tongue is a tree of life,
But a devious one makes for a broken spirit.
5A fool spurns the discipline of his father,
But one who heeds reproof becomes clever.
6In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
But in the harvest of the wicked there is trouble.
7The lips of the wise disseminate knowledge;
Not so the minds of dullards.
8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
But the prayer of the upright pleases Him.
9The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
But He loves him who pursues righteousness.
10Discipline seems bad to him who forsakes the way;
He who spurns reproof will die.
11Sheol and Abaddon lie exposed to the LORD,
How much more the minds of men!
12The scoffer dislikes being reproved;
He will not resort to the wise.
13A joyful heart makes a cheerful face;
A sad heart makes a despondent mood.
14The mind of a prudent man seeks knowledge;
The mouth of the dullard pursues folly.
15All the days of a poor man are wretched,
But contentment is a feast without end.
16Better a little with fear of the LORD
Than great wealth with confusion.
17Better a meal of vegetables where there is love
Than a fattened ox where there is hate.
18A hot-tempered man provokes a quarrel;
A patient man calms strife.
19The way of a lazy man is like a hedge of thorns,
But the path of the upright is paved.
20A wise son makes his father happy;
A fool of a man humiliates his mother.
21Folly is joy to one devoid of sense;
A prudent man walks a straight path.
22Plans are foiled for want of counsel,
But they succeed through many advisers.
23A ready response is a joy to a man,
And how good is a word rightly timed!
24For an intelligent man the path of life leads upward,
In order to avoid Sheol below.
25The LORD will tear down the house of the proud,
But He will establish the homestead of the widow.
26Evil thoughts are an abomination to the LORD,
But pleasant words are pure.
27He who pursues ill-gotten gain makes trouble for his household;
He who spurns gifts will live long.
28The hearta of the righteous man rehearses his answer,
But the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things.
29The LORD is far from the wicked,
But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
30What brightens the eye gladdens the heart;
Good news puts fat on the bones.
31He whose ear heeds the discipline of life
Lodges among the wise.
32He who spurns discipline hates himself;
He who heeds reproof gains understanding.
33The fear of the LORD is the discipline of wisdom;
Humility precedes honor.
16 A man may arrange his thoughts,
But what he says depends on the LORD.
2All the ways of a man seem right to him,
But the LORD probes motives.
3Entrust your affairs to the LORD,
And your plans will succeed.
4The LORD made everything for a purpose,
Even the wicked for an evil day.
5Every haughty person is an abomination to the LORD;
Assuredly,a he will not go unpunished.
6Iniquity is expiated by loyalty and faithfulness,
And evil is avoided through fear of the LORD.
7When the LORD is pleased with a man’s conduct,
He may turn even his enemies into allies.
8Better a little with righteousness
Than a large income with injustice.
9A man may plot out his course,
But it is the LORD who directs his steps.
10There is magic on the lips of the king;
He cannot err in judgment.
11Honest scales and balances are the LORD’s;
All the weights in the bag are His work.
12Wicked deeds are an abomination to kings,
For the throne is established by righteousness.
13Truthful speech wins the favor of kings;
They love those who speak honestly.
14The king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
But a wise man can appease it.
15The king’s smile means life;
His favor is like a rain cloud in spring.
16How much better to acquire wisdom than gold;
To acquire understanding is preferable to silver.
17The highway of the upright avoids evil;
He who would preserve his life watches his way.
18Pride goes before ruin,
Arrogance, before failure.
19Better to be humble and among the lowly
Than to share spoils with the proud.
20He who is adept in a matter will attain success;
Happy is he who trusts in the LORD.
21The wise-hearted is called discerning;
One whose speech is pleasing gains wisdom.
22Good sense is a fountain of life to those who have it,
And folly is the punishment of fools.
23The mind of the wise man makes his speech effective
And increases the wisdom on his lips.
24Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweet to the palate and a cure for the body.
25A road may seem right to a man,
But in the end it is a road to death.
26The appetite of a laborer labors for him,
Because his hungerb c-forces him on.-c
27A scoundrel plotsc evil;
What is on his lips is like a scorching fire.
28A shifty man stirs up strife,
And a querulous one alienates his friend.
29A lawless man misleads his friend,
Making him take the wrong way.
30He closes his eyes while meditating deception;
He purses his lips while deciding upon evil.
31Gray hair is a crown of glory;
It is attained by the way of righteousness.
32Better to be forbearing than mighty,
To have self-control than to conquer a city.
33Lots are cast into the lap;
The decision depends on the LORD.
17 Better a dry crust with peace
Than a house full of feasting with strife.
2A capable servant will dominate an incompetent son
And share the inheritance with the brothers.
3For silver—the crucible;
For gold—the furnace,
And the LORD tests the mind.
4An evildoer listens to mischievous talk;
A liar gives ear to malicious words.
5He who mocks the poor affronts his Maker;
He who rejoices over another’s misfortune will not go unpunished.
6Grandchildren are the crown of their elders,
And the glory of children is their parents.
7Lofty words are not fitting for a villain;
Much less lying words for a great man.
8A bribe seems like a charm to him who uses it;
He succeeds at every turn.
9He who seeks love overlooks faults,
But he who harps on a matter alienates his friend.
10A rebuke works on an intelligent man
More than one hundred blows on a fool.
11An evil man seeks only to rebel;
A ruthless messenger will be sent against him.
12Sooner meet a bereaved she-bear
Than a fool with his nonsense.
13Evil will never depart from the house
Of him who repays good with evil.
14To start a quarrel is to open a sluice;
Before a dispute a-flares up,-a drop it.
15To acquit the guilty and convict the innocent—
Both are an abomination to the LORD.
16What good is money in the hand of a fool
To purchase wisdom, when he has no mind?
17A friend is devoted at all times;
A brother is born to share adversity.
18Devoid of sense is he who gives his hand
To stand surety for his fellow.
19He who loves transgression loves strife;
He who builds a high threshold invites broken bones.
20Man of crooked mind comes to no good,
And he who speaks duplicity falls into trouble.
21One begets a dullard to one’s own grief;
The father of a villain has no joy.
22A joyful heart makes for b- good health;-b
Despondency dries up the bones.
23The wicked man draws a bribe out of his bosom
To pervert the course of justice.
24Wisdom lies before the intelligent man;
The eyes of the dullard range to the ends of the earth.
25A stupid son is vexation for his father
And a heartache for the woman who bore him.
26To punish the innocent is surely not right,
Or to flog the great for their uprightness.
27A knowledgeable man is sparing with his words;
A man of understanding is reticent.
28Even a fool, if he keeps silent, is deemed wise;
Intelligent, if he seals his lips.
18a- He who isolates himself pursues his desires;
He disdains all competence.-a
2The fool does not desire understanding,
But only to air his thoughts.
3Comes the wicked man comes derision,
And with the rogue, contempt.
4The words a man speaks are deep waters,
A flowing stream, a fountain of wisdom.
5It is not right to be partial to the guilty
And subvert the innocent in judgment.
6The words of a fool lead to strife;
His speech invites blows.
7The fool’s speech is his ruin;
His words are a trap for him.
8The words of a querulous man are bruising;a
They penetrate one’s inmost parts.
9One who is slack in his work
Is a brother to a vandal.
10The name of the LORD is a tower of strength
To which the righteous man runs and is safe.
11The wealth of a rich man is his fortress;
a-In his fancy-a it is a protective wall.
12Before ruin a man’s heart is proud;
Humility goes before honor.
13To answer a man before hearing him out
Is foolish and disgraceful.
14A man’s spirit can sustain him through illness;
But low spirits—who can bear them?
15The mind of an intelligent man acquires knowledge;
The ears of the wise seek out knowledge.
16A man’s gift eases his way
And gives him access to the great.
17The first to plead his case seems right
Till the other party examines him.
18The lot puts an end to strife
And separates those locked in dispute.
19A brother offended is more formidable than a stronghold;
Such strife is like the bars of a fortress.
20A man’s belly is filled by the fruit of his mouth;
He will be filled by the produce of his lips.
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue;
Those who love it will eat its fruit.
22He who finds a wife has found happiness
And has won the favor of the LORD.
23The poor man speaks beseechingly;
The rich man’s answer is harsh.
24There are companions to keep one company,
And there is a friend more devoted than a brother.
19 Better a poor man who lives blamelessly
Than one who speaks perversely and is a dullard.
2A person without knowledge is surely not good;
He who moves hurriedly blunders.
3A man’s folly subverts his way,
And his heart rages against the LORD.
4Wealth makes many friends,
But a poor man loses his last friend.
5A false witness will not go unpunished;
He who testifies lies will not escape.
6Many court the favor of a great man,
And all are the friends of a dispenser of gifts.
7All the brothers of a poor man despise him;
How much more is he shunned by his friends!
a-He who pursues words—they are of no avail.-a
8He who acquires wisdom is his own best friend;
He preserves understanding and attains happiness.
9A false witness will not go unpunished;
He who testifies falsely is