New Living Translation NLT
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.
1
Better [is] a dry morsel, and rest with it, Than a house full of the sacrifices of strife.
2 A wise servant will rule over the master’s disgraceful son and will share the inheritance of the master’s children.
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A wise servant ruleth over a son causing shame, And in the midst of brethren He apportioneth an inheritance.
3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart.
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A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And the trier of hearts [is] Jehovah.
4 Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander.
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An evil doer is attentive to lips of vanity, Falsehood is giving ear to a mischievous tongue.
5 Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.
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Whoso is mocking at the poor Hath reproached his Maker, Whoso is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.
6 Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.
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Sons' sons [are] the crown of old men, And the glory of sons [are] their fathers.
7 Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler.
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Not comely for a fool is a lip of excellency, Much less for a noble a lip of falsehood.
8 A bribe is like a lucky charm; whoever gives one will prosper!
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A stone of grace [is] the bribe in the eyes of its possessors, Whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
9 Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.
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Whoso is covering transgression is seeking love, And whoso is repeating a matter Is separating a familiar friend.
10 A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.
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Rebuke cometh down on the intelligent More than a hundred stripes on a fool.
11 Evil people are eager for rebellion, but they will be severely punished.
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An evil man seeketh only rebellion, And a fierce messenger is sent against him.
12 It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to confront a fool caught in foolishness.
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The meeting of a bereaved bear by a man, And -- not a fool in his folly.
13 If you repay good with evil, evil will never leave your house.
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Whoso is returning evil for good, Evil moveth not from his house.
14 Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out.
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The beginning of contention [is] a letting out of waters, And before it is meddled with leave the strife.
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— both are detestable to the LORD .
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Whoso is justifying the wicked, And condemning the righteous, Even both of these [are] an abomination to Jehovah.
16 It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning.
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Why [is] this -- a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, And a heart there is none?
17 A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.
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At all times is the friend loving, And a brother for adversity is born.
18 It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for a friend.
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A man lacking heart is striking hands, A surety he becometh before his friend.
19 Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster.
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Whoso is loving transgression is loving debate, Whoso is making high his entrance is seeking destruction.
20 The crooked heart will not prosper; the lying tongue tumbles into trouble.
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The perverse of heart findeth not good, And the turned in his tongue falleth into evil.
21 It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel.
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Whoso is begetting a fool hath affliction for it, Yea, the father of a fool rejoiceth not.
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.
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A rejoicing heart doth good to the body, And a smitten spirit drieth the bone.
23 The wicked take secret bribes to pervert the course of justice.
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A bribe from the bosom the wicked taketh, To turn aside the paths of judgment.
24 Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
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The face of the intelligent [is] to wisdom, And the eyes of a fool -- at the end of the earth.
25 Foolish children bring grief to their father and bitterness to the one who gave them birth.
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A provocation to his father [is] a foolish son, And bitterness to her that bare him.
26 It is wrong to punish the godly for being good or to flog leaders for being honest.
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Also, to fine the righteous is not good, To smite nobles for uprightness.
27 A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.
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One acquainted with knowledge is sparing his words, And the cool of temper [is] a man of understanding.
28 Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
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Even a fool keeping silence is reckoned wise, He who is shutting his lips intelligent!