Solomon’s Proverbs: The Wise Son

1The Proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son makes a father glad,

and a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

2The treasures of wickedness will not bring gain,

and righteousness delivers from death.

3YHWH will not let the righteous soul go hungry,

and the desire of the wicked ones He thrusts away.

4The one making slack his hand becomes poor,

and the hand of the diligent ones makes rich.

5The one gathering in the summer is a wise son;

one sleeping in the harvest is a son causing shame.

6Blessings are on the head of the righteous,

and the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.†

7The memory of the righteous is for a blessing,

and the name of the wicked will rot.

8The one wise of heart receives commands,

and the one foolish of lips will be thrown down.

9The one walking in integrity walks securely,

and the one twisting his ways will be known.

10The one winking with the eye gives grief,

and foolish lips will be thrown down.†

11A fountain of life is the mouth of a righteous one,

and the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

12Hatred stirs up strife,

and love covers over all transgressions.†

13On the lips of a discerning one wisdom is found,

and a rod is for the back of the one lacking understanding.

14The wise treasure knowledge,

and the mouth of the fool is near destruction.

15The wealth of a rich one is the city of his strength;

the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

16The wage of the righteous is for life;

the produce of the wicked is for sin.

17The path to life the one guarding discipline,

and one forsaking rebuke goes astray.

18The one covering hatred has lips of falsehood,

and the one bringing forth slander, he is a fool.

19In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,

and the one restraining his lips is wise.

20The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;

the heart of the wicked is for little.

21The lips of the righteous feed many,

and fools die by lack of heart.

22The blessing of YHWH—it enriches,

and toil cannot add to it.

23The doing of evil is like laughter to a fool,

and wisdom is unto a man of understanding.

24The terror of a wicked one—it will come to him,

and the desire of the righteous is given.

25At the passing over of a whirlwind, a wicked one is no more,

and a righteous one has a foundation forever.

26Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,

so is the sluggish one to those sending him.

27The fear of YHWH adds days,

and the years of the wicked will be short.

28The hope of the righteous ones is joy,

and the expectation of the wicked ones will perish.

29The way of YHWH is strength for the upright,

and destruction for doers of iniquity.

30A righteous one will not be shaken forever,

and the wicked will not dwell in the land.

31The mouth of a righteous one brings forth wisdom,

and a tongue of perversity will be cut out.

32The lips of the righteous know what is pleasing,

and the mouth of the wicked ones, perversity.