Proverbs 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 judgment.

²⁴Whoso is sparing his rod is hating his son, And whoso is loving him hath hastened him chastisement.

²⁵The righteous is eating to the satiety of his soul, And the belly of the wicked lacketh!

Chapter 14