Add parallel Print Page Options

Wise Friends Make You Wise

13 Children with good sense
    accept correction
    from their parents,
but stubborn children
    ignore it completely.
You will be well rewarded
    for saying something kind,
but all some people think about
    is how to be cruel and mean.
(A) Keep what you know to yourself,
    and you will be safe;
talk too much,
    and you are done for.
No matter how much you want,
    laziness won't help a bit,
but hard work will reward you
    with more than enough.
A good person hates deceit,
but those who are evil
    cause shame and disgrace.
Live right, and you are safe!
    But sin will destroy you.

Some who have nothing
    may pretend to be rich,
and some who have everything
    may pretend to be poor.
The rich may have
    to pay a ransom,
but the poor don't have
    that problem.
The lamp of a good person
    keeps on shining;
the lamp of an evil person
    soon goes out.
10 Too much pride causes trouble.
    Be sensible and take advice.

11 Money wrongly[a] gained
    will disappear bit by bit;
money earned little by little
    will grow and grow.
12 Not getting what you want
    can break your heart,
but a wish that comes true
    is a life-giving tree.
13 If you reject God's teaching,
    you will pay the price;
if you obey his commands,
    you will be rewarded.

14 Sensible instruction
    is a life-giving fountain
that helps you escape
    all deadly traps.
15 Sound judgment is praised,
but people without good sense
    are on the way to disaster.[b]
16 If you have good sense,
you will act sensibly,
    but fools act like fools.
17 Whoever delivers your message
can make things better
    or worse for you.

18 All who refuse correction
    will be poor and disgraced;
all who accept correction
    will be praised.
19 It's a good feeling
    to get what you want,
but only a stupid fool
    hates to turn from evil.
20 (B) Wise friends make you wise,
but you hurt yourself
    by going around with fools.
21 You are in for trouble
    if you sin,
but you will be rewarded
    if you live right.
22 If you obey God,
you will have something
    to leave your grandchildren.
If you don't obey God,
those who live right
    will get what you leave.

23 Even when the land of the poor
    produces good crops,
they get cheated
    out of what they grow.[c]
24 If you love your children,
    you will correct them;
if you don't love them,
    you won't correct them.
25 If you live right,
    you will have plenty to eat;
if you don't live right,
    you will go away empty.

Footnotes

  1. 13.11 wrongly: Or “quickly.”
  2. 13.15 people … disaster: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  3. 13.23 grow: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 23.

Bible Gateway Recommends