Proverbs - The Old Testament

¹ A mild answer turns away wrath, sharp words stir up anger.

² The tongue of the wise makes knowledge welcome, the mouth of a fool spews folly.

³ The eyes of Yahweh are everywhere: observing the wicked and the good.

⁴ The tongue that soothes is a tree of life; the perverse tongue, a breaker of hearts.

⁵ Only a fool spurns a father's discipline, whoever accepts correction is discreet.

⁶ In the house of the upright there is no lack of treasure, the earnings of the wicked are fraught with anxiety.

⁷ The lips of the wise spread knowledge, not so the hearts of fools.

⁸ The sacrifice of the wicked is abhorrent to Yahweh, dear to him is the prayer of the honest.

⁹ The conduct of the wicked is abhorrent to Yahweh, but he loves the person whose goal is uprightness.

¹⁰ Correction is severe for one who leaves the way; whoever hates being reprimanded will die.

¹¹ Sheol and Perdition lie open to Yahweh; how much more the human heart!

¹² The mocker does not care to be reprimanded, and will not choose the wise as companions.

¹³ Glad heart means happy face, where the heart is sad the spirit is broken.

¹⁴ The heart of the wise seeks knowledge, a fool's mouth feeds on folly.

¹⁵ For the poor every day is evil, for the joyous heart it is always festival time.

¹⁶ Better to have little and with it fear of Yahweh than immense wealth and with it anxiety.

¹⁷ Better a dish of herbs when love is there than a fattened ox and hatred to go with it.

¹⁸ The hot-headed provokes disputes, the equable allays dissension.

¹⁹ The way of the lazy is like a thorny hedge, the path of the honest is a broad highway.

²⁰ A wise child is a father's joy; only a brute despises his mother.

²¹ Folly appeals to someone without sense, a person of understanding goes straight forward.

²² Without deliberation plans come to nothing. Plans succeed where counsellors are many.

²³ Anyone who has a ready answer has joy too: how satisfying is the apt reply!

²⁴ For the prudent, the path of life leads upwards thus avoiding Sheol below.

²⁵ Yahweh pulls down the house of the proud, but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact.

²⁶ Wicked scheming is abhorrent to Yahweh, but words that are kind are pure.

²⁷ Craving for dishonest gain brings trouble on a house, hatred of bribery earns life.

²⁸ The heart of the upright reflects before answering, the mouth of the wicked spews out wickedness.

²⁹ Yahweh keeps his distance from the wicked, but he listens to the prayers of the upright.

³⁰ A kindly glance gives joy to the heart, good news lends strength to the bones.

³¹ The ear attentive to wholesome correction finds itself at home in the company of the wise.

³² Whoever rejects correction lacks self-respect, whoever accepts reproof grows in understanding.

³³ The fear of Yahweh is a school of wisdom, before there can be glory, there must be humility.