He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die.
One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.
A man of great anger will bear the penalty, For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.
Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days.
Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand.
The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, But will not even bring it back to his mouth.
Strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd, But reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge.
Cease listening, my son, to discipline, And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice, And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity.
Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And blows for the back of fools.
The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.
The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, So he begs during the harvest and has nothing.
A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out.
A king who sits on the throne of justice Disperses all evil with his eyes.
Differing weights and differing measures, Both of them are abominable to the LORD.
The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made both of them.
“Bad, bad,” says the buyer, But when he goes his way, then he boasts.
There is gold, and an abundance of jewels; But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing.
An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning Will not be blessed in the end.
Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.
Differing weights are an abomination to the LORD, And a false scale is not good.
Man’s steps are ordained by the LORD, How then can man understand his way?
It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!” And after the vows to make inquiry.
A wise king winnows the wicked, And drives the threshing wheel over them.
The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the innermost parts of his being.
Loyalty and truth preserve the king, And he upholds his throne by righteousness.
The glory of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is their gray hair.
Stripes that wound scour away evil, And strokes reach the innermost parts.
The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.
Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.
To do righteousness and justice Is desired by the LORD more than sacrifice.
Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked, is sin.
The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.
The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue Is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death.
The violence of the wicked will drag them away, Because they refuse to act with justice.
The way of a guilty man is crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.
The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.
When the scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise; But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
The righteous one considers the house of the wicked, Turning the wicked to ruin.
He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be answered.
A gift in secret subdues anger, And a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.
The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous, But is terror to the workers of iniquity.
A man who wanders from the way of understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead.
The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, And the treacherous is in the place of the upright.
There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man swallows it up.
A wise man scales the city of the mighty And brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work;
All day long he is craving, While the righteous gives and does not hold back.
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, How much more when he brings it with evil intent!
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
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