Proverbs 10–22

Proverbs of Solomon

10The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise child makes a father glad,

but a foolish child grieves his mother.

²Treasures of wickedness do not profit,

but righteousness delivers from death.

³Yahweh will not cause a righteous person^a to go hungry,

but the craving of the wicked he will thwart.

⁴A slack hand causes poverty,

but the hand of the diligent enriches.

⁵He who gathers in the summer is a child who is prudent;

he who sleeps at the harvest is a child who brings shame.

⁶Blessings belong to the head of the righteous,

but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

⁷The memory of righteousness is like a blessing,

but the name of the wicked will rot.

⁸A heart of wisdom will heed commandments,

but a babbling fool will come to ruin.

⁹Whoever walks in integrity^b will walk securely,

but whoever follows perversity, his ways will be made known.

¹⁰The winking of an eye causes^c trouble,

and the foolishness of lips comes to ruin.

¹¹A fountain of life is a mouth of righteousness,

and a mouth of wickedness conceals violence.

¹²Hatred stirs up strife,

but love covers over all offenses.

¹³On the lips of one who has understanding, wisdom is found,

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

¹⁴Those who are wise lay up knowledge,

but to the mouth of the fool, ruin draws near.

¹⁵The wealth of the rich is the city of his strength;

the ruin of the poor is their poverty.

¹⁶The wage of the righteous leads to life;

the gain of the wicked to sin.

¹⁷On the path to life is he who guards instruction,

but he who rejects rebuke goes astray.

¹⁸He who conceals hatred has lips of deceit,

and he who utters slander—he is a fool.

¹⁹In many words, transgression is not lacking,

but he who restrains his lips is prudent.

²⁰Choice silver is a tongue of righteousness,

a heart^e of wickedness is of little worth.^f

²¹Lips of righteousness feed many,

but fools die for lack of sense.^g

²²The blessing of Yahweh makes one rich,

and he does not increase sorrow with it.

²³It is like a sport for a fool to do wrong,

wisdom for a person of understanding.

²⁴The dread of the wicked will come upon him,

but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

²⁵With the passing of the tempest, there is no wickedness,

but the righteous have a foundation forever.

²⁶Like vinegar to the tooth and like smoke to the eyes,

thus is the lazy to one who employs^h him.

²⁷The fear of Yahweh adds life,

but the years of the wicked are shortened.

²⁸The hope of the righteous is gladness,

but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing.

²⁹A stronghold for the upright is the way of Yahweh,

but ruin belongs to evildoers.ⁱ

³⁰The righteous one is forever; he will not be removed.

But the wicked will not remain in the land.^j

³¹The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,

but a tongue of perversity will be cut off.

³²The lips of the righteous know the acceptable,

but the mouth of the wicked, the perverse.

11Balances of deceit are an abomination of Yahweh,

but an accurate weight^a delights him.

²Pride comes, then disgrace comes,

but wisdom is with the humble.

³The integrity of the upright guides them,

but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.

⁴Wealth does not profit on the day of wrath,

but righteousness will deliver from death.

⁵The righteousness of the blameless will keep his ways straight,

but the wicked will fall by his wickedness.

⁶The righteousness of the upright will save them,

but by a scheme the treacherous will be taken captive.

⁷With the death of a wicked person, hope will die,

and the expectation of the godless perishes.

⁸The righteous is delivered from trouble,

but the wicked enters into it.

⁹With a mouth, the godless shall destroy his neighbor,

but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.

¹⁰When good is with the righteous, the city rejoices,

and with the perishing of the wicked, jubilation.

¹¹By the blessing of the upright, a city will be exalted,

but by the mouth of the wicked, it will be overthrown.

¹²He who lacks sense^b belittles his neighbor,

but a person of intelligence will remain silent.

¹³A gossip walks about telling a secret,

but the trustworthy in spirit keeps the matter.

¹⁴Where there is no guidance, a nation^c shall fall,

but there is safety in an abundance of counsel.

¹⁵He will suffer trouble when he loans to a stranger,

but he who refuses a pledge is safe.

¹⁶A woman of grace receives honor,

but the ruthless gets wealth.

¹⁷A person of kindness rewards himself,^d

but a cruel person harms his own flesh.

¹⁸The wicked earns^e deceptive gain,^f

but he who sows righteousness, a true reward.^g

¹⁹He who is steadfast in righteousness is to life

as^h he who pursues evil is to death.

²⁰An abomination of Yahweh are the crooked of heart,ⁱ

but his delight are those with blameless ways.^j

²¹Rest assured,^k the wicked will not go unpunished,

but the offspring^l of the righteous will escape.

²²A ring of gold in the snout of a pig

is a woman who is beautiful but without discretion.

²³The desire of the righteous is only good,

but the expectation of the wicked, wrath.

²⁴There is one who gives yet grows richer,^m

but he who withholds what is rightⁿ only finds need.

²⁵A person of blessing will be enriched,

and he who gives water also will be refreshed.

²⁶He who withholds grain, the people curse him,

but a blessing is for the head of him who sells.

²⁷He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,

but he who inquires of evil, it will come to him.

²⁸He who trusts in his wealth is he who will fall,

but like a green leaf the righteous will flourish.

²⁹He who brings trouble to his household, he will inherit wind,^o

and a fool will serve the wise of heart.

³⁰The fruit of righteousness is a tree of life,

and he who captures souls^p is wise.

³¹If the righteous on earth will be repaid,

how much more^q the wicked and sinner.

12He who loves discipline loves knowledge,

but he who hates rebuke is stupid.

²The good obtains favor from Yahweh,

but anyone who schemes, he condemns.

³A person will not be established by wickedness,

but the root of the righteous will not be moved.

⁴A woman of strength^a is the crown of her master,^b

but like rot in his bones is she who brings shame.

⁵The thoughts of the righteous are^c just;

the advice of the wicked is treacherous.

⁶The words of the wicked are an ambush of blood,

but the mouth of the upright delivers them.

⁷The wicked are overthrown and are no more,^d

but the house of the righteous shall stand.

⁸For his mouth of good sense, a man will be recommended,

but he who is of perverse mind^e will be despised.

⁹It is better to be lowly and a servant to someone^f

than self-glorifying and lacking food.

¹⁰The righteous knows the life^g of his animal,

but the compassion^h of the wicked is cruel.

¹¹He who works his land will have plenty of food,

but he who follows worthless things lacks sense.ⁱ

¹²The wicked covets the proceeds of evil,

but the root of the righteous bears fruit.^j

¹³By the transgression of lips, evil is ensnared,

but the righteous escapes from trouble.

¹⁴From the fruit of the mouth of a man, he is filled with good,

and the reward of a man’s labor^k will return to him.

¹⁵The way of a fool is upright in his own eyes,

but he who listens to advice is wise.

¹⁶As for a fool, on that very day^l he makes his anger known,

but he who ignores an insult is prudent.

¹⁷He who will speak truth will reveal righteousness,

but the witness of falsehood, deceit.

¹⁸There is one who speaks rashly, like the thrust of a sword,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹A lip of truth endures forever,

but a tongue of deception lasts only a moment.

²⁰Deceit is in the heart^m of those who planⁿ evil,

but to those who plan^o peace, there is joy.

²¹No evil will happen^p to the righteous,

but the wicked are filled with trouble.

²²An abomination of Yahweh are lips of deceit,

but they who act faithfully are his delight.

²³A clever person conceals knowledge,

but the heart^q of a fool^r announces folly.

²⁴The hand of the diligent ones will rule,

but the lazy will belong to forced labor.

²⁵Anxiety in the heart^s of a man will weigh him down,

but a good word will cheer him.

²⁶A righteous person will seek out his neighbor,

but the way of the wicked will lead them astray.

²⁷The lazy will not roast his game,

but diligence is the precious wealth of a man.

²⁸On the road of righteousness is life,

and on the way of the path, may there be no death.

13A wise child hears the discipline of a father,

but a scoffer does not listen to a rebuke.

²From the fruit of the mouth of a man, he shall eat what is good,

but the desire^a of the treacherous, wrongdoing.

³He who keeps his mouth guards his life;^b

he who opens his lips, ruin belongs to him.

⁴The soul^c of the lazy craves, but there is nothing,

but the person of diligence is richly supplied.

⁵The righteous hates a word of falsehood;

the wicked will bring shame and disgrace.^d

⁶Righteousness will guard the upright of way,

but wickedness will overthrow sin.

⁷There is one who acts rich but has nothing;^e

another who pretends to be poor but has wealth.

⁸The ransom of the life of a man is his wealth,

but the poor does not receive a threat.

⁹The light of the righteous will rejoice,

but the lamp of the wicked will die out.

¹⁰Only by insolence is strife set up,

and wisdom is with those who take advice.

¹¹Wealth gained from haste^f will dwindle,

but he who gathers little by little^g will increase it.

¹²Hope that is deferred makes the heart^h sick,

but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

¹³He who despises a word will bring destruction on himself,

but he who respects a commandment will be rewarded.

¹⁴The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,

in order to avoid the snares of death.

¹⁵Good sense grants favor,

but the way of the faithless is coarse.

¹⁶Anyone who is clever will act with intelligence,

but the fool will display folly.

¹⁷A messenger of wickedness will fall into trouble,

but an envoy of the faithful brings healing.

¹⁸Poverty and disgrace belong to him who…