Old/New Testament
19 Better to be a poor person who walks in his integrity
than one with perverse lips who is a fool.
2 Zeal without knowledge is certainly not good,
and a person who acts hastily sins.[a]
3 A person’s own foolishness undermines his way,
but his heart rages against the Lord.
4 Wealth adds many friends,
but a poor person is deserted by his friend.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished.
He breathes lies and will not escape.
6 Many seek the goodwill of a ruler,
and everyone is a friend to a person who gives gifts.
7 A poor person’s brothers all hate him.
Even his friends keep their distance from him!
Though he pursues them with words, they are not there.
8 A person who acquires intelligence[b] loves his life.[c]
A person who guards understanding finds a good thing.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished.
He breathes lies, and he will perish.
10 A life of luxury is not appropriate for a fool.
How much less appropriate for a slave to rule over princes.
11 Good sense makes a person slow to anger,
and it is to his credit when he overlooks an offense.
12 The king’s anger is like a lion’s growl,
but his favor is refreshing like dew on the grass.
Dealing With Fools
13 A foolish son is a disaster to his father,
and a nagging wife is like constantly dripping water.
14 Home and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
but a wife with good sense is from the Lord.
15 Laziness makes a person fall into a deep sleep,
and an idle person will go hungry.
16 A person who keeps a command preserves his life.
One who despises his ways will die.
17 A person who is gracious to the poor lends to the Lord.
He will repay him in full.
18 Discipline your son while there is hope.
Do not make yourself responsible for his death.
19 Someone who has a lot of anger pays the penalty.
If you rescue him, you will have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,
so that you will be wise in the future.
21 There are many plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that will prevail.
22 A desirable trait in a person is loyalty.[d]
It is better to be poor than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life.
One who has it rests content.
He will not be disturbed by trouble.
24 A lazy person buries his hand in the dish,
but he does not even bring the food up to his mouth.
25 Strike a scoffer, and an undisciplined[e] person may learn caution.
Warn a person with understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
26 A son who attacks his father and chases away his mother
brings shame and disgrace.
27 If you stop listening to discipline, my son,
you will stray from the sayings that give knowledge.
28 A malicious witness mocks justice,
and the mouth of the wicked swallows evil.
29 Punishments have been prepared for scoffers
and beatings for the backs of fools.
More Dealing With Fools
20 Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler.
Whoever is intoxicated by them is not wise.
2 The king’s rage is like a lion’s growl.
Whoever intrudes on him endangers his life.
3 Avoiding strife brings honor to a man,
but every stubborn fool is always fighting.
4 A lazy person fails to plow when it is the season for planting.[f]
He expects something in the harvest, but nothing will be there.
5 The intentions in a person’s heart are deep water,
but a person with understanding can draw them out.
6 Many people claim to be loyal,[g]
but who can find a trustworthy man?
7 A righteous person walks in his integrity.
How blessed are his children after him!
8 When a king sits on his throne as judge,
he winnows out all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, “I have purified my heart.
I am cleansed from my sinfulness”?
10 Differing weights and differing measures—
both of them are disgusting to the Lord.
11 Even a youth makes himself known by his acts,
by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
12 An ear that hears and an eye that sees—
the Lord has made both of them.
13 Do not love sleep, or you will become poor.
Keep your eyes open, and you will have enough to eat.
14 “It’s no good! It’s no good!” says the buyer,
but then he goes away and brags.
15 There is gold, and there are many gems,[h]
but lips that have knowledge are a precious vessel.
16 Take the garment from someone who guarantees a loan for a stranger.
Hold on to it when he offers it as collateral for a foreigner.
17 Food gained dishonestly tastes sweet to a person,
but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
18 Plans are strengthened by obtaining advice,
so do not wage war without consultation.
19 A person who goes around spreading gossip reveals secrets,
so do not associate with anyone whose lips are always open.
20 The person who curses his father and his mother—
his lamp will be snuffed out in total darkness.
21 An inheritance easily obtained[i] in the beginning
will not be blessed in the end.
22 Do not say, “I’ll get even with you!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will rescue you.
23 Differing weights are disgusting[j] to the Lord,
and dishonest scales are not good.
24 The steps a man takes come from the Lord,
so how can anyone understand his own way?
25 A person falls into a trap if he pledges something to God impulsively
and considers his pledge only later.
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked.
He rolls the threshing wheel over them.
27 A man’s spirit is the lamp of the Lord.
It illuminates the depths of his heart.
28 Mercy and truth protect a king,
and he maintains his throne with mercy.
29 The splendor of young men is their strength,
but the majesty of old men is their gray hair.
30 Wounds and bruises scrub away evil,
and a beating scrubs the depths of the heart.
Wise and Foolish Behaviors
21 A king’s heart is like streams of water in the hand of the Lord.
He directs it wherever he desires.
2 In a person’s own eyes all his ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the motives of the heart.
3 Practicing righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than a sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and an arrogant heart,
the unplowed field[k] of the wicked, produce sin.
5 The plans of a hard worker lead to abundance,
but everyone in a hurry rushes toward scarcity.
6 Piling up treasure by a lying tongue
is a vanishing vapor for those who seek death.
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
because they refuse to do what is just.
8 A guilty person’s way is very crooked,
but the conduct of a pure person is straight.
9 Better to live on the corner of a roof
than in a house shared with a nagging wife.
10 The soul of a wicked person craves evil.
He does not look on his neighbor with mercy.
11 When a scoffer is punished, an undisciplined person becomes wise,
and when a wise person is instructed, he gains knowledge.
12 The Righteous One[l] carefully watches the house of the wicked.
He throws the wicked down to ruin.
13 Whoever shuts his ear to the cries of the poor—
he too will cry out and not be answered.
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe slipped into the pocket soothes fury.
15 It is a joy for a righteous person to practice justice,
but destruction waits for those who practice evil.
16 A person who wanders from the way of understanding
will rest in the company of departed spirits.
17 Whoever loves pleasure will be poor.
Whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.
18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
and the treacherous make a payment for the upright.
19 Better to live in an arid region
than with a nagging, ill-tempered wife.
20 Good food and olive oil are stored up in the dwellings of the wise,
but a foolish person devours everything he has.
21 A person who pursues righteousness and mercy
will find life, righteousness, and honor.
22 A wise man can climb up to a city full of warriors
and pull down the strong defenses in which they trust.
23 The person who guards his mouth and his tongue
guards himself from troubles.
24 The contemptuous, insolent person—“Scoffer” is his name—
behaves with overflowing arrogance.
25 A lazy person’s craving will kill him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves something more,
but a righteous person gives and does not hold back.
27 A sacrifice offered by wicked people is an abomination.[m]
How much more when they bring it with evil intent!
28 A lying witness will perish,
but a man who listens will keep speaking forever.[n]
29 A wicked person puts on a bold front,
but an upright person gives thought to[o] his way.
30 There is no wisdom, no cleverness, and no advice
that can stand up against the Lord.
31 A horse is made ready for a day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the Lord.
7 So then, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles flesh and spirit as we seek to bring sanctification to its goal in the fear of God.
You Encouraged Us
2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one. We have corrupted no one. We have taken advantage of no one. 3 I am not saying this to condemn you. In fact, I have said before that you are in our hearts—we died together and live together with you! 4 I have great confidence in you. I am very proud of you. I am filled with encouragement. I am overflowing with joy in all our trouble.
5 In fact, when we came to Macedonia, our flesh had no relief. Instead, we were troubled in every way—conflicts on the outside, fears on the inside. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us with the arrival of Titus, 7 and not only with his arrival, but also with the comfort he had received concerning you. He told us about your longing, your sorrow, and your serious concern for me. As a result, I rejoiced even more.
8 For even if I caused you sorrow with my letter, I do not regret it (even though I did regret it, for I see that my letter caused you sorrow—yet only for a little while). 9 Now I rejoice, not because you were made to feel sorrow, but because this sorrow resulted in repentance. Yes, you were made sorry in a godly way. So you were not harmed in any way by us. 10 In fact, godly sorrow produces repentance, which leads to salvation, leaving no regret. On the other hand, worldly sorrow produces death.
11 Yes, look what godly sorrow produced in you: what diligence, what eagerness to clear yourself, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what correction! In every way you proved yourselves to be pure in this matter. 12 So although I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did what was wrong, or because of the one who was harmed by it. I wrote instead so that your genuine concern for us would be revealed to you in the sight of God. 13 For that reason we have been comforted.
In addition to our comfort, we rejoiced a great deal more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have set his spirit at rest. 14 For if I made any boast to him about you, I have not been put to shame. Rather, just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting to Titus turned out to be true. 15 And his heart goes out to you even more, as he remembers the obedience of all of you (how you received him with fear and trembling). 16 I rejoice because I have complete confidence in you.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.