Proverbs 15

15A soft answer will turn away wrath,

but a word of trouble will stir anger.^a

²The tongue of the wise will dispense knowledge,

but the mouth of fools will pour out folly.

³In every place, the eyes of Yahweh

keep watch over the evil and the good.

⁴Gentleness^b of tongue is a tree of life,

but perverseness in it^c causes a break in spirit.

⁵A fool will despise the instruction of his father,

but he who guards reproof is prudent.

⁶In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,

but the income of the wicked brings trouble.

⁷The lips of the wise will spread knowledge,

but the heart^d of fools, not so.

⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination of Yahweh,

but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

⁹An abomination of Yahweh is the way of the wicked,

but he who pursues righteousness he will love.

¹⁰Severe discipline belongs to him who forsakes the way;

he who hates a rebuke will die.

¹¹Sheol^e and Abaddon^f are before Yahweh,

how much more^g the hearts of the children of men!

¹²A scoffer does not like his rebuke;^h

to the wise he will not go.

¹³A heartⁱ of gladness will make good countenance,^j

but in sorrow of heart^k a spirit is broken.

¹⁴The heart of him who understands will seek knowledge,

but the faces of fools, they^l will feed on folly.

¹⁵All the days of the poor are hard,

but goodness of heart^m is a continuous feast.

¹⁶Better is little with the fear of Yahweh

than great treasure and trouble with it.ⁿ

¹⁷Better is a dinner of vegetables when^o love is there

than a fattened ox and hatred with it.^p

¹⁸A man who is hot-tempered will stir up strife,

but he who is slow to anger,^q he will calm contention.

¹⁹The way of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns,^r

but the path of the upright is a highway.

²⁰A child of wisdom will make a father glad,

but a foolish person,^s he despises his mother.

²¹Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,^t

and a person of understanding will walk upright.^u

²²Plans go wrong when there is no counsel,

but with many advisors it will succeed.

²³Joy belongs to a man with answers in his mouth,

and a word in its time, how good it is!

²⁴The path of life leads upward for him who has insight,

in order to turn away from Sheol below.

²⁵The house of the proud, Yahweh will tear it down,

but he will maintain the property line^v of the widow.

²⁶Plans of evil are an abomination of Yahweh,

but gracious words are pure.

²⁷He who makes trouble for his house is he who is greedy for unjust gain,

but he who hates bribes will live.

²⁸A heart^w of righteousness will ponder the answer,

but a mouth of wickedness will pour out deceit.

²⁹Yahweh is far from the wicked,

but the prayers of the righteous he will hear.

³⁰From the light of the eyes, the heart^x will rejoice,

and good news will enliven the bones.^y

³¹The ear of him who listens to admonitions of life,

in the midst of the wise it will lodge.

³²He who ignores instruction despises himself,^z

but he who hears admonition gains heart.^a

³³Fear of Yahweh is the instruction of the wise,

and before honor comes humility.