Proverbs 10:1 - 15:29

Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked

The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son makes a father glad,

But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,

But righteousness delivers from death.

Yahweh will not allow the soul of the righteous to hunger,

But He will push away the craving of the wicked.

Poor is he who works with a slack hand,

But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

He who gathers in summer is a son who acts insightfully,

But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.

Blessings are on the head of the righteous,

But the mouth of the wicked covers up violence.

The remembrance of the righteous is blessed,

But the name of the wicked will rot.

The wise of heart will receive commandments,

But an ignorant fool of loose lips will be ruined.

He who walks in integrity walks securely,

But he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

He who winks the eye causes pain,

And an ignorant fool of loose lips will be ruined.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,

But the mouth of the wicked covers up violence.

Hatred stirs up strife,

But love covers all transgressions.

On the lips of the one who has understanding, wisdom is found,

But a rod is for the back of him who lacks a heart of wisdom.

Wise men store up knowledge,

But the mouth of the ignorant fool draws ruin near.

The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

The wages of the righteous is life,

The income of the wicked, punishment.

He is on the path of life who keeps discipline,

But he who forsakes reproof makes himself wander about.

He who covers up hatred has lying lips,

And he who spreads a bad report is a fool.

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,

But he who holds back his lips has insight.

The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver,

The heart of the wicked is worth little.

The lips of the righteous feed many,

But ignorant fools die for lack of a heart of wisdom.

It is the blessing of Yahweh that makes rich,

And He adds no pain with it.

Doing wickedness is like laughing to a fool,

And so is wisdom to a man of discernment.

What the wicked dreads will come upon him,

But the desire of the righteous will be granted.

When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,

But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes,

So is the sluggard to those who send him.

The fear of Yahweh prolongs life,

But the years of the wicked will be shortened.

The expectation of the righteous is gladness,

But the hope of the wicked will perish.

The way of Yahweh is a stronghold to the one with integrity,

But ruin to the workers of iniquity.

The righteous will never be shaken,

But the wicked will not dwell in the land.

The mouth of the righteous bears wisdom,

But the tongue of perversions will be cut out.

The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,

But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

A deceptive balance is an abomination to Yahweh,

But a just weight is His delight.

When arrogance comes, then comes disgrace,

But with the meek is wisdom.

The integrity of the upright will lead them,

But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

Wealth will not profit in the day of wrath,

But righteousness will deliver from death.

The righteousness of the blameless will make his way straight,

But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,

But the treacherous will be captured by their own desire.

When a wicked man dies, his hope will perish,

And the expectation of vigorous men perishes.

The righteous is rescued from distress,

But the wicked takes his place.

With his mouth the godless man corrupts his neighbor,

But through knowledge the righteous will be rescued.

When it goes well with the righteous, the city exults,

And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.

By the blessing of the upright a city is raised up,

But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.

He who despises his neighbor lacks a heart of wisdom,

But a man of discernment keeps silent.

He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,

But he who is faithful in spirit conceals a matter.

Where there is no guidance the people fall,

But in abundance of counselors there is salvation.

If one becomes a guarantor for a stranger, he will surely suffer,

But he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.

A gracious woman holds fast to glory,

But ruthless men hold fast to riches.

The man of lovingkindness deals bountifully with his soul,

But the cruel man brings trouble on his flesh.

The wicked earns deceptive wages,

But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.

He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life,

And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

Those with a crooked heart are an abomination to Yahweh,

But those of a blameless way are His delight.

Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished,

But the seed of the righteous will escape.

As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout

So is a beautiful woman who turns away from discretion.

The desire of the righteous is only good,

But the hope of the wicked is wrath.

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,

And there is one who holds back what is rightly due, and yet results only in want.

The soul that blesses will be enriched,

And he who waters will himself be watered.

He who withholds grain, the people will curse him,

But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

He who earnestly seeks good seeks favor,

But he who searches for evil, evil will come to him.

He who trusts in his riches will fall,

But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

He who troubles his own house will inherit wind,

And the ignorant fool will be a slave to the wise of heart.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

And he who is wise wins souls.

If the righteous will be repaid in the earth,

How much more the wicked and the sinner!

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

But he who hates reproof is senseless.

A good man will obtain favor from Yahweh,

But a man of evil schemes He will condemn.

A man will not be established by wickedness,

But the root of the righteous will not be shaken.

An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,

But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.

The thoughts of the righteous are just,

But the guidance of the wicked is deceitful.

The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,

But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.

The wicked are overthrown and are no more,

But the house of the righteous will stand.

A man will be praised according to his insight,

But one of perverse heart will be despised.

Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant

Than he who honors himself and lacks bread.

A righteous man knows the value of the life of his animal,

But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

He who cultivates his land will be satisfied with bread,

But he who pursues empty things lacks a heart of wisdom.

The wicked man desires a stronghold of evil men,

But the root of the righteous gives fruit.

The snare of an evil man is in the transgression of his lips,

But the righteous man will come out from distress.

A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,

And the good deed of a man’s hands will return to him.

The way of an ignorant fool is right in his own eyes,

But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

An ignorant fool’s anger is known at once,

But a prudent man conceals disgrace.

He who breathes out truth declares what is right,

But a false witness, deceit.

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,

But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Truthful lips will be established forever,

But a lying tongue is only for a moment.

Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,

But counselors of peace have gladness.

No misfortune befalls the righteous,

But the wicked are filled with calamity.

Lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh,

But doers of faithfulness are His delight.

A prudent man conceals knowledge,

But the heart of fools proclaims folly.

The hand of the diligent will rule,

But the slack hand will be put to forced labor.

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,

But a good word makes it glad.

The righteous is a guide to his neighbor,

But the way of the wicked makes them wander about.

A slack handed man does not roast his prey,

But the wealth of a man is precious for the diligent.

In the path of righteousness is life,

And in its pathway there is no death.

A wise son accepts his father’s discipline,

But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

From the fruit of a man’s mouth he eats what is good,

But the soul of the treacherous desires violence.

The one who guards his mouth keeps his soul;

The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,

But the soul of the diligent is enriched.

A righteous man hates a lying word,

But a wicked man acts odiously and is humiliated.

Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless,

But wickedness subverts the sinner.

There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing;

Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.

The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,

But the poor hears no rebuke.

The light of the righteous is glad,

But the lamp of the wicked goes out.

With arrogance comes only quarreling,

But with those who receive counsel is wisdom.

Wealth obtained from empty effort dwindles,

But the one who gathers with his hand abounds.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

The one who despises the word will be in debt to it,

But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.

The instruction of the wise is a fountain of life,

To turn aside from the snares of death.

Good insight gives grace,

But the way of the treacherous is unrelenting.

Every prudent man acts with knowledge,

But a fool spreads out folly.

A wicked messenger falls into evil,

But a faithful envoy brings healing.

Poverty and disgrace come to him who neglects discipline,

But he who keeps reproof will be honored.

Desire realized is pleasant to the soul,

But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.

He who walks with the wise will be wise,

But the friend of fools will suffer harm.

Evil pursues sinners,

But the righteous are repaid with good.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,

And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor,

But it is swept away by injustice.

He who holds back his rod hates his son,

But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

The righteous eats to the satisfaction of his soul,

But the stomach of the wicked lacks.

The wise woman builds her house,

But the woman of folly tears it down with her own hands.

He who walks in his uprightness fears Yahweh,

But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.

In the mouth of the ignorant fool is a rod of lofty pride,

But the lips of the wise will keep them.

Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,

But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

A faithful witness will not lie,

But a false witness breathes out lies.

A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,

But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.

Leave the presence of a fool,

As you have not known lips of knowledge there.

The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,

But the folly of fools is deceit.

Ignorant fools scoff at guilt,

But among the upright there is favor.

The heart knows its own bitterness,

And a stranger does not share its gladness.

The house of the wicked will be destroyed,

But the tent of the upright will flourish.

There is a way which seems right to a man,

But its end is the way of death.

Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,

And the end of joy may be grief.

The one who turns back in his heart will be satisfied with his ways,

But a good man will be satisfied with his.

The simple believes everything,

But the prudent one discerns his steps.

A wise man fears and turns away from evil,

But a fool gets angry and feels secure.

A quick‑tempered man acts in folly,

And a man of evil schemes is hated.

The simple inherit folly,

But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The evil will bow down before the good,

And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

The poor is hated even by his neighbor,

But those who love the rich are many.

He who despises his neighbor sins,

But how blessed is he who is gracious to the poor.

Will they not wander in error who devise evil?

But lovingkindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

In all painful labor there is profit,

But mere words from the lips lead only to want.

The crown of the wise is their riches,

But the folly of fools is folly.

A truthful witness delivers souls,

But he who breathes out lies is deceitful.

In the fear of Yahweh there is strong security,

And his children will have refuge.

The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life,

To turn aside from the snares of death.

In a multitude of people is a king’s splendor,

But in the dearth of people is a prince’s ruin.

He who is slow to anger has great discernment,

But he who is quick‑tempered raises up folly.

A tranquil heart is life to the body,

But jealousy is rottenness to the bones.

He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker,

But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

The wicked is thrust down by his own evil,

But the righteous takes refuge even in his death.

Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,

But in the midst of fools it is merely made known.

Righteousness exalts a nation,

But sin is a disgrace to any people.

The king’s favor is toward a servant who acts insightfully,

But his fury is toward him who acts shamefully.

A gentle answer turns away wrath,

But a harsh word stirs up anger.

The tongue of the wise makes knowledge look good,

But the mouth of fools pours forth folly.

The eyes of Yahweh are in every place,

Watching the evil and the good.

A tongue that brings healing is a tree of life,

But perversion in it breaks the spirit.

An ignorant fool spurns his father’s discipline,

But he who keeps reproof is prudent.

The house of the righteous has much treasure,

But in the income of the wicked there is trouble.

The lips of the wise disperse knowledge,

But the hearts of fools are not so.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh,

But the prayer of the upright is His delight.

The way of the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh,

But He loves one who pursues righteousness.

Grievous discipline is for him who forsakes the way;

He who hates reproof will die.

Sheol and Abaddon lie open before Yahweh,

How much more the hearts of the sons of men!

A scoffer does not love one who reproves him,

He will not go to the wise.

A glad heart makes a face look good,

But when the heart is pained, the spirit is broken.

The heart of the one who has understanding seeks knowledge,

But the mouth of fools feeds on folly.

All the days of the afflicted are evil,

But a good heart has a continual feast.

Better is a little with the fear of Yahweh

Than great treasure and turmoil with it.

Better is a dish of vegetables where there is love

Than a fattened ox and hatred in it.

A hot‑tempered man stirs up strife,

But the slow to anger quiets a dispute.

The way of the sluggard is as a hedge of thorns,

But the path of the upright is a highway.

A wise son makes a father glad,

But a foolish man despises his mother.

Folly is gladness to him who lacks a heart of wisdom,

But a man of discernment walks straight.

Without consultation, plans are frustrated,

But with many counselors they succeed.

A man has gladness in an apt answer,

And how good is a timely word!

The path of life leads upward for the one who has insight

That he may turn away from Sheol below.

Yahweh will tear down the house of the proud,

But He will cause the boundary of the widow to stand.

Evil thoughts are an abomination to Yahweh,

But pleasant words are pure.

He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,

But he who hates gifts of bribery will live.

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,

But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil things.

Yahweh is far from the wicked,

But He hears the prayer of the righteous.