Tag Archives: Christianity

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 yourself;
    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^[a] 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 We can make our own plans,
    but the Lord gives the right answer.

² People may be pure in their own eyes,
    but the Lord examines their motives.

³ Commit your actions to the Lord,
    and your plans will succeed.

⁴ The Lord has made everything for his own purposes,
    even the wicked for a day of disaster.

⁵ The Lord detests the proud;
    they will surely be punished.

⁶ Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.
    By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.

⁷ When people’s lives please the Lord,
    even their enemies are at peace with them.

⁸ Better to have little, with godliness,
    than to be rich and dishonest.

⁹ We can make our plans,
    but the Lord determines our steps.

¹⁰ The king speaks with divine wisdom;
    he must never judge unfairly.

¹¹ The Lord demands accurate scales and balances;
    he sets the standards for fairness.

¹² A king detests wrongdoing,
    for his rule is built on justice.

¹³ The king is pleased with words from righteous lips;
    he loves those who speak honestly.

¹⁴ The anger of the king is a deadly threat;
    the wise will try to appease it.

¹⁵ When the king smiles, there is life;
    his favor refreshes like a spring rain.

¹⁶ How much better to get wisdom than gold,
    and good judgment than silver!

¹⁷ The path of the virtuous leads away from evil;
    whoever follows that path is safe.

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
    and haughtiness before a fall.

¹⁹ Better to live humbly with the poor
    than to share plunder with the proud.

²⁰ Those who listen to instruction will prosper;
    those who trust the Lord will be joyful.

²¹ The wise are known for their understanding,
    and pleasant words are persuasive.

²² Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it,
    but discipline is wasted on fools.

²³ From a wise mind comes wise speech;
    the words of the wise are persuasive.

²⁴ Kind words are like honey—
    sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

²⁵ There is a path before each person that seems right,
    but it ends in death.

²⁶ It is good for workers to have an appetite;
    an empty stomach drives them on.

²⁷ Scoundrels create trouble;
    their words are a destructive blaze.

²⁸ A troublemaker plants seeds of strife;
    gossip separates the best of friends.

²⁹ Violent people mislead their companions,
    leading them down a harmful path.

³⁰ With narrowed eyes, people plot evil;
    with a smirk, they plan their mischief.

³¹ Gray hair is a crown of glory;
    it is gained by living a godly life.

³² Better to be patient than powerful;
    better to have self-control than to conquer a city.

³³ We may throw the dice,^[a]
    but the Lord determines how they fall.

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.

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.