Old/New Testament
27 Don’t brag about what will happen tomorrow.
You don’t really know what will happen then.
2 Don’t praise yourself. Let someone else do it.
Let the praise come from a stranger and not from your own mouth.
3 Stone is heavy, and sand is hard to carry.
But the complaining of a foolish person causes more trouble than either.
4 Anger is cruel. It destroys like a flood.
But who can put up with jealousy!
5 It is better to correct someone openly
than to love him and not show it.
6 The slap of a friend can be trusted to help you.
But the kisses of an enemy are nothing but lies.
7 When someone is full, not even honey tastes good.
But when he is hungry, even something bitter tastes sweet.
8 A man who leaves his home
is like a bird that leaves its nest.
9 Perfume and oils make you happy.
And good advice from a friend is sweet.
10 Don’t forget your friend or your father’s friend.
Don’t always go to your brother for help when trouble comes.
A neighbor close by is better than a brother far away.
11 Be wise, my child, and you will make me happy.
Then I can respond to any insult.
12 When a wise person sees danger ahead, he avoids it.
But a foolish person keeps going and gets into trouble.
13 Take the coat of someone who promises to pay what a stranger owes.
Keep it until he pays the stranger’s bills.
14 Don’t greet your neighbor loudly early in the morning.
He will think of it as a curse.
15 A quarreling wife is as bothersome
as a continual dripping on a rainy day.
16 Stopping her is like stopping the wind.
It’s like trying to grab oil in your hand.
17 Iron can sharpen iron.
In the same way, people can help each other.
18 The person who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit.
And the person who takes care of his master will be honored.
19 As water shows you your face,
so your mind shows you what kind of person you are.
20 People will never stop dying and being destroyed.
In the same way, people will never stop wanting more than they have.
21 A hot furnace tests silver and gold.
And people are tested by the praise they receive.
22 Even if you ground up a foolish person like grain in a bowl,
you couldn’t remove his foolishness.
23 Be sure you know how your sheep are doing.
Pay close attention to the condition of your cattle.
24 Riches will not continue forever.
Nor do governments continue forever.
25 Bring in the hay. Let the new grass appear.
Gather the grass from the hills.
26 Make clothes from the lambs’ wool.
Sell some goats to buy a field.
27 There will be plenty of goat milk
to feed you and your family.
It will make your servant girls healthy.
28 Evil people run even though no one is chasing them.
But good people are as brave as a lion.
2 When a country is disobedient, it has one ruler after another.
But when it is led by a man with understanding and knowledge, it continues strong.
3 Rulers who are cruel to the poor
are like a hard rain that destroys the crops.
4 People who disobey what they have been taught praise the wicked.
But those who obey what they have been taught are against the wicked.
5 Evil people do not understand fairness.
But those who follow the Lord understand it completely.
6 It is better to be poor and innocent
than to be rich and wicked.
7 The son who obeys what he has been taught
shows he is wise.
But the son who makes friends with those who have no self-control
disgraces his father.
8 Some people get rich by overcharging others.
But their wealth will be given to those who are kind to the poor.
9 If you refuse to obey what you have been taught,
your prayers will not be heard.
10 Those who lead honest people to do wrong
will be ruined by their own evil.
But the innocent will be rewarded with good things.
11 A rich man may think he is wise.
But a poor man who has understanding knows the rich man is wrong.
12 When good people win, there is great happiness.
But when the wicked get power, everybody hides.
13 If you hide your sins, you will not succeed.
If you confess and reject them, you will receive mercy.
14 Those who always respect the Lord will be happy.
But those who are stubborn will get into trouble.
15 A wicked ruler is as dangerous to poor people
as a roaring lion or a charging bear.
16 A ruler who is cruel does not have wisdom.
But the one who hates money taken dishonestly will live a long time.
17 A man who is guilty of murder
will run until he dies.
So do not stop him.
18 Innocent people will be kept safe.
But those who are dishonest will suddenly be ruined.
19 The person who works his land will have plenty of food.
But the one who chases useless dreams instead will end up very poor.
20 A truthful man will have many blessings.
But those eager to get rich will be punished.
21 It is not good for a judge to take sides.
But some will sin for just a piece of bread.
22 A selfish person is in a hurry to get rich.
He does not realize his selfishness will make him poor.
23 Those who correct others will later be liked
more than those who give false praise.
24 Some people rob their fathers or mothers
and say, “It’s not wrong.”
Such people are just like those who destroy things.
25 A greedy person causes trouble.
But the one who trusts the Lord will succeed.
26 The person who trusts in himself is foolish.
But the person who lives wisely will be kept safe.
27 The person who gives to the poor will have everything he needs.
But the one who ignores the poor will have many curses put on him.
28 When the wicked get power, everybody hides.
But when the wicked die, the good people do well.
29 Some people are still stubborn after they have been corrected many times.
But they will suddenly be hurt beyond cure.
2 When good people do well, everyone is happy.
But when evil people rule, everyone groans.
3 Whoever loves wisdom makes his father happy.
But the one who makes friends with prostitutes wastes his money.
4 If a king is fair, he makes his country strong.
But if he takes money dishonestly, he tears his country down.
5 Anyone who gives false praise to his neighbor
is setting a trap for him.
6 An evil person is trapped by his own sin.
But a good person can sing and be happy.
7 Good people are concerned that the poor are treated fairly.
But the wicked don’t care.
8 People who make fun of others cause trouble in a city.
But wise people calm anger down.
9 A wise man should not take a foolish person to court.
The fool will only shout or laugh at him. There will be no peace.
10 Murderers hate honest people.
But those who do right try to protect them.
11 A foolish person loses his temper.
But a wise person controls his anger.
12 If a ruler pays attention to lies,
then all his officers will become wicked.
13 The poor person and the cruel person are alike in this way:
The Lord gave eyes to both of them.
14 A king should judge poor people fairly.
Then his government will continue forever.
15 Punishment and correction make a child wise.
If he is left to do as he pleases, he will disgrace his mother.
16 When there are many wicked people, there is much sin.
But those who do right will see them destroyed.
17 Correct your child, and you will be proud of him.
He will give you pleasure.
18 Where there is no word from God, people are uncontrolled.
But those who obey what they have been taught are happy.
19 Words alone cannot correct a servant.
Even if he understands, he won’t respond.
20 Sometimes you see people who speak too quickly.
There is more hope for a foolish person than for them.
21 Don’t spoil your servant when he is young.
If you do, he will bring you grief later on.
22 An angry person causes trouble.
A person who easily gets angry sins a lot.
23 A man’s pride will ruin him.
But a person who is humble will be honored.
24 The partner of a thief is his own worst enemy.
He has to testify in court, but he is afraid to say anything.
25 Being afraid of people can get you into trouble.
But if you trust the Lord, you will be safe.
26 Many people want to be heard by a ruler.
But fairness comes from the Lord.
27 Good people hate those who are dishonest.
And the wicked hate those who are honest.
Paul Defends His Ministry
10 I, Paul, am begging you with the gentleness and the kindness of Christ. Some people say that I am easy on you when I am with you and strict when I am away. 2 They think that we live in a worldly way. I plan to be very strict against them when I come. I beg you that when I come I will not need to use that same strictness with you. 3 We do live in the world. But we do not fight in the same way that the world fights. 4 We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God. These weapons can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy men’s arguments. 5 And we destroy every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ. 6 We are ready to punish anyone there who does not obey. But first we want you to obey fully.
7 You must look at the facts before you. If anyone feels sure that he belongs to Christ, then he must remember that we belong to Christ just as he does. 8 It is true that we brag freely about the authority the Lord gave us. But he gave us this authority to strengthen you, not to hurt you. So I will not be ashamed of the bragging we do. 9 I don’t want you to think that I am trying to scare you with my letters. 10 Some people say, “Paul’s letters are powerful and sound important. But when he is with us, he is weak. And his speaking is nothing.” 11 They should know this: We are not there with you now, so we say these things in letters. But when we are there with you, we will show the same authority that we show in our letters.
12 We do not dare to put ourselves in the same group with those who think that they are very important. We do not compare ourselves to them. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing. 13 But we will not brag about things outside the work that was given us to do. We will limit our bragging to the work that God gave us. And this work includes our work with you. 14 We are not bragging too much. We would be bragging too much if we had not already come to you. But we have come to you with the Good News of Christ. 15 We limit our bragging to the work that is ours. We do not brag in the work other men have done. We hope that your faith will continue to grow. And we hope that you will help our work to grow much larger. 16 We want to tell the Good News in the areas beyond your city. We do not want to brag about work that has already been done in another man’s area. 17 But, “If a person brags, he should brag only about the Lord.”[a] 18 It is not the one who says he is good who is accepted but the one that the Lord thinks is good.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.