Chronological
The Proverbs of Solomon[a]
10 These are the proverbs of Solomon.
A wise child makes his father happy.
But a foolish child causes his mother to be sad.
2 If you are not honest, your money will not help you.
But if you are righteous, it will save you from death.
3 The Lord will not let righteous people be hungry.
But he will not let bad people get what they want.
4 If a man is lazy, he will soon be poor.
But if he works hard, he will become rich.
5 A wise man cuts his crops at harvest time and he stores them.
But anyone who does no work at harvest time brings shame.
6 God blesses righteous people.
But the words of wicked people hide their anger.
7 It is a pleasure to remember righteous people.
But when wicked people die, people soon forget their name.
8 Wise people accept good teaching.
But people who talk in a foolish way destroy themselves.
9 If people are honest, their lives are safe.
But those who are not honest will receive punishment.
10 Someone who deceives his friends causes trouble.
And someone who speaks in foolish ways will destroy himself.
11 The teaching of righteous people gives life, like a spring of water.
But the words of wicked people hide their anger.
12 When people hate others, it causes arguments.
But love covers over all sins.
13 People who understand what is right speak wise words.
But silly people receive the punishment that they deserve.
14 Wise people store knowledge in their minds.
But when foolish people speak, trouble is near.
15 Money keeps rich people safe, like a strong city.
But poor people die because they have no one to help them.
16 Righteous people receive life as their wages.[b]
Wicked people receive only punishment.
17 People who listen when people warn them are on the road to life.
But those who refuse to listen are on a different road.
18 If you hate somebody but you try to hide it, you are telling lies.
And if you say false things about other people, you are a fool.
19 If you talk too much, you will soon do something wrong.
But if you are wise, you will stop talking.
20 The words of righteous people are as valuable as the best silver.
But the thoughts of wicked people are useless.
21 The teaching of righteous people will help many people.
But foolish people die because they are so stupid.
22 If the Lord blesses you, you are really rich.
Hard work will not make you any richer.
23 A foolish person is happy when he does wicked things.
But a wise person enjoys doing things that are right.
24 The trouble that wicked people are afraid of will certainly happen to them.
But righteous people will receive the things that they want.
25 When the storm has finished, wicked people are no longer there.
But righteous people are still standing safely.
26 Do not send a lazy person with a message.
He will bring you pain, like the taste of bitter wine,
or like smoke in your eyes.
27 If you respect and obey the Lord, you will live longer.
But wicked people will die before they are old.
28 What good people hope to receive causes them to be happy.
But wicked people never receive what they hope for.
29 The Lord keeps honest people safe.
But he punishes people who do wrong things.
30 Righteous people will always have a safe place to live.
But wicked people will not continue to live in the land.
31 Righteous people speak wise words.
But those who speak evil things will lose their tongues!
32 Righteous people say kind things.
But wicked people say things that hurt others.
11 The Lord hates traders who do not use true weights.
He is happy when they are honest and they use true weights.
2 If people are proud, they will soon become ashamed.
But if people are humble, they become wise.
3 Good people are honest, and that shows them the right way to live.
But wicked people are not honest, and that destroys them.
4 When it is time for God to punish you, money will not help you to escape.
But if you are righteous, that will save you from death.
5 An honest man who is righteous has a straight path to walk on.
But the sins of a wicked person will cause him to fall down.
6 When honest people are righteous, that will keep them safe.
But the bad things that wicked people want will catch them in a trap.
7 When a wicked person dies, he has no hope for anything good.
Everything that he hoped his strength would give him disappears!
8 Righteous people escape from trouble.
The trouble happens to wicked people instead.
9 People who do not respect God say things that destroy their friends.
But the knowledge that righteous people have keeps them safe.
10 When righteous people do well, everyone in the city is happy.
And people shout with joy when wicked people die.
11 A city becomes great when honest men bring God's blessing to it.
But when wicked people give bad advice, they will destroy the city.
12 When someone insults his neighbour, it shows that he is foolish.
But a wise person stays quiet.
13 If a person talks too much about other people, he will soon tell their secrets.
But someone that you can trust will not tell your secrets to other people.
14 A nation will fall if it has no wise leaders.
But it will do well if there are people who give good advice.
15 If you promise to pay a stranger's debt, you will be sorry.
You will be safe if you do not agree to do that.
16 A kind woman receives honour,
but cruel men only get riches for themselves.
17 A faithful person helps himself with good things,
but a cruel person brings trouble on himself.
18 A wicked person gets riches that soon disappear.
But someone who lives in a good way will surely receive good things.
19 If someone continues to do what is right, he will live.
But if someone loves to do evil things, he will die.
20 The Lord hates people who have wrong thoughts.
But he is pleased with people who live in an honest way.
21 Be sure about this: Evil people will receive the punishment that they deserve.
But people who are righteous will escape.
22 A beautiful woman who turns away from wisdom
is like a gold ring in a pig's nose.
23 Righteous people want good things to happen.
Wicked people only hope to cause anger.
24 Somebody may share his things with other people,
but he still becomes richer.
Somebody else may keep the things that he should give to others,
but he still becomes poor.
25 If you help other people with your money, you will do well.
If you give water to thirsty people, you will not be thirsty yourself.
26 If you refuse to sell food to hungry people, they will curse you.
But if you sell it to them, they will praise you.
27 If you try to do good things, people will respect you.
But if you want evil things to happen, they will happen to you!
28 If somebody trusts his riches to keep him safe,
he will fall like a leaf that falls from a tree.
But a righteous person will grow strong,
like a fresh green leaf.
29 Anyone who causes trouble for his family will not receive any good thing from them.
A foolish person like that will become the servant of a wise person.
30 The good things that a righteous person does bring life.
A person who saves people's lives shows that he is wise.
31 Righteous people receive what they deserve, here on this earth.
So you can be sure that cruel and wicked people will receive their punishment.
12 Do you want to know the right way to live?
Then you must accept it when people warn you that you have done something wrong.
Only stupid people hate it when people warn them.
2 The Lord helps good people.
But he punishes people who want to do evil things.
3 No one can use wicked things to make himself safe.
But a righteous person has strong roots.
4 A good wife will bring honour to her husband, like a crown.
But a wife who brings shame to her husband will take away his strength.
5 Righteous people want to do things that are right.
But do not trust the advice of wicked people.
6 The words of wicked people are like a trap that will kill good people.
But the words of honest people will save people's lives.
7 Wicked people soon come to an end and they disappear.
But the families of righteous people will continue to be strong.
8 People will praise a wise person, as much as his wisdom deserves.
But no one will respect a person who is stupid.
9 It is better to be a humble person who has a servant
than a proud person who has no food to eat.
10 Righteous people take care of their animals.
But wicked people are cruel even when they think they are kind.
11 A farmer who works hard will have plenty of food to eat.
But anyone who works only on useless things is foolish.
12 Wicked people want to take the things that other bad people have.
But righteous people remain strong, with deep roots.
13 The lies of evil people put them in trouble.
But righteous people escape from trouble.
14 If you say good things, you will receive good things that make you happy.
You will receive what you deserve from the things that you do.
15 Foolish people always do what seems right to them.
But wise people listen to advice from others.
16 When a fool becomes angry, everybody knows it!
But a careful person keeps quiet when someone insults him.
17 Honest people speak the truth in court.
But a person who tells lies never says what is true.
18 If you speak in a careless way, you may hurt other people.
But when wise people speak, it makes people feel well.
19 True words continue to be true for ever.
But people quickly see that lies are lies.
20 Someone who wants to cause trouble has a mind that is full of lies.
But someone who wants to bring peace has a mind that is full of joy.
21 Trouble keeps away from righteous people.
But wicked people have trouble all the time.
22 The Lord hates people who tell lies.
But he is pleased with people who do what they promise to do.
23 Careful people keep quiet about how much they know.
But foolish people show everyone how silly they are.
24 If you work hard, you will become a leader.
But if you are lazy, you will become a slave.
25 If you worry all the time, it will make you sad.
But kind words will make you happy.
26 A righteous person gives good advice to his friends.
But wicked people are always taking the wrong path.
27 A lazy person does not cook the animals that he has caught.
But if you work hard, you will enjoy many valuable things.
28 If you do what is right, you will find true life.
Along that path, there is no death.
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