Proverbs 8 - 17
8 Hear how Wisdom lifts her voice
and Understanding cries out.
She stands at the cross-roads,
by the wayside, at the top of the hill;
beside the gate, at the entrance to the city,
at the entry by the open gate she calls aloud:
'Men, it is to you I call,
I appeal to every man:
understand, you simple fools, what it is to be shrewd;
you stupid people, understand what sense means.
Listen! For I will speak clearly,
you will have plain speech from me;
for I speak nothing but truth
and my lips detest wicked talk.
All that I say is right,
not a word is twisted or crooked.
All is straightforward to him who can understand,
all is plain to the man who has knowledge.
Accept instruction and not silver,
knowledge rather than pure gold;
for wisdom is better than red coral,
no jewels can match her.
I am Wisdom, I bestow shrewdness
and show the way to knowledge and prudence.
Pride, presumption, evil courses,
subversive talk, all these I hate.
I have force, I also have ability;
understanding and power are mine.
Through me kings are sovereign
and governors make just laws.
Through me princes act like princes,
from me all rulers on earth derive their nobility.
Those who love me I love,
those who search for me find me.
In my hands are riches and honour,
boundless wealth and the rewards of virtue.
My harvest is better than gold, fine gold,
and my revenue is better than pure silver.
I follow the course of virtue,
my path is the path of justice;
I endow with riches those who love me
and I will fill their treasuries.
'The LORD created me the beginning of his works,
before all else he made, long ago.
Alone, I was fashioned in times ling past,
at the beginning, long before earth itself.
When there was yet no ocean I was born,
no springs brimming with water.
Before the mountains were settled in their place,
long before the hills I was born,
when as yet he had made neither land nor lake
nor the first clod of earth.
When he set the heavens in their place I was there,
when he girdled the ocean with the horizon,
when he fixed the canopy of clouds overhead
and set the springs of ocean firm in their place,
when he prescribed ts limits for the sea
and knit together earth's foundations.
Then I was at his side each day,
his darling and delight,
playing in his presence continually,
playing on the earth, when he had finished it,
while my delight was in mankind.
'Now, my sons, listen to me,
listen to instruction and grow wise, do not reject it.
Happy is the man who keeps to my ways,
happy the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my threshold
with his eyes on the doorway;
for he who finds me finds life
and wins favour with the LORD,
and he who finds me not, hurts himself,
and all who hate me are in love with death.'
9 Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars;
she has killed a beast and spiced her wine,
and she has spread her table.
She has sent out her maidens to proclaim
from the highest part of the town,
'Come in, you simpletons.'
She says also to the fool,
'Come, dine with me
and taste the wine that I have spiced.
Cease to be silly, and you will live,
you will grow in understanding.'
Correct an insolent man, and be sneered at for your pains;
correct a bad man, and you will put yourself in the wrong.
Do not correct the insolent or they will hate you;
correct a wise man, and he will be your friend.
Lecture a wise man, and he will grow wiser;
teach a righteous man, and his learning will increase.
The first step to wisdom s fear of the LORD,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding;
for through me your days will be multiplied
and years will be added to your life.
If you are wise, it will be to your own advantage;
if you are haughty, you alone are to blame.
The Lady Stupidity is a flighty creature;
the simpleton, she cares for nothing.
She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat in the highest part of town,
to invite the passers-by indoors
as they hurry on their way:
'Come in, you simpletons', she says.
She says also to the fool,
'Stolen water is sweet
and bread got by stealth tastes good.'
little does he know that death lurks there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
10 The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son brings joy to his father;
a foolish son is his mother's bane.
Ill-gotten wealth brings no profit;
uprightness is a safeguard against death.
The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry,
but he disappoints the cravings of the wicked.
Idle hands make a man poor;
busy hands grow rich.
A thoughtful son puts by in summer;
a son who sleeps at harvest is a disgrace.
blessings are showered on the righteous;
the wicked are choked by their own violence.
The righteous are remembered in blessings;
the name of the wicked turns rotten.
A wise man takes a command to heart;
a foolish talker comes to grief.
A blameless life makes for security;
crooked ways bring a man down.
To wink at a fault causes trouble;
a frank rebuke leads to peace.
The words of good men are a fountain of life;
the wicked are choked by their own violence.
Hate is always picking a quarrel,
but love turns a blind eye to every fault.
The man of understanding has wisdom on his lips;
rod is in store for the back of the fool.
Wise men lay up knowledge;
when a fool speaks, ruin is near.
A rich man's wealth is his strong city,
but poverty is the undoing of the helpless.
The good man's labour is his livelihood;
the wicked man's earnings bring him to a bad end.
Correction is the high road of life;
neglect reproof and you miss the way.
There is no spite in a just man's talk;
it is the stupid who are fluent with calumny.
When men talk to much, sin is never far away;
common sense holds its tongue.
A good man's tongue is pure silver;
the heart of the wicked is trash.
The lips of a good man teach many,
but fools perish for want of sense.
The blessing of the LORD brings riches
and he sends no sorrow with them.
Lewdness is sport for the stupid;
wisdom a delight to men of understanding.
The fears of the wicked will overtake them;
the desire of the righteous will be granted.
When the whirlwind has passed by, the wicked are gone;
the foundations of the righteous are eternal.
Like vinegar in the teeth or smoke in the eyes,
so is the lazy servant to his master.
The fear of the LORD brings length of days;
the years of the wicked are few.
The hope of the righteous blossoms;
the expectation of the wicked withers away.
The way of the LORD gives refuge to the honest man,
but dismays those who do evil.
The righteous man will never be shaken;
the wicked shall not remain on earth.
Wisdom flows from the mouth of the righteous;
the subversive tongue will be rooted out.
The righteous man can suit his words to the occasion;
the wicked know only subversive talk.
11 False scales are the LORD's abomination;
correct weights are dear to his heart.
When presumption comes in, in comes contempt,
but wisdom goes with sagacity.
Honesty is a guide to the upright,
but rogues are balked by their own perversity.
Wealth is worth nothing in the day of wrath,
but uprightness is a safeguard against death.
by uprightness the blameless keep their course,
but the wicked are brought down by their wickedness.
Uprightness saves the righteous,
but rogues are trapped in their own greed.
When a man dies, his thread of life ends,
and with it ends the hope of affluence.
A righteous man is rescued from disaster,
and the wicked man plunges into it.
By his words a godless man tries to ruin others,
but they are saved when the righteous plead for them.
A city rejoices in the prosperity of the righteous;
there is jubilation when the wicked perish.
By the blessing of the upright a city is built up;
the words of the wicked tear it down.
A man without sense despises others,
but a man of understanding holds his peace.
A gossip gives away secrets,
but a trusty man keeps his own counsel.
For want of skilful strategy an army is lost;
victory is the fruit of long planning.
Give a pledge for a stranger and know no peace;
refuse to stand surety and be safe.
Grace in a woman wins honour,
but she who hates virtue makes a home for dishonour.
be timid in business and come to beggary;
be bold and make a fortune.
Loyalty brings its own reward;
a cruel man earns a fallacious profit;
he who sows goodness reaps a sure reward.
a man set on righteousness finds life,
but the pursuit of evil leads to death.
The LORD detests a crooked heart,
but honesty is dear to him.
Depend on it: an evil man shall not escape punishment;
the righteous and all their offspring shall go free.
Like a gold ring in a pig's snout
is a beautiful woman without good sense.
The righteous desire only what is good;
the hope of the wicked comes to nothing.
A man may spend freely and yet grow richer;
another is sparing beyond measure, yet ends in poverty.
A generous man grows fat and prosperous,
and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
He who withholds his grain is cursed by the people,
but he who sells his corn is blessed.
He who eagerly seeks what is good finds much favour,
but if a man pursues evil it turns upon him.
whoever relies on his wealth is riding for a fall,
but the righteous flourish like the green leaf.
He who brings trouble on his family inherits the wind,
and a fool becomes a slave to a wise man.
The fruit of righteousness is a tree of life,
but violence means the taking away of life.
If the righteous in the land get their deserts,
how much more the wicked man and the sinner!
He who loves correction loves knowledge;
he who hates reproof is a mere brute.
A good man earns favour from the LORD;
the schemer is condemned.
No man can establish himself by wickedness,
but good men have roots that cannot be dislodged.
A capable wife is her husband's crown;
one who disgraces him is like rot in his bones.
The purposes of the righteous are lawful;
the designs of the wicked are full of deceit.
The wicked are destroyed by their own words;
the words of the good man are his salvation.
Once the wicked are down, that is the end of them,
but the good man's line continues.
A man is commanded for his intelligence,
but a warped mind is despised.
It is better to be modest and earn one's living
than to be conceited and go hungry.
A righteous man cares for his beast,
but a wicked man is cruel at heart.
He who tills the land has enough to eat,
but to follow idle pursuits is foolishness.
The stronghold of the wicked crumbles like clay,
but the righteous takes lasting root.
The wicked man is trapped by his own falsehoods,
but the righteous comes safely through trouble.
One man wins success by his words;
another gets his due reward by the work of his hands.
A fool thinks that he is always right;
wise is the man who listens to advice.
A fool shows his ill humour at once;
a clever man slighted conceals his feelings.
An honest speaker comes out with the truth,
but the false witness is full of deceit.
Gossip can be sharp as a sword,
but the tongue of the wise heals.
Truth spoken stand firm for ever,
but lies live only for a moment.
Those who plot evil delude themselves,
but there is joy for those who seek the common good.
No mischief will befall the righteous,
but wicked men get their fill of adversity.
The LORD detests a liar
but delights in the honest man.
A clever man conceals his knowledge,
but a stupid man broadcasts his folly.
Diligence brings a man to power,
but laziness to forced labour.
An anxious heart dispirits a man,
and a kind word fills him with joy.
A righteous man recoils from evil,
but the wicked take a path which leads them astray.
The lazy hunter puts up no game,
but the industrious man reaps a rich harvest.
The way of honesty leads to life,
but there is a well-worn path to death.
13 A wise man sees the reason for his father's correction;
an arrogant man will not listen to rebuke.
A good man enjoys the fruit of righteousness,
but violence is meat and drink for the treacherous.
He who minds his words preserves his life;
he who talks too much comes to grief.
A lazy man is torn by appetite unsatisfied,
but the diligent grow fat and prosperous.
The righteous hate falsehood;
the doings of the wicked are foul and deceitful.
To do right is the protection of an honest man,
but wickedness brings sinners to grief.
One man pretends to be rich, although he has nothing;
another has great wealth but goes in rags.
A rich man must buy himself off,
but a poor man is immune from threats.
The light of the righteous burns brightly;
the embers of the wicked will be put out.
A brainless fool causes strife by his presumption;
wisdom is found among friends in council.
Wealth quickly come by dwindles away,
but if it comes little by little, it multiplies.
Hope deferred makes a heart sick;
a wish come true is a staff of life.
To despise a word of advice is to risk trouble;
mind what you are told, and you will be rewarded.
A wise man's teaching is a fountain of life
for one who would escape the snares of death.
Good intelligence wins favour,
but treachery leads to disaster.
a clever man is wise and conceals everything,
but the stupid parade their folly.
An evil messenger causes trouble,
but a trusty envoy makes all go well again.
To refuse correction brings poverty and contempt;
one who takes reproof to heart comes to honour.
Lust indulged sickens a man;
stupid people loathe to mend their ways.
walk with the wise and be wise;
mix with the stupid and be misled.
Ill fortune follows the sinner close behind,
but good rewards the righteous.
A good man leaves n inheritance to his descendants,
but the sinner's hoard passes to the righteous.
Untilled land might yield food enough for the poor,
but even that may be lost through injustice.
A father who spares the rod hates his son,
but one who loves him keeps him in order.
A righteous man eats his fill,
but the wicked go hungry.
The wisest women build up their homes;
the foolish pull them down with their own hands.
A straightforward man fears the LORD;
the double-dealer scorns him.
The speech of a fool is a rod for his back;
a wise man's words are his safeguard.
Where there are no oxen the barn is empty,
but the strength of a great ox ensures rich crops.
A truthful witness is no liar;
a false witness tells a pack of lies.
A conceited man seeks wisdom, yet finds none;
to one of understanding, knowledge comes easily.
Avoid a stupid man,
you will not hear a word of sense from him.
A clever man has the wit to find the right way;
the folly of stupid men misleads them.
A fool is too arrogant to make amends;
upright men know what reconciliation means.
The heart knows its own bitterness,
and a stranger has no part in its joy.
The house of the wicked will be torn down,
but the home of the upright flourishes.
A road may seem straightforward to a man,
et may end as the way to death.
Even in laughter the heart may grieve,
and mirth may end in sorrow.
The renegade reaps the fruit of his conduct,
a good man the fruit of his own achievements.
A simple man believes every word he hears;
a clever man understands the need for proof.
A wise man is cautious and turns his back on evil;
the stupid is heedless and falls headlong.
Impatience runs into folly;
distinction comes by careful thought.
The simple wear the trappings of folly;
the clever are crowned with knowledge.
Evil men cringe before the good,
wicked men at the righteous man's door.
A poor man is odious even to his friend;
the rich have friends in plenty.
He who despises a hungry man does wrong,
but he who is generous to the poor is happy.
Do not those who intend evil go astray,
while those with good intentions are loyal and faithful?
The pains of toil bring gain,
but mere talk brings nothing but poverty.
Insight is the crown of the wise;
folly the chief ornament of the stupid.
A truthful witness saves life;
a false accuser utters nothing but lies.
A strong man who trusts in the fear of the LORD
will be a refuge for his sons.
The fear of the LORD is the fountain of life
for the man who would escape the snares of death.
Many subjects make a famous king;
with none to rule, a prince is ruined.
To be patient shows great understanding;
quick temper is the height of folly.
A tranquil mind puts flesh on a man,
but passion rots his bones.
He who oppresses the poor insults his Maker;
he who is generous to the needy honours him.
An evil man is brought down by his wickedness;
the upright man is secure in his own honesty.
Wisdom is at home in a discerning mind,
but is ill at ease in the heart of a fool.
Righteousness raises a people to honour;
to do wrong is a disgrace to any nation.
A king shows favour to an intelligent servant,
but his displeasure strikes down those who fail him.
15 A soft answer turns away anger,
but a sharp word makes tempers hot.
A wise man's tongue spreads knowledge;
stupid men talk nonsense.
The eyes of the LORD are everywhere,
surveying evil and good men alike.
A soothing word is a staff of life,
but a mischievous tongue breaks the spirit.
A fool spurns his father's correction,
but to take a reproof to heart shows good sense.
In the righteous man's house there is ample wealth;
the gains of the wicked bring trouble.
The lips of the wise man promote knowledge;
the hearts of the stupid are dishonest.
The wicked man's sacrifice is abominable to the LORD;
the good man's prayer is his delight.
The conduct of the wicked is abominable to the LORD,
but he loves the seeker after righteousness.
A man who leaves the main road resents correction,
and he who hates reproof will die.
Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD,
how much more the hearts of men!
The conceited man does not take kindly to reproof
and he will not consult the wise.
A merry heart makes a cheerful face;
heartache crushes the spirit.
A discerning mind seeks knowledge,
but the stupid man feeds on folly.
In the life of the downtrodden every day is wretched,
but to have a glad heart is a perpetual feast.
Better a pittance with the fear of the LORD
than great treasure and trouble in its train.
Better a dish of vegetables if love go with it
than a fat ox eaten in hatred.
Bad temper provokes a quarrel,
but patience heals discords.
The path of the sluggard is a tangle of weeds,
but the road of the diligent is a highway.
A wise son brings joy to his father;
a young fool despises his mother.
Folly may amuse the empty-headed;
a man of understanding makes straight for his goal.
Schemes lightly made come to nothing,
but with long planning they succeed.
A man may be pleased with his own retort;
how much better is a word in season!
For men of intelligence the path of life leads upwards
and keeps them clear of Sheol below.
The LORD pulls down the proud man's home
but fixes the widow's boundary-stones.
A bad man's thoughts are the LORD's abomination,
but the words of the pure are a delight.
A grasping man brings trouble on his family,
but he who spurns a bribe will enjoy long life.
The righteous think before they answer;
a bad man's ready tongue is full of mischief.
The LORD stands aloof from the wicked,
but he listens to the righteous man's prayer.
A bright look brings joy to the heart,
and good news warms a man's marrow.
Whoever listens to wholesome reproof
shall enjoy the society of the wise.
He who refuses correction is his own worst enemy,
but he who listens to reproof learns sense.
The fear of the LORD is a training in wisdom,
and the way to honour is humility.
16 A man may order his thoughts,
but the LORD inspires the words he utters.
A man's whole conduct may be pure in his own eyes,
but the LORD fixes a standard for the spirit of man.
Commit to the LORD all that you do,
and your plans will be fulfilled.
The LORD has made each thing for its own end;
he made even the wicked for a day of disaster.
Proud men, one and all, are abominable to the LORD;
depend upon it: they will not escape punishment.
Guilt is wiped out by faith and loyalty,
and the fear of the LORD makes men turn from evil.
When the LORD is pleased with a man and his ways,
he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
Better a pittance honestly earned
than great gains ill gotten.
Man plans his journey by his own wit,
but it is the LORD who guides his steps.
The king's mouth is an oracle,
he cannot err when he passes sentence.
Scales and balances are the LORD's concern;
all the weights in the bag are his business.
Wickedness is abhorrent to kings,
for a throne rests firm on righteousness.
Honest speech is the desire of kings,
they love a man who speaks the truth.
A king's anger is a messenger of death,
and a wise man will appease it.
In the light of the king's countenance is life,
his favour is like a rain-cloud in the spring.
How much better than gold it is to gain wisdom,
and to gain discernment is better than pure silver.
To turn from evil is the highway of the upright;
watch your step and save your life.
Pride comes before disaster,
and arrogance before a fall.
Better sit humbly with those in need
than divide the spoil with the proud.
The shrewd man of business will succeed well,
but the happy man is he who trusts in the LORD.
The sensible man seeks advice from the wise,
he drinks it in and increases his knowledge.
Intelligence is a fountain of life for its possessors,
but a fool is punished for his own folly.
The wise man's mind guides his speech,
and what his lips impart increases his knowledge.
Intelligence is a fountain of life to its possessors,
but a fool is punished by his own folly.
The wise man's mind guides his speech,
and what his lips impart increases learning.
Kind words are like dripping honey,
sweetness on the tongue and health for the body.
A road may seem straightforward to a man,
yet may end as the way to death.
The labourer's appetite is always plaguing him,
his hunger spurs him on.
A scoundrel repeats evil gossip;
it is like a scorching fire on his lips.
Disaffection stirs up quarrels,
and tale-bearing breaks up friendship.
A man of violence draws others on
and leads them into lawless ways.
The man who narrows his eyes is disaffected at heart,
and a close-lipped man is bent on mischief.
Grey hair is the crown of glory,
and it is won by a virtuous life.
Better to be slow to anger than a fighter,
better govern one's temper than capture a city.
The lots may be cast into the lap,
but the issue depends wholly on the LORD.
17 Better a dry crust and concord with it
than a house full of feasting and strife.
A wise slave may give orders to a disappointing son
and share the inheritance with his brothers.
The melting-pot is for silver and the crucible for gold,
but it is the LORD who assays the hearts of men.
A rogue gives ready ear to mischievous talk,
and a liar listens to slander.
A man who sneers at the poor insults his Maker,
and he who gloats over another's ruin will answer for it.
Grandchildren are the crown of old age,
and sons are proud of their fathers.
Fine talk is out of place in a boor,
how much more is falsehood in the noble!
He who offers a bribe finds it work like a charm,
he prospers in all he undertakes.
He who conceals another's offence seeks his goodwill,
and he who harps on something breaks up friendship.
A reproof is felt by a man of discernment
more than a hundred blows by a stupid man.
An evil man is set only on disobedience,
but a messenger without mercy will be sent against him.
Better face a she-bear robbed of her cubs
than a stupid man in his folly.
If a man repays evil for good,
evil will never quit his house.
Stealing water starts a quarrel;
drop a dispute before you bear your teeth.
To acquit the wicked and condemn the righteous,
both are abominable in the LORD's sight.
What use is money in the hands of a stupid man?
Can he buy wisdom if he has no sense?
A friend is a loving companion at all times,
and a brother is born to share troubles.
A man is without sense who gives a guarantee
and surrenders himeself to another as surety.
He who loves strife loves sin.
He who builds a lofty entrance invites thieves.
A crooked heart will come to no good,
and a mischievous tongue will end in disaster.
A stupid man is the bane of his parent,
and his father has no joy in a boorish son.
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,
but low spirits sap a man's strength.
A wicked man accepts a bribe under his cloak
to pervert the course of justice.
Wisdom is never out of sight of a discerning man,
but a stupid man's eyes are roving everywhere.
A stupid son exasperates his father
and is a bitter sorrow to the mother who bore him.
Again, to punish the righteous is not good
and it is wrong to inflict blows on men of noble mind.
Experience uses few words;
discernment keeps a cool head.
Even a fool, if he holds his peace, is thought wise;
keep your mouth shut and show your good sense.
The New English Bible (with Apocrypha)
Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, 1970
Posted Jul 29, 2019, 6:26 PM UTC
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