1 rBetter is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting1 with strife.
2 A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully
and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 sThe crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
and the Lord tests hearts.
4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
5 tWhoever mocks the poor insults his Maker;
uhe who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are vthe crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers.
7 Fine speech is wnot becoming to a fool;
still less is false speech to a prince.
8 xA bribe is like a magic2 stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
wherever he turns he prospers.
9 Whoever ycovers an offense seeks love,
but zhe who repeats a matter separates close friends.
10 aA rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding
than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion,
and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs
rather than a fool in his folly.
13 If anyone breturns evil for good,
evil will not depart from his house.
14 cThe beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
15 He who justifies the wicked and he who dcondemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why should a fool have money in his hand to ebuy wisdom
when he has no sense?
17 fA friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
18 One who lacks sense ggives a pledge
and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
19 Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
he who makes his door high seeks destruction.
20 A man of hcrooked heart does not discover good,
and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
21 iHe who sires a fool gets himself sorrow,
and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 jA joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
23 The wicked kaccepts a bribe in secret3
lto pervert the ways of justice.
24 The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father
and bitterness to her who bore him.
26 To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,
nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 mWhoever nrestrains his words has knowledge,
and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
he breaks out against all sound judgment.
2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
but only in expressing his opinion.
3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,
and with dishonor comes disgrace.
4 The words of a man’s mouth are odeep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
5 It is not good to be partial to1 the pwicked
or to deprive the righteous of justice.
6 A fool’s lips walk into a fight,
and his mouth invites a beating.
7 qA fool’s mouth is his ruin,
and his lips are a rsnare to his soul.
8 sThe words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.
9 Whoever is slack in his work
is a brother to him who destroys.
10 The tname of the Lord is a ustrong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
11 vA rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
and like a high wall in his imagination.
12 wBefore destruction a man’s heart is haughty,
but xhumility comes before honor.
13 If one gives an answer before he hears,
it is his folly and shame.
14 A man’s spirit will endure sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?
15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 yA man’s gift makes room for him
and brings him before the great.
17 The one who states his case first seems right,
until the other comes and examines him.
18 zThe lot puts an end to quarrels
and decides between powerful contenders.
19 A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,
and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
20 aFrom the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.
22 He who bfinds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the Lord.
23 The poor use entreaties,
but the rich answer roughly.
24 A man of many companions may come to ruin,
cbut there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
1 dBetter is a poor person who walks in his integrity
than eone who is fcrooked in speech and is a fool.
2 Desire2 without knowledge is not good,
and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.
3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,
his heart rages against the Lord.
4 gWealth brings many new friends,
hbut a poor man is deserted by his friend.
5 iA jfalse witness will not go unpunished,
and he who kbreathes out lies will not escape.
6 Many seek the favor of a generous man,3
and leveryone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
7 All a poor man’s brothers hate him;
how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.4
8 Whoever mgets sense loves his own soul;
he who keeps understanding will discover good.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes out lies will perish.
10 It is nnot fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
much less for a slave to rule over princes.
11 Good sense makes one oslow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
12 pA king’s wrath is qlike the growling of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 rA foolish son is ruin to his father,
and sa wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.
14 House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15 tSlothfulness casts into a deep sleep,
and an idle person will suffer hunger.
16 Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life;
he who despises his ways will die.
17 uWhoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will vrepay him for his deed.
18 wDiscipline your son, for there is hope;
xdo not set your heart on putting him to death.
19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,
for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept yinstruction,
that you may gain wisdom in the future.
21 zMany are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love,
and aa poor man is better than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life,
and whoever has it rests satisfied;
he will not be visited by harm.
24 bThe sluggard buries his hand in the dish
and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 Strike a scoffer, and the csimple will learn prudence;
dreprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
26 He who does violence to his efather and chases away his mother
is a son who brings shame and reproach.
27 Cease to hear finstruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.
29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers,
and gbeating for the backs of fools.
1 hWine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.5
2 iThe terror of a king is like the growling of a lion;
whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.
3 jIt is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,
but every fool will be quarreling.
4 kThe sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
17 So xsome of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but yyour sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts zwill rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, awhatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. bAsk, and you will receive, cthat your joy may be full.
I Have Overcome the World
25 “I have said these things to you in dfigures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, ebecause you have loved me and have believed that I came ffrom God.1 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am gleaving the world and going to the Father.”
29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that hyou know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when iyou will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am jnot alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have kpeace. lIn the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have movercome the world.”
