|
Genesis 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Exodus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Leviticus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Deuteronomy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 Joshua 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Judges 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Ruth 1 2 3 4 1 Samuel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2 Samuel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 Kings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 2 Kings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 1 Chronicles 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 2 Chronicles 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Ezra 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Nehemiah 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Esther 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Job 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 Psalms 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 Proverbs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Ecclesiastes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Song of Solomon 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Isaiah 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 Jeremiah 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 Lamentations 1 2 3 4 5 Ezekiel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Daniel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Hosea 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Joel 1 2 3 Amos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Obadiah 1 Jonah 1 2 3 4 Micah 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Nahum 1 2 3 Habakkuk 1 2 3 Zephaniah 1 2 3 Haggai 1 2 Zechariah 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Malachi 1 2 3 4 Matthew 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Mark 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Luke 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 John 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Acts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Romans 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1 Corinthians 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 2 Corinthians 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Galatians 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ephesians 1 2 3 4 5 6 Philippians 1 2 3 4 Colossians 1 2 3 4 1 Thessalonians 1 2 3 4 5 2 Thessalonians 1 2 3 1 Timothy 1 2 3 4 5 6 2 Timothy 1 2 3 4 Titus 1 2 3 Philemon 1 Hebrews 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 James 1 2 3 4 5 1 Peter 1 2 3 4 5 2 Peter 1 2 3 1 John 1 2 3 4 5 2 John 1 3 John 1 Jude 1 Revelations 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 |
Prov 1:1 THE PROVERBS (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: Prov 1:2 That people may know skillful {and} godly Wisdom and instruction, discern {and} comprehend the words of understanding {and} insight, Prov 1:3 Receive instruction in wise dealing {and} the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity, Prov 1:4 That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, {and} discernment to the youth-- Prov 1:5 The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill {and} attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]-- Prov 1:6 That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech {or} an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings {or} riddles. Prov 1:7 The reverent {and} worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning {and} the principal {and} choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful {and} godly Wisdom, instruction, {and} discipline. Prov 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of your father; reject not {nor} forsake the teaching of your mother. Prov 1:9 For they are a [victor's] chaplet (garland) of grace upon your head and chains {and} pendants [of gold worn by kings] for your neck. Prov 1:10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. Prov 1:11 If they say, Come with us; let us lie in wait [to shed] blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause [and show that his piety is in vain]; Prov 1:12 Let us swallow them up alive as does Sheol (the place of the dead), and whole, as those who go down into the pit [of the dead]; Prov 1:13 We shall find {and} take all kinds of precious goods [when our victims are put out of the way], we shall fill our houses with plunder; Prov 1:14 Throw in your lot with us [they insist] {and} be a sworn brother {and} comrade; let us all have one purse in common-- Prov 1:15 My son, do not walk in the way with them; restrain your foot from their path; Prov 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. Prov 1:17 For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird! Prov 1:18 But [when these men set a trap for others] they are lying in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. Prov 1:19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy of gain; such [greed for plunder] takes away the lives of its possessors. Prov 1:20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the markets; Prov 1:21 She cries at the head of the noisy intersections [in the chief gathering places]; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: Prov 1:22 How long, O simple ones [open to evil], will you love being simple? And the scoffers delight in scoffing and [self-confident] fools hate knowledge? Prov 1:23 If you will turn (repent) {and} give heed to my reproof, behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit upon you, I will make my words known to you. Prov 1:24 Because I have called and you have refused [to answer], have stretched out my hand and no man has heeded it, Prov 1:25 And you treated as nothing all my counsel and would accept none of my reproof, Prov 1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when the thing comes that shall cause you terror {and} panic-- Prov 1:27 When your panic comes as a storm {and} desolation and your calamity comes on as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Prov 1:28 Then will they call upon me [Wisdom] but I will not answer; they will seek me early {and} diligently but they will not find me. Prov 1:29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the reverent {and} worshipful fear of the Lord, Prov 1:30 Would accept none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof, Prov 1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices. Prov 1:32 For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, and the careless ease of [self-confident] fools shall destroy them. Prov 1:33 But whoso hearkens to me [Wisdom] shall dwell securely {and} in confident trust and shall be quiet, without fear {or} dread of evil. Prov 2:1 MY SON, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you, Prov 2:2 Making your ear attentive to skillful {and} godly Wisdom {and} inclining and directing your heart {and} mind to understanding [applying all your powers to the quest for it]; Prov 2:3 Yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, Prov 2:4 If you seek [Wisdom] as for silver and search for skillful {and} godly Wisdom as for hidden treasures, Prov 2:5 Then you will understand the reverent {and} worshipful fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of [our omniscient] God. Prov 2:6 For the Lord gives skillful {and} godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Prov 2:7 He hides away sound {and} godly Wisdom {and} stores it for the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him); He is a shield to those who walk uprightly {and} in integrity, Prov 2:8 That He may guard the paths of justice; yes, He preserves the way of His saints. Prov 2:9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and fair dealing [in every area and relation]; yes, you will understand every good path. Prov 2:10 For skillful {and} godly Wisdom shall enter into your heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to you. Prov 2:11 Discretion shall watch over you, understanding shall keep you, Prov 2:12 To deliver you from the way of evil {and} the evil men, from men who speak perverse things {and} are liars, Prov 2:13 Men who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, Prov 2:14 Who rejoice to do evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, Prov 2:15 Who are crooked in their ways, wayward {and} devious in their paths. Prov 2:16 [Discretion shall watch over you, understanding shall keep you] to deliver you from the alien woman, from the outsider with her flattering words, Prov 2:17 Who forsakes the husband {and} guide of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God. Prov 2:18 For her house sinks down to death and her paths to the spirits [of the dead]. Prov 2:19 None who go to her return again, neither do they attain {or} regain the paths of life. Prov 2:20 So may you walk in the way of good men, and keep to the paths of the [consistently] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God). Prov 2:21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the men of integrity, blameless {and} complete [in God's sight], shall remain in it; Prov 2:22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the treacherous shall be rooted out of it. Prov 3:1 MY SON, forget not my law {or} teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; Prov 3:2 For length of days and years of a life [worth living] and tranquility [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death], these shall they add to you. Prov 3:3 Let not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness] and truth [shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood] forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart. Prov 3:4 So shall you find favor, good understanding, {and} high esteem in the sight [or judgment] of God and man. Prov 3:5 Lean on, trust in, {and} be confident in the Lord with all your heart {and} mind and do not rely on your own insight {or} understanding. Prov 3:6 In all your ways know, recognize, {and} acknowledge Him, and He will direct {and} make straight {and} plain your paths. Prov 3:7 Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear {and} worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil. Prov 3:8 It shall be health to your nerves {and} sinews, and marrow {and} moistening to your bones. Prov 3:9 Honor the Lord with your capital {and} sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income; Prov 3:10 So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine. Prov 3:11 My son, do not despise {or} shrink from the chastening of the Lord [His correction by punishment or by subjection to suffering or trial]; neither be weary of {or} impatient about {or} loathe {or} abhor His reproof, Prov 3:12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. Prov 3:13 Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful {and} godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding [drawing it forth from God's Word and life's experiences], Prov 3:14 For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it better than fine gold. Prov 3:15 Skillful {and} godly Wisdom is more precious than rubies; and nothing you can wish for is to be compared to her. Prov 3:16 Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor. Prov 3:17 Her ways are highways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. Prov 3:18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her; and happy (blessed, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who holds her fast. Prov 3:19 The Lord by skillful {and} godly Wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding He has established the heavens. Prov 3:20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies distill the dew. Prov 3:21 My son, let them not escape from your sight, but keep sound {and} godly Wisdom and discretion, Prov 3:22 And they will be life to your inner self, and a gracious ornament to your neck (your outer self). Prov 3:23 Then you will walk in your way securely {and} in confident trust, and you shall not dash your foot {or} stumble. Prov 3:24 When you lie down, you shall not be afraid; yes, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet. Prov 3:25 Be not afraid of sudden terror {and} panic, nor of the stormy blast {or} the storm and ruin of the wicked when it comes [for you will be guiltless], Prov 3:26 For the Lord shall be your confidence, firm {and} strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught [in a trap or some hidden danger]. Prov 3:27 Withhold not good from those to whom it is due [its rightful owners], when it is in the power of your hand to do it. Prov 3:28 Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come again; and tomorrow I will give it--when you have it with you. Prov 3:29 Do not contrive {or} dig up {or} cultivate evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly {and} confidently beside you. Prov 3:30 Contend not with a man for no reason--when he has done you no wrong. Prov 3:31 Do not resentfully envy {and} be jealous of an unscrupulous, grasping man, and choose none of his ways. Prov 3:32 For the perverse are an abomination [extremely disgusting and detestable] to the Lord; but His confidential communion {and} secret counsel are with the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him). Prov 3:33 The curse of the Lord is in {and} on the house of the wicked, but He declares blessed (joyful and favored with blessings) the home of the just {and} consistently righteous. Prov 3:34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers {and} scorns the scorners, yet He gives His undeserved favor to the low [in rank], the humble, {and} the afflicted. Prov 3:35 The wise shall inherit glory (all honor and good) but shame is the highest rank conferred on [self-confident] fools. Prov 4:1 HEAR, MY sons, the instruction of a father, and pay attention in order to gain {and} to know intelligent discernment, comprehension, {and} interpretation [of spiritual matters]. Prov 4:2 For I give you good doctrine [what is to be received]; do not forsake my teaching. Prov 4:3 When I [Solomon] was a son with my father [David], tender and the only son in the sight of my mother [Bathsheba], Prov 4:4 He taught me and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live. Prov 4:5 Get skillful {and} godly Wisdom, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation); do not forget and do not turn back from the words of my mouth. Prov 4:6 Forsake not [Wisdom], and she will keep, defend, {and} protect you; love her, and she will guard you. Prov 4:7 The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! [For skillful {and} godly Wisdom is the principal thing.] And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation). Prov 4:8 Prize Wisdom highly {and} exalt her, and she will exalt {and} promote you; she will bring you to honor when you embrace her. Prov 4:9 She shall give to your head a wreath of gracefulness; a crown of beauty {and} glory will she deliver to you. Prov 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life shall be many. Prov 4:11 I have taught you in the way of skillful {and} godly Wisdom [which is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God]; I have led you in paths of uprightness. Prov 4:12 When you walk, your steps shall not be hampered [your path will be clear and open]; and when you run, you shall not stumble. Prov 4:13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Prov 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Prov 4:15 Avoid it, do not go on it; turn from it and pass on. Prov 4:16 For they cannot sleep unless they have caused trouble {or} vexation; their sleep is taken away unless they have caused someone to fall. Prov 4:17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. Prov 4:18 But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just {and} righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared]. Prov 4:19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. Prov 4:20 My son, attend to my words; consent {and} submit to my sayings. Prov 4:21 Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. Prov 4:22 For they are life to those who find them, healing {and} health to all their flesh. Prov 4:23 Keep {and} guard your heart with all vigilance {and} above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. Prov 4:24 Put away from you false {and} dishonest speech, and willful {and} contrary talk put far from you. Prov 4:25 Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. Prov 4:26 Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established {and} ordered aright. Prov 4:27 Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left; remove your foot from evil. Prov 5:1 MY SON, be attentive to my Wisdom [godly Wisdom learned by actual and costly experience], and incline your ear to my understanding [of what is becoming and prudent for you], Prov 5:2 That you may exercise proper discrimination {and} discretion and your lips may guard {and} keep knowledge {and} the wise answer [to temptation]. Prov 5:3 For the lips of a loose woman drip honey as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil; Prov 5:4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged {and} devouring sword. Prov 5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold of Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead). Prov 5:6 She loses sight of {and} walks not in the path of life; her ways wind about aimlessly, and you cannot know them. Prov 5:7 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Prov 5:8 Let your way in life be far from her, and come not near the door of her house [avoid the very scenes of temptation], Prov 5:9 Lest you give your honor to others and your years to those without mercy, Prov 5:10 Lest strangers [and false teachings] take their fill of your strength {and} wealth and your labors go to the house of an alien [from God]-- Prov 5:11 And you groan {and} mourn when your end comes, when your flesh and body are consumed, Prov 5:12 And you say, How I hated instruction {and} discipline, and my heart despised reproof! Prov 5:13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers nor submitted {and} consented to those who instructed me. Prov 5:14 [The extent and boldness of] my sin involved almost all evil [in the estimation] of the congregation {and} the community. Prov 5:15 Drink waters out of your own cistern [of a pure marriage relationship], and fresh running waters out of your own well. Prov 5:16 Should your offspring be dispersed abroad as water brooks in the streets? Prov 5:17 [Confine yourself to your own wife] let your children be for you alone, and not the children of strangers with you. Prov 5:18 Let your fountain [of human life] be blessed [with the rewards of fidelity], and rejoice in the wife of your youth. Prov 5:19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant doe [tender, gentle, attractive]--let her bosom satisfy you at all times, and always be transported with delight in her love. Prov 5:20 Why should you, my son, be infatuated with a loose woman, embrace the bosom of an outsider, {and} go astray? Prov 5:21 For the ways of man are directly before the eyes of the Lord, and He [Who would have us live soberly, chastely, and godly] carefully weighs all man's goings. Prov 5:22 His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked man, and he shall be held with the cords of his sin. Prov 5:23 He will die for lack of discipline {and} instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he will go astray {and} be lost. Prov 6:1 MY SON, if you have become security for your neighbor, if you have given your pledge for a stranger {or} another, Prov 6:2 You are snared with the words of your lips, you are caught by the speech of your mouth. Prov 6:3 Do this now [at once and earnestly], my son, and deliver yourself when you have put yourself into the power of your neighbor; go, bestir {and} humble yourself, and beg your neighbor [to pay his debt and thereby release you]. Prov 6:4 Give not [unnecessary] sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids; Prov 6:5 Deliver yourself, as a roe {or} gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. Prov 6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise!-- Prov 6:7 Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler, Prov 6:8 Provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest. Prov 6:9 How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? Prov 6:10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down {and} sleep-- Prov 6:11 So will your poverty come like a robber {or} one who travels [with slowly but surely approaching steps] and your want like an armed man [making you helpless]. Prov 6:12 A worthless person, a wicked man, is he who goes about with a perverse (contrary, wayward) mouth. Prov 6:13 He winks with his eyes, he speaks by shuffling {or} tapping with his feet, he makes signs [to mislead and deceive] {and} teaches with his fingers. Prov 6:14 Willful {and} contrary in his heart, he devises trouble, vexation, {and} evil continually; he lets loose discord {and} sows it. Prov 6:15 Therefore upon him shall the crushing weight of calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken, and that without remedy. Prov 6:16 These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: Prov 6:17 A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, Prov 6:18 A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts {and} plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, Prov 6:19 A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren. Prov 6:20 My son, keep your father's [God-given] commandment and forsake not the law of [God] your mother [taught you]. Prov 6:21 Bind them continually upon your heart and tie them about your neck. Prov 6:22 When you go, they [the words of your parents' God] shall lead you; when you sleep, they shall keep you; and when you waken, they shall talk with you. Prov 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the whole teaching [of the law] is light, and reproofs of discipline are the way of life, Prov 6:24 To keep you from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a loose woman. Prov 6:25 Lust not after her beauty in your heart, neither let her capture you with her eyelids. Prov 6:26 For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread, and the adulteress stalks {and} snares [as with a hook] the precious life [of a man]. Prov 6:27 Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Prov 6:28 Can one go upon hot coals and his feet not be burned? Prov 6:29 So he who cohabits with his neighbor's wife [will be tortured with evil consequences and just retribution]; he who touches her shall not be innocent {or} go unpunished. Prov 6:30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry; Prov 6:31 But if he is found out, he must restore seven times [what he stole]; he must give the whole substance of his house [if necessary--to meet his fine]. Prov 6:32 But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks heart {and} understanding (moral principle and prudence); he who does it is destroying his own life. Prov 6:33 Wounds and disgrace will he get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. Prov 6:34 For jealousy makes [the wronged] man furious; therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance [upon the detected one]. Prov 6:35 He will not consider any ransom [offered to buy him off from demanding full punishment]; neither will he be satisfied, though you offer him many gifts {and} bribes. Prov 7:1 MY SON, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments [for use when needed] {and} treasure them. Prov 7:2 Keep my commandments and live, and keep my law {and} teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye. Prov 7:3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Prov 7:4 Say to skillful {and} godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding {or} insight as your intimate friend-- Prov 7:5 That they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adventuress who flatters with {and} makes smooth her words. Prov 7:6 For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice. Prov 7:7 And among the simple (empty-headed and emptyhearted) ones, I perceived among the youths a young man void of good sense, Prov 7:8 Sauntering through the street near the [loose woman's] corner; and he went the way to her house Prov 7:9 In the twilight, in the evening; night black and dense was falling [over the young man's life]. Prov 7:10 And behold, there met him a woman, dressed as a harlot and sly {and} cunning of heart. Prov 7:11 She is turbulent {and} willful; her feet stay not in her house; Prov 7:12 Now in the streets, now in the marketplaces, she sets her ambush at every corner. Prov 7:13 So she caught him and kissed him and with impudent face she said to him, Prov 7:14 Sacrifices of peace offerings were due from me; this day I paid my vows. Prov 7:15 So I came forth to meet you [that you might share with me the feast from my offering]; diligently I sought your face, and I have found you. Prov 7:16 I have spread my couch with rugs {and} cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of fine linen of Egypt. Prov 7:17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Prov 7:18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us console {and} delight ourselves with love. Prov 7:19 For the man is not at home; he is gone on a long journey; Prov 7:20 He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed [at the full moon]. Prov 7:21 With much justifying {and} enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him [to overcome his conscience and his fears] {and} forces him along. Prov 7:22 Suddenly he [yields and] follows her reluctantly like an ox moving to the slaughter, like one in fetters going to the correction [to be given] to a fool {or} {like a dog enticed by food to the muzzle} Prov 7:23 Till a dart [of passion] pierces {and} inflames his vitals; then like a bird fluttering straight into the net [he hastens], not knowing that it will cost him his life. Prov 7:24 Listen to me now therefore, O you sons, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. Prov 7:25 Let not your heart incline toward her ways, do not stray into her paths. Prov 7:26 For she has cast down many wounded; indeed, all her slain are a mighty host. Prov 7:27 Her house is the way to Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead), going down to the chambers of death. Prov 8:1 DOES NOT skillful {and} godly Wisdom cry out, and understanding raise her voice [in contrast to the loose woman]? Prov 8:2 On the top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet, stands Wisdom [skillful and godly]; Prov 8:3 At the gates at the entrance of the town, at the coming in at the doors, she cries out: Prov 8:4 To you, O men, I call, and my voice is directed to the sons of men. Prov 8:5 O you simple {and} thoughtless ones, understand prudence; you [self-confident] fools, be of an understanding heart. Prov 8:6 Hear, for I will speak excellent {and} princely things; and the opening of my lips shall be for right things. Prov 8:7 For my mouth shall utter truth, and wrongdoing is detestable {and} loathsome to my lips. Prov 8:8 All the words of my mouth are righteous (upright and in right standing with God); there is nothing contrary to truth or crooked in them. Prov 8:9 They are all plain to him who understands [and opens his heart], and right to those who find knowledge [and live by it]. Prov 8:10 Receive my instruction in preference to [striving for] silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, Prov 8:11 For skillful {and} godly Wisdom is better than rubies {or} pearls, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. Prov 8:12 I, Wisdom [from God], make prudence my dwelling, and I find out knowledge and discretion. Prov 8:13 The reverent fear {and} worshipful awe of the Lord [includes] the hatred of evil; pride, arrogance, the evil way, and perverted {and} twisted speech I hate. Prov 8:14 I have counsel and sound knowledge, I have understanding, I have might {and} power. Prov 8:15 By me kings reign and rulers decree justice. Prov 8:16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges {and} governors of the earth. Prov 8:17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me early {and} diligently shall find me. Prov 8:18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation, and right standing with God). Prov 8:19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than refined gold, and my increase than choice silver. Prov 8:20 I [Wisdom] walk in the way of righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation), in the midst of the paths of justice, Prov 8:21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit [true] riches and that I may fill their treasuries. Prov 8:22 The Lord formed {and} brought me [Wisdom] forth at the beginning of His way, before His acts of old. Prov 8:23 I [Wisdom] was inaugurated {and} ordained from everlasting, from the beginning, before ever the earth existed. Prov 8:24 When there were no deeps, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains laden with water. Prov 8:25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth, Prov 8:26 While as yet He had not made the land or the fields or the first of the dust of the earth. Prov 8:27 When He prepared the heavens, I [Wisdom] was there; when He drew a circle upon the face of the deep {and} stretched out the firmament over it, Prov 8:28 When He made firm the skies above, when He established the fountains of the deep, Prov 8:29 When He gave to the sea its limit {and} His decree that the waters should not transgress [across the boundaries set by] His command, when He appointed the foundations of the earth-- Prov 8:30 Then I [Wisdom] was beside Him as a master {and} director of the work; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing before Him always, Prov 8:31 Rejoicing in His inhabited earth and delighting in the sons of men. Prov 8:32 Now therefore listen to me, O you sons; for blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who keep my ways. Prov 8:33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not refuse {or} neglect it. Prov 8:34 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. Prov 8:35 For whoever finds me [Wisdom] finds life and draws forth {and} obtains favor from the Lord. Prov 8:36 But he who misses me {or} sins against me wrongs {and} injures himself; all who hate me love {and} court death. Prov 9:1 WISDOM HAS built her house; she has hewn out {and} set up her seven [perfect number of] pillars. Prov 9:2 She has killed her beasts, she has mixed her [spiritual] wine; she has also set her table. Prov 9:3 She has sent out her maids to cry from the highest places of the town: Prov 9:4 Whoever is simple (easily led astray and wavering), let him turn in here! As for him who lacks understanding, [God's] Wisdom says to him, Prov 9:5 Come, eat of my bread and drink of the [spiritual] wine which I have mixed. Prov 9:6 Leave off, simple ones [forsake the foolish and simpleminded] and live! And walk in the way of insight {and} understanding. Prov 9:7 He who rebukes a scorner heaps upon himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man gets for himself bruises. Prov 9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Prov 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man (one upright and in right standing with God) and he will increase in learning. Prov 9:10 The reverent {and} worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight {and} understanding. Prov 9:11 For by me [Wisdom from God] your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased. Prov 9:12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scorn, you alone will bear it {and} pay the penalty. Prov 9:13 The foolish woman is noisy; she is simple {and} open to all forms of evil, she [willfully and recklessly] knows nothing whatever [of eternal value]. Prov 9:14 For she sits at the door of her house {or} on a seat in the conspicuous places of the town, Prov 9:15 Calling to those who pass by, who go uprightly on their way: Prov 9:16 Whoever is simple (wavering and easily led astray), let him turn in here! And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, Prov 9:17 Stolen waters (pleasures) are sweet [because they are forbidden]; and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. Prov 9:18 But he knows not that the shades of the dead are there [specters haunting the scene of past transgressions], and that her invited guests are [already sunk] in the depths of Sheol (the lower world, Hades, the place of the dead). Prov 10:1 THE PROVERBS of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish {and} self-confident son is the grief of his mother. Prov 10:2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) delivers from death. Prov 10:3 The Lord will not allow the [uncompromisingly] righteous to famish, but He thwarts the desire of the wicked. Prov 10:4 He becomes poor who works with a slack {and} idle hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. Prov 10:5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame. Prov 10:6 Blessings are upon the head of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Prov 10:7 The memory of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked shall rot. Prov 10:8 The wise in heart will accept {and} obey commandments, but the foolish of lips will fall headlong. Prov 10:9 He who walks uprightly walks securely, but he who takes a crooked way shall be found out {and} punished. Prov 10:10 He who winks with the eye [craftily and with malice] causes sorrow; the foolish of lips will fall headlong {but} {he who boldly reproves makes peace}. Prov 10:11 The mouth of the [uncompromisingly] righteous man is a well of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Prov 10:12 Hatred stirs up contentions, but love covers all transgressions. Prov 10:13 On the lips of him who has discernment skillful {and} godly Wisdom is found, but discipline {and} the rod are for the back of him who is without sense {and} understanding. Prov 10:14 Wise men store up knowledge [in mind and heart], but the mouth of the foolish is a present destruction. Prov 10:15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin. Prov 10:16 The earnings of the righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) lead to life, but the profit of the wicked leads to further sin. Prov 10:17 He who heeds instruction {and} correction is [not only himself] in the way of life [but also] is a way of life for others. And he who neglects {or} refuses reproof [not only himself] goes astray [but also] causes to err {and} is a path toward ruin for others. Prov 10:18 He who hides hatred is of lying lips, and he who utters slander is a [self-confident] fool. Prov 10:19 In a multitude of words transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent. Prov 10:20 The tongues of those who are upright {and} in right standing with God are as choice silver; the minds of those who are wicked {and} out of harmony with God are of little value. Prov 10:21 The lips of the [uncompromisingly] righteous feed {and} guide many, but fools die for want of understanding {and} heart. Prov 10:22 The blessing of the Lord--it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it]. Prov 10:23 It is as sport to a [self-confident] fool to do wickedness, but to have skillful {and} godly Wisdom is pleasure {and} relaxation to a man of understanding. Prov 10:24 The thing a wicked man fears shall come upon him, but the desire of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be granted. Prov 10:25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous have an everlasting foundation. Prov 10:26 As vinegar to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who employ {and} send him. Prov 10:27 The reverent {and} worshipful fear of the Lord prolongs one's days, but the years of the wicked shall be made short. Prov 10:28 The hope of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) is gladness, but the expectation of the wicked (those who are out of harmony with God) comes to nothing. Prov 10:29 The way of the Lord is strength {and} a stronghold to the upright, but it is destruction to the workers of iniquity. Prov 10:30 The [consistently] righteous shall never be removed, but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth [eventually]. Prov 10:31 The mouths of the righteous (those harmonious with God) bring forth skillful {and} godly Wisdom, but the perverse tongue shall be cut down [like a barren and rotten tree]. Prov 10:32 The lips of the [uncompromisingly] righteous know [and therefore utter] what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked knows [and therefore speaks only] what is obstinately willful {and} contrary. Prov 11:1 A FALSE balance {and} unrighteous dealings are extremely offensive {and} shamefully sinful to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight. Prov 11:2 When swelling {and} pride come, then emptiness {and} shame come also, but with the humble (those who are lowly, who have been pruned or chiseled by trial, and renounce self) are skillful {and} godly Wisdom {and} soundness. Prov 11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the willful contrariness {and} crookedness of the treacherous shall destroy them. Prov 11:4 Riches provide no security in any day of wrath {and} judgment, but righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) delivers from death. Prov 11:5 The righteousness of the blameless shall rectify {and} make plain their way {and} keep it straight, but the wicked shall fall by their own wickedness. Prov 11:6 The righteousness of the upright [their rectitude in every area and relation] shall deliver them, but the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity {and} greedy desire. Prov 11:7 When the wicked man dies, his hope [for the future] perishes; and the expectation of the godless comes to nothing. Prov 11:8 The [uncompromisingly] righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked gets into it instead. Prov 11:9 With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge {and} superior discernment shall the righteous be delivered. Prov 11:10 When it goes well with the [uncompromisingly] righteous, the city rejoices, but when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. Prov 11:11 By the blessing of the influence of the upright {and} God's favor [because of them] the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. Prov 11:12 He who belittles {and} despises his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding keeps silent. Prov 11:13 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy {and} faithful in spirit keeps the matter hidden. Prov 11:14 Where no wise guidance is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Prov 11:15 He who becomes security for an outsider shall smart for it, but he who hates suretyship is secure [from its penalties]. Prov 11:16 A gracious {and} good woman wins honor [for her husband], and violent men win riches {but} {a woman who hates righteousness is a throne of dishonor for him}. Prov 11:17 The merciful, kind, {and} generous man benefits himself [for his deeds return to bless him], but he who is cruel {and} callous [to the wants of others] brings on himself retribution. Prov 11:18 The wicked man earns deceitful wages, but he who sows righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) shall have a sure reward [permanent and satisfying]. Prov 11:19 He who is steadfast in righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) attains to life, but he who pursues evil does it to his own death. Prov 11:20 They who are willfully contrary in heart are extremely disgusting {and} shamefully vile in the eyes of the Lord, but such as are blameless {and} wholehearted in their ways are His delight! Prov 11:21 Assuredly [I pledge it] the wicked shall not go unpunished, but the multitude of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be delivered. Prov 11:22 As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman who is without discretion. Prov 11:23 The desire of the [consistently] righteous brings only good, but the expectation of the wicked brings wrath. Prov 11:24 There are those who [generously] scatter abroad, and yet increase more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting {or} what is justly due, but it results only in want. Prov 11:25 The liberal person shall be enriched, and he who waters shall himself be watered. Prov 11:26 The people curse him who holds back grain [when the public needs it], but a blessing [from God and man] is upon the head of him who sells it. Prov 11:27 He who diligently seeks good seeks [God's] favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come upon him. Prov 11:28 He who leans on, trusts in, {and} is confident in his riches shall fall, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like a green bough. Prov 11:29 He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind, and the foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart. Prov 11:30 The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men--he gathers and receives them for eternity]. Prov 11:31 Behold, the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be recompensed on earth; how much more the wicked and the sinner! {And} {if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and wicked?} Prov 12:1 WHOEVER LOVES instruction {and} correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is like a brute beast, stupid {and} indiscriminating. Prov 12:2 A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of wicked devices He condemns. Prov 12:3 A man shall not be established by wickedness, but the root of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall never be moved. Prov 12:4 A virtuous {and} worthy wife [earnest and strong in character] is a crowning joy to her husband, but she who makes him ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. Prov 12:5 The thoughts {and} purposes of the [consistently] righteous are honest {and} reliable, but the counsels {and} designs of the wicked are treacherous. Prov 12:6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them {and} the innocent ones [thus endangered]. Prov 12:7 The wicked are overthrown and are not, but the house of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall stand. Prov 12:8 A man shall be commended according to his Wisdom [godly Wisdom, which is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God], but he who is of a perverse heart shall be despised. Prov 12:9 Better is he who is lightly esteemed but works for his own support than he who assumes honor for himself and lacks bread. Prov 12:10 A [consistently] righteous man regards the life of his beast, but even the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Prov 12:11 He who tills his land shall be satisfied with bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits is lacking in sense {and} is without understanding. Prov 12:12 The wicked desire the booty of evil men, but the root of the [uncompromisingly] righteous yields [richer fruitage]. Prov 12:13 The wicked is [dangerously] snared by the transgression of his lips, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall come out of trouble. Prov 12:14 From the fruit of his words a man shall be satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hands shall come back to him [as a harvest]. Prov 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who listens to counsel is wise. Prov 12:16 A fool's wrath is quickly {and} openly known, but a prudent man ignores an insult. Prov 12:17 He who breathes out truth shows forth righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), but a false witness utters deceit. Prov 12:18 There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Prov 12:19 Truthful lips shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is [credited] but for a moment. Prov 12:20 Deceit is in the hearts of those who devise evil, but for the counselors of peace there is joy. Prov 12:21 No [actual] evil, misfortune, {or} calamity shall come upon the righteous, but the wicked shall be filled with evil, misfortune, {and} calamity. Prov 12:22 Lying lips are extremely disgusting {and} hateful to the Lord, but they who deal faithfully are His delight. Prov 12:23 A prudent man is reluctant to display his knowledge, but the heart of [self-confident] fools proclaims their folly. Prov 12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slothful will be put to forced labor. Prov 12:25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but an encouraging word makes it glad. Prov 12:26 The [consistently] righteous man is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked causes others to go astray. Prov 12:27 The slothful man does not catch his game {or} roast it once he kills it, but the diligent man gets precious possessions. Prov 12:28 Life is in the way of righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation), and in its pathway there is no death {but} immortality (perpetual, eternal life). Prov 13:1 A WISE son heeds [and is the fruit of] his father's instruction {and} correction, but a scoffer listens not to rebuke. Prov 13:2 A good man eats good from the fruit of his mouth, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. Prov 13:3 He who guards his mouth keeps his life, but he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. Prov 13:4 The appetite of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the appetite of the diligent is abundantly supplied. Prov 13:5 A [consistently] righteous man hates lying {and} deceit, but a wicked man is loathsome [his very breath spreads pollution] and he comes [surely] to shame. Prov 13:6 Righteousness (rightness and justice in every area and relation) guards him who is upright in the way, but wickedness plunges into sin {and} overthrows the sinner. Prov 13:7 One man considers himself rich, yet has nothing [to keep permanently]; another man considers himself poor, yet has great [and indestructible] riches. Prov 13:8 A rich man can buy his way out of threatened death by paying a ransom, but the poor man does not even have to listen to threats [from the envious]. Prov 13:9 The light of the [uncompromisingly] righteous [is within him--it grows brighter and] rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked [furnishes only a derived, temporary light and] shall be put out shortly. Prov 13:10 By pride {and} insolence comes only contention, but with the well-advised is skillful {and} godly Wisdom. Prov 13:11 Wealth [not earned but] won in haste {or} unjustly {or} from the production of things for vain {or} detrimental use [such riches] will dwindle away, but he who gathers little by little will increase [his riches]. Prov 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life. Prov 13:13 Whoever despises the word {and} counsel [of God] brings destruction upon himself, but he who [reverently] fears {and} respects the commandment [of God] is rewarded. Prov 13:14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death. Prov 13:15 Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the transgressor is hard [like the barren, dry soil or the impassable swamp]. Prov 13:16 Every prudent man deals with knowledge, but a [self-confident] fool exposes {and} flaunts his folly. Prov 13:17 A wicked messenger falls into evil, but a faithful ambassador brings healing. Prov 13:18 Poverty and shame come to him who refuses instruction {and} correction, but he who heeds reproof is honored. Prov 13:19 Satisfied desire is sweet to a person; therefore it is hateful {and} exceedingly offensive to [self-confident] fools to give up evil [upon which they have set their hearts]. Prov 13:20 He who walks [as a companion] with wise men is wise, but he who associates with [self-confident] fools is [a fool himself and] shall smart for it. Prov 13:21 Evil pursues sinners, but the consistently upright {and} in right standing with God is recompensed with good. Prov 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner [finds its way eventually] into the hands of the righteous, for whom it was laid up. Prov 13:23 Much food is in the tilled land of the poor, but there are those who are destroyed because of injustice. Prov 13:24 He who spares his rod [of discipline] hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines diligently {and} punishes him early. Prov 13:25 The [uncompromisingly] righteous eats to his own satisfaction, but the stomach of the wicked is in want. Prov 14:1 EVERY WISE woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands. Prov 14:2 He who walks in uprightness reverently {and} worshipfully fears the Lord, but he who is contrary {and} devious in his ways despises Him. Prov 14:3 In the fool's own mouth is a rod [to shame] his pride, but the wise men's lips preserve them. Prov 14:4 Where no oxen are, the grain crib is empty, but much increase [of crops] comes by the strength of the ox. Prov 14:5 A faithful witness will not lie, but a false witness breathes out falsehoods. Prov 14:6 A scoffer seeks Wisdom in vain [for his very attitude blinds and deafens him to it], but knowledge is easy to him who [being teachable] understands. Prov 14:7 Go from the presence of a foolish {and} self-confident man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips. Prov 14:8 The Wisdom [godly Wisdom, which is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of [self-confident] fools is to deceive. Prov 14:9 Fools make a mock of sin {and} sin mocks the fools [who are its victims; a sin offering made by them only mocks them, bringing them disappointment and disfavor], but among the upright there is the favor of God. Prov 14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. Prov 14:11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown, but the tent of the upright shall flourish. Prov 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a man {and} appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death. Prov 14:13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of mirth is heaviness {and} grief. Prov 14:14 The backslider in heart [from God and from fearing God] shall be filled with [the fruit of] his own ways, and a good man shall be satisfied with [the fruit of] his ways [with the holy thoughts and actions which his heart prompts and in which he delights]. Prov 14:15 The simpleton believes every word he hears, but the prudent man looks {and} considers well where he is going. Prov 14:16 A wise man suspects danger and cautiously avoids evil, but the fool bears himself insolently and is [presumptuously] confident. Prov 14:17 He who foams up quickly {and} flies into a passion deals foolishly, and a man of wicked plots {and} plans is hated. Prov 14:18 The simple acquire folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. Prov 14:19 The evil men bow before the good, and the wicked [stand suppliantly] at the gates of the [uncompromisingly] righteous. Prov 14:20 The poor is hated even by his own neighbor, but the rich has many friends. Prov 14:21 He who despises his neighbor sins [against God, his fellowman, and himself], but happy (blessed and fortunate) is he who is kind {and} merciful to the poor. Prov 14:22 Do they not err who devise evil {and} wander from the way of life? But loving-kindness {and} mercy, loyalty {and} faithfulness, shall be to those who devise good. Prov 14:23 In all labor there is profit, but idle talk leads only to poverty. Prov 14:24 The crown of the wise is their wealth of Wisdom, but the foolishness of [self-confident] fools is [nothing but] folly. Prov 14:25 A truthful witness saves lives, but a deceitful witness speaks lies [and endangers lives]. Prov 14:26 In the reverent {and} worshipful fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children shall always have a place of refuge. Prov 14:27 Reverent {and} worshipful fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death. Prov 14:28 In a multitude of people is the king's glory, but in a lack of people is the prince's ruin. Prov 14:29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is hasty of spirit exposes {and} exalts his folly. Prov 14:30 A calm {and} undisturbed mind {and} heart are the life {and} health of the body, but envy, jealousy, {and} wrath are like rottenness of the bones. Prov 14:31 He who oppresses the poor reproaches, mocks, {and} insults his Maker, but he who is kind {and} merciful to the needy honors Him. Prov 14:32 The wicked is overthrown through his wrongdoing {and} calamity, but the [consistently] righteous has hope {and} confidence even in death. Prov 14:33 Wisdom rests [silently] in the mind {and} heart of him who has understanding, but that which is in the inward part of [self-confident] fools is made known. Prov 14:34 Uprightness {and} right standing with God (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) elevate a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Prov 14:35 The king's favor is toward a wise {and} discreet servant, but his wrath is against him who does shamefully. Prov 15:1 A SOFT answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. Prov 15:2 The tongue of the wise utters knowledge rightly, but the mouth of the [self-confident] fool pours out folly. Prov 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good. Prov 15:4 A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life, but willful contrariness in it breaks down the spirit. Prov 15:5 A fool despises his father's instruction {and} correction, but he who regards reproof acquires prudence. Prov 15:6 In the house of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is great [priceless] treasure, but with the income of the wicked is trouble {and} vexation. Prov 15:7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain]; not so the minds {and} hearts of the self-confident {and} foolish. Prov 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, hateful {and} exceedingly offensive to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight! Prov 15:9 The way of the wicked is an abomination, extremely disgusting {and} shamefully vile to the Lord, but He loves him who pursues righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). Prov 15:10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes God's way; and he who hates reproof will die [physically, morally, and spiritually]. Prov 15:11 Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the abyss, the final place of the accuser Satan) are both before the Lord--how much more, then, the hearts of the children of men? Prov 15:12 A scorner has no love for one who rebukes him; neither will he go to the wise [for counsel]. Prov 15:13 A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken. Prov 15:14 The mind of him who has understanding seeks knowledge and inquires after {and} craves it, but the mouth of the [self-confident] fool feeds on folly. Prov 15:15 All the days of the desponding {and} afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances]. Prov 15:16 Better is little with the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord than great {and} rich treasure and trouble with it. Prov 15:17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it. Prov 15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger appeases contention. Prov 15:19 The way of the sluggard is overgrown with thorns [it pricks, lacerates, and entangles him], but the way of the righteous is plain {and} raised like a highway. Prov 15:20 A wise son makes a glad father, but a self-confident {and} foolish man despises his mother {and} puts her to shame. Prov 15:21 Folly is pleasure to him who is without heart {and} sense, but a man of understanding walks uprightly [making straight his course]. Prov 15:22 Where there is no counsel, purposes are frustrated, but with many counselors they are accomplished. Prov 15:23 A man has joy in making an apt answer, and a word spoken at the right moment--how good it is! Prov 15:24 The path of the wise leads upward to life, that he may avoid [the gloom] in the depths of Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead). Prov 15:25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but He makes secure the boundaries of the [consecrated] widow. Prov 15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are shamefully vile {and} exceedingly offensive to the Lord, but the words of the pure are pleasing words to Him. Prov 15:27 He who is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live. Prov 15:28 The mind of the [uncompromisingly] righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. Prov 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the [consistently] righteous (the upright, in right standing with Him). Prov 15:30 The light in the eyes [of him whose heart is joyful] rejoices the hearts of others, and good news nourishes the bones. Prov 15:31 The ear that listens to the reproof [that leads to or gives] life will remain among the wise. Prov 15:32 He who refuses {and} ignores instruction {and} correction despises himself, but he who heeds reproof gets understanding. Prov 15:33 The reverent {and} worshipful fear of the Lord brings instruction in Wisdom, and humility comes before honor. Prov 16:1 THE PLANS of the mind {and} orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the [wise] answer of the tongue. Prov 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits (the thoughts and intents of the heart). Prov 16:3 Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established {and} succeed. Prov 16:4 The Lord has made everything [to accommodate itself and contribute] to its own end {and} His own purpose--even the wicked [are fitted for their role] for the day of calamity {and} evil. Prov 16:5 Everyone proud {and} arrogant in heart is disgusting, hateful, {and} exceedingly offensive to the Lord; be assured [I pledge it] they will not go unpunished. Prov 16:6 By mercy {and} love, truth {and} fidelity [to God and man--not by sacrificial offerings], iniquity is purged out of the heart, and by the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord men depart from {and} avoid evil. Prov 16:7 When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Prov 16:8 Better is a little with righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation and right standing with God) than great revenues with injustice. Prov 16:9 A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps {and} makes them sure. Prov 16:10 Divinely directed decisions are on the lips of the king; his mouth should not transgress in judgment. Prov 16:11 A just balance {and} scales are the Lord's; all the weights of the bag are His work [established on His eternal principles]. Prov 16:12 It is an abomination [to God and men] for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established {and} made secure by righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). Prov 16:13 Right {and} just lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. Prov 16:14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it. Prov 16:15 In the light of the king's countenance is life, and his favor is as a cloud bringing the spring rain. Prov 16:16 How much better it is to get skillful {and} godly Wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. Prov 16:17 The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; he who guards his way preserves his life. Prov 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Prov 16:19 Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the meek {and} poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. Prov 16:20 He who deals wisely {and} heeds [God's] word {and} counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, {and} is confident in the Lord--happy, blessed, {and} fortunate is he. Prov 16:21 The wise in heart are called prudent, understanding, {and} knowing, and winsome speech increases learning [in both speaker and listener]. Prov 16:22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to those who have it, but to give instruction to fools is folly. Prov 16:23 The mind of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning {and} persuasiveness to his lips. Prov 16:24 Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body. Prov 16:25 There is a way that seems right to a man {and} appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death. Prov 16:26 The appetite of the laborer works for him, for [the need of] his mouth urges him on. Prov 16:27 A worthless man devises {and} digs up mischief, and in his lips there is as a scorching fire. Prov 16:28 A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. Prov 16:29 The exceedingly grasping, covetous, {and} violent man entices his neighbor, leading him in a way that is not good. Prov 16:30 He who shuts his eyes to devise perverse things and who compresses his lips [as if in concealment] brings evil to pass. Prov 16:31 The hoary head is a crown of beauty {and} glory if it is found in the way of righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). Prov 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, he who rules his [own] spirit than he who takes a city. Prov 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him]. Prov 17:1 BETTER IS a dry morsel with quietness than a house full of feasting [on offered sacrifices] with strife. Prov 17:2 A wise servant shall have rule over a son who causes shame, and shall share in the inheritance among the brothers. Prov 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tries the hearts. Prov 17:4 An evildoer gives heed to wicked lips; and a liar listens to a mischievous tongue. Prov 17:5 Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker, and he who is glad at calamity shall not be held innocent {or} go unpunished. Prov 17:6 Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their fathers. Prov 17:7 Fine {or} arrogant speech does not befit [an empty-headed] fool--much less do lying lips befit a prince. Prov 17:8 A bribe is like a bright, precious stone that dazzles the eyes {and} affects the mind of him who gives it; [as if by magic] he prospers, whichever way he turns. Prov 17:9 He who covers {and} forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats {or} harps on a matter separates even close friends. Prov 17:10 A reproof enters deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred lashes into a [self-confident] fool. Prov 17:11 An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a stern {and} pitiless messenger shall be sent against him. Prov 17:12 Let [the brute ferocity of] a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man rather than a [self-confident] fool in his folly [when he is in a rage]. Prov 17:13 Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. Prov 17:14 The beginning of strife is as when water first trickles [from a crack in a dam]; therefore stop contention before it becomes worse {and} quarreling breaks out. Prov 17:15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both an abomination [exceedingly disgusting and hateful] to the Lord. Prov 17:16 Of what use is money in the hand of a [self-confident] fool to buy skillful {and} godly Wisdom--when he has no understanding {or} heart for it? Prov 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity. Prov 17:18 A man void of good sense gives a pledge and becomes security for another in the presence of his neighbor. Prov 17:19 He who loves strife {and} is quarrelsome loves transgression {and} involves himself in guilt; he who raises high his gateway {and} is boastful {and} arrogant invites destruction. Prov 17:20 He who has a wayward {and} crooked mind finds no good, and he who has a willful {and} contrary tongue will fall into calamity. Prov 17:21 He who becomes the parent of a [self-confident] fool does it to his sorrow, and the father of [an empty-headed] fool has no joy [in him]. Prov 17:22 A happy heart is good medicine {and} a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. Prov 17:23 A wicked man receives a bribe out of the bosom (pocket) to pervert the ways of justice. Prov 17:24 A man of understanding sets skillful {and} godly Wisdom before his face, but the eyes of a [self-confident] fool are on the ends of the earth. Prov 17:25 A self-confident {and} foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. Prov 17:26 Also, to punish {or} fine the righteous is not good, nor to smite the noble for their uprightness. Prov 17:27 He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding has a cool spirit. Prov 17:28 Even a fool when he holds his peace is considered wise; when he closes his lips he is esteemed a man of understanding. Prov 18:1 HE WHO willfully separates {and} estranges himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire {and} pretext to break out against all wise {and} sound judgment. Prov 18:2 A [self-confident] fool has no delight in understanding but only in revealing his personal opinions {and} himself. Prov 18:3 When the wicked comes in [to the depth of evil], he becomes a contemptuous despiser [of all that is pure and good], and with inner baseness comes outer shame {and} reproach. Prov 18:4 The words of a [discreet and wise] man's mouth are like deep waters [plenteous and difficult to fathom], and the fountain of skillful {and} godly Wisdom is like a gushing stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving]. Prov 18:5 To respect the person of the wicked {and} be partial to him, so as to deprive the [consistently] righteous of justice, is not good. Prov 18:6 A [self-confident] fool's lips bring contention, and his mouth invites a beating. Prov 18:7 A [self-confident] fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to himself. Prov 18:8 The words of a whisperer {or} talebearer are as dainty morsels; they go down into the innermost parts of the body. Prov 18:9 He who is loose {and} slack in his work is brother to him who is a destroyer {and} {he who does not use his endeavors to heal himself is brother to him who commits suicide}. Prov 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the [consistently] righteous man [upright and in right standing with God] runs into it and is safe, high [above evil] {and} strong. Prov 18:11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as a high protecting wall in his own imagination {and} conceit. Prov 18:12 Haughtiness comes before disaster, but humility before honor. Prov 18:13 He who answers a matter before he hears the facts--it is folly and shame to him. Prov 18:14 The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain {or} trouble, but a weak {and} broken spirit who can raise up {or} bear? Prov 18:15 The mind of the prudent is ever getting knowledge, and the ear of the wise is ever seeking (inquiring for and craving) knowledge. Prov 18:16 A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men. Prov 18:17 He who states his case first seems right, until his rival comes and cross-examines him. Prov 18:18 To cast lots puts an end to disputes and decides between powerful contenders. Prov 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won over than a strong city, and [their] contentions separate them like the bars of a castle. Prov 18:20 A man's [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil]. Prov 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. Prov 18:22 He who finds a [true] wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. Prov 18:23 The poor man uses entreaties, but the rich answers roughly. Prov 18:24 The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Prov 19:1 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. Prov 19:2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and to be overhasty is to sin {and} miss the mark. Prov 19:3 The foolishness of man subverts his way [ruins his affairs]; then his heart is resentful {and} frets against the Lord. Prov 19:4 Wealth makes many friends, but the poor man is avoided by his neighbor. Prov 19:5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes out lies shall not escape. Prov 19:6 Many will entreat the favor of a liberal man, and every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. Prov 19:7 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. Prov 19:8 He who gains Wisdom loves his own life; he who keeps understanding shall prosper {and} find good. Prov 19:9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes forth lies shall perish. Prov 19:10 Luxury is not fitting for a [self-confident] fool--much less for a slave to rule over princes. Prov 19:11 Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression {or} an offense. Prov 19:12 The king's wrath is as terrifying as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as [refreshing as] dew upon the grass. Prov 19:13 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]. Prov 19:14 House and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding, {and} prudent wife is from the Lord. Prov 19:15 Slothfulness casts one into a deep sleep, and the idle person shall suffer hunger. Prov 19:16 He who keeps the commandment [of the Lord] keeps his own life, but he who despises His ways shall die. Prov 19:17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him. Prov 19:18 Discipline your son while there is hope, but do not [indulge your angry resentments by undue chastisements and] set yourself to his ruin. Prov 19:19 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. Prov 19:20 Hear counsel, receive instruction, {and} accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come. Prov 19:21 Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand. Prov 19:22 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. Prov 19:23 The reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it rests satisfied; he cannot be visited with [actual] evil. Prov 19:24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. Prov 19:25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will increase in knowledge. Prov 19:26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who causes shame and brings reproach. Prov 19:27 Cease, my son, to hear instruction only to ignore it {and} stray from the words of knowledge. Prov 19:28 A worthless witness scoffs at justice, and the mouth of the wicked swallows iniquity. Prov 19:29 Judgments are prepared for scoffers, and stripes for the backs of [self-confident] fools. Prov 20:1 WINE IS a mocker, strong drink a riotous brawler; and whoever errs {or} reels because of it is not wise. Prov 20:2 The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger {or} angers himself against him sins against his own life. Prov 20:3 It is an honor for a man to cease from strife {and} keep aloof from it, but every fool will quarrel. Prov 20:4 The sluggard does not plow when winter sets in; therefore he begs in harvest and has nothing. Prov 20:5 Counsel in the heart of man is like water in a deep well, but a man of understanding draws it out. Prov 20:6 Many a man proclaims his own loving-kindness {and} goodness, but a faithful man who can find? Prov 20:7 The righteous man walks in his integrity; blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are his children after him. Prov 20:8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows out all evil [like chaff] with his eyes. Prov 20:9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? Prov 20:10 Diverse weights [one for buying and another for selling] and diverse measures--both of them are exceedingly offensive {and} abhorrent to the Lord. Prov 20:11 Even a child is known by his acts, whether [or not] what he does is pure and right. Prov 20:12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye--the Lord has made both of them. Prov 20:13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes and you will be satisfied with bread. Prov 20:14 It is worthless, it is worthless! says the buyer; but when he goes his way, then he boasts [about his bargain]. Prov 20:15 There is gold, and a multitude of pearls, but the lips of knowledge are a vase of preciousness [the most precious of all]. Prov 20:16 [The judge tells the creditor] Take the garment of one who is security for a stranger; and hold him in pledge when he is security for foreigners. Prov 20:17 Food gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. Prov 20:18 Purposes {and} plans are established by counsel; and [only] with good advice make {or} carry on war. Prov 20:19 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore associate not with him who talks too freely. Prov 20:20 Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in complete darkness. Prov 20:21 An inheritance hastily gotten [by greedy, unjust means] at the beginning, in the end it will not be blessed. Prov 20:22 Do not say, I will repay evil; wait [expectantly] for the Lord, and He will rescue you. Prov 20:23 Diverse {and} deceitful weights are shamefully vile {and} abhorrent to the Lord, and false scales are not good. Prov 20:24 Man's steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way? Prov 20:25 It is a snare to a man to utter a vow [of consecration] rashly and [not until] afterward inquire [whether he can fulfill it]. Prov 20:26 A wise king winnows out the wicked [from among the good] and brings the threshing wheel over them [to separate the chaff from the grain]. Prov 20:27 The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts. Prov 20:28 Loving-kindness {and} mercy, truth {and} faithfulness, preserve the king, and his throne is upheld by [the people's] loyalty. Prov 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is their gray head [suggesting wisdom and experience]. Prov 20:30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil, and strokes [for correction] reach to the innermost parts. Prov 21:1 THE KING'S heart is in the hand of the Lord, as are the watercourses; He turns it whichever way He wills. Prov 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs {and} tries the hearts. Prov 21:3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Prov 21:4 Haughtiness of eyes and a proud heart, even the tillage of the wicked {or} the lamp [of joy] to them [whatever it may be], are sin [in the eyes of God]. Prov 21:5 The thoughts of the [steadily] diligent tend only to plenteousness, but everyone who is impatient {and} hasty hastens only to want. Prov 21:6 Securing treasures by a lying tongue is a vapor driven to and fro; those who seek them seek death. Prov 21:7 The violence of the wicked shall sweep them away, because they refuse to do justice. Prov 21:8 The way of the guilty is exceedingly crooked, but as for the pure, his work is right {and} his conduct is straight. Prov 21:9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop [on the flat oriental roof, exposed to all kinds of weather] than in a house shared with a nagging, quarrelsome, {and} faultfinding woman. Prov 21:10 The soul {or} life of the wicked craves {and} seeks evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. Prov 21:11 When the scoffer is punished, the fool gets a lesson in being wise; but men of [godly] Wisdom {and} good sense learn by being instructed. Prov 21:12 The [uncompromisingly] righteous man considers well the house of the wicked--how the wicked are cast down to ruin. Prov 21:13 Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor will cry out himself and not be heard. Prov 21:14 A gift in secret pacifies {and} turns away anger, and a bribe in the lap, strong wrath. Prov 21:15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous (the upright, in right standing with God), but to the evildoers it is dismay, calamity, {and} ruin. Prov 21:16 A man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall abide in the congregation of the spirits (of the dead). Prov 21:17 He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. Prov 21:18 The wicked become a ransom for the [uncompromisingly] righteous, and the treacherous for the upright [because the wicked themselves fall into the traps and pits they have dug for the good]. Prov 21:19 It is better to dwell in a desert land than with a contentious woman and with vexation. Prov 21:20 There are precious treasures and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident {and} foolish man swallows it up {and} wastes it. Prov 21:21 He who earnestly seeks after {and} craves righteousness, mercy, {and} loving-kindness will find life in addition to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) and honor. Prov 21:22 A wise man scales the city walls of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust. Prov 21:23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from troubles. Prov 21:24 The proud {and} haughty man--Scoffer is his name--deals {and} acts with overbearing pride. Prov 21:25 The desire of the slothful kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. Prov 21:26 He covets greedily all the day long, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous gives and does not withhold. Prov 21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is exceedingly disgusting {and} abhorrent [to the Lord]--how much more when he brings it with evil intention? Prov 21:28 A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears attentively will endure {and} go unchallenged. Prov 21:29 A wicked man puts on the bold, unfeeling face [of guilt], but as for the upright, he considers, directs, {and} establishes his way [with the confidence of integrity]. Prov 21:30 There is no [human] wisdom or understanding or counsel [that can prevail] against the Lord. Prov 21:31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance {and} victory are of the Lord. Prov 22:1 A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold. Prov 22:2 The rich and poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all. Prov 22:3 A prudent man sees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished [with suffering]. Prov 22:4 The reward of humility {and} the reverent {and} worshipful fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. Prov 22:5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate {and} willful; he who guards himself will be far from them. Prov 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. Prov 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Prov 22:8 He who sows iniquity will reap calamity {and} futility, and the rod of his wrath [with which he smites others] will fail. Prov 22:9 He who has a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor. Prov 22:10 Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out; yes, strife and abuse will cease. Prov 22:11 He who loves purity {and} the pure in heart {and} who is gracious in speech--because of the grace of his lips will he have the king for his friend. Prov 22:12 The eyes of the Lord keep guard over knowledge {and} him who has it, but He overthrows the words of the treacherous. Prov 22:13 The sluggard says, There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets! Prov 22:14 The mouth of a loose woman is a deep pit [for ensnaring wild animals]; he with whom the Lord is indignant {and} who is abhorrent to Him will fall into it. Prov 22:15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him. Prov 22:16 He who oppresses the poor to get gain for himself {and} he who gives to the rich--both will surely come to want. Prov 22:17 Listen (consent and submit) to the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge; Prov 22:18 For it will be pleasant if you keep them in your mind [believing them]; your lips will be accustomed to [confessing] them. Prov 22:19 So that your trust (belief, reliance, support, and confidence) may be in the Lord, I have made known these things to you today, even to you. Prov 22:20 Have I not written to you [long ago] excellent things in counsels and knowledge, Prov 22:21 To make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you? Prov 22:22 Rob not the poor [being tempted by their helplessness], neither oppress the afflicted at the gate [where the city court is held], Prov 22:23 For the Lord will plead their cause and deprive of life those who deprive [the poor or afflicted]. Prov 22:24 Make no friendships with a man given to anger, and with a wrathful man do not associate, Prov 22:25 Lest you learn his ways and get yourself into a snare. Prov 22:26 Be not one of those who strike hands {and} pledge themselves, or of those who become security for another's debts. Prov 22:27 If you have nothing with which to pay, why should he take your bed from under you? Prov 22:28 Remove not the ancient landmark which your fathers have set up. Prov 22:29 Do you see a man diligent {and} skillful in his business? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men. Prov 23:1 WHEN YOU sit down to eat with a ruler, consider who {and} what are before you; Prov 23:2 For you will put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to desire. Prov 23:3 Be not desirous of his dainties, for it is deceitful food [offered with questionable motives]. Prov 23:4 Weary not yourself to be rich; cease from your own [human] wisdom. Prov 23:5 Will you set your eyes upon wealth, when [suddenly] it is gone? For riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. Prov 23:6 Eat not the bread of him who has a hard, grudging, {and} envious eye, neither desire his dainty foods; Prov 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. As one who reckons, he says to you, eat and drink, yet his heart is not with you [but is grudging the cost]. Prov 23:8 The morsel which you have eaten you will vomit up, and your complimentary words will be wasted. Prov 23:9 Speak not in the ears of a [self-confident] fool, for he will despise the [godly] Wisdom of your words. Prov 23:10 Remove not the ancient landmark and enter not into the fields of the fatherless, Prov 23:11 For their Redeemer is mighty; He will plead their cause against you. Prov 23:12 Apply your mind to instruction {and} correction and your ears to words of knowledge. Prov 23:13 Withhold not discipline from the child; for if you strike {and} punish him with the [reedlike] rod, he will not die. Prov 23:14 You shall whip him with the rod and deliver his life from Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead). Prov 23:15 My son, if your heart is wise, my heart will be glad, even mine; Prov 23:16 Yes, my heart will rejoice when your lips speak right things. Prov 23:17 Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the reverent {and} worshipful fear of the Lord all the day long. Prov 23:18 For surely there is a latter end [a future and a reward], and your hope {and} expectation shall not be cut off. Prov 23:19 Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way [of the Lord]. Prov 23:20 Do not associate with winebibbers; be not among them {nor} among gluttonous eaters of meat, Prov 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Prov 23:22 Hearken to your father, who begot you, and despise not your mother when she is old. Prov 23:23 Buy the truth and sell it not; not only that, but also get discernment {and} judgment, instruction and understanding. Prov 23:24 The father of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) shall greatly rejoice, and he who becomes the father of a wise child shall have joy in him. Prov 23:25 Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice. Prov 23:26 My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe {and} delight in my ways, Prov 23:27 For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a loose woman is a narrow pit. Prov 23:28 She also lies in wait as a robber {or} as one waits for prey, and she increases the treacherous among men. Prov 23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness {and} dimness of eyes? Prov 23:30 Those who tarry long at the wine, those who go to seek {and} try mixed wine. Prov 23:31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the wineglass, when it goes down smoothly. Prov 23:32 At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Prov 23:33 [Under the influence of wine] your eyes will behold strange things [and loose women] and your mind will utter things turned the wrong way [untrue, incorrect, and petulant]. Prov 23:34 Yes, you will be [as unsteady] as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, and [as open to disaster] as he who lies upon the top of a mast. Prov 23:35 You will say, They struck me, but I was not hurt! They beat me [as with a hammer], but I did not feel it! When shall I awake? I will crave {and} seek more wine again [and escape reality]. Prov 24:1 BE NOT envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; Prov 24:2 For their minds plot oppression {and} devise violence, and their lips talk of causing trouble {and} vexation. Prov 24:3 Through skillful {and} godly Wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built, and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation], Prov 24:4 And by knowledge shall its chambers [of every area] be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Prov 24:5 A wise man is strong {and} {is better than a strong man}, and a man of knowledge increases {and} strengthens his power; Prov 24:6 For by wise counsel you can wage your war, and in an abundance of counselors there is victory {and} safety. Prov 24:7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; he opens not his mouth in the gate [where the city's rulers sit in judgment]. Prov 24:8 He who plans to do evil will be called a mischief-maker. Prov 24:9 The plans of the foolish {and} the thought of foolishness are sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to men. Prov 24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Prov 24:11 Deliver those who are drawn away to death, and those who totter to the slaughter, hold them back [from their doom]. Prov 24:12 If you [profess ignorance and] say, Behold, we did not know this, does not He Who weighs {and} ponders the heart perceive {and} consider it? And He Who guards your life, does not He know it? And shall not He render to [you and] every man according to his works? Prov 24:13 My son, eat honey, because it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Prov 24:14 So shall you know skillful {and} godly Wisdom to be thus to your life; if you find it, then shall there be a future {and} a reward, and your hope {and} expectation shall not be cut off. Prov 24:15 Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God); destroy not his resting-place; Prov 24:16 For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. Prov 24:17 Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles {or} is overthrown, Prov 24:18 Lest the Lord see it and it be evil in His eyes {and} displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him [to expend it upon you, the worse offender]. Prov 24:19 Fret not because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked, Prov 24:20 For there shall be no reward for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. Prov 24:21 My son, [reverently] fear the Lord and the king, and do not associate with those who are given to change [of allegiance, and are revolutionary], Prov 24:22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knows the punishment {and} ruin which both [the Lord and the king] will bring upon [the rebellious]? Prov 24:23 These also are sayings of the wise: To discriminate {and} show partiality, having respect of persons in judging, is not good. Prov 24:24 He who says to the wicked, You are righteous {and} innocent--peoples will curse him, nations will defy {and} abhor him. Prov 24:25 But to those [upright judges] who rebuke the wicked, it will go well with them {and} they will find delight, and a good blessing will be upon them. Prov 24:26 He kisses the lips [and wins the hearts of men] who give a right answer. Prov 24:27 [Put first things first.] Prepare your work outside and get it ready for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house {and} establish a home. Prov 24:28 Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and deceive not with your lips. Prov 24:29 Say not, I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for his deed. Prov 24:30 I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; Prov 24:31 And, behold, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles were covering its face, and its stone wall was broken down. Prov 24:32 Then I beheld {and} considered it well; I looked {and} received instruction. Prov 24:33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep-- Prov 24:34 So shall your poverty come as a robber, and your want as an armed man. Prov 25:1 THESE ARE also the proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied: Prov 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a thing. Prov 25:3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, so the hearts {and} minds of kings are unsearchable. Prov 25:4 Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth [the material for] a vessel for the silversmith [to work up]. Prov 25:5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). Prov 25:6 Be not forward (self-assertive and boastfully ambitious) in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men; Prov 25:7 For better it is that it should be said to you, Come up here, than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whose eyes have seen you. Prov 25:8 Rush not forth soon to quarrel [before magistrates or elsewhere], lest you know not what to do in the end when your neighbor has put you to shame. Prov 25:9 Argue your cause with your neighbor himself; discover not {and} disclose not another's secret, Prov 25:10 Lest he who hears you revile you {and} bring shame upon you and your ill repute have no end. Prov 25:11 A word fitly spoken {and} in due season is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Prov 25:12 Like an earring {or} nose ring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise reprover to an ear that listens {and} obeys. Prov 25:13 Like the cold of snow [brought from the mountains] in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes the life of his masters. Prov 25:14 Whoever falsely boasts of gifts [he does not give] is like clouds and wind without rain. Prov 25:15 By long forbearance {and} calmness of spirit a judge {or} ruler is persuaded, and soft speech breaks down the most bonelike resistance. Prov 25:16 Have you found [pleasure sweet like] honey? Eat only as much as is sufficient for you, lest, being filled with it, you vomit it. Prov 25:17 Let your foot seldom be in your neighbor's house, lest he become tired of you and hate you. Prov 25:18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a heavy sledgehammer and a sword and a sharp arrow. Prov 25:19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint. Prov 25:20 He who sings songs to a heavy heart is like him who lays off a garment in cold weather {and} like vinegar upon soda. Prov 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; Prov 25:22 For in doing so, you will heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord will reward you. Prov 25:23 The north wind brings forth rain; so does a backbiting tongue bring forth an angry countenance. Prov 25:24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop than to share a house with a disagreeing, quarrelsome, {and} scolding woman. Prov 25:25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far [home] country. Prov 25:26 Like a muddied fountain and a polluted spring is a righteous man who yields, falls down, {and} compromises his integrity before the wicked. Prov 25:27 It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to seek glory, their own glory, causes suffering {and} is not glory. Prov 25:28 He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls. Prov 26:1 LIKE SNOW in summer and like rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a [self-confident] fool. Prov 26:2 Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying, so the causeless curse does not alight. Prov 26:3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a [straight, slender] rod for the backs of [self-confident] fools. Prov 26:4 Answer not a [self-confident] fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. Prov 26:5 Answer a [self-confident] fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes {and} conceit. Prov 26:6 He who sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off the feet [of satisfactory delivery] and drinks the damage. Prov 26:7 Like the legs of a lame man which hang loose, so is a parable in the mouth of a fool. Prov 26:8 Like he who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a [self-confident] fool. Prov 26:9 Like a thorn that goes [without being felt] into the hand of a drunken man, so is a proverb in the mouth of a [self-confident] fool. Prov 26:10 [But] like an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or chance passers-by. Prov 26:11 As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly. Prov 26:12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes {and} conceit? There is more hope for a [self-confident] fool than for him. Prov 26:13 The sluggard says, There is a lion in the way! A lion is in the streets! Prov 26:14 As the door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man [move not from his place] upon his bed. Prov 26:15 The slothful {and} self-indulgent buries his hand in his bosom; it distresses {and} wearies him to bring it again to his mouth. Prov 26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes {and} conceit than seven men who can render a reason {and} answer discreetly. Prov 26:17 He who, passing by, stops to meddle with strife that is none of his business is like one who takes a dog by the ears. Prov 26:18 Like a madman who casts firebrands, arrows, and death, Prov 26:19 So is the man who deceives his neighbor and then says, Was I not joking? Prov 26:20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention ceases. Prov 26:21 As coals are to hot embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man to inflame strife. Prov 26:22 The words of a whisperer {or} slanderer are like dainty morsels {or} words of sport [to some, but to others are like deadly wounds]; and they go down into the innermost parts of the body [or of the victim's nature]. Prov 26:23 Burning lips [uttering insincere words of love] and a wicked heart are like an earthen vessel covered with the scum thrown off from molten silver [making it appear to be solid silver]. Prov 26:24 He who hates pretends with his lips, but stores up deceit within himself. Prov 26:25 When he speaks kindly, do not trust him, for seven abominations are in his heart. Prov 26:26 Though his hatred covers itself with guile, his wickedness shall be shown openly before the assembly. Prov 26:27 Whoever digs a pit [for another man's feet] shall fall into it himself, and he who rolls a stone [up a height to do mischief], it will return upon him. Prov 26:28 A lying tongue hates those it wounds {and} crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin. Prov 27:1 DO NOT boast of [yourself and] tomorrow, for you know not what a day may bring forth. Prov 27:2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. Prov 27:3 Stone is heavy and sand weighty, but a fool's [unreasoning] wrath is heavier {and} more intolerable than both of them. Prov 27:4 Wrath is cruel and anger is an overwhelming flood, but who is able to stand before jealousy? Prov 27:5 Open rebuke is better than love that is hidden. Prov 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are lavish {and} deceitful. Prov 27:7 He who is satiated [with sensual pleasures] loathes {and} treads underfoot a honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. Prov 27:8 Like a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who strays from his home. Prov 27:9 Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend's counsel that comes from the heart. Prov 27:10 Your own friend and your father's friend, forsake them not; neither go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near [in spirit] than a brother who is far off [in heart]. Prov 27:11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me [as having failed in my parental duty]. Prov 27:12 A prudent man sees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished [with suffering]. Prov 27:13 [The judge tells the creditor] Take the garment of one who is security for a stranger; and hold him in pledge when he is security for foreigners. Prov 27:14 The flatterer who loudly praises {and} glorifies his neighbor, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted as cursing him [for he will be suspected of sinister purposes]. Prov 27:15 A continual dripping on a day of violent showers and a contentious woman are alike; Prov 27:16 Whoever attempts to restrain [a contentious woman] might as well try to stop the wind--his right hand encounters oil [and she slips through his fingers]. Prov 27:17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend [to show rage or worthy purpose]. Prov 27:18 Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit; so he who patiently {and} faithfully guards {and} heeds his master shall be honored. Prov 27:19 As in water face answers to {and} reflects face, so the heart of man to man. Prov 27:20 Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the place of destruction) are never satisfied; so [the lust of] the eyes of man is never satisfied. Prov 27:21 As the refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold [bring forth all the impurities of the metal], so let a man be in his trial of praise [ridding himself of all that is base or insincere; for a man is judged by what he praises and of what he boasts]. Prov 27:22 Even though like grain you should pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him. Prov 27:23 Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds; Prov 27:24 For riches are not forever; does a crown endure to all generations? Prov 27:25 When the hay is gone, the tender grass shows itself, and herbs of the mountain are gathered in, Prov 27:26 The lambs will be for your clothing, and the goats [will furnish you] the price of a field. Prov 27:27 And there will be goats' milk enough for your food, for the food of your household, and for the maintenance of your maids. Prov 28:1 THE WICKED flee when no man pursues them, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous are bold as a lion. Prov 28:2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but when the ruler is a man of discernment, understanding, {and} knowledge, its stability will long continue. Prov 28:3 A poor man who oppresses the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaves no food [plundering them of their last morsels]. Prov 28:4 Those who forsake the law [of God and man] praise the wicked, but those who keep the law [of God and man] contend with them. Prov 28:5 Evil men do not understand justice, but they who crave {and} seek the Lord understand it fully. Prov 28:6 Better is the poor man who walks in his integrity than he who willfully goes in double {and} wrong ways, though he is rich. Prov 28:7 Whoever keeps the law [of God and man] is a wise son, but he who is a companion of gluttons {and} the carousing, self-indulgent, {and} extravagant shames his father. Prov 28:8 He who by charging excessive interest {and} who by unjust efforts to get gain increases his material possession gathers it for him [to spend] who is kind {and} generous to the poor. Prov 28:9 He who turns away his ear from hearing the law [of God and man], even his prayer is an abomination, hateful {and} revolting [to God]. Prov 28:10 Whoever leads the upright astray into an evil way, he will himself fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance. Prov 28:11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes {and} conceit, but the poor man who has understanding will find him out. Prov 28:12 When the [uncompromisingly] righteous triumph, there is great glory {and} celebration; but when the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves. Prov 28:13 He who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes his sins will obtain mercy. Prov 28:14 Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is the man who reverently {and} worshipfully fears [the Lord] at all times [regardless of circumstances], but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. Prov 28:15 Like a roaring lion or a ravenous {and} charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. Prov 28:16 A ruler who lacks understanding is [like a wicked one] a great oppressor, but he who hates covetousness {and} unjust gain shall prolong his days. Prov 28:17 If a man willfully sheds the blood of a person [and keeps the guilt of murder upon his conscience], he is fleeing to the pit (the grave) {and} hastening to his own destruction; let no man stop him! Prov 28:18 He who walks uprightly shall be safe, but he who willfully goes in double {and} wrong ways shall fall in one of them. Prov 28:19 He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless people {and} pursuits will have poverty enough. Prov 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich [at any cost] shall not go unpunished. Prov 28:21 To have respect of persons {and} to show partiality is not good, neither is it good that man should transgress for a piece of bread. Prov 28:22 He who has an evil {and} covetous eye hastens to be rich and knows not that want will come upon him. Prov 28:23 He who rebukes a man shall afterward find more favor than he who flatters with the tongue. Prov 28:24 Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, This is no sin--he is in the same class as [an open, lawless robber and] a destroyer. Prov 28:25 He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up strife, but he who puts his trust in the Lord shall be enriched {and} blessed. Prov 28:26 He who leans on, trusts in, {and} is confident of his own mind {and} heart is a [self-confident] fool, but he who walks in skillful {and} godly Wisdom shall be delivered. Prov 28:27 He who gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes [from their want] will have many a curse. Prov 28:28 When the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves; but when they perish, the [consistently] righteous increase {and} become many. Prov 29:1 HE WHO, being often reproved, hardens his neck shall suddenly be destroyed--and that without remedy. Prov 29:2 When the [uncompromisingly] righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked man rules, the people groan {and} sigh. Prov 29:3 Whoever loves skillful {and} godly Wisdom rejoices his father, but he who associates with harlots wastes his substance. Prov 29:4 The king by justice establishes the land, but he who exacts gifts {and} tribute overthrows it. Prov 29:5 A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his own feet. Prov 29:6 In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous man sings and rejoices. Prov 29:7 The [consistently] righteous man knows {and} cares for the rights of the poor, but the wicked man has no interest in such knowledge. Prov 29:8 Scoffers set a city afire [inflaming the minds of the people], but wise men turn away wrath. Prov 29:9 If a wise man has an argument with a foolish man, the fool only rages or laughs, and there is no rest. Prov 29:10 The bloodthirsty hate the blameless man, but the upright care for {and} seek [to save] his life. Prov 29:11 A [self-confident] fool utters all his anger, but a wise man holds it back and stills it. Prov 29:12 If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will become wicked. Prov 29:13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together--the Lord gives light to the eyes of both. Prov 29:14 The king who faithfully judges the poor, his throne shall be established continuously. Prov 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left undisciplined brings his mother to shame. Prov 29:16 When the wicked are in authority, transgression increases, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall see the fall of the wicked. Prov 29:17 Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your heart. Prov 29:18 Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he. Prov 29:19 A servant will not be corrected by words alone; for though he understands, he will not answer [the master who mistreats him]. Prov 29:20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a [self-confident] fool than for him. Prov 29:21 He who pampers his servant from childhood will have him expecting the rights of a son afterward. Prov 29:22 A man of wrath stirs up strife, and a man given to anger commits {and} causes much transgression. Prov 29:23 A man's pride will bring him low, but he who is of a humble spirit will obtain honor. Prov 29:24 Whoever is partner with a thief hates his own life; he falls under the curse [pronounced upon him who knows who the thief is] but discloses nothing. Prov 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, {and} puts his confidence in the Lord is safe {and} set on high. Prov 29:26 Many crave {and} seek the ruler's favor, but the wise man [waits] for justice from the Lord. Prov 29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, and he who is upright in the way [of the Lord] is an abomination to the wicked. Prov 30:1 THE WORDS of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa: The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal: Prov 30:2 Surely I am too brutish {and} stupid to be called a man, and I have not the understanding of a man [for all my secular learning is as nothing]. Prov 30:3 I have not learned skillful {and} godly Wisdom, that I should have the knowledge {or} burden of the Holy One. Prov 30:4 Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if you know? Prov 30:5 Every word of God is tried {and} purified; He is a shield to those who trust {and} take refuge in Him. Prov 30:6 Add not to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar. Prov 30:7 Two things have I asked of You [O Lord]; deny them not to me before I die: Prov 30:8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, Prov 30:9 Lest I be full and deny You and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor and steal, and so profane the name of my God. Prov 30:10 Do not accuse {and} hurt a servant before his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty [of adding to the burdens of the lowly]. Prov 30:11 There is a class of people who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. Prov 30:12 There is a class of people who are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their own filth. Prov 30:13 There is a class of people--oh, how lofty are their eyes and their raised eyelids! Prov 30:14 There is a class of people whose teeth are as swords and whose fangs as knives, to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among men. Prov 30:15 The leech has two daughters, crying, Give, give! There are three things that are never satisfied, yes, four that do not say, It is enough: Prov 30:16 Sheol (the place of the dead), the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that says not, It is enough. Prov 30:17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young vultures will devour it. Prov 30:18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yes, four which I do not understand: Prov 30:19 The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid. Prov 30:20 This is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, I have done no wickedness. Prov 30:21 Under three things the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up: Prov 30:22 Under a servant when he reigns, a [empty-headed] fool when he is filled with food, Prov 30:23 An unloved {and} repugnant woman when she is married, and a maidservant when she supplants her mistress. Prov 30:24 There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: Prov 30:25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they lay up their food in the summer; Prov 30:26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks; Prov 30:27 The locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands; Prov 30:28 The lizard you can seize with your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces. Prov 30:29 There are three things which are stately in step, yes, four which are stately in their stride: Prov 30:30 The lion, which is mightiest among beasts and turns not back before any; Prov 30:31 The war horse [well-knit in the loins], the male goat also, and the king [when his army is with him and] against whom there is no uprising. Prov 30:32 If you have done foolishly in exalting yourself, or if you have thought evil, lay your hand upon your mouth. Prov 30:33 Surely the churning of milk brings forth butter, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood; so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife. Prov 31:1 THE WORDS of Lemuel king of Massa, which his mother taught him: Prov 31:2 What, my son? What, son of my womb? What [shall I advise you], son of my vows {and} dedication to God? Prov 31:3 Give not your strength to [loose] women, nor your ways to those who {and} that which ruin {and} destroy kings. Prov 31:4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire strong drink, Prov 31:5 Lest they drink and forget the law {and} what it decrees, and pervert the justice due any of the afflicted. Prov 31:6 Give strong drink [as medicine] to him who is ready to pass away, and wine to him in bitter distress of heart. Prov 31:7 Let him drink and forget his poverty and [seriously] remember his want {and} misery no more. Prov 31:8 Open your mouth for the dumb [those unable to speak for themselves], for the rights of all who are left desolate {and} defenseless; Prov 31:9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and administer justice for the poor and needy. Prov 31:10 A capable, intelligent, {and} virtuous woman--who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels {and} her value is far above rubies {or} pearls. Prov 31:11 The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently {and} relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil. Prov 31:12 She comforts, encourages, {and} does him only good as long as there is life within her. Prov 31:13 She seeks out wool and flax and works with willing hands [to develop it]. Prov 31:14 She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs; she brings her household's food from a far [country]. Prov 31:15 She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks. Prov 31:16 She considers a [new] field before she buys {or} accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard. [S. of Sol. 8:12.] Prov 31:17 She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong {and} firm. Prov 31:18 She tastes {and} sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good; her lamp goes not out, but it burns on continually through the night [of trouble, privation, or sorrow, warning away fear, doubt, and distrust]. Prov 31:19 She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. Prov 31:20 She opens her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her filled hands to the needy [whether in body, mind, or spirit]. Prov 31:21 She fears not the snow for her family, for all her household are doubly clothed in scarlet. Prov 31:22 She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, {and} rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is of linen, pure {and} fine, and of purple [such as that of which the clothing of the priests and the hallowed cloths of the temple were made]. Prov 31:23 Her husband is known in the [city's] gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. Prov 31:24 She makes fine linen garments {and} leads others to buy them; she delivers to the merchants girdles [or sashes that free one up for service]. Prov 31:25 Strength and dignity are her clothing {and} her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]! Prov 31:26 She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction]. Prov 31:27 She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat. Prov 31:28 Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of {and} praises her, [saying], Prov 31:29 Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, {and} well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all. Prov 31:30 Charm {and} grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently {and} worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised! Prov 31:31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city]! |