13

1A wise son listens to his father’s instruction,

but a scoffer doesn’t listen to rebuke.

2By the fruit of his lips, a man enjoys good things,

but the unfaithful crave violence.

3He who guards his mouth guards his soul.

One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

4The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing,

but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.

5A righteous man hates lies,

but a wicked man brings shame and disgrace.

6Righteousness guards the way of integrity,

but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

7There are some who pretend to be rich, yet have nothing.

There are some who pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth.

8The ransom of a man’s life is his riches,

but the poor hear no threats.

9The light of the righteous shines brightly,

but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

10Pride only breeds quarrels,

but wisdom is with people who take advice.

11Wealth gained dishonestly dwindles away,

but he who gathers by hand makes it grow.

12Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

13Whoever despises instruction will pay for it,

but he who respects a command will be rewarded.

14The teaching of the wise is a spring of life,

to turn from the snares of death.

15Good understanding wins favor,

but the way of the unfaithful is hard.

16Every prudent man acts from knowledge,

but a fool exposes folly.

17A wicked messenger falls into trouble,

but a trustworthy envoy gains healing.

18Poverty and shame come to him who refuses discipline,

but he who heeds correction shall be honored.

19Longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,

but fools detest turning from evil.

20One who walks with wise men grows wise,

but a companion of fools suffers harm.

21Misfortune pursues sinners,

but prosperity rewards the righteous.

22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,

but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous.

23An abundance of food is in poor people’s fields,

but injustice sweeps it away.

24One who spares the rod hates his son,

but one who loves him is careful to discipline him.

25The righteous one eats to the satisfying of his soul,

but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.

14

1Every wise woman builds her house,

but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

2He who walks in his uprightness fears Yahweh,

but he who is perverse in his ways despises him.

3The fool’s talk brings a rod to his back,

but the lips of the wise protect them.

4Where no oxen are, the crib is clean,

but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

5A truthful witness will not lie,

but a false witness pours out lies.

6A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find it,

but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.

7Stay away from a foolish man,

for you won’t find knowledge on his lips.

8The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way,

but the folly of fools is deceit.

9Fools mock at making atonement for sins,

but among the upright there is good will.

10The heart knows its own bitterness and joy;

he will not share these with a stranger.

11The house of the wicked will be overthrown,

but the tent of the upright will flourish.

12There is a way which seems right to a man,

but in the end it leads to death.

13Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful,

and mirth may end in heaviness.

14The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways;

likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.

15A simple man believes everything,

but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.

16A wise man fears and shuns evil,

but the fool is hot headed and reckless.

17He who is quick to become angry will commit folly,

and a crafty man is hated.

18The simple inherit folly,

but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

19The evil bow down before the good,

and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20The poor person is shunned even by his own neighbor,

but the rich person has many friends.

21He who despises his neighbor sins,

but he who has pity on the poor is blessed.

22Don’t they go astray who plot evil?

But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.

23In all hard work there is profit,

but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.

24The crown of the wise is their riches,

but the folly of fools crowns them with folly.

25A truthful witness saves souls,

but a false witness is deceitful.

26In the fear of Yahweh is a secure fortress,

and he will be a refuge for his children.

27The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life,

turning people from the snares of death.

28In the multitude of people is the king’s glory,

but in the lack of people is the destruction of the prince.

29He who is slow to anger has great understanding,

but he who has a quick temper displays folly.

30The life of the body is a heart at peace,

but envy rots the bones.

31He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker,

but he who is kind to the needy honors him.

32The wicked is brought down in his calamity,

but in death, the righteous has a refuge.

33Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,

and is even made known in the inward part of fools.

34Righteousness exalts a nation,

but sin is a disgrace to any people.

35The king’s favor is toward a servant who deals wisely,

but his wrath is toward one who causes shame.

15

1A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

2The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,

but the mouths of fools gush out folly.

3Yahweh’s eyes are everywhere,

keeping watch on the evil and the good.

4A gentle tongue is a tree of life,

but deceit in it crushes the spirit.

5A fool despises his father’s correction,

but he who heeds reproof shows prudence.

6In the house of the righteous is much treasure,

but the income of the wicked brings trouble.

7The lips of the wise spread knowledge;

not so with the heart of fools.

8The sacrifice made by the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh,

but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

9The way of the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh,

but he loves him who follows after righteousness.

10There is stern discipline for one who forsakes the way.

Whoever hates reproof shall die.

11Sheol and Abaddon are before Yahweh—

how much more then the hearts of the children of men!

12A scoffer doesn’t love to be reproved;

he will not go to the wise.

13A glad heart makes a cheerful face,

but an aching heart breaks the spirit.

14The heart of one who has understanding seeks knowledge,

but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

15All the days of the afflicted are wretched,

but one who has a cheerful heart enjoys a continual feast.

16Better is little, with the fear of Yahweh,

than great treasure with trouble.

17Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is,

than a fattened calf with hatred.

18A wrathful man stirs up contention,

but one who is slow to anger appeases strife.

19The way of the sluggard is like a thorn patch,

but the path of the upright is a highway.

20A wise son makes a father glad,

but a foolish man despises his mother.

21Folly is joy to one who is void of wisdom,

but a man of understanding keeps his way straight.

22Where there is no counsel, plans fail;

but in a multitude of counselors they are established.

23Joy comes to a man with the reply of his mouth.

How good is a word at the right time!

24The path of life leads upward for the wise,

to keep him from going downward to Sheol.

25Yahweh will uproot the house of the proud,

but he will keep the widow’s borders intact.

26Yahweh detests the thoughts of the wicked,

but the thoughts of the pure are pleasing.

27He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,

but he who hates bribes will live.

28The heart of the righteous weighs answers,

but the mouth of the wicked gushes out evil.

29Yahweh is far from the wicked,

but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

30The light of the eyes rejoices the heart.

Good news gives health to the bones.

31The ear that listens to reproof lives,

and will be at home among the wise.

32He who refuses correction despises his own soul,

but he who listens to reproof gets understanding.

33The fear of Yahweh teaches wisdom.

Before honor is humility.

16

1The plans of the heart belong to man,

but the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.

2All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes,

but Yahweh weighs the motives.

3Commit your deeds to Yahweh,

and your plans shall succeed.

4Yahweh has made everything for its own end—

yes, even the wicked for the day of evil.

5Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh;

they shall certainly not be unpunished.

6By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for.

By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.

7When a man’s ways please Yahweh,

he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

8Better is a little with righteousness,

than great revenues with injustice.

9A man’s heart plans his course,

but Yahweh directs his steps.

10Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king.

He shall not betray his mouth.

11Honest balances and scales are Yahweh’s;

all the weights in the bag are his work.

12It is an abomination for kings to do wrong,

for the throne is established by righteousness.

13Righteous lips are the delight of kings.

They value one who speaks the truth.

14The king’s wrath is a messenger of death,

but a wise man will pacify it.

15In the light of the king’s face is life.

His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.

16How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!

Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

17The highway of the upright is to depart from evil.

He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

18Pride goes before destruction,

and an arrogant spirit before a fall.

19It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor,

than to divide the plunder with the proud.

20He who heeds the Word finds prosperity.

Whoever trusts in Yahweh is blessed.

21The wise in heart shall be called prudent.

Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction.

22Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it,

but the punishment of fools is their folly.

23The heart of the wise instructs his mouth,

and adds learning to his lips.

24Pleasant words are a honeycomb,

sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

25There is a way which seems right to a man,

but in the end it leads to death.

26The appetite of the laboring man labors for him,

for his mouth urges him on.

27A worthless man devises mischief.

His speech is like a scorching fire.

28A perverse man stirs up strife.

A whisperer separates close friends.

29A man of violence entices his neighbor,

and leads him in a way that is not good.

30One who winks his eyes to plot perversities,

one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.

31Gray hair is a crown of glory.

It is attained by a life of righteousness.

32One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty;

one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.

33The lot is cast into the lap,

but its every decision is from Yahweh.