1 Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool. 2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes. 3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD. 4 Wealth makes many "friends"; poverty drives them all away. 5 A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape. 6 Many seek favors from a ruler; everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts! 7 The relatives of the poor despise them; how much more will their friends avoid them! Though the poor plead with them, their friends are gone. 8 To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper. 9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed. 10 It isn't right for a fool to live in luxury or for a slave to rule over princes! 11 Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. 12 The king's anger is like a lion's roar, but his favor is like dew on the grass. 13 A foolish child is a calamity to a father; a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping. 14 Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the LORD can give an understanding wife. 15 Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry. 16 Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death. 17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD-- and he will repay you! 18 Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives. 19 Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again. 20 Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. 21 You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail. 22 Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. 23 Fear of the LORD leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm. 24 Lazy people take food in their hand but don't even lift it to their mouth. 25 If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser. 26 Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace. 27 If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge. 28 A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. 29 Punishment is made for mockers, and the backs of fools are made to be beaten.
1 Better to be poor and honest than a rich person no one can trust. 2 Ignorant zeal is worthless; haste makes waste. 3 People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does GOD always get blamed? 4 Wealth attracts friends as honey draws flies, but poor people are avoided like a plague. 5 Perjury won't go unpunished. Would you let a liar go free? 6 Lots of people flock around a generous person; everyone's a friend to the philanthropist. 7 When you're down on your luck, even your family avoids you--yes, even your best friends wish you'd get lost. If they see you coming, they look the other way--out of sight, out of mind. 8 Grow a wise heart--you'll do yourself a favor; keep a clear head--you'll find a good life. 9 The person who tells lies gets caught; the person who spreads rumors is ruined. 10 Blockheads shouldn't live on easy street any more than workers should give orders to their boss. 11 Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget. 12 Mean-tempered leaders are like mad dogs; the good-natured are like fresh morning dew. 13 A parent is worn to a frazzle by a stupid child; a nagging spouse is a leaky faucet. 14 House and land are handed down from parents, but a congenial spouse comes straight from GOD. 15 Life collapses on loafers; lazybones go hungry. 16 Keep the rules and keep your life; careless living kills. 17 Mercy to the needy is a loan to GOD, and GOD pays back those loans in full. 18 Discipline your children while you still have the chance; indulging them destroys them. 19 Let angry people endure the backlash of their own anger; if you try to make it better, you'll only make it worse. 20 Take good counsel and accept correction--that's the way to live wisely and well. 21 We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but GOD's purpose prevails. 22 It's only human to want to make a buck, but it's better to be poor than a liar. 23 Fear-of-GOD is life itself, a full life, and serene--no nasty surprises. 24 Some people dig a fork into the pie but are too lazy to raise it to their mouth. 25 Punish the insolent--make an example of them. Who knows? Somebody might learn a good lesson. 26 Kids who lash out against their parents are an embarrassment and disgrace. 27 If you quit listening, dear child, and strike off on your own, you'll soon be out of your depth. 28 An unprincipled witness desecrates justice; the mouths of the wicked spew malice. 29 The irreverent have to learn reverence the hard way; only a slap in the face brings fools to attention.
1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. 2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. 3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD. 4 Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. 5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. 6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. 7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him. 8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good. 9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish. 10 Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes. 11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. 12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass. 13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. 14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD. 15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. 16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die. 17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. 18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. 19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. 20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. 21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. 22 The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. 24 A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. 25 Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge. 26 He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach. 27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. 28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity. 29 Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.
1 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. 2 Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, And he sins who hastens with his feet. 3 The foolishness of a man twists his way, And his heart frets against the LORD. 4 Wealth makes many friends, But the poor is separated from his friend. 5 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape. 6 Many entreat the favor of the nobility, And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts. 7 All the brothers of the poor hate him; How much more do his friends go far from him! He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him. 8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. 9 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish. 10 Luxury is not fitting for a fool, Much less for a servant to rule over princes. 11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression. 12 The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass. 13 A foolish son is the ruin of his father, And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping. 14 Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD. 15 Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger. 16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of his ways will die. 17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given. 18 Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction. 19 A man of great wrath will suffer punishment; For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again. 20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. 21 There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the LORD's counsel--that will stand. 22 What is desired in a man is kindness, And a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. 24 A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. 25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary; Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge. 26 He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother Is a son who causes shame and brings reproach. 27 Cease listening to instruction, my son, And you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28 A disreputable witness scorns justice, And the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. 29 Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And beatings for the backs of fools.
1 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool. 2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs. 3 The foolishness of man ruins his way, And his heart rages against the LORD. 4 Wealth adds many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend. 5 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will not escape. 6 Many will seek the favor of a generous man, And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. 7 All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone. 8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. 9 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish. 10 Luxury is not fitting for a fool; Much less for a slave to rule over princes. 11 A man's discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression. 12 The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass. 13 A foolish son is destruction to his father, And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping. 14 House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD. 15 Laziness casts into a deep sleep, And an idle man will suffer hunger. 16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die. 17 One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed. 18 Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death. 19 A man of great anger will bear the penalty, For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again. 20 Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days. 21 Many plans are in a man's heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand. 22 What is desirable in a man is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor man than a liar. 23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil. 24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, But will not even bring it back to his mouth. 25 Strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd, But reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge. 26 He who assaults his father and drives his mother away Is a shameful and disgraceful son. 27 Cease listening, my son, to discipline, And you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28 A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice, And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity. 29 Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And blows for the back of fools.
1 BETTER IS a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is perverse in his speech and is a [self-confident] fool. 2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and to be overhasty is to sin and miss the mark. 3 The foolishness of man subverts his way [ruins his affairs]; then his heart is resentful and frets against the Lord. 4 Wealth makes many friends, but the poor man is avoided by his neighbor. 5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes out lies shall not escape. 6 Many will entreat the favor of a liberal man, and every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. 7 All the brothers of a poor man detest him--how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone. 8 He who gains Wisdom loves his own life; he who keeps understanding shall prosper and find good. 9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes forth lies shall perish. 10 Luxury is not fitting for a [self-confident] fool--much less for a slave to rule over princes. 11 Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offense. 12 The king's wrath is as terrifying as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as [refreshing as] dew upon the grass. 13 A self-confident and foolish son is the [multiplied] calamity of his father, and the contentions of a wife are like a continual dripping [of water through a chink in the roof]. 14 House and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding, and prudent wife is from the Lord. 15 Slothfulness casts one into a deep sleep, and the idle person shall suffer hunger. 16 He who keeps the commandment [of the Lord] keeps his own life, but he who despises His ways shall die. 17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him. 18 Discipline your son while there is hope, but do not [indulge your angry resentments by undue chastisements and] set yourself to his ruin. 19 A man of great wrath shall suffer the penalty; for if you deliver him [from the consequences], he will [feel free to] cause you to do it again. 20 Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come. 21 Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand. 22 That which is desired in a man is loyalty and kindness [and his glory and delight are his giving], but a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it rests satisfied; he cannot be visited with [actual] evil. 24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. 25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will increase in knowledge. 26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who causes shame and brings reproach. 27 Cease, my son, to hear instruction only to ignore it and stray from the words of knowledge. 28 A worthless witness scoffs at justice, and the mouth of the wicked swallows iniquity. 29 Judgments are prepared for scoffers, and stripes for the backs of [self-confident] fools.
1 Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse. 2 It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. 3 A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD. 4 Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend deserts him. 5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free. 6 Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of a man who gives gifts. 7 A poor man is shunned by all his relatives- how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found. 8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers. 9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will perish. 10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury- how much worse for a slave to rule over princes! 11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. 12 A king's rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. 13 A foolish son is his father's ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping. 14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. 15 Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry. 16 He who obeys instructions guards his life, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die. 17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. 18 Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death. 19 A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it again. 20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. 21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. 22 What a man desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. 23 The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble. 24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth! 25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke a discerning man, and he will gain knowledge. 26 He who robs his father and drives out his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace. 27 Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. 29 Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.
1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. 2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. 3 When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD. 4 Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend. 5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape. 6 Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. 7 All a poor man's brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them. 8 Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good. 9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish. 10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, much less for a slave to rule over princes. 11 Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. 12 A king's wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. 13 A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. 14 House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. 15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. 16 Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die. 17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. 18 Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death. 19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again. 20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. 22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. 24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth. 25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge. 26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach. 27 Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28 A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. 29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools.