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Solomon's Wise Sayings

10 Here are some proverbs
    of Solomon:
Children with good sense
    make their parents happy,
but foolish children
    make them sad.
What you gain by doing evil
    won't help you at all.
Obeying God is the only way
    to be saved from death.

If you obey the Lord,
    you won't go hungry;
if you are wicked,
God won't let you have
    what you want.
Laziness leads to poverty;
    hard work makes you rich.
At harvest season
it's smart to work hard,
    but stupid to sleep.

Everyone praises good people,
but evil hides behind
    the words of the wicked.
Good people are remembered
    long after they are gone,
but the wicked
    are soon forgotten.

If you have good sense,
    you will listen and obey;
if all you do is talk foolishly,
    you will destroy yourself.
You will be safe,
    if you always do right,
but you will get caught,
    if you are dishonest.
10 Deceit causes trouble,
and foolish talk
    will bring you to ruin.[a]
11 The words of good people
    are a source of life,
but evil hides behind
    the words of the wicked.

12 (A) Hatred stirs up trouble;
love overlooks the wrongs
    that others do.
13 If you have good sense,
    it will show when you speak.
But if you are stupid,
you will be beaten
    with a stick.
14 If you have good sense,
    you will learn all you can,
but foolish talk
    will soon destroy you.

15 Great wealth can be a fortress,
but poverty
    is no protection at all.
16 If you live right,
    the reward is a good life;
if you are evil,
    all you have is sin.

17 Accept correction,
    and you will find life;
reject correction,
    and you will miss the road.
18 You can hide your hatred
    by telling lies,
but you are a fool
    to spread lies.
19 You will say the wrong thing
    if you talk too much—
so be sensible and watch
    what you say.
20 The words of a good person
    are like pure silver,
but the thoughts
of an evil person
    are almost worthless.
21 Many are helped
    by useful instruction,
but fools are killed
    by their own stupidity.

22 When the Lord blesses you
with riches,
    you have nothing to regret.[b]
23 Fools enjoy doing wrong,
but anyone with good sense
    enjoys acting wisely.
24 What evil people dread most
    will happen to them,
but good people will get
    what they want most.
25 Those crooks will disappear
    when a storm strikes,
but God will keep safe
    all who obey him.
26 Having a lazy person on the job
is like a mouth full of vinegar
    or smoke in your eyes.

27 If you respect the Lord,
    you will live longer;
if you keep doing wrong,
    your life will be cut short.
28 If you obey the Lord,
    you will be happy,
but there is no future
    for the wicked.
29 The Lord protects everyone
    who lives right,
but he destroys anyone
    who does wrong.
30 Good people will stand firm,
but the wicked will disappear
    from the land.
31 Honest people speak sensibly,
but deceitful liars
    will be silenced.
32 If you obey the Lord,
you will always know
    the right thing to say.
But no one will trust you
    if you tell lies.

Footnotes

  1. 10.10 and foolish … ruin: One ancient translation “but you can help people by correcting them.”
  2. 10.22 When … regret: Or “No matter how hard you work, your riches really come from the Lord.”

Proverbs of Solomon

10 The proverbs(A) of Solomon:(B)

A wise son brings joy to his father,(C)
    but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value,(D)
    but righteousness delivers from death.(E)

The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,(F)
    but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.(G)

Lazy hands make for poverty,(H)
    but diligent hands bring wealth.(I)

He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son,
    but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.(J)

Blessings crown the head of the righteous,
    but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.[a](K)

The name of the righteous(L) is used in blessings,[b]
    but the name of the wicked(M) will rot.(N)

The wise in heart accept commands,
    but a chattering fool comes to ruin.(O)

Whoever walks in integrity(P) walks securely,(Q)
    but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.(R)

10 Whoever winks maliciously(S) causes grief,
    and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,(T)
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.(U)

12 Hatred stirs up conflict,
    but love covers over all wrongs.(V)

13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,(W)
    but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.(X)

14 The wise store up knowledge,(Y)
    but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.(Z)

15 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,(AA)
    but poverty is the ruin of the poor.(AB)

16 The wages of the righteous is life,(AC)
    but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.(AD)

17 Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,(AE)
    but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips(AF)
    and spreads slander is a fool.

19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
    but the prudent hold their tongues.(AG)

20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
    but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

21 The lips of the righteous nourish many,
    but fools die for lack of sense.(AH)

22 The blessing of the Lord(AI) brings wealth,(AJ)
    without painful toil for it.(AK)

23 A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes,(AL)
    but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.

24 What the wicked dread(AM) will overtake them;(AN)
    what the righteous desire will be granted.(AO)

25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,
    but the righteous stand firm(AP) forever.(AQ)

26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke(AR) to the eyes,
    so are sluggards to those who send them.(AS)

27 The fear of the Lord adds length to life,(AT)
    but the years of the wicked are cut short.(AU)

28 The prospect of the righteous is joy,
    but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.(AV)

29 The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless,
    but it is the ruin of those who do evil.(AW)

30 The righteous will never be uprooted,
    but the wicked will not remain in the land.(AX)

31 From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom,(AY)
    but a perverse tongue(AZ) will be silenced.

32 The lips of the righteous know what finds favor,(BA)
    but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.(BB)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:6 Or righteous, / but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence
  2. Proverbs 10:7 See Gen. 48:20.