New International Version NIV
The Message Bible MSG
1 The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.
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Wise son, glad father; stupid son, sad mother.
2 Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.
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Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere; an honest life is immortal.
3 The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
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God won't starve an honest soul, but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.
4 Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.
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Sloth makes you poor; diligence brings wealth.
5 He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
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Make hay while the sun shines - that's smart; go fishing during harvest - that's stupid.
6 Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.
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Blessings accrue on a good and honest life, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
7 The name of the righteous is used in blessings, but the name of the wicked will rot.
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A good and honest life is a blessed memorial; a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.
8 The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.
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A wise heart takes orders; an empty head will come unglued.
9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.
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Honesty lives confident and carefree, but Shifty is sure to be exposed.
10 Whoever winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin.
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An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead, but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
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The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
12 Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.
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Hatred starts fights, but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.
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You'll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight, but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.
14 The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.
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The wise accumulate knowledge - a true treasure; know-it-alls talk too much - a sheer waste. The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life
15 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.
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The wealth of the rich is their bastion; the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.
16 The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.
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The wage of a good person is exuberant life; an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.
17 Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
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The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you're lost for good.
18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.
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Liars secretly hoard hatred; fools openly spread slander.
19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.
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The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.
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The speech of a good person is worth waiting for; the blabber of the wicked is worthless.
21 The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense.
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The talk of a good person is rich fare for many, but chatterboxes die of an empty heart. Fear-of-God Expands Your Life
22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it.
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God's blessing makes life rich; nothing we do can improve on God.
23 A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.
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An empty-head thinks mischief is fun, but a mindful person relishes wisdom.
24 What the wicked dread will overtake them; what the righteous desire will be granted.
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The nightmares of the wicked come true; what the good people desire, they get.
25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.
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When the storm is over, there's nothing left of the wicked; good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren't even fazed.
26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are sluggards to those who send them.
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A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble; it's vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.
27 The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
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The Fear-of-God expands your life; a wicked life is a puny life.
28 The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.
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The aspirations of good people end in celebration; the ambitions of bad people crash.
29 The way of the LORD is a refuge for the blameless, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.
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God is solid backing to a well-lived life, but he calls into question a shabby performance.
30 The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.
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Good people last - they can't be moved; the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.
31 From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced.
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A good person's mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom; a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.
32 The lips of the righteous know what finds favor, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.
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The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it.
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.
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.