The Message Bible MSG
World English Bible WEB
1 Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home; Sir Fool comes along and tears it down brick by brick.
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Every wise woman builds her house, But the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2 An honest life shows respect for God; a degenerate life is a slap in his face.
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He who walks in his uprightness fears Yahweh, But he who is perverse in his ways despises him.
3 Frivolous talk provokes a derisive smile; wise speech evokes nothing but respect.
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The fool's talk brings a rod to his back, But the lips of the wise protect them.
4 No cattle, no crops; a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow.
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Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, But much increase is by the strength of the ox.
5 A true witness never lies; a false witness makes a business of it.
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A truthful witness will not lie, But a false witness pours out lies.
6 Cynics look high and low for wisdom - and never find it; the open-minded find it right on their doorstep!
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A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn't find it, But knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.
7 Escape quickly from the company of fools; they're a waste of your time, a waste of your words.
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Stay away from a foolish man, For you won't find knowledge on his lips.
8 The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track; the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch.
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The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way, But the folly of fools is deceit.
9 The stupid ridicule right and wrong, but a moral life is a favored life.
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Fools mock at making atonement for sins, But among the upright there is good will.
10 The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends will be an outsider at their celebrations.
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The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; He will not share these with a stranger.
11 Lives of careless wrongdoing are tumbledown shacks; holy living builds soaring cathedrals.
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The house of the wicked will be overthrown, But the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There's a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again - it leads straight to hell.
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There is a way which seems right to a man, But in the end it leads to death.
13 Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter will end in heartbreak. Sift and Weigh Every Word
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Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, And mirth may end in heaviness.
14 A mean person gets paid back in meanness, a gracious person in grace.
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The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; Likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.
15 The gullible believe anything they're told; the prudent sift and weigh every word.
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The simple believes everything, But the prudent man carefully considers his ways.
16 The wise watch their steps and avoid evil; fools are headstrong and reckless.
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A wise man fears, and shuns evil, But the fool is hotheaded and reckless.
17 The hotheaded do things they'll later regret; the coldhearted get the cold shoulder.
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He who is quick to become angry will commit folly, And a crafty man is hated.
18 Foolish dreamers live in a world of illusion; wise realists plant their feet on the ground.
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The simple inherit folly, But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 Eventually, evil will pay tribute to good; the wicked will respect God-loyal people.
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The evil bow down before the good, And the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.
20 An unlucky loser is shunned by all, but everyone loves a winner.
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The poor person is shunned even by his own neighbor, But the rich person has many friends.
21 It's criminal to ignore a neighbor in need, but compassion for the poor - what a blessing!
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He who despises his neighbor sins, But blessed is he who has pity on the poor.
22 Isn't it obvious that conspirators lose out, while the thoughtful win love and trust?
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Don't they go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
23 Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table.
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In all hard work there is profit, But the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.
24 The wise accumulate wisdom; fools get stupider by the day.
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The crown of the wise is their riches, But the folly of fools crowns them with folly.
25 Souls are saved by truthful witness and betrayed by the spread of lies.
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A truthful witness saves souls, But a false witness is deceitful.
26 The Fear-of-God builds up confidence, and makes a world safe for your children.
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In the fear of Yahweh is a secure fortress, And he will be a refuge for his children.
27 The Fear-of-God is a spring of living water so you won't go off drinking from poisoned wells.
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The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, Turning people from the snares of death.
28 The mark of a good leader is loyal followers; leadership is nothing without a following.
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In the multitude of people is the king's glory, But in the lack of people is the destruction of the prince.
29 Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding; a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity.
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He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who has a quick temper displays folly.
30 A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones.
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The life of the body is a heart at peace, But envy rots the bones.
31 You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless; when you're kind to the poor, you honor God.
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He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, But he who is kind to the needy honors him.
32 The evil of bad people leaves them out in the cold; the integrity of good people creates a safe place for living.
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The wicked is brought down in his calamity, But in death, the righteous has a refuge.
33 Lady Wisdom is at home in an understanding heart - fools never even get to say hello.
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Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, And is even made known in the inward part of fools.
34 God-devotion makes a country strong; God-avoidance leaves people weak.
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Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 Diligent work gets a warm commendation; shiftless work earns an angry rebuke.
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The king's favor is toward a servant who deals wisely, But his wrath is toward one who causes shame.
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.