listening
is foolish and disgraceful.
14 The will to live can get you through sickness.
But no one can live with a broken spirit.
15 The mind of a smart person is ready to get knowledge.
The wise person listens to learn more.
16 Taking a gift to an important person
will help get you in to see him.
17 The first person to tell his side of a story seems right.
But that may change when somebody comes and asks him questions.
18 Throwing lots settles arguments.
It keeps the two sides from fighting.
19 A brother who has been insulted is harder to win back than a walled city.
And arguments separate people like the barred gates of a palace.
20 What you say affects how you live.
You will be rewarded by how you speak.
21 What you say can mean life or death.
Those who love to talk will be rewarded for what they say.
22 A man who finds a wife finds something good.
She shows that the Lord is pleased with him.
23 Poor people beg for mercy.
Rich people give rude answers.
24 Some friends may ruin you.
But a real friend will be more loyal than a brother.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.