Proverbs 13-15
Easy-to-Read Version
13 A wise son listens to his father’s advice, but a proud son will not listen to correction.
2 People get good things for the words they say, but those who cannot be trusted say only bad things.
3 People who are careful about what they say will save their lives, but those who speak without thinking will be destroyed.
4 Lazy people always want things but never get them. Those who work hard get plenty.
5 Good people hate lies, but the wicked do evil, shameful things.
6 Goodness protects honest people, but evil destroys those who love to sin.
7 Some people pretend they are rich, but they have nothing. Others pretend they are poor, but they are really rich.
8 The rich might have to pay a ransom to save their lives, but the poor never receive such threats.
9 The light of those who do right shines brighter and brighter, but the lamp of the wicked becomes darker and darker.[a]
10 Pride causes arguments, but those who listen to others are wise.
11 Money gained by cheating others will soon be gone. Money earned through hard work will grow and grow.
12 Hope that is delayed makes you sad, but a wish that comes true fills you with joy.
13 Those who reject a command hurt themselves; those who respect a command will be rewarded.
14 The teaching of the wise is a source of life; their words will save you from deadly traps.
15 People like a person with good sense, but life is hard for someone who cannot be trusted.
16 Wise people always think before they do anything, but fools show how stupid they are by what they do.
17 Disaster will catch up to the wicked messenger, but a runner who can be trusted will bring peace.
18 If you refuse to learn from your mistakes, you will be poor, and no one will respect you. If you listen when you are criticized, you will be honored.
19 People are happy when they get what they want. But stupid people want nothing but evil, and they refuse to change.
20 Be friends with those who are wise, and you will become wise. Choose fools to be your friends, and you will have trouble.
21 Trouble chases sinners wherever they go, but good things happen to good people.
22 It is good to have something to pass down to your grandchildren. But wealth hidden away by sinners will be given to those who live right.
23 The poor might have good land that produces plenty of food, but bad decisions can take it away.[b]
24 If you don’t correct your children, you don’t love them. If you love them, you will be quick to discipline them.
25 Good people will have plenty to eat, but the wicked will go hungry.
14 A wise woman makes her home what it should be, but the home of a foolish woman is destroyed by her own actions.[c]
2 Those who live right respect the Lord, but dishonest people hate him.
3 Foolish words cause you trouble; wise words protect you.
4 A barn with no cattle might be clean, but strong bulls are needed for a good harvest.
5 A good witness is one who does not lie. A bad witness is a liar who cannot be trusted.
6 Anyone who makes fun of wisdom will never find it, but knowledge comes easily to those who understand its value.
7 Stay away from fools, there is nothing they can teach you.
8 Wisdom lets smart people know what they are doing, but stupid people only think they know.
9 Fines are needed to make fools obey the law, but good people are happy to obey it.
10 When you are sad, no one else feels the pain; and when you are happy, no one else can really feel the joy.
11 An evil person’s house will be destroyed, but a good person’s family will do well.
12 There is a way that people think is right, but it leads only to death.
13 Laughter might hide your sadness. But when the laughter is gone, the sadness remains.
14 Evil people will be paid back for the wrong they do, and good people will be rewarded for the good they do.
15 Fools believe every word they hear, but wise people think carefully about everything.
16 Wise people are careful and avoid trouble; fools are too confident and careless.
17 A quick-tempered person does stupid things, but it is also true that people don’t like anyone who quietly plans evil.
18 Fools are rewarded with more foolishness. Smart people are rewarded with knowledge.
19 Good people will defeat those who are evil, and the wicked will be forced to show respect to those who live right.
20 The poor have no friends, not even their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.
21 It is wrong to say bad things about your neighbors. Be kind to the poor, and you will be blessed.
22 Whoever works to do good will find love and loyalty. It is a mistake to work at doing evil.
23 If you work hard, you will have plenty. If you do nothing but talk, you will not have enough.
24 A wise person’s reward is wealth, but a fool’s reward is foolishness.
25 A witness who tells the truth saves lives, but one who tells lies hurts others.
26 People who respect the Lord will be safe, and they will make their children feel secure.
27 Respect for the Lord gives true life and will save you from death’s trap.
28 Kings of large nations have great honor. Rulers without a country have nothing.
29 A patient person is very smart. A quick-tempered person makes stupid mistakes.
30 Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.
31 Whoever takes advantage of the poor insults their Maker, but whoever is kind to them honors him.
32 The wicked will be defeated by their evil, but good people are protected by their honesty.[d]
33 A wise person is always thinking wise thoughts, but a fool knows nothing about wisdom.
34 Goodness makes a nation great, but sin is a shame to any people.
35 Kings are pleased with intelligent officials, but they will punish shameful ones.
15 A gentle answer makes anger disappear, but a rough answer makes it grow.
2 Listening to wise people increases your knowledge, but only nonsense comes from the mouths of fools.
3 The Lord sees what happens everywhere. He watches everyone, good and evil.
4 Kind words are like a life-giving tree, but lying words will crush your spirit.
5 Fools refuse to listen to their father’s advice, but those who accept discipline are smart.
6 Good people are rich in many ways, but those who are evil get nothing but trouble.
7 Wise people say things that give you new knowledge, but fools say nothing worth hearing.
8 The Lord hates the offerings of the wicked, but he is happy to hear the prayers of those who live right.
9 The Lord hates the way evil people live, but he loves those who try to do good.
10 Whoever stops living right will be punished. Whoever hates to be corrected will be destroyed.
11 The Lord knows everything, even what happens in the place of death. So surely he knows what people are thinking.
12 Fools hate to be told they are wrong, so they refuse to ask wise people for advice.
13 If you are happy, your face shows it. If you are sad, your spirit feels defeated.
14 Intelligent people want more knowledge, but fools only want more nonsense.
15 Life is always hard for the poor, but the right attitude can turn it into a party.
16 It is better to be poor and respect the Lord than to be rich and have many troubles.
17 It is better to eat a little where there is love than to eat a lot where there is hate.
18 A quick temper causes fights, but patience brings peace and calm.
19 For lazy people, life is a path overgrown with thorns and thistles. For those who do what is right, it is a smooth highway.
20 Wise children make their parents happy. Foolish children bring them shame.
21 Doing foolish things makes a fool happy, but a wise person is careful to do what is right.
22 If you don’t ask for advice, your plans will fail. With many advisors, they will succeed.
23 People are happy when they give a good answer. And there is nothing better than the right word at the right time.
24 What wise people do leads to life here on earth[e] and stops them from going down to the place of death.
25 The Lord destroys a proud man’s house but protects a widow’s property.
26 The Lord hates evil thoughts, but he is pleased with kind words.
27 Whoever takes money to do wrong invites disaster. Refuse such gifts, and you will live.
28 Good people think before they answer, but the wicked do not, and what they say causes trouble.
29 The Lord is far away from the wicked, but he always hears the prayers of those who do what is right.
30 A smile[f] makes people happy. Good news makes them feel better.
31 To be counted among the wise, you must learn to accept helpful criticism.
32 If you refuse to be corrected, you are only hurting yourself. Listen to criticism, and you will gain understanding.
33 Wisdom teaches you to respect the Lord. You must be humbled before you can be honored.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:9 Or “The light of those who do right is happy; the lamp of the wicked goes out.”
- Proverbs 13:23 Or “The fields of the poor might produce plenty of food, but the unjust often take it away.”
- Proverbs 14:1 Or “Wisdom builds her house, but Foolishness tears hers down with her own hands.”
- Proverbs 14:32 Or “The wicked will be crushed by their evil, and those who hope for their destruction are right to do so.”
- Proverbs 15:24 here on earth Literally, “above,” that is, “above the ground.”
- Proverbs 15:30 smile Literally, “a sparkle in the eyes.”
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