Tag Archives: Bible Q&A

1 A wise woman builds her home,
    but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.

² Those who follow the right path fear the Lord;
    those who take the wrong path despise him.

³ A fool’s proud talk becomes a rod that beats him,
    but the words of the wise keep them safe.

⁴ Without oxen a stable stays clean,
    but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.

⁵ An honest witness does not lie;
    a false witness breathes lies.

⁶ A mocker seeks wisdom and never finds it,
    but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding.

⁷ Stay away from fools,
    for you won’t find knowledge on their lips.

⁸ The prudent understand where they are going,
    but fools deceive themselves.

⁹ Fools make fun of guilt,
    but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.

¹⁰ Each heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no one else can fully share its joy.

¹¹ The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
    but the tent of the godly will flourish.

¹² There is a path before each person that seems right,
    but it ends in death.

¹³ Laughter can conceal a heavy heart,
    but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.

¹⁴ Backsliders get what they deserve;
    good people receive their reward.

¹⁵ Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!
    The prudent carefully consider their steps.

¹⁶ The wise are cautious^[a] and avoid danger;
    fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.

¹⁷ Short-tempered people do foolish things,
    and schemers are hated.

¹⁸ Simpletons are clothed with foolishness,^[b]
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹ Evil people will bow before good people;
    the wicked will bow at the gates of the godly.

²⁰ The poor are despised even by their neighbors,
    while the rich have many “friends.”

²¹ It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor;
    blessed are those who help the poor.

²² If you plan to do evil, you will be lost;
    if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness.

²³ Work brings profit,
    but mere talk leads to poverty!

²⁴ Wealth is a crown for the wise;
    the effort of fools yields only foolishness.

²⁵ A truthful witness saves lives,
    but a false witness is a traitor.

²⁶ Those who fear the Lord are secure;
    he will be a refuge for their children.

²⁷ Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain;
    it offers escape from the snares of death.

²⁸ A growing population is a king’s glory;
    a prince without subjects has nothing.

²⁹ People with understanding control their anger;
    a hot temper shows great foolishness.

³⁰ A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body;
    jealousy is like cancer in the bones.

³¹ Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
    but helping the poor honors him.

³² The wicked are crushed by disaster,
    but the godly have a refuge when they die.

³³ Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart;
    wisdom is not^[c] found among fools.

³⁴ Godliness makes a nation great,
    but sin is a disgrace to any people.

³⁵ A king rejoices in wise servants
    but is angry with those who disgrace him.

1 The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales,
    but he delights in accurate weights.

² Pride leads to disgrace,
    but with humility comes wisdom.

³ Honesty guides good people;
    dishonesty destroys treacherous people.

⁴ Riches won’t help on the day of judgment,
    but right living can save you from death.

⁵ The godly are directed by honesty;
    the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.

⁶ The godliness of good people rescues them;
    the ambition of treacherous people traps them.

⁷ When the wicked die, their hopes die with them,
    for they rely on their own feeble strength.

⁸ The godly are rescued from trouble,
    and it falls on the wicked instead.

⁹ With their words, the godless destroy their friends,
    but knowledge will rescue the righteous.

¹⁰ The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed;
    they shout for joy when the wicked die.

¹¹ Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper,
    but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.

¹² It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor;
    a sensible person keeps quiet.

¹³ A gossip goes around telling secrets,
    but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

¹⁴ Without wise leadership, a nation falls;
    there is safety in having many advisers.

¹⁵ There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt;
    it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt.

¹⁶ A gracious woman gains respect,
    but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷ Your kindness will reward you,
    but your cruelty will destroy you.

¹⁸ Evil people get rich for the moment,
    but the reward of the godly will last.

¹⁹ Godly people find life;
    evil people find death.

²⁰ The Lord detests people with crooked hearts,
    but he delights in those with integrity.

²¹ Evil people will surely be punished,
    but the children of the godly will go free.

²² A beautiful woman who lacks discretion
    is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.

²³ The godly can look forward to a reward,
    while the wicked can expect only judgment.

²⁴ Give freely and become more wealthy;
    be stingy and lose everything.

²⁵ The generous will prosper;
    those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

²⁶ People curse those who hoard their grain,
    but they bless the one who sells in time of need.

²⁷ If you search for good, you will find favor;
    but if you search for evil, it will find you!

²⁸ Trust in your money and down you go!
    But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.

²⁹ Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind.
    The fool will be a servant to the wise.

³⁰ The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life;
    a wise person wins friends.^[a]

³¹ If the righteous are rewarded here on earth,
    what will happen to wicked sinners?^[b]

1 A wise child^[a] brings joy to a father;
    a foolish child brings grief to a mother.

² Tainted wealth has no lasting value,
    but right living can save your life.

³ The Lord will not let the godly go hungry,
    but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.

⁴ Lazy people are soon poor;
    hard workers get rich.

⁵ A wise youth harvests in the summer,
    but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.

⁶ The godly are showered with blessings;
    the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

⁷ We have happy memories of the godly,
    but the name of a wicked person rots away.

⁸ The wise are glad to be instructed,
    but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.

⁹ People with integrity walk safely,
    but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.

¹⁰ People who wink at wrong cause trouble,
    but a bold reproof promotes peace.^[b]

¹¹ The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain;
    the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

¹² Hatred stirs up quarrels,
    but love makes up for all offenses.

¹³ Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding,
    but those lacking sense will be beaten with a rod.

¹⁴ Wise people treasure knowledge,
    but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.

¹⁵ The wealth of the rich is their fortress;
    the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

¹⁶ The earnings of the godly enhance their lives,
    but evil people squander their money on sin.

¹⁷ People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life,
    but those who ignore correction will go astray.

¹⁸ Hiding hatred makes you a liar;
    slandering others makes you a fool.

¹⁹ Too much talk leads to sin.
    Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.

²⁰ The words of the godly are like sterling silver;
    the heart of a fool is worthless.

²¹ The words of the godly encourage many,
    but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.

²² The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich,
    and he adds no sorrow with it.

²³ Doing wrong is fun for a fool,
    but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.

²⁴ The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled;
    the hopes of the godly will be granted.

²⁵ When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away,
    but the godly have a lasting foundation.

²⁶ Lazy people irritate their employers,
    like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.

²⁷ Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life,
    but the years of the wicked are cut short.

²⁸ The hopes of the godly result in happiness,
    but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.

²⁹ The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity,
    but it destroys the wicked.

³⁰ The godly will never be disturbed,
    but the wicked will be removed from the land.

³¹ The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice,
    but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.

³² The lips of the godly speak helpful words,
    but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.

⁴ Love wisdom like a sister;
    make insight a beloved member of your family.
⁵ Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman,
    from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.

⁶ While I was at the window of my house,
    looking through the curtain,
⁷ I saw some naive young men,
    and one in particular who lacked common sense.
⁸ He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman,
    strolling down the path by her house.
⁹ It was at twilight, in the evening,
    as deep darkness fell.
¹⁰ The woman approached him,
    seductively dressed and sly of heart.
¹¹ She was the brash, rebellious type,
    never content to stay at home.
¹² She is often in the streets and markets,
    soliciting at every corner.
¹³ She threw her arms around him and kissed him,
    and with a brazen look she said,
¹⁴ “I’ve just made my peace offerings
    and fulfilled my vows.
¹⁵ You’re the one I was looking for!
    I came out to find you, and here you are!
¹⁶ My bed is spread with beautiful blankets,
    with colored sheets of Egyptian linen.
¹⁷ I’ve perfumed my bed
    with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
¹⁸ Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning.
    Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses,
¹⁹ for my husband is not home.
    He’s away on a long trip.
²⁰ He has taken a wallet full of money with him
    and won’t return until later this month.^[b]”

²¹ So she seduced him with her pretty speech
    and enticed him with her flattery.
²² He followed her at once,
    like an ox going to the slaughter.
He was like a stag caught in a trap,^[c]
23     awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart.
He was like a bird flying into a snare,
    little knowing it would cost him his life.

²⁴ So listen to me, my sons,
    and pay attention to my words.
²⁵ Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her.
    Don’t wander down her wayward path.
²⁶ For she has been the ruin of many;
    many men have been her victims.
²⁷ Her house is the road to the grave.^[d]
    Her bedroom is the den of death.

⁶ Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
    Learn from their ways and become wise!
⁷ Though they have no prince
    or governor or ruler to make them work,
⁸ they labor hard all summer,
    gathering food for the winter.
⁹ But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?
    When will you wake up?
¹⁰ A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest—
¹¹ then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
    scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

¹² What are worthless and wicked people like?
    They are constant liars,
¹³ signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye,
    a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.
¹⁴ Their perverted hearts plot evil,
    and they constantly stir up trouble.
¹⁵ But they will be destroyed suddenly,
    broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.

¹⁶ There are six things the Lord hates—
    no, seven things he detests:
¹⁷ haughty eyes,
    a lying tongue,
    hands that kill the innocent,
¹⁸ a heart that plots evil,
    feet that race to do wrong,
¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies,
    a person who sows discord in a family.

²⁰ My son, obey your father’s commands,
    and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
²¹ Keep their words always in your heart.
    Tie them around your neck.
²² When you walk, their counsel will lead you.
    When you sleep, they will protect you.
    When you wake up, they will advise you.
²³ For their command is a lamp
    and their instruction a light;
their corrective discipline
    is the way to life.
²⁴ It will keep you from the immoral woman,
    from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.
²⁵ Don’t lust for her beauty.
    Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.
²⁶ For a prostitute will bring you to poverty,^[b]
    but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.
²⁷ Can a man scoop a flame into his lap
    and not have his clothes catch on fire?
²⁸ Can he walk on hot coals
    and not blister his feet?
²⁹ So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife.
    He who embraces her will not go unpunished.

³⁰ Excuses might be found for a thief
    who steals because he is starving.
³¹ But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole,
    even if he has to sell everything in his house.
³² But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool,
    for he destroys himself.
³³ He will be wounded and disgraced.
    His shame will never be erased.
³⁴ For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious,
    and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
³⁵ He will accept no compensation,
    nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.

⁷ So now, my sons, listen to me.
    Never stray from what I am about to say:
⁸ Stay away from her!
    Don’t go near the door of her house!
⁹ If you do, you will lose your honor
    and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.
¹⁰ Strangers will consume your wealth,
    and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
¹¹ In the end you will groan in anguish
    when disease consumes your body.
¹² You will say, “How I hated discipline!
    If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
¹³ Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers?
    Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?
¹⁴ I have come to the brink of utter ruin,
    and now I must face public disgrace.”

¹⁵ Drink water from your own well—
    share your love only with your wife.^[b]
16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,
    having sex with just anyone?^[c]
17 You should reserve it for yourselves.
    Never share it with strangers.

¹⁸ Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
    Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
¹⁹ She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
    Let her breasts satisfy you always.
    May you always be captivated by her love.
²⁰ Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,
    or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?

²¹ For the Lord sees clearly what a man does,
    examining every path he takes.
²² An evil man is held captive by his own sins;
    they are ropes that catch and hold him.
²³ He will die for lack of self-control;
    he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

⁴ My father taught me,
“Take my words to heart.
    Follow my commands, and you will live.
⁵ Get wisdom; develop good judgment.
    Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
⁶ Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.
    Love her, and she will guard you.
⁷ Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
    And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
⁸ If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.
    Embrace her, and she will honor you.
⁹ She will place a lovely wreath on your head;
    she will present you with a beautiful crown.”

¹⁰ My child,^[b] listen to me and do as I say,
    and you will have a long, good life.
¹¹ I will teach you wisdom’s ways
    and lead you in straight paths.
¹² When you walk, you won’t be held back;
    when you run, you won’t stumble.
¹³ Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go.
    Guard them, for they are the key to life.

¹⁴ Don’t do as the wicked do,
    and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
¹⁵ Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.
    Turn away and keep moving.
¹⁶ For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day.
    They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
¹⁷ They eat the food of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence!

¹⁸ The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
    which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
    They have no idea what they are stumbling over.

²⁰ My child, pay attention to what I say.
    Listen carefully to my words.
²¹ Don’t lose sight of them.
    Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
²² for they bring life to those who find them,
    and healing to their whole body.

²³ Guard your heart above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

²⁴ Avoid all perverse talk;
    stay away from corrupt speech.

²⁵ Look straight ahead,
    and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
²⁶ Mark out a straight path for your feet;
    stay on the safe path.
²⁷ Don’t get sidetracked;
    keep your feet from following evil.