“Forsake your folly and live, And proceed in the way of understanding.”
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
The woman of folly is boisterous, She is naive and knows nothing.
She sits at the doorway of her house, On a seat by the high places of the city,
But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger, But He will reject the craving of the wicked.
Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot.
The wise of heart will receive commands, But a babbling fool will be ruined.
He who winks the eye causes trouble, And a babbling fool will be ruined.
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found, But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.
Wise men store up knowledge, But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
The rich man’s wealth is his fortress, 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 heeds instruction, But he who ignores reproof goes astray.
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 fools die for lack of understanding.
It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it.
What the wicked fears 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 smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy one to those who send him.
The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes.
The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, 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 flows with wisdom, But the perverted tongue will be cut out.
The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted.
A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight.
When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.
The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.
The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.
When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of strong men perishes.
The righteous is delivered from trouble, But the wicked takes his place.
With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.
By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.
Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.
The merciful man does himself good, But the cruel man does himself harm.
The wicked earns deceptive wages, But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.
The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their walk are His delight.
Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished, But the descendants of the righteous will be delivered.
The desire of the righteous is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.
The generous man will be prosperous, 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.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
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