New Century Version NCV
New International Version NIV
1 Unfriendly people are selfish and hate all good sense.
1
An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
2 Fools do not want to understand anything. They only want to tell others what they think.
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Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.
3 Do something evil, and people won't like you. Do something shameful, and they will make fun of you.
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When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes reproach.
4 Spoken words can be like deep water, but wisdom is like a flowing stream.
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The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
5 It is not good to honor the wicked or to be unfair to the innocent.
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It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of justice.
6 The words of fools start quarrels. They make people want to beat them.
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The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating.
7 The words of fools will ruin them; their own words will trap them.
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The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives.
8 The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food. People like to gobble them up.
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The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.
9 A person who doesn't work hard is just like someone who destroys things.
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One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.
10 The Lord is like a strong tower; those who do right can run to him for safety.
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The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
11 Rich people trust their wealth to protect them. They think it is like the high walls of a city.
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The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale.
12 Proud people will be ruined, but the humble will be honored.
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Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.
13 Anyone who answers without listening is foolish and confused.
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To answer before listening— that is folly and shame.
14 The will to live can get you through sickness, but no one can live with a broken spirit.
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The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
15 The mind of a person with understanding gets knowledge; the wise person listens to learn more.
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The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.
16 Taking a gift to an important man will help get you in to see him.
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A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.
17 The person who tells one side of a story seems right, until someone else comes and asks questions.
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In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.
18 Throwing lots can settle arguments and keep the two sides from fighting.
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Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.
19 A brother who has been insulted is harder to win back than a walled city, and arguments separate people like the barred gates of a palace.
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A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
20 People will be rewarded for what they say; they will be rewarded by how they speak.
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From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.
21 What you say can mean life or death. Those who speak with care will be rewarded.
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The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 When a man finds a wife, he finds something good. It shows that the Lord is pleased with him.
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He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.
23 The poor beg for mercy, but the rich give rude answers.
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The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.
24 Some friends may ruin you, but a real friend will be more loyal than a brother.
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One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.