Common English Bible CEB
English Standard Version ESV
1 Better a dry crust with quiet than a house full of feasting with quarrels.
1
Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 An insightful servant rules over a disgraceful son and will divide an inheritance with the brothers.
2
A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 A crucible is for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.
3
The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.
4 An evildoer pays attention to guilty lips; a liar listens to a destructive tongue.
4
An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
5 Those who mock the poor insult their maker; those who rejoice in disaster won't go unpunished.
5
Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the glory of children is their parents.
6
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.
7 Too much talking isn't right for a fool; even less so false speech for an honorable person.
7
Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince.
8 A bribe seems magical in the eyes of those who give it, granting success to all who use it.
8
A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers.
9 One who seeks love conceals an offense, but one who repeats it divides friends.
9
Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.
10 A rebuke goes deeper to an understanding person than a hundred lashes to a fool.
10
A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 Evil people seek only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against them.
11
An evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than fools in their folly.
12
Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly.
13 Evil will never depart from the house of those who return evil for good.
13
If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.
14 The start of a quarrel is like letting out water, so drop the dispute before it breaks out.
14
The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
15 Judging the righteous wicked and the wicked righteous— the LORD detests both of these.
15
He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why should a fool have money to pay for wisdom? He has no mind.
16
Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?
17 Friends love all the time, and kinsfolk are born for times of trouble.
17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18 One with no sense shakes hands on a deal, securing a loan for a friend.
18
One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
19 Those who love an offense love a quarrel; those who build a high doorway invite a collapse.
19
Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction.
20 Those with crooked hearts won't prosper, and those with twisted tongues will fall into trouble.
20
A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
21 Having a fool for a son brings grief; there's no joy for a scoundrel's father.
21
He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A joyful heart helps healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
22
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
23 The wicked take secret bribes to twist the way of justice.
23
The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.
24 Wisdom is right in front of those with understanding, but the eyes of fools are off to the edges of the earth.
24
The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is irritating to his father and bitter to her who gave birth to him.
25
A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
26 It isn't good to punish the righteous, to strike the honorable for their integrity.
26
To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 Wise are those who restrain their talking; people with understanding are coolheaded.
27
Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Fools who keep quiet are deemed wise; those who shut their lips are smart.
28
Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.