Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version

1Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife.

1Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.

2A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share an inheritance among brothers.

2A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

3A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, and the LORD is the tester of hearts.

3The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts.

4A wicked person listens to malicious talk; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

4An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

5The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker, and one who rejoices over calamity will not go unpunished.

5Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

6Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of children is their fathers.

6Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.

7Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool's lips; how much worse are lies for a ruler.

7Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince.

8A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

8A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers.

9Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends.

9Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.

10A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

10A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.

11An evil person desires only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

11An evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his foolishness.

12Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly.

13If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never depart from his house.

13If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.

14To start a conflict is to release a flood; stop the dispute before it breaks out.

14The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.

15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just--both are detestable to the LORD.

15He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.

16Why does a fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

16Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?

17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.

17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

18One without sense enters an agreement and puts up security for his friend.

18One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.

19One who loves to offend loves strife; one who builds a high threshold invites injury.

19Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction.

20One with a twisted mind will not succeed, and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.

20A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.

21A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow; the father of a fool has no joy.

21He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.

22A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

22A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

23A wicked person secretly takes a bribe to subvert the course of justice.

23The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.

24Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive, but a fool's eyes roam to the ends of the earth.

24The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

25A foolish son is grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.

25A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.

26It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person or to beat a noble for his honesty.

26To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

27The one who has knowledge restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a person of understanding.

27Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

28Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent--discerning, when he seals his lips.

28Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

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

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.