Proverbs 13–15

13A wise son pays attention when his father corrects him, but an arrogant person never admits he is wrong.

²Good people will be rewarded for what they say, but those who are deceitful are hungry for violence.

³Be careful what you say and protect your life. A careless talker destroys himself.

⁴No matter how much a lazy person may want something, he will never get it. A hard worker will get everything he wants.

⁵Honest people hate lies, but the words of wicked people are shameful and disgraceful.

⁶Righteousness protects the innocent; wickedness is the downfall of sinners.

⁷Some people pretend to be rich, but have nothing. Others pretend to be poor, but own a fortune.

⁸The rich have to use their money to save their lives, but no one threatens the poor.

⁹The righteous are like a light shining brightly; the wicked are like a lamp flickering out.

¹⁰Arrogance causes nothing but trouble. It is wiser to ask for advice.

¹¹The more easily you get your wealth, the sooner you will lose it. The harder it is to earn, the more you will have.

¹²When hope is crushed, the heart is crushed, but a wish come true fills you with joy.

¹³If you refuse good advice, you are asking for trouble; follow it and you are safe.

¹⁴The teachings of the wise are a fountain of life; they will help you escape when your life is in danger.

¹⁵Intelligence wins respect, but those who can’t be trusted are on the road to ruin.^r

¹⁶Sensible people always think before they act, but stupid people advertise their ignorance.

¹⁷Unreliable messengers cause trouble, but those who can be trusted bring peace.

¹⁸Someone who will not learn will be poor and disgraced. Anyone who listens to correction is respected.

¹⁹How good it is to get what you want! Stupid people refuse to turn away from evil.

²⁰Keep company with the wise and you will become wise. If you make friends with stupid people, you will be ruined.

²¹Trouble follows sinners everywhere, but righteous people will be rewarded with good things.

²²Good people will have wealth to leave to their grandchildren, but the wealth of sinners will go to the righteous.

²³Unused fields could yield plenty of food for the poor, but unjust people keep them from being farmed.^s

²⁴If you don’t punish your son, you don’t love him. If you do love him, you will correct him.

²⁵The righteous have enough to eat, but the wicked are always hungry.

14Homes are made by the wisdom of women, but are destroyed by foolishness.

²Be honest and you show that you have reverence for the Lord; be dishonest and you show that you do not.

³Proud fools talk too much; the words of the wise protect them.

⁴Without any oxen to pull the plough your barn will be empty, but with them it will be full of corn.^t

⁵A reliable witness always tells the truth, but an unreliable one tells nothing but lies.

⁶Conceited people can never become wise, but intelligent people learn easily.

⁷Stay away from foolish people; they have nothing to teach you.

⁸Why is a clever person wise? Because he knows what to do. Why is a stupid person foolish? Because he only thinks he knows.

⁹Foolish people don’t care if they sin, but good people want to be forgiven.^u

¹⁰Your joy is your own; your bitterness is your own. No one can share them with you.

¹¹A good person’s house will still be standing after an evildoer’s house has been destroyed.

^12*What you think is the right road may lead to death.

¹³Laughter may hide sadness. When happiness is gone, sorrow is always there.

¹⁴Bad people will get what they deserve. Good people will be rewarded for their deeds.^v

¹⁵A fool will believe anything; sensible people watch their step.

¹⁶Wise people are careful to stay out of trouble, but stupid people are careless and act too quickly.

¹⁷People with a hot temper do foolish things; wiser people remain calm.^w

¹⁸Ignorant people get what their foolishness deserves, but the clever are rewarded with knowledge.

¹⁹Evil people will have to bow down to the righteous and humbly beg their favour.

²⁰No one likes the poor, not even their neighbours, but the rich have many friends.

²¹If you want to be happy, be kind to the poor; it is a sin to despise anyone.

²²You will earn the trust and respect of others if you work for good; if you work for evil, you are making a mistake.

²³Work and you will earn a living; if you sit around talking you will be poor.

²⁴Wise people are rewarded with wealth, but fools are known by^x their foolishness.

²⁵A witness saves lives when he tells the truth; when he tells lies, he betrays people.

²⁶Reverence for the Lord gives confidence and security to a man and his family.

²⁷Do you want to avoid death? Reverence for the Lord is a fountain of life.

²⁸A king’s greatness depends on how many people he rules; without them he is nothing.

²⁹If you stay calm, you are wise, but if you have a hot temper, you only show how stupid you are.

³⁰Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.

³¹If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.

³²Wicked people bring about their own downfall by their evil deeds, but good people are protected by their integrity.^y

³³Wisdom is in every thought of intelligent people; fools know nothing^z about wisdom.

³⁴Righteousness makes a nation great; sin is a disgrace to any nation.

³⁵Kings are pleased with competent officials, but they punish those who fail them.

15A gentle answer quietens anger, but a harsh one stirs it up.

²When wise people speak, they make knowledge attractive, but stupid people spout nonsense.

³The Lord sees what happens everywhere; he is watching us, whether we do good or evil.

⁴Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit.

⁵It is foolish to ignore what your father taught you; it is wise to accept his correction.

⁶Righteous people keep their wealth, but the wicked lose theirs when hard times come.

⁷Knowledge is spread by people who are wise, not by fools.

⁸The Lord is pleased when good people pray, but hates the sacrifices that the wicked bring him.

⁹The Lord hates the ways of evil people, but loves those who do what is right.

¹⁰If you do what is wrong, you will be severely punished; you will die if you do not let yourself be corrected.

¹¹Not even the world of the dead can keep the Lord from knowing what is there; how then can people hide their thoughts from God?

¹²Conceited people do not like to be corrected; they never ask for advice from those who are wiser.

¹³When people are happy, they smile, but when they are sad, they look depressed.

¹⁴Intelligent people want to learn, but stupid people are satisfied with ignorance.

¹⁵The life of the poor is a constant struggle, but happy people always enjoy life.

¹⁶Better to be poor and fear the Lord than to be rich and in trouble.

¹⁷Better to eat vegetables with people you love than to eat the finest meat where there is hate.

¹⁸Hot tempers cause arguments, but patience brings peace.

¹⁹If you are lazy, you will meet difficulty everywhere, but if you are honest, you will have no trouble.

²⁰Wise children make their fathers happy. Only fools despise their mothers.

²¹Stupid people are happy with their foolishness, but the wise will do what is right.

²²Get all the advice you can, and you will succeed; without it you will fail.

²³What a joy it is to find just the right word for the right occasion!

²⁴Wise people walk the road that leads upwards to life, not the road that leads downwards to death.

²⁵The Lord will destroy the homes of arrogant men, but he will protect a widow’s property.

²⁶The Lord hates evil thoughts, but he is pleased with friendly words.

²⁷If you try to make a profit dishonestly, you will get your family into trouble. Don’t take bribes and you will live longer.

²⁸Good people think before they answer. Evil people have a quick reply, but it causes trouble.

²⁹When good people pray, the Lord listens, but he ignores those who are evil.

³⁰Smiling faces make you happy, and good news makes you feel better.

³¹If you pay attention when you are corrected, you are wise.

³²If you refuse to learn, you are hurting yourself. If you accept correction, you will become wiser.

³³Reverence for the Lord is an education in itself. You must be humble before you can ever receive honours.