Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
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 slave who deals wisely will rule over a child who acts shamefully, and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
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, but the Lord tests the heart.
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 heed to a mischievous tongue.
5 Those who mock the poor insult their maker; those who rejoice in disaster won't go unpunished.
5
Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who are 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 parents.
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 ruler.
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 those who give it; wherever they turn they prosper.
9 One who seeks love conceals an offense, but one who repeats it divides friends.
9
One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend.
10 A rebuke goes deeper to an understanding person than a hundred lashes to a fool.
10
A rebuke strikes deeper into a discerning person than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 Evil people seek only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against them.
11
Evil people seek only rebellion, but a cruel messenger will be sent against them.
12 Safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than fools in their folly.
12
Better to meet a she-bear robbed of its cubs than to confront a fool immersed in folly.
13 Evil will never depart from the house of those who return evil for good.
13
Evil will not depart from the house of one who returns evil for good.
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 stop before the quarrel breaks out.
15 Judging the righteous wicked and the wicked righteous— the LORD detests both of these.
15
One who justifies the wicked and one 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 fools have a price in hand to buy wisdom, when they have no mind to learn?
17 Friends love all the time, and kinsfolk are born for times of trouble.
17
A friend loves at all times, and kinsfolk are born to share adversity.
18 One with no sense shakes hands on a deal, securing a loan for a friend.
18
It is senseless to give a pledge, to become surety for a neighbor.
19 Those who love an offense love a quarrel; those who build a high doorway invite a collapse.
19
One who loves transgression loves strife; one who builds a high threshold invites broken bones.
20 Those with crooked hearts won't prosper, and those with twisted tongues will fall into trouble.
20
The crooked of mind do not prosper, and the perverse of tongue fall into calamity.
21 Having a fool for a son brings grief; there's no joy for a scoundrel's father.
21
The one who begets a fool gets trouble; the parent of a fool has no joy.
22 A joyful heart helps healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
22
A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.
23 The wicked take secret bribes to twist the way of justice.
23
The wicked accept a concealed bribe 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 person looks to wisdom, but the eyes of a fool to the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is irritating to his father and bitter to her who gave birth to him.
25
Foolish children are a grief to their father and bitterness to her who bore them.
26 It isn't good to punish the righteous, to strike the honorable for their integrity.
26
To impose a fine on the innocent is not right, or to flog the noble for their integrity.
27 Wise are those who restrain their talking; people with understanding are coolheaded.
27
One who spares words is knowledgeable; one who is cool in spirit has understanding.
28 Fools who keep quiet are deemed wise; those who shut their lips are smart.
28
Even fools who keep silent are considered wise; when they close their lips, they are deemed intelligent.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.