Proverbs 18–22

Proverbs 18–22 WEB

^18:1A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment. ²A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion. ³When wickedness comes, contempt also comes, and with shame comes disgrace. ⁴The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook. ⁵To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice. ⁶A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings. ⁷A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul. ⁸The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts. ⁹One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction. ¹⁰The LORD’s name is a strong tower: the righteous run to him, and are safe. ¹¹The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination. ¹²Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honor is humility. ¹³He who answers before he hears, that is folly and shame to him. ¹⁴A man’s spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who can bear? ¹⁵The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge. ¹⁶A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men. ¹⁷He who pleads his cause first seems right— until another comes and questions him. ¹⁸The lot settles disputes, and keeps strong ones apart. ¹⁹A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city. Disputes are like the bars of a fortress. ²⁰A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied. ²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit. ²²Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of the LORD. ²³The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly. ²⁴A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

^19:1Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool. ²It isn’t good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty with one’s feet and miss the way. ³The foolishness of man subverts his way; his heart rages against the LORD. ⁴Wealth adds many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend. ⁵A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free. ⁶Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. ⁷All the relatives of the poor shun him; how much more do his friends avoid him! He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone. ⁸He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good. ⁹A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish. ¹⁰Delicate living is not appropriate for a fool, much less for a servant to have rule over princes. ¹¹The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense. ¹²The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. ¹³A foolish son is the calamity of his father. A wife’s quarrels are a continual dripping. ¹⁴House and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. ¹⁵Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep. The idle soul shall suffer hunger. ¹⁶He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die. ¹⁷He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD; he will reward him. ¹⁸Discipline your son, for there is hope; don’t be a willing party to his death. ¹⁹A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty, for if you rescue him, you must do it again. ²⁰Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter end. ²¹There are many plans in a man’s heart, but the LORD’s counsel will prevail. ²²That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than a liar. ²³The fear of the LORD leads to life, then contentment; he rests and will not be touched by trouble. ²⁴The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. ²⁵Flog a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge. ²⁶He who robs his father and drives away his mother is a son who causes shame and brings reproach. ²⁷If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge. ²⁸A corrupt witness mocks justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down iniquity. ²⁹Penalties are prepared for scoffers, and beatings for the backs of fools.

^20:1Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise. ²The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life. ³It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. ⁴The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing. ⁵Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. ⁶Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man? ⁷A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him. ⁸A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes. ⁹Who can say, “I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin”? ¹⁰Differing weights and differing measures, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. ¹¹Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right. ¹²The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD has made even both of them. ¹³Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread. ¹⁴“It’s no good, it’s no good,” says the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasts. ¹⁵There is gold and abundance of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel. ¹⁶Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman. ¹⁷Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel. ¹⁸Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage war! ¹⁹He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips. ²⁰Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness. ²¹An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning won’t be blessed in the end. ²²Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.” Wait for the LORD, and he will save you. ²³The LORD detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are not pleasing. ²⁴A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way? ²⁵It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows. ²⁶A wise king winnows out the wicked, and drives the threshing wheel over them. ²⁷The spirit of man is the LORD’s lamp, searching all his innermost parts. ²⁸Love and faithfulness keep the king safe. His throne is sustained by love. ²⁹The glory of young men is their strength. The splendor of old men is their gray hair. ³⁰Wounding blows cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the innermost parts.

^21:1The king’s heart is in the LORD’s hand like the watercourses. He turns it wherever he desires. ²Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts. ³To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. ⁴A high look and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, is sin. ⁵The plans of the diligent surely lead to profit; and everyone who is hasty surely rushes to poverty. ⁶Getting treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor for those who seek death. ⁷The violence of the wicked will drive them away, because they refuse to do what is right. ⁸The way of the guilty is devious, but the conduct of the innocent is upright. ⁹It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop than to share a house with a contentious woman. ¹⁰The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes. ¹¹When the mocker is punished, the simple gains wisdom. When the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge. ¹²The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked, and brings the wicked to ruin. ¹³Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall not be heard. ¹⁴A gift in secret pacifies anger, and a bribe in the cloak, strong wrath. ¹⁵It is joy to the righteous to do justice; but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity. ¹⁶The man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall rest in the assembly of the departed spirits. ¹⁷He who loves pleasure will be a poor man. He who loves wine and oil won’t be rich. ¹⁸The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, the treacherous for the upright. ¹⁹It is better to dwell in a desert land, than with a contentious and fretful woman. ²⁰There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man swallows it up. ²¹He who follows after righteousness and kindness finds life, righteousness, and honor. ²²A wise man scales the city of the mighty, and brings down the strength of its confidence. ²³Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles. ²⁴The proud and arrogant man—“Scoffer” is his name— he works in the arrogance of pride. ²⁵The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. ²⁶There are those who covet greedily all day long; but the righteous give and don’t withhold. ²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination— how much more, when he brings it with a wicked mind! ²⁸A false witness will perish. A man who listens speaks to eternity. ²⁹A wicked man hardens his face; but as for the upright, he establishes his ways. ³⁰There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD. ³¹The horse is prepared for the day of battle; but victory is with the LORD.

^22:1A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold. ²The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is the maker of them all. ³A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it. ⁴The result of humility and the fear of the LORD is wealth, honor, and life. ⁵Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked; whoever guards his soul stays far from them. ⁶Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. ⁷The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender. ⁸He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed. ⁹He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. ¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop. ¹¹He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully is the king’s friend. ¹²The LORD’s eyes watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful. ¹³The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets!” ¹⁴The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit. He who is under the LORD’s wrath will fall into it. ¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline drives it far from him. ¹⁶Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both come to poverty. ¹⁷Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching. ¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. ¹⁹I teach you today, even you, so that your trust may be in the LORD. ²⁰Haven’t I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge, ²¹To teach you truth, reliable words, to give sound answers to the ones who sent you? ²²Don’t exploit the poor because he is poor; and don’t crush the needy in court; ²³for the LORD will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them. ²⁴Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man. Don’t associate with one who harbors anger, ²⁵lest you learn his ways and ensnare your soul. ²⁶Don’t you be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts. ²⁷If you don’t have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you? ²⁸Don’t move the ancient boundary stone which your fathers have set up. ²⁹Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won’t serve obscure men.