New International Version NIV
New Living Translation NLT
1 Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.
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Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool.
2 Desire without knowledge is not good— how much more will hasty feet miss the way!
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Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.
3 A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the LORD.
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People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD .
4 Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.
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Wealth makes many “friends”; poverty drives them all away.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.
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A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape.
6 Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.
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Many seek favors from a ruler; everyone is the friend of a person who gives 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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The relatives of the poor despise them; how much more will their friends avoid them! Though the poor plead with them, their friends are gone.
8 The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.
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To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.
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 a liar will be destroyed.
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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It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury or 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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Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.
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 king’s anger is like a lion’s roar, 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 calamity to a father; a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping.
14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
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Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the LORD can give an understanding wife.
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.
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Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry.
16 Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.
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Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death.
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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If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD — and he will repay you!
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 children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.
19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
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Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
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Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.
21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
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You can make many plans, but the LORD ’s purpose will prevail.
22 What a person desires is unfailing love ; better to be poor than a liar.
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Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest.
23 The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
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Fear of the LORD leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.
24 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!
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Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth.
25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.
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If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser.
26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
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Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace.
27 Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
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If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge.
28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
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A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
29 Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.
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Punishment is made for mockers, and the backs of fools are made to be beaten.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.