Christian Standard Bible

New Living Translation

1Better a poor person who lives with integrity than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool.

1Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool.

2Even zeal is not good without knowledge, and the one who acts hastily sins.

2Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.

3A person's own foolishness leads him astray, yet his heart rages against the LORD.

3People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.

4Wealth attracts many friends, but a poor person is separated from his friend.

4Wealth makes many “friends”; poverty drives them all away.

5A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.

5A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape.

6Many seek a ruler's favor, and everyone is a friend of one who gives gifts.

6Many seek favors from a ruler; everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!

7All the brothers of a poor person hate him; how much more do his friends keep their distance from him! He may pursue them with words, but they are not there.

7The relatives of the poor despise them; how much more will their friends avoid them! Though the poor plead with them, their friends are gone.

8The one who acquires good sense loves himself; one who safeguards understanding finds success.

8To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.

9A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies perishes.

9A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed.

10Luxury is not appropriate for a fool-- how much less for a slave to rule over princes!

10It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury or for a slave to rule over princes!

11A person's insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.

11Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

12A king's rage is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

12The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

13A foolish son is his father's ruin, and a wife's nagging is an endless dripping.

13A foolish child is a calamity to a father; a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping.

14A house and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

14Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the LORD can give an understanding wife.

15Laziness induces deep sleep, and a lazy person will go hungry.

15Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry.

16The one who keeps commands preserves himself; one who disregards his ways will die.

16Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death.

17Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and he will give a reward to the lender.

17If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD— and he will repay you!

18Discipline your son while there is hope; don't set your heart on being the cause of his death.

18Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.

19A person with intense anger bears the penalty; if you rescue him, you'll have to do it again.

19Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again.

20Listen to counsel and receive instruction so that you may be wise later in life.

20Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.

21Many plans are in a person's heart, but the LORD's decree will prevail.

21You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.

22What is desirable in a person is his fidelity; better to be a poor person than a liar.

22Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest.

23The fear of the LORD leads to life; one will sleep at night without danger.

23Fear of the LORD leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.

24The slacker buries his hand in the bowl; he doesn't even bring it back to his mouth!

24Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth.

25Strike a mocker, and the inexperienced learn a lesson; rebuke the discerning, and he gains knowledge.

25If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser.

26The one who plunders his father and evicts his mother is a disgraceful and shameful son.

26Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace.

27If you stop listening to correction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

27If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge.

28A worthless witness mocks justice, and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity.

28A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.

29Judgments are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.

29Punishment is made for mockers, and the backs of fools are made to be beaten.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.