The Message Bible MSG
World English Bible WEB
1 Wise son, glad father; stupid son, sad mother.
1
The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father; But a foolish son brings grief to his mother.
2 Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere; an honest life is immortal.
2
Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death.
3 God won't starve an honest soul, but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.
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Yahweh will not allow the soul of the righteous to go hungry, But he thrusts away the desire of the wicked.
4 Sloth makes you poor; diligence brings wealth.
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He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, But the hand of the diligent brings wealth.
5 Make hay while the sun shines - that's smart; go fishing during harvest - that's stupid.
5
He who gathers in summer is a wise son, But he who sleeps during the harvest is a son who causes shame.
6 Blessings accrue on a good and honest life, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
6
Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
7 A good and honest life is a blessed memorial; a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.
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The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot.
8 A wise heart takes orders; an empty head will come unglued.
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The wise in heart accept commandments, But a chattering fool will fall.
9 Honesty lives confident and carefree, but Shifty is sure to be exposed.
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He who walks blamelessly walks surely, But he who perverts his ways will be found out.
10 An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead, but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.
10
One winking with the eye causes sorrow, But a chattering fool will fall.
11 The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
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The mouth of the righteous is a spring of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred starts fights, but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.
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Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all wrongs.
13 You'll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight, but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.
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Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has discernment, But a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding.
14 The wise accumulate knowledge - a true treasure; know-it-alls talk too much - a sheer waste. The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life
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Wise men lay up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near ruin.
15 The wealth of the rich is their bastion; the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.
15
The rich man's wealth is his strong city. The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
16 The wage of a good person is exuberant life; an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.
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The labor of the righteous leads to life. The increase of the wicked leads to sin.
17 The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you're lost for good.
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He is in the way of life who heeds correction, But he who forsakes reproof leads others astray.
18 Liars secretly hoard hatred; fools openly spread slander.
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He who hides hatred has lying lips. He who utters a slander is a fool.
19 The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words.
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In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience, But he who restrains his lips does wisely.
20 The speech of a good person is worth waiting for; the blabber of the wicked is worthless.
20
The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. The heart of the wicked is of little worth.
21 The talk of a good person is rich fare for many, but chatterboxes die of an empty heart. Fear-of-God Expands Your Life
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The lips of the righteous feed many, But the foolish die for lack of understanding.
22 God's blessing makes life rich; nothing we do can improve on God.
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The blessing of Yahweh brings wealth, And he adds no trouble to it.
23 An empty-head thinks mischief is fun, but a mindful person relishes wisdom.
23
It is a fool's pleasure to do wickedness, But wisdom is a man of understanding's pleasure.
24 The nightmares of the wicked come true; what the good people desire, they get.
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What the wicked fear, will overtake them, But the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the storm is over, there's nothing left of the wicked; good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren't even fazed.
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When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more; But the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
26 A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble; it's vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.
26
As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, So is the sluggard to those who send him.
27 The Fear-of-God expands your life; a wicked life is a puny life.
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The fear of Yahweh prolongs days, But the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
28 The aspirations of good people end in celebration; the ambitions of bad people crash.
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The prospect of the righteous is joy, But the hope of the wicked will perish.
29 God is solid backing to a well-lived life, but he calls into question a shabby performance.
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The way of Yahweh is a stronghold to the upright, But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.
30 Good people last - they can't be moved; the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.
30
The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not dwell in the land.
31 A good person's mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom; a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.
31
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse tongue will be cut off.
32 The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it.
32
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked is perverse.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.