| New International Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. | 1Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict. |
| 2A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son and will share the inheritance as one of the family. | 2A wise servant will rule over the master’s disgraceful son and will share the inheritance of the master’s children. |
| 3The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart. | 3Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart. |
| 4A wicked person listens to deceitful lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue. | 4Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander. |
| 5Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. | 5Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished. |
| 6Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. | 6Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children. |
| 7Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool-- how much worse lying lips to a ruler! | 7Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler. |
| 8A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it; they think success will come at every turn. | 8A bribe is like a lucky charm; whoever gives one will prosper! |
| 9Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. | 9Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. |
| 10A rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool. | 10A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool. |
| 11Evildoers foster rebellion against God; the messenger of death will be sent against them. | 11Evil people are eager for rebellion, but they will be severely punished. |
| 12Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly. | 12It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to confront a fool caught in foolishness. |
| 13Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good. | 13If you repay good with evil, evil will never leave your house. |
| 14Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. | 14Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out. |
| 15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent-- the LORD detests them both. | 15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— both are detestable to the LORD. |
| 16Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it? | 16It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning. |
| 17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. | 17A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. |
| 18One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge and puts up security for a neighbor. | 18It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for a friend. |
| 19Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin; whoever builds a high gate invites destruction. | 19Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster. |
| 20One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper; one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble. | 20The crooked heart will not prosper; the lying tongue tumbles into trouble. |
| 21To have a fool for a child brings grief; there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool. | 21It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel. |
| 22A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. | 22A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. |
| 23The wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice. | 23The wicked take secret bribes to pervert the course of justice. |
| 24A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth. | 24Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth. |
| 25A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the mother who bore him. | 25Foolish children bring grief to their father and bitterness to the one who gave them birth. |
| 26If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good, surely to flog honest officials is not right. | 26It is wrong to punish the godly for being good or to flog leaders for being honest. |
| 27The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. | 27A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. |
| 28Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. | 28Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | 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. |
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