Proverbs 10:1–22:16

¹Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son causeth a father to rejoice, And a foolish son is an affliction to his mother.

²Treasures of wickedness profit not, And righteousness delivereth from death. ³Jehovah causeth not the soul of the righteous to hunger, And the desire of the wicked He thrusteth away.

⁴Poor is he who is working—a slothful hand, And the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

⁵Whoso is gathering in summer is a wise son, Whoso is sleeping in harvest is a son causing shame.

⁶Blessings are for the head of the righteous, And the mouth of the wicked cover doth violence.

⁷The remembrance of the righteous is for a blessing, And the name of the wicked doth rot.

⁸The wise in heart accepteth commands, And a talkative fool kicketh.

⁹Whoso is walking in integrity walketh confidently, And whoso is perverting his ways is known.

¹⁰Whoso is winking the eye giveth grief, And a talkative fool kicketh.

¹¹A fountain of life is the mouth of the righteous, And the mouth of the wicked cover doth violence.

¹²Hatred awaketh contentions, And over all transgressions love covereth.

¹³In the lips of the intelligent is wisdom found, And a rod is for the back of him who is lacking understanding.

¹⁴The wise lay up knowledge, and the mouth of a fool is near ruin.

¹⁵The wealth of the rich is his strong city, The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

¹⁶The wage of the righteous is for life, The increase of the wicked for sin.

¹⁷A traveller to life is he who is keeping instruction, And whoso is forsaking rebuke is erring.

¹⁸Whoso is covering hatred with lying lips, And whoso is bringing out an evil report is a fool.

¹⁹In the abundance of words transgression ceaseth not, And whoso is restraining his lips is wise.

²⁰The tongue of the righteous is chosen silver, The heart of the wicked—as a little thing. ²¹The lips of the righteous delight many, And fools for lack of heart die.

²²The blessing of Jehovah—it maketh rich, And He addeth no grief with it.

²³To execute inventions is as play to a fool, And wisdom to a man of understanding.

²⁴The feared thing of the wicked it meeteth him, And the desire of the righteous is given. ²⁵As the passing by of a hurricane, So the wicked is not, And the righteous is a foundation age-during.

²⁶As vinegar to the teeth, And as smoke to the eyes, So is the slothful to those sending him.

²⁷The fear of Jehovah addeth days, And the years of the wicked are shortened. ²⁸The hope of the righteous is joyful, And the expectation of the wicked perisheth.

²⁹The way of Jehovah is strength to the perfect, And ruin to workers of iniquity. ³⁰The righteous to the age is not moved, And the wicked inhabit not the earth.

³¹The mouth of the righteous uttereth wisdom, And the tongue of frowardness is cut out. ³²The lips of the righteous know a pleasing thing, And the mouth of the wicked perverseness!

Chapter 11

¹Balances of deceit are an abomination to Jehovah, And a perfect weight is His delight.

²Pride hath come, and shame cometh, And with the lowly is wisdom.

³The integrity of the upright leadeth them, And the perverseness of the treacherous destroyeth them.

⁴Wealth profiteth not in a day of wrath, And righteousness delivereth from death.

⁵The righteousness of the perfect maketh right his way, And by his wickedness doth the wicked fall. ⁶The righteousness of the upright delivereth them, And in mischief the treacherous are captured.

⁷In the death of a wicked man, hope perisheth, And the expectation of the iniquitous hath been lost.

⁸The righteous from distress is drawn out, And the wicked goeth in instead of him.

⁹With the mouth a hypocrite corrupteth his friend, And by knowledge the righteous are drawn out.

¹⁰In the good of the righteous a city exulteth, And in the destruction of the wicked is singing. ¹¹By the blessing of the upright is a city exalted, And by the mouth of the wicked thrown down.

¹²Whoso is despising his neighbour lacketh heart, And a man of understanding keepeth silence. ¹³A busybody is revealing secret counsel, And the faithful of spirit is covering the matter.

¹⁴Without counsels do a people fall, And deliverance is in a multitude of counsellors.

¹⁵Evil one suffereth when he hath been surety for a stranger, And whoso is hating suretyship is confident.

¹⁶A gracious woman retaineth honour, And terrible men retain riches.

¹⁷A kind man is rewarding his own soul, And the fierce is troubling his own flesh.

¹⁸The wicked is getting a lying wage, And whoso is sowing righteousness—a true reward.

¹⁹Rightly is righteousness for life, And whoso is pursuing evil—for his own death.

²⁰An abomination to Jehovah are the perverse of heart, And the perfect of the way are His delight.

²¹Hand to hand, the wicked is not acquitted, And the seed of the righteous hath escaped.

²²A ring of gold in the nose of a sow—A fair woman and stubborn of behaviour.

²³The desire of the righteous is only good, The hope of the wicked is transgression.

²⁴There is who is scattering, and yet is increased, And who is keeping back from uprightness, only to want.

²⁵A liberal soul is made fat, And whoso is watering, he also is watered.

²⁶Whoso is withholding corn, the people execrate him, And a blessing is for the head of him who is selling.

²⁷Whoso is earnestly seeking good Seeketh a pleasing thing, And whoso is seeking evil—it meeteth him.

²⁸Whoso is confident in his wealth he falleth, And as a leaf, the righteous flourish.

²⁹Whoso is troubling his own house inheriteth wind, And a servant is the fool to the wise of heart.

³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And whoso is taking souls is wise.

³¹Lo, the righteous in the earth is recompensed, Surely also the wicked and the sinner!

Chapter 12

¹Whoso is loving instruction, is loving knowledge, And whoso is hating reproof is brutish.

²The good bringeth forth favour from Jehovah, And the man of wicked devices He condemneth.

³A man is not established by wickedness, And the root of the righteous is not moved.

⁴A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband, And as rottenness in his bones is one causing shame.

⁵The thoughts of the righteous are justice, The counsels of the wicked—deceit.

⁶The words of the wicked are: ‘Lay wait for blood,’ And the mouth of the upright delivereth them.

⁷Overthrow the wicked, and they are not, And the house of the righteous standeth.

⁸According to his wisdom is a man praised, And the perverted of heart becometh despised.

⁹Better is the lightly esteemed who hath a servant, Than the self-honoured who lacketh bread.

¹⁰The righteous knoweth the life of his beast, And the mercies of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹Whoso is tilling the ground is satisfied with bread, And whoso is pursuing vanities is lacking heart,

¹²The wicked hath desired the net of evil doers, And the root of the righteous giveth.

¹³In transgression of the lips is the snare of the wicked, And the righteous goeth out from distress.

¹⁴From the fruit of the mouth is one satisfied with good, And the deed of man’s hands returneth to him.

¹⁵The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, And whoso is hearkening to counsel is wise.

¹⁶The fool—in a day is his anger known, And the prudent is covering shame.

¹⁷Whoso uttereth faithfulness declareth righteousness, And a false witness—deceit.

¹⁸A rash speaker is like piercings of a sword, And the tongue of the wise is healing.

¹⁹The lip of truth is established for ever, And for a moment—a tongue of falsehood.

²⁰Deceit is in the heart of those devising evil, And to those counselling peace is joy.

²¹No iniquity is desired by the righteous, And the wicked have been full of evil.

²²An abomination to Jehovah are lying lips, And stedfast doers are his delight.

²³A prudent man is concealing knowledge, And the heart of fools proclaimeth folly.

²⁴The hand of the diligent ruleth, And slothfulness becometh tributary.

²⁵Sorrow in the heart of a man boweth down, And a good word maketh him glad.

²⁶The righteous searcheth his companion, And the way of the wicked causeth them to err.

²⁷The slothful roasteth not his hunting, And the wealth of a diligent man is precious.

²⁸In the path of righteousness is life, And in the way of that path is no death!

Chapter 13

¹A wise son—the instruction of a father, And a scorner—he hath not heard rebuke.

²From the fruit of the mouth a man eateth good, And the soul of the treacherous—violence.

³Whoso is keeping his mouth, is keeping his soul, Whoso is opening wide his lips—ruin to him!

⁴The soul of the slothful is desiring, and hath not. And the soul of the diligent is made fat.

⁵A false word the righteous hateth, And the wicked causeth abhorrence, and is confounded.

⁶Righteousness keepeth him who is perfect in the way, And wickedness overthroweth a sin offering.

⁷There is who is making himself rich, and hath nothing, Who is making himself poor, and wealth is abundant.

⁸The ransom of a man’s life are his riches, And the poor hath not heard rebuke.

⁹The light of the righteous rejoiceth, And the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

¹⁰A vain man through pride causeth debate, And with the counselled is wisdom.

¹¹Wealth from vanity becometh little, And whoso is gathering by the hand becometh great.

¹²Hope prolonged is making the heart sick, And a tree of life is the coming desire.

¹³Whoso is despising the Word is destroyed for it, And whoso is fearing the Command is repayed.

¹⁴The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.

¹⁵Good understanding giveth grace, And the way of the treacherous is hard.

¹⁶Every prudent one dealeth with knowledge, And a fool spreadeth out folly.

¹⁷A wicked messenger falleth into evil, And a faithful ambassador is healing.

¹⁸Whoso is refusing instruction—poverty and shame, And whoso is observing reproof is honoured.

¹⁹A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, And an abomination to fools is: Turn from evil.

²⁰Whoso is walking with wise men is wise, And a companion of fools suffereth evil.

²¹Evil pursueth sinners, And good recompenseth the righteous.

²²A good man causeth sons’ sons to inherit, And laid up for the righteous is the sinner’s wealth.

²³Abundance of food—the tillage of the poor, And substance is consumed without…