15:1 A gentle response turns away anger,
but a harsh word stirs up wrath.
15:2 The tongue of the wise treats knowledge correctly,
but the mouth of the fool spouts out folly.
15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on those who are evil and those who are good.
15:4 Speech that heals is like a life-giving tree,
but a perverse tongue breaks the spirit.
15:5 A fool rejects his father’s discipline,
but whoever heeds reproof shows good sense.
15:6 In the house of the righteous is abundant wealth,
but the income of the wicked brings trouble.
15:7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
but not so the heart of fools.
15:8 The Lord abhors the sacrifices of the wicked,
but the prayer of the upright pleases him.
15:9 The Lord abhors the way of the wicked,
but he loves those who pursue righteousness.
15:10 Severe discipline is for the one who abandons the way;
the one who hates reproof will die.
15:11 Death and Destruction are before the Lord –
how much more the hearts of humans!
15:12 The scorner does not love one who corrects him;
he will not go to the wise.
15:13 A joyful heart makes the face cheerful,
but by a painful heart the spirit is broken.
15:14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge,
but the mouth of fools feeds on folly.
15:15 All the days of the afflicted are bad,
but one with a cheerful heart has a continual feast.
15:16 Better is little with the fear of the Lord
than great wealth and turmoil with it.
15:17 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love
than a fattened ox where there is hatred.
15:18 A quick-tempered person stirs up dissension,
but one who is slow to anger calms a quarrel.
15:19 The way of the sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,
but the path of the upright is like a highway.
15:20 A wise child brings joy to his father,
but a foolish person despises his mother.
15:21 Folly is a joy to one who lacks sense,
but one who has understanding follows an upright course.
15:22 Plans fail when there is no counsel,
but with abundant advisers they are established.
15:23 A person has joy in giving an appropriate answer,
and a word at the right time – how good it is!
15:24 The path of life is upward for the wise person,
to keep him from going downward to Sheol.
15:25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud,
but he maintains the boundaries of the widow.
15:26 The Lord abhors the plans of the wicked,
but pleasant words are pure.
15:27 The one who is greedy for gain troubles his household,
but whoever hates bribes will live.
15:28 The heart of the righteous considers how to answer,
but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
15:30 A bright look brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the body.
15:31 The person who hears the reproof that leads to life
is at home among the wise.
15:32 The one who refuses correction despises himself,
but whoever hears reproof acquires understanding.
15:33 The fear of the Lord provides wise instruction,
and before honor comes humility.
16:1 The intentions of the heart belong to a man,
but the answer of the tongue comes from the Lord.
16:2 All a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion,
but the Lord evaluates the motives.
16:3 Commit your works to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.
16:4 The Lord works everything for its own ends –
even the wicked for the day of disaster.
16:5 The Lord abhors every arrogant person;
rest assured that they will not go unpunished.
16:6 Through loyal love and truth iniquity is appeased;
through fearing the Lord one avoids evil.
16:7 When a person’s ways are pleasing to the Lord,
he even reconciles his enemies to himself.
16:8 Better to have a little with righteousness
than to have abundant income without justice.
16:9 A person plans his course,
but the Lord directs his steps.
16:10 The divine verdict is in the words of the king,
his pronouncements must not act treacherously against justice.
16:11 Honest scales and balances are from the Lord;
all the weights in the bag are his handiwork.
16:12 Doing wickedness is an abomination to kings,
because a throne is established in righteousness.
16:13 The delight of kings is righteous counsel,
and they love the one who speaks uprightly.
16:14 A king’s wrath is like a messenger of death,
but a wise person appeases it.
16:15 In the light of the king’s face there is life,
and his favor is like the clouds of the spring rain.
16:16 How much better it is to acquire wisdom than gold;
to acquire understanding is more desirable than silver.
16:17 The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil;
the one who guards his way safeguards his life.
16:18 Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
16:19 It is better to be lowly in spirit with the afflicted
than to share the spoils with the proud.
16:20 The one who deals wisely in a matter will find success,
and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
16:21 The one who is wise in heart is called discerning,
and kind speech increases persuasiveness.
16:22 Insight is like a life-giving fountain to the one who possesses it,
but folly leads to the discipline of fools.
16:23 A wise person’s heart makes his speech wise
and it adds persuasiveness to his words.
16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
16:25 There is a way that seems right to a person,
but its end is the way that leads to death.
16:26 A laborer’s appetite works on his behalf,
for his hunger urges him to work.
16:27 A wicked scoundrel digs up evil,
and his slander is like a scorching fire.
16:28 A perverse person spreads dissension,
and a gossip separates the closest friends.
16:29 A violent person entices his neighbor,
and leads him down a path that is terrible.
16:30 The one who winks his eyes devises perverse things,
and one who compresses his lips brings about evil.
16:31 Gray hair is like a crown of glory;
it is attained in the path of righteousness.
16:32 Better to be slow to anger than to be a mighty warrior,
and one who controls his temper is better than one who captures a city.
16:33 The dice are thrown into the lap,
but their every decision is from the Lord.
17:1 Better is a dry crust of bread where there is quietness
than a house full of feasting with strife.
17:2 A servant who acts wisely will rule
over an heir who behaves shamefully,
and will share the inheritance along with the relatives.
17:3 The crucible is for refining silver and the furnace is for gold,
likewise the Lord tests hearts.
17:4 One who acts wickedly pays attention to evil counsel;
a liar listens to a malicious tongue.
17:5 The one who mocks the poor insults his Creator;
whoever rejoices over disaster will not go unpunished.
17:6 Grandchildren are like a crown to the elderly,
and the glory of children is their parents.
17:7 Excessive speech is not becoming for a fool;
how much less are lies for a ruler!
17:8 A bribe works like a charm for the one who offers it;
in whatever he does he succeeds.
17:9 The one who forgives an offense seeks love,
but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends.
17:10 A rebuke makes a greater impression on a discerning person
than a hundred blows on a fool.
17:11 An evil person seeks only rebellion,
and so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
17:12 It is better for a person to meet a mother bear being robbed of her cubs,
than to encounter a fool in his folly.
17:13 As for the one who repays evil for good,
evil will not leave his house.
17:14 Starting a quarrel is like letting out water;
stop it before strife breaks out!
17:15 The one who acquits the guilty and the one who condemns the innocent –
both of them are an abomination to the Lord.
17:16 Of what use is money in the hand of a fool,
since he has no intention of acquiring wisdom?
17:17 A friend loves at all times,
and a relative is born to help in adversity.
17:18 The one who lacks wisdom strikes hands in pledge,
and puts up financial security for his neighbor.
17:19 The one who loves a quarrel loves transgression;
whoever builds his gate high seeks destruction.
17:20 The one who has a perverse heart does not find good,
and the one who is deceitful in speech falls into trouble.
17:21 Whoever brings a fool into the world does so to his grief,
and the father of a fool has no joy.
17:22 A cheerful heart brings good healing,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
17:23 A wicked person receives a bribe secretly
to pervert the ways of justice.
17:24 Wisdom is directly in front of the discerning person,
but the eyes of a fool run to the ends of the earth.
17:25 A foolish child is a grief to his father,
and bitterness to the mother who bore him.
17:26 It is terrible to punish a righteous person,
and to flog honorable men is wrong.
17:27 The truly wise person restrains his words,
and the one who stays calm is discerning.
17:28 Even a fool who remains silent is considered wise,
and the one who holds his tongue is deemed discerning.
18:1 One who has isolated himself seeks his own desires;
he rejects all sound judgment.
18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding
but only in disclosing what is on his mind.
18:3 When a wicked person arrives, contempt shows up with him,
and with shame comes a reproach.
18:4 The words of a person’s mouth are like deep waters,
and the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
18:5 It is terrible to show partiality to the wicked,
by depriving a righteous man of justice.
18:6 The lips of a fool enter into strife,
and his mouth invites a flogging.
18:7 The mouth of a fool is his ruin,
and his lips are a snare for his life.
18:8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down into the person’s innermost being.
18:9 The one who is slack in his work
is a brother to one who destroys.
18:10 The name of the Lord is like a strong tower;
the righteous person runs to it and is set safely on high.
18:11 The wealth of a rich person is like a strong city,
and it is like a high wall in his imagination.
18:12 Before destruction the heart of a person is proud,
but humility comes before honor.
18:13 The one who gives an answer before he listens –
that is his folly and his shame.
18:14 A person’s spirit sustains him through sickness –
but who can bear a crushed spirit?
18:15 The discerning person acquires knowledge,
and the wise person seeks knowledge.
18:16 A person’s gift makes room for him,
and leads him before important people.
18:17 The first to state his case seems right,
until his opponent begins to cross-examine him.
18:18 A toss of a coin ends disputes,
and settles the issue between strong opponents.
18:19 A relative offended is harder to reach than a strong city,
and disputes are like the barred gates of a fortified citadel.
18:20 From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach is satisfied,
with the product of his lips is he satisfied.
18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love its use will eat its fruit.
18:22 The one who finds a wife finds what is enjoyable,
and receives a pleasurable gift from the Lord.
18:23 A poor person makes supplications,
but a rich man answers harshly.
18:24 A person who has friends may be harmed by them,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.