New Revised Standard NRS
The Message Bible MSG
1 Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.
1
A meal of bread and water in contented peace is better than a banquet spiced with quarrels.
2 A slave who deals wisely will rule over a child who acts shamefully, and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
2
A wise servant takes charge of an unruly child and is honored as one of the family.
3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.
3
As silver in a crucible and gold in a pan, so our lives are assayed by God.
4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips; and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue.
4
Evil people relish malicious conversation; the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.
5 Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who are glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
5
Whoever mocks poor people, insults their Creator; gloating over misfortune is a punishable crime.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their parents.
6
Old people are distinguished by grandchildren; children take pride in their parents.
7 Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a ruler.
7
We don't expect eloquence from fools, nor do we expect lies from our leaders.
8 A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of those who give it; wherever they turn they prosper.
8
Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone; any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted.
9 One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend.
9
Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a slight and - good-bye, friend!
10 A rebuke strikes deeper into a discerning person than a hundred blows into a fool.
10
A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense does more than a whack on the head of a fool.
11 Evil people seek only rebellion, but a cruel messenger will be sent against them.
11
Criminals out looking for nothing but trouble won't have to wait long - they'll meet it coming and going!
12 Better to meet a she-bear robbed of its cubs than to confront a fool immersed in folly.
12
Better to meet a grizzly robbed of her cubs than a fool hellbent on folly.
13 Evil will not depart from the house of one who returns evil for good.
13
Those who return evil for good will meet their own evil returning.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water; so stop before the quarrel breaks out.
14
The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam, so stop it before it bursts.
15 One who justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
15
Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people are equally abhorrent to God.
16 Why should fools have a price in hand to buy wisdom, when they have no mind to learn?
16
What's this? Fools out shopping for wisdom! They wouldn't recognize it if they saw it! One Who Knows Much Says Little
17 A friend loves at all times, and kinsfolk are born to share adversity.
17
Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.
18 It is senseless to give a pledge, to become surety for a neighbor.
18
It's stupid to try to get something for nothing, or run up huge bills you can never pay.
19 One who loves transgression loves strife; one who builds a high threshold invites broken bones.
19
The person who courts sin, marries trouble; build a wall, invite a burglar.
20 The crooked of mind do not prosper, and the perverse of tongue fall into calamity.
20
A bad motive can't achieve a good end; double-talk brings you double trouble.
21 The one who begets a fool gets trouble; the parent of a fool has no joy.
21
Having a fool for a child is misery; it's no fun being the parent of a dolt.
22 A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.
22
A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.
23 The wicked accept a concealed bribe to pervert the ways of justice.
23
The wicked take bribes under the table; they show nothing but contempt for justice.
24 The discerning person looks to wisdom, but the eyes of a fool to the ends of the earth.
24
The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard; fools look for it everywhere but right here.
25 Foolish children are a grief to their father and bitterness to her who bore them.
25
A surly, stupid child is sheer pain to a father, a bitter pill for a mother to swallow.
26 To impose a fine on the innocent is not right, or to flog the noble for their integrity.
26
It's wrong to penalize good behavior, or make good citizens pay for the crimes of others.
27 One who spares words is knowledgeable; one who is cool in spirit has understanding.
27
The one who knows much says little; an understanding person remains calm.
28 Even fools who keep silent are considered wise; when they close their lips, they are deemed intelligent.
28
Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise; as long as they keep their mouths shut, they're smart.
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.
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.