New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool.
1
Better to be poor and walk in innocence than to have dishonest lips and be a fool.
2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.
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Ignorant desire isn't good; rushing feet make mistakes.
3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD .
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People's own folly corrupts their way, but their hearts rage against the LORD.
4 Wealth makes many “friends”; poverty drives them all away.
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Riches increase one's friends, but the poor lose their friends.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape.
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A false witness won't go unpunished, and a liar won't escape.
6 Many seek favors from a ruler; everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!
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Many seek favor from rulers; everyone befriends a gift giver.
7 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.
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All the relatives of the poor hate them; even more, their friends stay far from them. When they pursue them with words, they aren't there.
8 To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.
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Those who acquire good sense love themselves; those who keep understanding find success.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed.
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False witnesses won't go unpunished, and liars will perish.
10 It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury or for a slave to rule over princes!
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Luxury isn't fitting for a fool; even less so for a servant to rule over princes.
11 Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.
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Insightful people restrain their anger; their glory is to ignore an offense.
12 The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
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A raging king roars like a lion; his favor is like the dew on the grass.
13 A foolish child is a calamity to a father; a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping.
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A foolish son is a disaster to his father; a contentious wife is like constant dripping.
14 Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the LORD can give an understanding wife.
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House and riches are an inheritance from one's ancestors, but an insightful wife is from the LORD.
15 Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry.
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Laziness brings on deep sleep; a slacker goes hungry.
16 Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death.
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Those who keep the commandment preserve their lives; those who disregard their ways will die.
17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD — and he will repay you!
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Those who are gracious to the poor lend to the LORD, and the Lord will fully repay them.
18 Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.
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Discipline your children while there is hope, but don't plan to kill them.
19 Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again.
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Angry people must pay the penalty; if you rescue them, then you will have to do it again.
20 Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.
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Listen to advice and accept instruction, so you might grow wise in the future.
21 You can make many plans, but the LORD ’s purpose will prevail.
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Many plans are in a person's mind, but the LORD's purpose will succeed.
22 Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest.
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People long for trustworthiness; it is better to be poor than a liar.
23 Fear of the LORD leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.
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The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by harm.
24 Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth.
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Lazy people bury their hand in the bowl; they won't even put it to their mouth.
25 If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser.
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Strike someone who scoffs, and a naive person will become clever; correct someone with understanding, and they will gain knowledge.
26 Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace.
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Those who assault their father and drive out their mother are disgraceful children, worthy of reproach.
27 If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge.
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If, my child, you stop listening to discipline, you will wander away from words of knowledge.
28 A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
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A worthless witness mocks justice; the wicked mouth gulps down trouble.
29 Punishment is made for mockers, and the backs of fools are made to be beaten.
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Punishments were made for mockers, and blows for the backs of fools.
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.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible