The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 A meal of bread and water in contented peace is better than a banquet spiced with quarrels.
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Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 A wise servant takes charge of an unruly child and is honored as one of the family.
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A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 As silver in a crucible and gold in a pan, so our lives are assayed by God.
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The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts.
4 Evil people relish malicious conversation; the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.
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An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
5 Whoever mocks poor people, insults their Creator; gloating over misfortune is a punishable crime.
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Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
6 Old people are distinguished by grandchildren; children take pride in their parents.
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Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.
7 We don't expect eloquence from fools, nor do we expect lies from our leaders.
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Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince.
8 Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone; any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted.
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A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers.
9 Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a slight and - good-bye, friend!
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Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.
10 A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense does more than a whack on the head of a fool.
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A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 Criminals out looking for nothing but trouble won't have to wait long - they'll meet it coming and going!
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An evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Better to meet a grizzly robbed of her cubs than a fool hellbent on folly.
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Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly.
13 Those who return evil for good will meet their own evil returning.
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If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.
14 The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam, so stop it before it bursts.
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The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
15 Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people are equally abhorrent to God.
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He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
16 What's this? Fools out shopping for wisdom! They wouldn't recognize it if they saw it! One Who Knows Much Says Little
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Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?
17 Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.
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A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18 It's stupid to try to get something for nothing, or run up huge bills you can never pay.
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One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
19 The person who courts sin, marries trouble; build a wall, invite a burglar.
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Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction.
20 A bad motive can't achieve a good end; double-talk brings you double trouble.
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A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
21 Having a fool for a child is misery; it's no fun being the parent of a dolt.
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He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.
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A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
23 The wicked take bribes under the table; they show nothing but contempt for justice.
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The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.
24 The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard; fools look for it everywhere but right here.
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The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A surly, stupid child is sheer pain to a father, a bitter pill for a mother to swallow.
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A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
26 It's wrong to penalize good behavior, or make good citizens pay for the crimes of others.
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To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 The one who knows much says little; an understanding person remains calm.
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Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise; as long as they keep their mouths shut, they're smart.
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Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
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 English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.