Proverbs 10–16

A Collection of Solomon’s Proverbs

10Solomon’s proverbs: ^b

A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish son, heartache to his mother. ^c

²Ill-gotten gains do not profit anyone,

but righteousness rescues from death. ^d

³The Lord will not let the righteous go hungry, ^e

but He denies the wicked what they crave. ^f

⁴Idle hands make one poor,

but diligent hands bring riches. ^g

⁵The son who gathers during summer is prudent;

the son who sleeps during harvest is disgraceful. ^h

⁶Blessings are on the head of the righteous,

but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. ⁱ

⁷The remembrance of the righteous is a blessing,

but the name of the wicked will rot. ^j

⁸A wise heart accepts commands, ^k

but foolish lips will be destroyed.

⁹The one who lives with integrity lives securely, ^l

but whoever perverts his ways will be found out. ^m

¹⁰A sly wink of the eye ⁿcauses grief,

and foolish lips will be destroyed.

¹¹The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, ^o

but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. ^p

¹²Hatred stirs up conflicts,

but love covers all offenses. ^q

¹³Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,

but a rod is for the back of the one who lacks sense. ^r

¹⁴The wise store up knowledge,

but the mouth of the fool hastens destruction. ^s

¹⁵A rich man’s wealth is his fortified city; ^t

the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

¹⁶The labor of the righteous leads to life;

the activity of the wicked leads to sin. ^u

¹⁷The one who follows instruction is on the path to life,

but the one who rejects correction goes astray. ^v

¹⁸The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,

and whoever spreads slander is a fool. ^w

¹⁹When there are many words, sin is unavoidable,

but the one who controls his lips is wise. ^x

²⁰The tongue of the righteous is pure silver;

the heart of the wicked is of little value. ^y

²¹The lips of the righteous feed many,

but fools die for lack of sense. ^z

²²The Lord’s blessing enriches, ^a

and struggle adds nothing to it. ^bc

²³As shameful conduct is pleasure for a fool, ^d

so wisdom is for a man of understanding.

²⁴What the wicked dreads will come to him, ^e

but what the righteous desire will be given to them. ^f

²⁵When the whirlwind passes,

the wicked are no more, ^g

but the righteous are secure forever. ^h

²⁶Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, ⁱ

so the slacker is to the one who sends him on an errand.

²⁷The fear of the Lord prolongs life, ^jk

but the years of the wicked are cut short. ^l

²⁸The hope of the righteous is joy, ^m

but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing. ⁿ

²⁹The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the honorable,

but destruction awaits the malicious. ^o

³⁰The righteous will never be shaken,

but the wicked will not remain on the earth. ^p

³¹The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom, ^q

but a perverse tongue will be cut out. ^r

³²The lips of the righteous know what is appropriate, ^s

but the mouth of the wicked, only what is perverse. ^t

11Dishonest scales are detestable to the Lord, ^u

but an accurate weight is His delight. ^v

²When pride comes, disgrace follows,

but with humility comes wisdom. ^w

³The integrity of the upright guides them, ^x

but the perversity of the treacherous destroys them. ^y

⁴Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath,

but righteousness rescues from death. ^z

⁵The righteousness of the blameless clears his path,

but the wicked person will fall because of his wickedness.

⁶The righteousness of the upright rescues them,

but the treacherous are trapped by their own desires. ^a

⁷When the wicked man dies,

his expectation comes to nothing,

and hope placed in wealth ^bcvanishes. ^d

⁸The righteous one is rescued from trouble;

in his place, the wicked one goes in. ^e

⁹With his mouth the ungodly destroys his neighbor,

but through knowledge the righteous are rescued.

¹⁰When the righteous thrive, a city rejoices, ^f

and when the wicked die, there is joyful shouting.

¹¹A city is built up by the blessing of the upright, ^g

but it is torn down by the mouth of the wicked. ^h

¹²Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks sense,

but a man with understanding keeps silent. ⁱ

¹³A gossip goes around revealing a secret,

but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence. ^j

¹⁴Without guidance, people fall,

but with many counselors there is deliverance. ^k

¹⁵If someone puts up security for a stranger,

he will suffer for it, ^l

but the one who hates such agreements is protected.

¹⁶A gracious woman gains honor,

but violent ^mmen gain only riches.

¹⁷A kind man benefits himself, ⁿ

but a cruel man brings disaster on himself. ^o

¹⁸The wicked man earns an empty wage,

but the one who sows righteousness, a true reward. ^p

¹⁹Genuine righteousness leads to life, ^q

but pursuing evil leads to death. ^r

²⁰Those with twisted minds are detestable to the Lord,

but those with blameless conduct are His delight. ^s

²¹Be assured ^tthat the wicked

will not go unpunished, ^u

but the offspring of the righteous will escape.

²²A beautiful woman who rejects good sense

is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout. ^v

²³The desire of the righteous turns out well, ^w

but the hope of the wicked leads to wrath. ^x

²⁴One person gives freely,

yet gains more; ^y

another withholds what is right,

only to become poor. ^z

²⁵A generous person will be enriched, ^a

and the one who gives a drink of water

will receive water. ^b

²⁶People will curse ^canyone who hoards grain,

but a blessing will come to the one who sells it. ^d

²⁷The one who searches for what is good ^efinds favor,

but if someone looks for trouble, it will come to him. ^f

²⁸Anyone trusting in his riches will fall, ^g

but the righteous will flourish like foliage. ^h

²⁹The one who brings ruin on his household ⁱ

will inherit the wind, ^j

and a fool will be a slave

to someone whose heart is wise.

³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, ^k

but violence ^ltakes lives.

³¹If the righteous will be repaid on earth,

how much more the wicked and sinful. ^m

12Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but one who hates correction is stupid. ⁿ

²The good person obtains favor from the Lord, ^o

but He condemns a man who schemes. ^p

³Man cannot be made secure by wickedness,

but the root of the righteous is immovable. ^q

⁴A capable wife ^ris her husband’s crown, ^s

but a wife who causes shame

is like rottenness in his bones. ^t

⁵The thoughts of the righteous are just,

but guidance from the wicked leads to deceit.

⁶The words of the wicked are a deadly ambush, ^u

but the speech of the upright rescues them. ^v

⁷The wicked are overthrown and perish, ^w

but the house of the righteous will stand. ^x

⁸A man is praised for his insight,

but a twisted mind is despised.

⁹Better to be dishonored, yet have a servant,

than to act important but have no food. ^y

¹⁰A righteous man cares about his animal’s health, ^z

but even the merciful acts of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹The one who works his land will have plenty of food, ^a

but whoever chases fantasies lacks sense. ^b

¹²The wicked desire what evil men have, ^c

but the root of the righteous produces fruit.

¹³An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech, ^d

but a righteous one escapes from trouble. ^e

¹⁴A man will be satisfied with good

by the words of his mouth, ^f

and the work of a man’s hands will reward him. ^g

¹⁵A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, ^h

but whoever listens to counsel is wise.

¹⁶A fool’s displeasure is known at once,

but whoever ignores an insult is sensible. ⁱ

¹⁷Whoever speaks the truth declares what is right,

but a false witness, deceit. ^j

¹⁸There is one who speaks rashly,

like a piercing sword; ^k

but the tongue of the wise brings healing. ^l

¹⁹Truthful lips endure forever,

but a lying tongue, only a moment. ^m

²⁰Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,

but those who promote peace have joy. ⁿ

²¹No disaster overcomes the righteous, ^o

but the wicked are full of misery.

²²Lying lips are detestable to the Lord, ^p

but faithful people are His delight. ^q

²³A shrewd person conceals knowledge,

but a foolish heart publicizes stupidity. ^r

²⁴The diligent hand will rule,

but laziness will lead to forced labor. ^s

²⁵Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,

but a good word cheers it up. ^t

²⁶A righteous man is careful in dealing with his neighbor, ^u

but the ways of the wicked lead them astray. ^v

²⁷A lazy man doesn’t roast his game, ^w

but to a diligent man, his wealth is precious. ^x

²⁸There is life in the path of righteousness,

but another path leads to death. ^yz

13A wise son responds to his father’s discipline,

but a mocker doesn’t listen to rebuke.

²From the words of his mouth,

a man will enjoy good things, ^a

but treacherous people have an appetite for violence. ^b

³The one who guards his mouth protects his life; ^c

the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin. ^d

⁴The slacker craves, yet has nothing,

but the diligent is fully satisfied. ^e

⁵The righteous hate lying,

but the wicked act disgustingly and disgracefully.

⁶Righteousness guards people of integrity, ^f

but wickedness undermines the sinner. ^g

⁷One man pretends to be rich but has nothing; ^h

another pretends to be poor but has great wealth. ⁱ

⁸Riches are a ransom for a man’s life, ^j

but a poor man hears no threat.

⁹The light of the righteous shines brightly, ^k

but the lamp of the wicked is put out. ^l

¹⁰Arrogance leads to nothing but strife, ^m

but wisdom is gained by those who take advice.

¹¹Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle, ⁿ

but whoever earns it through labor ^owill multiply it. ^p

¹²Delayed hope makes the heart sick,

but fulfilled desire is a tree of life. ^q

¹³The one who has contempt for instruction will pay the penalty, ^r

but the one who respects a command will be rewarded. ^s

¹⁴A wise man’s instruction is a fountain of life, ^t

turning people away from the snares of death. ^u

¹⁵Good sense wins favor, ^v

but the way of the treacherous never changes. ^w

¹⁶Every sensible person acts knowledgeably,

but a fool displays his stupidity. ^x

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into trouble,

but a trustworthy courier brings healing. ^y

¹⁸Poverty and disgrace come to those

who ignore discipline,

but the one who accepts correction will be honored. ^z

¹⁹Desire fulfilled is sweet to the taste,

but to…