New International Version NIV
Lexham English Bible LEB
1 Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.
1
Better a poor person walking in integrity than one who is perverse {in his speech} and is a fool.
2 Desire without knowledge is not good— how much more will hasty feet miss the way!
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Also, a life without knowledge is not good, and he who moves quickly with [his] feet {misses the mark}.
3 A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the LORD.
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As for the folly of humankind, its way leads to ruin, and against Yahweh his heart will rage.
4 Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.
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Wealth adds many friends, but the poor will be left by his friends.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.
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A witness of falsehood will not go unpunished, and he who breathes lies will not escape.
6 Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.
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Many will seek favor before the generous, and everyone [is] the friend of a man of gifts.
7 The poor are shunned by all their relatives— how much more do their friends avoid them! Though the poor pursue them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found.
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All the brothers of the poor, [if] they hate him, how much more will his friends keep away from him. He pursues [them with] words, [and] they are gone.
8 The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.
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He who acquires wisdom loves himself; he who guards understanding [loves] to find good.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.
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A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes lies will perish.
10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury— how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!
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For a fool living in luxury is not fitting, [any] more [than it is] for a slave to rule over princes.
11 A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
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The understanding of a person makes him slow to his {anger}, and his glory overlooks offense.
12 A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
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The rage of a king growls like a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
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A foolish child is a ruin to his father, and the quarreling of a woman is a continuous dripping.
14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
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A house and wealth [are] an inheritance [from] fathers, but from Yahweh [comes] a woman who is prudent.
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.
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Laziness will bring on a deep sleep, and a person of idleness will suffer hunger.
16 Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.
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He who guards commandments guards his life; he who is careless of his ways will be killed.
17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.
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He who lends to Yahweh [is] he who is kind to the poor, and his benefits he will repay to him.
18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.
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Discipline your child, for there is hope, but on his destruction do not set your desire.
19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
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A hot-tempered person pays a penalty; if you rescue [him], you will do [it] yet again.
20 Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
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Listen [to] advice and accept instruction so that you will gain wisdom for your {future}.
21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
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Many plans [are] in the heart of a man, but the purpose of Yahweh will be established.
22 What a person desires is unfailing love ; better to be poor than a liar.
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The craving of a man [is] his steadfast loyalty, and [it is] better [to be] poor than a {liar}.
23 The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
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Fear of Yahweh [leads] to life; he who is filled [with it] will rest--he will not suffer harm.
24 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!
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A lazy person buries his hand in the dish, and even to his mouth he will not bring it back.
25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.
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The scoffer you shall strike, and the simple, may they learn prudence, and reprove the intelligent [and] he will gain knowledge.
26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
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He who does violence to a father, he who chases away a mother, [is] a child who causes shame and brings reproach.
27 Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
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Cease to listen to instruction, my child, {and you will stray} from sayings of knowledge.
28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
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A worthless witness will mock justice, and the mouth of the wicked will devour iniquity.
29 Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.
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Judgments are prepared for the scoffers, and flogging for the back of fools.