Proverbs 13:7-17

7 ¹One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; ²another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

8 The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man ³hears no threat.

9 ⁴The light of the righteous rejoices, but ⁵the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

10 ⁶By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom.

11 ⁷Wealth gained hastily^[a] will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, ⁸but a desire fulfilled is ⁹a tree of life.

13 Whoever ¹⁰despises ¹¹the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be ¹²rewarded.

14 The teaching of the wise is ¹³a fountain of life, that one may ¹⁴turn away from the snares of death.

15 ¹⁵Good sense wins ¹⁶favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.^[b]

16 ¹⁷In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, ¹⁸but a fool flaunts his folly.

17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but ¹⁹a faithful envoy brings healing.

Cross References

• 1. Proverbs 11:24; [Luke 12:21; Revelation 3:17]
• 2. [Luke 12:33; 2 Corinthians 6:10; James 2:5]
• 3. [ver. 1]
• 4. [Job 29:3]
• 5. See Job 18:5
• 6. [Proverbs 28:25]
• 7. [Proverbs 10:2; Proverbs 20:21; Proverbs 21:6; Proverbs 28:20, 22]
• 8. [ver. 19]
• 9. See Proverbs 3:18
• 10. [Proverbs 19:16; Numbers 15:31; 2 Chronicles 36:16]
• 11. Proverbs 16:20; Deuteronomy 30:14
• 12. [ver. 21]
• 13. See Proverbs 10:11
• 14. Proverbs 14:27; [Psalms 18:5; 2 Timothy 2:26]
• 15. [Luke 2:52]; See Psalms 111:10
• 16. Proverbs 3:4; Proverbs 22:1
• 17. [Proverbs 12:23; Proverbs 15:2]
• 18. [Proverbs 18:2; Ecclesiastes 10:3]
• 19. Proverbs 25:13; [Proverbs 14:5]

Footnotes

• [a]. Or by fraud
• [b]. Probable reading (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); Hebrew is rugged, or is an enduring rut