Proverbs

Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked

10 
The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son makes a father glad,

But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

[a]Ill-gotten gains do not benefit,

But righteousness rescues from death.

The Lord will not allow the [b]righteous to hunger,

But He will [c]reject the craving of the wicked.

Poor is one who works with [d]a lazy hand,

But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,

But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.

Blessings are on the head of the righteous,

But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

The mentioning of the righteous is a blessing,

But the name of the wicked will rot.

The wise of heart will receive commands,

But [e]a babbling fool will come to ruin.

One who walks in integrity walks securely,

But one who perverts his ways will be found out.

10 He who winks the eye causes trouble,

And [f]a babbling fool will come to ruin.

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,

But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

12 Hatred stirs up strife,

But love covers all offenses.

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

But a rod is for the back of him who has no [g]sense.

14 Wise people store up knowledge,

But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.

15 The rich person’s wealth is his [h]fortress,

The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

16 The [i]wages of the righteous is life,

The income of the wicked, punishment.

17 One who is on the path of life follows instruction,

But one who ignores a rebuke goes astray.

18 One who conceals hatred has lying lips,

And one who spreads slander is a fool.

19 When there are many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable,

But one who restrains his lips is wise.

20 The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver,

The heart of the wicked is worth little.

21 The lips of the righteous feed many,

But fools die for lack of [j]understanding.

22 It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich,

And He adds no sorrow to it.

23 Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,

And so is wisdom to a person of understanding.

24 What the wicked fears will come upon him,

But the desire of the righteous will be granted.

25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,

But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

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

So is the [k]lazy one to those who send him.

27 The fear of the Lord prolongs [l]life,

But the years of the wicked will be shortened.

28 The hope of the righteous is gladness,

But the expectation of the wicked perishes.

29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright,

But ruin to the workers of injustice.

30 The righteous will never be shaken,

But the wicked will not live in the land.

31 The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,

But the perverted tongue will be cut out.

32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,

But the mouth of the wicked, what is perverted.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:2 Lit Treasures of wickedness
  2. Proverbs 10:3 Lit soul of the righteous
  3. Proverbs 10:3 Lit thrust away
  4. Proverbs 10:4 Lit an idle hand
  5. Proverbs 10:8 Lit the foolish of lips
  6. Proverbs 10:10 Lit the foolish of lips
  7. Proverbs 10:13 Lit heart
  8. Proverbs 10:15 Lit strong city
  9. Proverbs 10:16 Or work
  10. Proverbs 10:21 Lit heart
  11. Proverbs 10:26 Lit idle one
  12. Proverbs 10:27 Lit days