Month: December 2019

1 Wise children pay attention when their parents correct them, but arrogant people never admit they are wrong.

2 Good people will be rewarded for what they say, but those who are deceitful are hungry for violence.

3 Be careful what you say and protect your life. A careless talker destroys himself.

4 No matter how much a lazy person may want something, he will never get it. A hard worker will get everything he wants.

5 Honest people hate lies, but the words of wicked people are shameful and disgraceful.

6 Righteousness protects the innocent; wickedness is the downfall of sinners.

7 Some people pretend to be rich, but have nothing. Others pretend to be poor, but own a fortune.

8 The rich have to use their money to save their lives, but no one threatens the poor.

9 The righteous are like a light shining brightly; the wicked are like a lamp flickering out.

10 Arrogance causes nothing but trouble. It is wiser to ask for advice.

11 The more easily you get your wealth, the sooner you will lose it. The harder it is to earn, the more you will have.

12 When hope is crushed, the heart is crushed, but a wish come true fills you with joy.

13 If you refuse good advice, you are asking for trouble; follow it and you are safe.

14 The teachings of the wise are a fountain of life; they will help you escape when your life is in danger.

15 Intelligence wins respect, but those who can’t be trusted are on the road to ruin.

16 Sensible people always think before they act, but stupid people advertise their ignorance.

17 Unreliable messengers cause trouble, but those who can be trusted bring peace.

18 Someone who will not learn will be poor and disgraced. Anyone who listens to correction is respected.

19 How good it is to get what you want! Stupid people refuse to turn away from evil.

20 Keep company with the wise and you will become wise. If you make friends with stupid people, you will be ruined.

21 Trouble follows sinners everywhere, but righteous people will be rewarded with good things.

22 Good people will have wealth to leave to their grandchildren, but the wealth of sinners will go to the righteous.

23 Unused fields could yield plenty of food for the poor, but unjust people keep them from being farmed.

24 If you don’t punish your children, you don’t love them. If you do love them, you will correct them.

25 The righteous have enough to eat, but the wicked are always hungry.

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1 Homes are made by the wisdom of women, but are destroyed by foolishness.

2 Be honest and you show that you have reverence for theLord; be dishonest and you show that you do not.

3 Proud fools talk too much; the words of the wise protect them.

4 Without any oxen to pull the plow your barn will be empty, but with them it will be full of grain.

5 A reliable witness always tells the truth, but an unreliable one tells nothing but lies.

6 Conceited people can never become wise, but intelligent people learn easily.

7 Stay away from foolish people; they have nothing to teach you.

8 Why is a clever person wise? Because he knows what to do. Why is a stupid person foolish? Because he only thinks he knows.

9 Foolish people don’t care if they sin, but good people want to be forgiven.

10 Your joy is your own; your bitterness is your own. No one can share them with you.

11 A good person’s house will still be standing after an evildoer’s house has been destroyed.

12 What you think is the right road may lead to death.

13 Laughter may hide sadness. When happiness is gone, sorrow is always there.

14 Bad people will get what they deserve. Good people will be rewarded for their deeds.

15 A fool will believe anything; smart people watch their step.

16 Sensible people are careful to stay out of trouble, but stupid people are careless and act too quickly.

17 People with a hot temper do foolish things; wiser people remain calm.

18 Ignorant people get what their foolishness deserves, but the clever are rewarded with knowledge.

19 Evil people will have to bow down to the righteous and humbly beg their favor.

20 No one likes the poor, not even their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.

21 If you want to be happy, be kind to the poor; it is a sin to despise anyone.

22 You will earn the trust and respect of others if you work for good; if you work for evil, you are making a mistake.

23 Work and you will earn a living; if you sit around talking you will be poor.

24 Wise people are rewarded with wealth, but fools are known bytheir foolishness.

25 A witness saves lives when he tells the truth; when he tells lies, he betrays people.

26 Reverence for theLordgives confidence and security to a man and his family.

27 Do you want to avoid death? Reverence for theLordis a fountain of life.

28 A king’s greatness depends on how many people he rules; without them he is nothing.

29 If you stay calm, you are wise, but if you have a hot temper, you only show how stupid you are.

30 Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.

31 If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.

32 Wicked people bring about their own downfall by their evil deeds, but good people are protected by their integrity.

33 Wisdom is in every thought of intelligent people; fools know nothingabout wisdom.

34 Righteousness makes a nation great; sin is a disgrace to any nation.

35 Kings are pleased with competent officials, but they punish those who fail them.

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1 A gentle answer quiets anger, but a harsh one stirs it up.

2 When wise people speak, they make knowledge attractive, but stupid people spout nonsense.

3 TheLordsees what happens everywhere; he is watching us, whether we do good or evil.

4 Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit.

5 It is foolish to ignore what your parents taught you; it is wise to accept their correction.

6 Righteous people keep their wealth, but the wicked lose theirs when hard times come.

7 Knowledge is spread by people who are wise, not by fools.

8 TheLordis pleased when good people pray, but hates the sacrifices that the wicked bring him.

9 TheLordhates the ways of evil people, but loves those who do what is right.

10 If you do what is wrong, you will be severely punished; you will die if you do not let yourself be corrected.

11 Not even the world of the dead can keep theLordfrom knowing what is there; how then can we hide our thoughts from God?

12 Conceited people do not like to be corrected; they never ask for advice from those who are wiser.

13 When people are happy, they smile, but when they are sad, they look depressed.

14 Intelligent people want to learn, but stupid people are satisfied with ignorance.

15 The life of the poor is a constant struggle, but happy people always enjoy life.

16 Better to be poor and fear theLordthan to be rich and in trouble.

17 Better to eat vegetables with people you love than to eat the finest meat where there is hate.

18 Hot tempers cause arguments, but patience brings peace.

19 If you are lazy, you will meet difficulty everywhere, but if you are honest, you will have no trouble.

20 Wise children make their fathers happy. Only fools despise their mothers.

21 Stupid people are happy with their foolishness, but the wise will do what is right.

22 Get all the advice you can, and you will succeed; without it you will fail.

23 What a joy it is to find just the right word for the right occasion!

24 Wise people walk the road that leads upward to life, not the road that leads downward to death.

25 TheLordwill destroy the homes of arrogant men, but he will protect a widow’s property.

26 TheLordhates evil thoughts, but he is pleased with friendly words.

27 Try to make a profit dishonestly, and you get your family in trouble. Don’t take bribes and you will live longer.

28 Good people think before they answer. Evil people have a quick reply, but it causes trouble.

29 When good people pray, theLordlistens, but he ignores those who are evil.

30 Smiling faces make you happy, and good news makes you feel better.

31 If you pay attention when you are corrected, you are wise.

32 If you refuse to learn, you are hurting yourself. If you accept correction, you will become wiser.

33 Reverence for theLordis an education in itself. You must be humble before you can ever receive honors.

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1 We may make our plans, but God has the last word.

2 You may think everything you do is right, but theLordjudges your motives.

3 Ask theLordto bless your plans, and you will be successful in carrying them out.

4 Everything theLordhas made has its destiny; and the destiny of the wicked is destruction.

5 TheLordhates everyone who is arrogant; he will never let them escape punishment.

6 Be loyal and faithful, and God will forgive your sin. Obey theLordand nothing evil will happen to you.

7 When you please theLord, you can makeyour enemies into friends.

8 It is better to have a little, honestly earned, than to have a large income, dishonestly gained.

9 You may make your plans, but God directs your actions.

10 The king speaks with divine authority; his decisions are always right.

11 TheLordwants weights and measures to be honest and every sale to be fair.

12 Kings cannot tolerate evil,because justice is what makes a government strong.

13 A king wants to hear the truth and will favor those who speak it.

14 A wise person will try to keep the king happy; if the king becomes angry, someone may die.

15 The king’s favor is like the clouds that bring rain in the springtime—life is there.

16 It is better—much better—to have wisdom and knowledge than gold and silver.

17 Those who are good travel a road that avoids evil; so watch where you are going—it may save your life.

18 Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall.

19 It is better to be humble and stay poor than to be one of the arrogant and get a share of their loot.

20 Pay attention to what you are taught, and you will be successful; trust in theLordand you will be happy.

21 A wise, mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is.

22 Wisdom is a fountain of life to the wise, but trying to educate stupid people is a waste of time.

23 Intelligent people think before they speak; what they say is then more persuasive.

24 Kind words are like honey—sweet to the taste and good for your health.

25 What you think is the right road may lead to death.

26 A laborer’s appetite makes him work harder, because he wants to satisfy his hunger.

27 Evil people look for ways to harm others; even their words burn with evil.

28 Gossip is spread by wicked people; they stir up trouble and break up friendships.

29 Violent people deceive their friends and lead them to disaster.

30 Watch out for people who grin and wink at you; they have thought of something evil.

31 Long life is the reward of the righteous; gray hair is a glorious crown.

32 It is better to be patient than powerful. It is better to win control over yourself than over whole cities.

33 People cast lots to learn God’s will, but God himself determines the answer.

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1 Better to eat a dry crust of bread with peace of mind than have a banquet in a house full of trouble.

2 A shrewd servant will gain authority over a master’s worthless son and receive a part of the inheritance.

3 Gold and silver are tested by fire, and a person’s heart is tested by theLord.

4 Evil people listen to evil ideas, and liars listen to lies.

5 If you make fun of poor people, you insult the God who made them. You will be punished if you take pleasure in someone’s misfortune.

6 Grandparents are proud of their grandchildren, just as children are proud of their parents.

7 Respected people do not tell lies, and fools have nothing worthwhile to say.

8 Some people think a bribe works like magic; they believe it can do anything.

9 If you want people to like you, forgive them when they wrong you. Remembering wrongs can break up a friendship.

10 An intelligent person learns more from one rebuke than a fool learns from being beaten a hundred times.

11 Death will come like a cruel messenger to wicked people who are always stirring up trouble.

12 It is better to meet a mother bear robbed of her cubs than to meet some fool busy with a stupid project.

13 If you repay good with evil, you will never get evil out of your house.

14 The start of an argument is like the first break in a dam; stop it before it goes any further.

15 Condemning the innocent or letting the wicked go—both are hateful to theLord.

16 It does a fool no good to spend money on an education, because he has no common sense.

17 Friends always show their love. What are relatives for if not to share trouble?

18 Only someone with no sense would promise to be responsible for someone else’s debts.

19 To like sin is to like making trouble. If you brag all the time,you are asking for trouble.

20 Anyone who thinks and speaks evil can expect to find nothing good—only disaster.

21 There is nothing but sadness and sorrow for parents whose children do foolish things.

22 Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.

23 Corrupt judges accept secret bribes, and then justice is not done.

24 An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions.

25 Foolish children bring grief to their fathers and bitter regrets to their mothers.

26 It is not right to make an innocent person pay a fine; justice is perverted when good people are punished.

27 Those who are sure of themselves do not talk all the time. People who stay calm have real insight.

28 After all, even fools may be thought wise and intelligent if they stay quiet and keep their mouths shut.

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1 People who do not get along with others are interested only in themselves; they will disagree with what everyone else knows is right.

2 A fool does not care whether he understands a thing or not; all he wants to do is show how smart he is.

3 Sin and shame go together. Lose your honor, and you will get scorn in its place.

4 A person’s words can be a source of wisdom, deep as the ocean, fresh as a flowing stream.

5 It is not right to favor the guilty and keep the innocent from receiving justice.

6 When some fool starts an argument, he is asking for a beating.

7 When a fool speaks, he is ruining himself; he gets caught in the trap of his own words.

8 Gossip is so tasty—how we love to swallow it!

9 A lazy person is as bad as someone who is destructive.

10 TheLordis like a strong tower, where the righteous can go and be safe.

11 Rich people, however, imagine that their wealth protects them like high, strong walls around a city.

12 No one is respected unless he is humble; arrogant people are on the way to ruin.

13 Listen before you answer. If you don’t, you are being stupid and insulting.

14 Your will to live can sustain you when you are sick, but if you lose it, your last hope is gone.

15 Intelligent people are always eager and ready to learn.

16 Do you want to meet an important person? Take a gift and it will be easy.

17 The first person to speak in court always seems right until his opponent begins to question him.

18 If two powerful people are opposing each other in court, casting lots can settle the issue.

19 Help your relatives and they will protect you like a strong city wall,but if you quarrel with them, they will close their doors to you.

20 You will have to live with the consequences of everything you say.

21 What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words.

22 Find a wife and you find a good thing; it shows that theLordis good to you.

23 When the poor speak, they have to be polite, but when the rich answer, they are rude.

24 Some friendships donot last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers.

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1 It is better to be poor but honest than to be a lying fool.

2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is not good; impatience will get you into trouble.

3 Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame theLord.

4 Rich people are always finding new friends, but the poor cannot keep the few they have.

5 If you tell lies in court, you will be punished—there will be no escape.

6 Everyone tries to gain the favor of important people; everyone claims the friendship of those who give out favors.

7 Even the relatives of a poor person have no use for him; no wonder he has no friends. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot win any.

8 Do yourself a favor and learn all you can; then remember what you learn and you will prosper.

9 No one who tells lies in court can escape punishment; he is doomed.

10 Fools should not live in luxury, and slaves should not rule over noblemen.

11 If you are sensible, you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it.

12 The king’s anger is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like welcome rain.

13 Stupid children can bring their parents to ruin. A nagging wife is like water going drip-drip-drip.

14 A man can inherit a house and money from his parents, but only theLordcan give him a sensible wife.

15 Go ahead and be lazy; sleep on, but you will go hungry.

16 Keep God’s laws and you will live longer; if you ignore them, you will die.

17 When you give to the poor, it is like lending to theLord, and theLordwill pay you back.

18 Discipline your children while they are young enough to learn. If you don’t, you are helping them destroy themselves.

19 If someone has a hot temper, let him take the consequences. If you get him out of trouble once, you will have to do it again.

20 If you listen to advice and are willing to learn, one day you will be wise.

21 People may plan all kinds of things, but theLord’s will is going to be done.

22 It is a disgrace to be greedy;poor people are better off than liars.

23 Obey theLordand you will live a long life, content and safe from harm.

24 Some people are too lazy to put food in their own mouths.

25 Arrogance should be punished, so that people who don’t know any better can learn a lesson. If you are wise, you will learn when you are corrected.

26 Only a shameful, disgraceful person would mistreat his father or turn his mother away from his home.

27 My child, when you stop learning, you will soon neglect what you already know.

28 There is no justice where a witness is determined to hurt someone. Wicked people love the taste of evil.

29 A conceited fool is sure to get a beating.

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1 Drinking too much makes you loud and foolish. It’s stupid to get drunk.

2 Fear an angry king as you would a growling lion; making him angry is suicide.

3 Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them.

4 A farmer too lazy to plow his fields at the right time will have nothing to harvest.

5 A person’s thoughts are like water in a deep well, but someone with insight can draw them out.

6 Everyone talks about how loyal and faithful he is, but just try to find someone who really is!

7 Children are fortunate if they have a father who is honest and does what is right.

8 The king sits in judgment and knows evil when he sees it.

9 Can anyone really say that his conscience is clear, that he has gotten rid of his sin?

10 TheLordhates people who use dishonest weights and measures.

11 Even children show what they are by what they do; you can tell if they are honest and good.

12 TheLordhas given us eyes to see with and ears to listen with.

13 If you spend your time sleeping, you will be poor. Keep busy and you will have plenty to eat.

14 The customer always complains that the price is too high, but then he goes off and brags about the bargain he got.

15 If you know what you are talking about, you have something more valuable than gold or jewels.

16 Anyone stupid enough to promise to be responsible for a stranger’s debts ought to have their own property held to guarantee payment.

17 What you get by dishonesty you may enjoy like the finest food, but sooner or later it will be like a mouthful of sand.

18 Get good advice and you will succeed; don’t go charging into battle without a plan.

19 A gossip can never keep a secret. Stay away from people who talk too much.

20 If you curse your parents, your life will end like a lamp that goes out in the dark.

21 The more easily you get your wealth, the less good it will do you.

22 Don’t take it on yourself to repay a wrong. Trust theLordand he will make it right.

23 TheLordhates people who use dishonest scales and weights.

24 TheLordhas determined our path; how then can anyone understand the direction his own life is taking?

25 Think carefully before you promise an offering to God. You might regret it later.

26 A wise king will find out who is doing wrong, and will punish him without pity.

27 TheLordgave us mind and conscience; we cannot hide from ourselves.

28 A king will remain in power as long as his rule is honest, just, and fair.

29 We admire the strength of youth and respect the gray hair of age.

30 Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.

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1 TheLordcontrols the mind of a king as easily as he directs the course of a stream.

2 You may think that everything you do is right, but remember that theLordjudges your motives.

3 Do what is right and fair; that pleases theLordmore than bringing him sacrifices.

4 Wicked people are controlled by their conceit and arrogance, and this is sinful.

5 Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough.

6 The riches you get by dishonesty soon disappear, but not before they lead you into the jaws of death.

7 The wicked are doomed by their own violence; they refuse to do what is right.

8 Guilty people walk a crooked path; the innocent do what is right.

9 Better to live on the roof than share the house with a nagging wife.

10 Wicked people are always hungry for evil; they have no mercy on anyone.

11 When someone who is conceited gets his punishment, even an unthinking person learns a lesson. One who is wise will learn from what he is taught.

12 God, the righteous one, knows what goes on in the homes of the wicked, and he will bring the wicked down to ruin.

13 If you refuse to listen to the cry of the poor, your own cry for help will not be heard.

14 If someone is angry with you, a gift given secretly will calm him down.

15 When justice is done, good people are happy, but evil people are brought to despair.

16 Death is waiting for anyone who wanders away from good sense.

17 Indulging in luxuries, wine, and rich food will never make you wealthy.

18 The wicked bring on themselves the suffering they try to cause good people.

19 Better to live out in the desert than with a nagging, complaining wife.

20 Wise people live in wealth and luxury, but stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it.

21 Be kind and honest and you will live a long life; others will respect you and treat you fairly.

22 A shrewd general can take a city defended by strong men, and destroy the walls they relied on.

23 If you want to stay out of trouble, be careful what you say.

24 Show me a conceited person and I will show you someone who is arrogant, proud, and inconsiderate.

25 Lazy people who refuse to work are only killing themselves;

26 all they do is think about what they would like to have. The righteous, however, can give, and give generously.

27 TheLordhates it when wicked people offer him sacrifices, especially if they do it from evil motives.

28 The testimony of a liar is not believed, but the word of someone who thinks matters through is accepted.

29 Righteous people are sure of themselves; the wicked have to pretend as best they can.

30 Human wisdom, brilliance, insight—they are of no help if theLordis against you.

31 You can get horses ready for battle, but it is theLordwho gives victory.

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1 If you have to choose between a good reputation and great wealth, choose a good reputation.

2 The rich and the poor have this in common: theLordmade them both.

3 Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later.

4 Obey theLord, be humble, and you will get riches, honor, and a long life.

5 If you love your life, stay away from the traps that catch the wicked along the way.

6 Teach children how they should live, and they will remember it all their life.

7 Poor people are slaves of the rich. Borrow money and you are the lender’s slave.

8 If you plant the seeds of injustice, disaster will spring up, and your oppression of others will end.

9 Be generous and share your food with the poor. You will be blessed for it.

10 Get rid of a conceited person, and then there will be no more arguments, quarreling, or name-calling.

11 If you love purity of heart and graciousness of speech, the king will be your friend.

12 TheLordsees to it that truth is kept safe by disproving the words of liars.

13 Lazy people stay at home; they say a lion might get them if they go outside.

14 Adultery is a trap—it catches those with whom theLordis angry.

15 Children just naturally do silly, careless things, but a good spanking will teach them how to behave.

16 If you make gifts to rich people or oppress the poor to get rich, you will become poor yourself.

The Thirty Wise Sayings

17 Listen, and I will teach you what the wise have said. Study their teachings,

18 and you will be glad if you remember them and can quote them.

19 I want you to put your trust in theLord; that is why I am going to tell them to you now.

20 I have written down thirty sayings for you. They contain knowledge and good advice,

21 and will teach you what the truth really is. Then when you are sent to find it out, you will bring back the right answer.

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22 Don’t take advantage of the poor just because you can; don’t take advantage of those who stand helpless in court.

23 TheLordwill argue their case for them and threaten the life of anyone who threatens theirs.

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24 Don’t make friends with people who have hot, violent tempers.

25 You might learn their habits and not be able to change.

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26 Don’t promise to be responsible for someone else’s debts.

27 If you should be unable to pay, they will take away even your bed.

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28 Never move an old property line that your ancestors established.

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29 Show me someone who does a good job, and I will show you someone who is better than most and worthy of the company of kings.

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