1 zA soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 aThe tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
3 bThe eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 cA gentle1 tongue is a dtree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
5 A fool edespises his father’s finstruction,
but whoever gheeds reproof is prudent.
6 In hthe house of the righteous there is much treasure,
but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
not so the hearts of fools.2
8 iThe sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
jbut the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
but he loves him who pursues righteousness.
10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way;
whoever khates reproof will die.
11 Sheol and Abaddon lie lopen before the Lord;
how much more mthe hearts of the children of man!
12 A scoffer does not like to be reproved;
he will not go to the wise.
13 nA glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but oby sorrow of heart the spirit is pcrushed.
14 The 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 the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
16 qBetter is a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it.
17 rBetter is a dinner of herbs where love is
than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
18 sA hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
but he who is tslow to anger quiets contention.
19 The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,
but the path of the upright is a level highway.
20 uA wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
but a man of vunderstanding walks straight ahead.
22 wWithout counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.
23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
and xa word in season, how good it is!
24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent,
that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.
25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud
but maintains the widow’s boundaries.
26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
but ygracious words are pure.
27 Whoever is zgreedy for unjust gain atroubles his own household,
but he who hates bbribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
12 h“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 iGreater love has no one than this, that someone jlay down his life for his friends. 14 kYou are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants,1 for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for lall that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but mI chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
The Hatred of the World
18 “If the world nhates you, know that it has ohated me before it hated you. 19 If you were pof the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are qnot of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: r‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they spersecuted me, tthey will also persecute you. If they ukept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But vall these things they will do to you won account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 xIf I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,2 but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 yWhoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be zfulfilled: a‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “But when the bHelper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the cSpirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will dbear witness about me. 27 And you also will ebear witness, fbecause you have been with me from the beginning.
