Old/New Testament
The Collected Proverbs of Solomon
10 The proverbs of Solomon.
Introduction to Wisdom and Righteousness
A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.
2 Treasures gained by wickedness produce no profit,
but righteousness saves from death.
3 The Lord will not allow the righteous to starve,
but he frustrates the greed of the wicked.
4 Lazy hands produce poverty,
but hardworking hands bring riches.
5 Whoever gathers crops in summer is a sensible[a] son.
Whoever sleeps at harvest time is a disgraceful[b] son.
Wise Words and Wise Ways
6 Blessings crown the head of a righteous person,
but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.[c]
7 To remember a righteous person is a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.
8 A wise heart accepts commands,
but a babbling fool will be ruined.
9 Whoever walks with integrity walks safely,
but whoever follows crooked ways will be found out.
10 Whoever winks at evil causes trouble,
and a babbling fool will be ruined.
11 The mouth of a righteous person is a fountain of life,
but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.[d]
12 Hatred stirs up a quarrel,
but love covers all sins.
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of a discerning person,
but a rod is appropriate for the back of one who lacks sense.
14 Wise people store up knowledge,
but the mouth of a stubborn fool brings ruin.
15 A rich person’s wealth is his strong city.
Poverty is the ruin of poor people.
16 The work of a righteous person leads to life.
The income of a wicked person leads to sin.
17 Whoever practices discipline is on the path to life,
but whoever rejects a warning goes astray.
18 Whoever conceals hatred has lying lips,
and whoever spreads gossip is a fool.
19 When there are many words, sin never stops,[e]
but a person who restrains his lips acts wisely.
20 The tongue of a righteous person is fine silver.
The heart of a wicked person has little value.
21 The lips of a righteous person shepherd many,
but stubborn fools die for lack of sense.
22 The blessing of the Lord makes a person wealthy,
and he adds no sorrow to it.[f]
23 Carrying out a wicked scheme is a game for the fool,
but wisdom gives pleasure to a person with understanding.
Contrasts Between the Righteous and the Wicked
24 What the wicked person dreads will come upon him,
but the Lord will grant what the righteous desire.
25 When the storm has passed, the wicked person is no more,
but the righteous person has an everlasting foundation.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes,
so is a lazy person to those who send him.
27 The fear of the Lord will add days to a person’s life,
but the years of wicked people will be cut short.
28 The confident hope of the righteous is joy,
but the ambitions of the wicked will perish.
29 The way of the Lord is a fortress for a person who has integrity,
but it brings destruction for evildoers.
30 A righteous person will never be toppled,[g]
but wicked people will not dwell on earth.
31 The mouth of a righteous person produces the fruit of wisdom,
but a perverse tongue will be cut off.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,[h]
but the mouth of the wicked produces depraved words.
Righteous Behavior
11 Dishonest scales are disgusting[i] to the Lord
but an accurate weight wins his approval.
2 When arrogance comes, shame follows,
but with humility comes wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the dishonesty of the treacherous destroys them.
4 Riches are of no help on the day of fury,
but righteousness saves from death.
5 The righteousness of honest people makes their way smooth,
but because of his wickedness a wicked person falls.
6 The righteousness of upright people rescues them,
but treacherous people are trapped by their own desire.
7 At the death of a wicked man, his hope will perish,
and his confidence in his strength[j] perishes.
8 A righteous person is rescued from trouble,
and a wicked person takes his place.
9 With his mouth the godless person destroys his neighbor,
but righteous people are rescued by knowledge.
10 When the righteous prosper, a city rejoices,
and when the wicked perish, there is a shout of joy.
11 Through the blessing of upright citizens, a city is raised up,
but by the mouth of the wicked, it is torn down.
12 A person who lacks sense despises his neighbor,
but an understanding person keeps silent.
13 A gossip goes around betraying secrets,
but a trustworthy spirit keeps a matter confidential.
14 Without guidance people fall,
but in many advisors there is safety.
15 Guaranteeing a loan for a stranger leads to trouble,
but one who hates to shake hands[k] remains secure.
16 A gracious woman takes hold of honor,
but ruthless men take hold of riches.[l]
17 A merciful man benefits his own soul,
but a cruel man brings trouble on his own flesh.
18 A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
but one who sows righteousness reaps a true reward.
19 Just as righteousness leads to life,
pursuing evil leads to death.
20 Perverted hearts are disgusting to the Lord,
but his favor rests on those whose way has integrity.
21 Be sure of this: An evil person will not go unpunished,
but the children of the righteous will escape.
22 The beauty of a woman who lacks moral judgment
is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.
23 The desire of the righteous leads only to good.
The hope of the wicked leads to fury.
24 One person scatters his wealth, but it still increases.
Another hoards it unjustly, but this leads only to poverty.
25 A person who spreads blessings will be enriched.
One who gives a refreshing drink will be refreshed.
26 People curse the person who hoards grain,
but a blessing rests on the head of one who sells it.
27 Whoever searches for good seeks favor,
but whoever pursues evil will find it.
28 Whoever trusts his wealth will fall,
but righteous people will flourish like green plants.
29 Whoever troubles his household will inherit the wind,
and a stubborn fool will be a slave to a person with a wise heart.
30 The fruit of a righteous person is a tree of life,
and one who harvests souls is wise.
31 If a righteous person is paid back on earth,
how much more a wicked person or a sinner!
More Examples of Righteous Behavior
12 A person who loves discipline loves knowledge,
but one who hates correction is stupid.
2 A good person will obtain favor from the Lord,
but he will condemn a schemer.
3 A person cannot be made secure by wickedness,
but the roots of the righteous will never be uprooted.
4 A wife with strong character is a crown to her husband,
but one who brings shame is like rot in his bones.
5 The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the mouths of the upright will save them.
7 Wicked people are overthrown, and they are no more,
but the house of the righteous continues to stand.
8 A person is praised for the good sense that he speaks,
but a person with a twisted heart will be despised.
9 Better to be underestimated and have a servant
than to pretend to be wealthy and lack bread.
10 A righteous person understands the needs of his livestock,
but the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
11 A person who works his land will have enough food,
but whoever pursues fantasies lacks sense.
12 A wicked man covets the fortress[m] of evil people,
but the root of the righteous bears fruit.
13 The rebellion on his lips is a trap for an evil person,
but a righteous person gets out of trouble.
14 From the fruit of his lips a person is filled with good,
and the labor of a person’s hands returns to him.
15 The way of a stubborn fool seems correct to him,
but whoever listens to advice is wise.
16 A stubborn fool immediately lets his annoyance be known,
but a sensible person overlooks an insult.
17 Whoever breathes the truth proclaims righteousness,
but a lying witness is deceitful.
18 Some people wield reckless words like the thrusts of a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Truthful lips are established forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
20 Deceit lies in the heart of those who plot evil,
but for those who promote peace there will be joy.
21 No disaster will strike a righteous person,
but wicked people are filled with trouble.
22 Lying lips are disgusting to the Lord,
but those who act truthfully gain his favor.
23 A man who is shrewd conceals his knowledge,
but the hearts of fools broadcast stupidity.
24 Hardworking hands will rule,
but laziness results in forced labor.[n]
25 Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs him down,
but a good word brings him joy.
26 A righteous person guides his neighbor,[o]
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 A lazy person does not roast his game,
but a diligent person uses his wealth wisely.
28 In the path of righteousness there is life,
and there is no death in following this path.[p]
Treasure in Clay Jars
4 Therefore, since we have this ministry as a result of the mercy shown us, we are not discouraged. 2 On the contrary, we have renounced shameful, underhanded methods. We do not operate in a deceitful way, and we do not distort the word of God. Instead, by proclaiming the truth clearly, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing. 4 In the case of those people, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from clearly seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is God’s image.
5 Indeed, we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For the God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,”[a] is the same one who made light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the person[b] of Jesus Christ.
7 We hold this treasure in clay jars to show that its extraordinary power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not despairing; 9 persecuted, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of the Lord Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 To be sure, while we are living we are continually being handed over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. 12 So then, death is working in us, but life is working in you.
13 Since we have that same spirit of faith, which corresponds to what is written: “I believed; therefore, I have spoken,”[c] we also believe, and therefore we speak. 14 For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and bring us (together with you) into his presence. 15 In fact, all this is for your benefit, so that as grace increases, it will overflow to the glory of God, as more and more people give thanks.
16 Therefore we are not discouraged. But even if our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 Yes, our momentary, light trouble produces for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond any comparison. 18 We are not focusing on what is seen, but on what is not seen. For the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.