| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it Than a house full of feasting with strife. | 1Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife. |
| 2A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully, And will share in the inheritance among brothers. | 2A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share an inheritance among brothers. |
| 3The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts. | 3A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, and the LORD is the tester of hearts. |
| 4An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue. | 4A wicked person listens to malicious talk; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue. |
| 5He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished. | 5The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker, and one who rejoices over calamity will not go unpunished. |
| 6Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the glory of sons is their fathers. | 6Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers. |
| 7Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, Much less are lying lips to a prince. | 7Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool's lips; how much worse are lies for a ruler. |
| 8A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers. | 8A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner; wherever he turns, he succeeds. |
| 9He who conceals a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends. | 9Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends. |
| 10A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding Than a hundred blows into a fool. | 10A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person more than a hundred lashes into a fool. |
| 11A rebellious man seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him. | 11An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him. |
| 12Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly. | 12Better for a man to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his foolishness. |
| 13He who returns evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house. | 13If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never depart from his house. |
| 14The beginning of strife is like letting out water, So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out. | 14To start a conflict is to release a flood; stop the dispute before it breaks out. |
| 15He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. | 15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just-- both are detestable to the LORD. |
| 16Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense? | 16Why does a fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom? |
| 17A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. | 17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time. |
| 18A man lacking in sense pledges And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor. | 18One without sense enters an agreement and puts up security for his friend. |
| 19He who loves transgression loves strife; He who raises his door seeks destruction. | 19One who loves to offend loves strife; one who builds a high threshold invites injury. |
| 20He who has a crooked mind finds no good, And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil. | 20One with a twisted mind will not succeed, and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin. |
| 21He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. | 21A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow; 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 broken spirit dries up the bones. |
| 23A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom To pervert the ways of justice. | 23A wicked man secretly takes a bribe to subvert the course of justice. |
| 24Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. | 24Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive, but a fool's eyes roam to the ends of the earth. |
| 25A foolish son is a grief to his father And bitterness to her who bore him. | 25A foolish son is grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him. |
| 26It is also not good to fine the righteous, Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness. | 26It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person or to beat a noble for his honesty. |
| 27He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. | 27The intelligent person restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a man of understanding. |
| 28Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent. | 28Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent, discerning when he seals his lips. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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