Proverbs 13

Walk with the Wise

¹13Intelligent children listen to their parents;

foolish children do their own thing.

²The good acquire a taste for helpful conversation;

bullies push and shove their way through life.

³Careful words make for a careful life;

careless talk may ruin everything.

⁴Indolence wants it all and gets nothing;

the energetic have something to show for their lives.

⁵A good person hates false talk;

a bad person wallows in gibberish.

⁶A God-loyal life keeps you on track;

sin dumps the wicked in the ditch.

⁷A pretentious, showy life is an empty life;

a plain and simple life is a full life.

⁸The rich can be sued for everything they have,

but the poor are free of such threats.

⁹The lives of good people are brightly lit streets;

the lives of the wicked are dark alleys.

¹⁰Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord,

but wise men and women listen to each other’s counsel.

¹¹Easy come, easy go,

but steady diligence pays off.

¹²Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick,

but a sudden good break can turn life around.

¹³Ignore the Word and suffer;

honor God’s commands and grow rich.

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

so, no more drinking from death-tainted wells!

¹⁵Sound thinking makes for gracious living,

but liars walk a rough road.

¹⁶A commonsense person lives good sense;

fools litter the country with silliness.

¹⁷Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things,

but a reliable reporter is a healing presence.

¹⁸Refuse discipline and end up homeless;

embrace correction and live an honored life.

¹⁹Souls who follow their hearts thrive;

fools bent on evil despise matters of soul.

²⁰Become wise by walking with the wise;

hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

²¹Disaster entraps sinners,

but God-loyal people get a good life.

²²A good life gets passed on to the grandchildren;

ill-gotten wealth ends up with good people.

²³Banks foreclose on the farms of the poor,

or else the poor lose their shirts to crooked lawyers.

²⁴A refusal to correct is a refusal to love;

love your children by disciplining them.

²⁵An appetite for good brings much satisfaction,

but the belly of the wicked always wants more.