Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

But he who hates reproof is stupid.

2A good man will obtain favor from the Lord,

But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

3A man will not be established by wickedness,

But the root of the righteous will not be moved.

4An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,

But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.

5The thoughts of the righteous are just,

But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.

6The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,

But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.

7The wicked are overthrown and are no more,

But the house of the righteous will stand.

8A man will be praised according to his insight,

But one of perverse mind will be despised.

9Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant

Than he who honors himself and lacks bread.

10A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal,

But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

11He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,

But he who pursues worthless things lacks sense.

12The wicked man desires the booty of evil men,

But the root of the righteous yields fruit.

13An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,

But the righteous will escape from trouble.

14A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words,

And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him.

15The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

16A fool’s anger is known at once,

But a prudent man conceals dishonor.

17He who speaks truth tells what is right,

But a false witness, deceit.

18There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,

But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

19Truthful lips will be established forever,

But a lying tongue is only for a moment.

20Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,

But counselors of peace have joy.

21No harm befalls the righteous,

But the wicked are filled with trouble.

22Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,

But those who deal faithfully are His delight.

23A prudent man conceals knowledge,

But the heart of fools proclaims folly.

24The hand of the diligent will rule,

But the slack hand will be put to forced labor.

25Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,

But a good word makes it glad.

26The righteous is a guide to his neighbor,

But the way of the wicked leads them astray.

27A lazy man does not roast his prey,

But the precious possession of a man is diligence.

28In the way of righteousness is life,

And in its pathway there is no death.

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1A wise son accepts his father’s discipline,

But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

2From the fruit of a man’s mouth he enjoys good,

But the desire of the treacherous is violence.

3The one who guards his mouth preserves his life;

The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

4The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,

But the soul of the diligent is made fat.

5A righteous man hates falsehood,

But a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully.

6Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless,

But wickedness subverts the sinner.

7There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing;

Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.

8The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,

But the poor hears no rebuke.

9The light of the righteous rejoices,

But the lamp of the wicked goes out.

10Through insolence comes nothing but strife,

But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.

11Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles,

But the one who gathers by labor increases it.

12Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

13The one who despises the word will be in debt to it,

But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.

14The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,

To turn aside from the snares of death.

15Good understanding produces favor,

But the way of the treacherous is hard.

16Every prudent man acts with knowledge,

But a fool displays folly.

17A wicked messenger falls into adversity,

But a faithful envoy brings healing.

18Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline,

But he who regards reproof will be honored.

19Desire realized is sweet to the soul,

But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.

20He who walks with wise men will be wise,

But the companion of fools will suffer harm.

21Adversity pursues sinners,

But the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.

22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,

And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

23Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor,

But it is swept away by injustice.

24He who withholds his rod hates his son,

But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

25The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,

But the stomach of the wicked is in need.

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1The wise woman builds her house,

But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

2He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,

But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.

3In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,

But the lips of the wise will protect them.

4Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,

But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

5A trustworthy witness will not lie,

But a false witness utters lies.

6A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,

But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.

7Leave the presence of a fool,

Or you will not discern words of knowledge.

8The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,

But the foolishness of fools is deceit.

9Fools mock at sin,

But among the upright there is good will.

10The heart knows its own bitterness,

And a stranger does not share its joy.

11The house of the wicked will be destroyed,

But the tent of the upright will flourish.

12There is a way which seems right to a man,

But its end is the way of death.

13Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,

And the end of joy may be grief.

14The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways,

But a good man will be satisfied with his.

15The naive believes everything,

But the sensible man considers his steps.

16A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil,

But a fool is arrogant and careless.

17A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,

And a man of evil devices is hated.

18The naive inherit foolishness,

But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.

19The evil will bow down before the good,

And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20The poor is hated even by his neighbor,

But those who love the rich are many.

21He who despises his neighbor sins,

But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.

22Will they not go astray who devise evil?

But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

23In all labor there is profit,

But mere talk leads only to poverty.

24The crown of the wise is their riches,

But the folly of fools is foolishness.

25A truthful witness saves lives,

But he who utters lies is treacherous.

26In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,

And his children will have refuge.

27The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,

That one may avoid the snares of death.

28In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,

But in the dearth of people is a prince’s ruin.

29He who is slow to anger has great understanding,

But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.

30A tranquil heart is life to the body,

But passion is rottenness to the bones.

31He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,

But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

32The wicked is thrust down by his wrongdoing,

But the righteous has a refuge when he dies.

33Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,

But in the hearts of fools it is made known.

34Righteousness exalts a nation,

But sin is a disgrace to any people.

35The king’s favor is toward a servant who acts wisely,

But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.