New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 A wise child accepts a parent’s discipline; a mocker refuses to listen to correction.
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Intelligent children listen to their parents; foolish children do their own thing.
2 Wise words will win you a good meal, but treacherous people have an appetite for violence.
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The good acquire a taste for helpful conversation; bullies push and shove their way through life.
3 Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.
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Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything.
4 Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.
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Indolence wants it all and gets nothing; the energetic have something to show for their lives.
5 The godly hate lies; the wicked cause shame and disgrace.
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A good person hates false talk; a bad person wallows in gibberish.
6 Godliness guards the path of the blameless, but the evil are misled by sin.
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A God-loyal life keeps you on track; sin dumps the wicked in the ditch.
7 Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.
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A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life.
8 The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won’t even get threatened.
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The rich can be sued for everything they have, but the poor are free of such threats.
9 The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.
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The lives of good people are brightly lit streets; the lives of the wicked are dark alleys.
10 Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.
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Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord, but wise men and women listen to each other's counsel.
11 Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.
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Easy come, easy go, but steady diligence pays off.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
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Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.
13 People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed.
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Ignore the Word and suffer; honor God's commands and grow rich.
14 The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death.
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The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, so, no more drinking from death-tainted wells!
15 A person with good sense is respected; a treacherous person is headed for destruction.
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Sound thinking makes for gracious living, but liars walk a rough road.
16 Wise people think before they act; fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.
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A commonsense person lives good sense; fools litter the country with silliness.
17 An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble, but a reliable messenger brings healing.
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Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things, but a reliable reporter is a healing presence.
18 If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored.
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Refuse discipline and end up homeless; embrace correction and live an honored life.
19 It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them.
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Souls who follow their hearts thrive; fools bent on evil despise matters of soul.
20 Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.
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Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.
21 Trouble chases sinners, while blessings reward the righteous.
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Disaster entraps sinners, but God-loyal people get a good life.
22 Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.
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A good life gets passed on to the grandchildren; ill-gotten wealth ends up with good people.
23 A poor person’s farm may produce much food, but injustice sweeps it all away.
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Banks foreclose on the farms of the poor, or else the poor lose their shirts to crooked lawyers.
24 Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.
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A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them.
25 The godly eat to their hearts’ content, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.
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An appetite for good brings much satisfaction, but the belly of the wicked always wants more.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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.