New Living Translation | International Standard Version |
1Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict. | 1Dry crumbs in peace are better than a full meal with strife. |
2A wise servant will rule over the master’s disgraceful son and will share the inheritance of the master’s children. | 2A prudent servant will rule in place of a disgraceful son and will share in the inheritance among brothers. |
3Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart. | 3The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold— but the LORD assays hearts. |
4Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander. | 4Whoever practices evil pays attention to wicked speech, and the liar listens to malicious talk. |
5Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished. | 5Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their maker, and whoever is happy about disaster will not go unpunished. |
6Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children. | 6Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the pride of children is their parents. |
7Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler. | 7Appropriate speech is inconsistent with the fool; how much more are deceitful statements with a prince! |
8A bribe is like a lucky charm; whoever gives one will prosper! | 8A bribe works wonders in the eyes of its giver; wherever he turns he prospers. |
9Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. | 9Anyone who overlooks an offense promotes love, but someone who gossips separates close friends. |
10A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool. | 10A rebuke is more effective with a man of understanding than a hundred lashes to a fool. |
11Evil people are eager for rebellion, but they will be severely punished. | 11A rebellious person seeks evil; a cruel emissary will be sent to oppose him. |
12It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to confront a fool caught in foolishness. | 12It's better to meet a mother bear who has lost her cubs than a fool in his stupidity. |
13If you repay good with evil, evil will never leave your house. | 13The person who repays good with evil will never see evil leave his home. |
14Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out. | 14Starting a quarrel is like spilling water— so drop the dispute before it escalates. |
15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— both are detestable to the LORD. | 15Exonerating the wicked and condemning the righteous are both detestable to the LORD. |
16It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning. | 16What is this? A fool has enough money to buy wisdom, but is senseless? |
17A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. | 17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is there for times of trouble. |
18It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for a friend. | 18A man who lacks sense cosigns a loan, becoming a guarantor for his neighbor. |
19Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster. | 19The person who loves transgression loves strife; the person who builds a high gate invites destruction. |
20The crooked heart will not prosper; the lying tongue tumbles into trouble. | 20The person whose mind is perverse does not find good, and anyone with perverted speech falls into trouble. |
21It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel. | 21The man who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow— the father of a fool has no joy. |
22A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. | 22A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit drains one's strength. |
23The wicked take secret bribes to pervert the course of justice. | 23The wicked man takes a bribe in secret in order to pervert the course of justice. |
24Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth. | 24A person with understanding has wisdom as his objective, but a fool looks only to earthly goals. |
25Foolish children bring grief to their father and bitterness to the one who gave them birth. | 25A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to his mother. |
26It is wrong to punish the godly for being good or to flog leaders for being honest. | 26Furthermore, it isn't good to fine the righteous, or to beat an official because of his uprightness. |
27A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. | 27Whoever controls what he says is knowledgeable; anyone who has a calm spirit is a man of understanding. |
28Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. | 28Even a fool is thought to be wise when he remains silent; he is thought to be prudent when he keeps his mouth shut. |
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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