1 dA soft answer turns away wrath,
but ea harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but fthe mouths of fools pour out folly.
3 gThe eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 hA gentle1 tongue is ia tree of life,
but jperverseness in it breaks the spirit.
5 kA fool ldespises his father’s instruction,
but mwhoever heeds reproof is prudent.
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
7 nThe lips of the wise spread knowledge;
8 oThe sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
but pthe prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
but he loves him qwho pursues righteousness.
10 There is rsevere discipline for him who forsakes the way;
swhoever hates reproof will die.
11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord;
how much more tthe hearts of the children of man!
12 uA scoffer vdoes not like to be reproved;
he will not go to the wise.
13 wA glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but by xsorrow of heart the spirit is ycrushed.
14 zThe heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
but athe cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
16 bBetter is a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it.
17 cBetter is a dinner of herbs where love is
than da fattened ox and hatred with it.
18 eA hot-tempered man fstirs up strife,
but he who is gslow to anger quiets contention.
19 The way of ha sluggard is like a hedge of ithorns,
but the path of the upright is ja level highway.
20 kA wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
21 lFolly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
but a man of understanding mwalks straight ahead.
22 nWithout counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.
23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
and oa word in season, how good it is!
24 The path of life leads upward pfor the prudent,
that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.
25 The Lord tears down the house of qthe proud
but rmaintains sthe widow’s boundaries.
26 tThe thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
but ugracious words are pure.
27 Whoever is vgreedy for unjust gain wtroubles his own household,
but he who hates xbribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous yponders how to answer,
but zthe mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
29 The Lord is afar from the wicked,
but he bhears the prayer of the righteous.
30 cThe light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
and dgood news refreshes3 the bones.
31 eThe ear that listens to flife-giving reproof
will dwell among the wise.
32 Whoever gignores instruction hdespises himself,
but he who listens to reproof igains intelligence.
33 jThe fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
and khumility comes before honor.
1 pA good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.
2 qThe rich and the poor meet together;
the Lord is rthe Maker of them all.
3 sThe prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
is triches and honor and life.1
5 uThorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
whoever vguards his soul will keep far from them.
6 wTrain up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
7 xThe rich rules over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
8 Whoever ysows injustice will reap calamity,
and zthe rod of his fury will fail.
9 aWhoever has a bountiful2 eye will be blessed,
for he bshares his bread with the poor.
10 cDrive out a scoffer, dand strife will go out,
and equarreling and abuse will cease.
11 He who floves purity of heart,
and whose gspeech is gracious, hwill have the king as his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he ioverthrows the words of the traitor.
13 jThe sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of kforbidden3 women is la deep pit;
mhe with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but nthe rod of discipline drives it far from him.
16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
or gives to the rich, owill only come to poverty.
Words of the Wise
17 pIncline your ear, and hear qthe words of the wise,
rand apply your heart to my knowledge,
18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
19 That your trust may be in the Lord,
I have made them known to you today, even to you.
20 Have I not written for you sthirty sayings
of counsel and knowledge,
21 to tmake you know what is right and true,
that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?
22 uDo not rob the poor, because he is poor,
or vcrush the afflicted at wthe gate,
23 for xthe Lord will plead their cause
and rob of life those who rob them.
24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
nor go with a wrathful man,
25 lest you learn his ways
and entangle yourself in a snare.
26 Be not one of those who ygive pledges,
who put up security for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should zyour bed be taken from under you?
28 Do not move the ancient alandmark
that your fathers have set.
29 Do you see a man skillful in his work?
He will bstand before kings;
he will not stand before obscure men.