Proverbs 21 – Proverbs 25
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26 – Chapter 30
Chapter 31 – Chapter 31
1The king’s heart is in the hand of Jehovah as the watercourses: He turneth it whithersoever he will. 2Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; But Jehovah weigheth the hearts. 3To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to Jehovah than sacrifice. 4A high look, and a proud heart, [Even] the lamp of the wicked, is sin. 5The thoughts of the diligent [tend] only to plenteousness; But every one that is hasty [hasteth] only to want. 6The getting of treasures by a lying tongue Is a vapor driven to and fro by them that seek death. 7The violence of the wicked shall sweep them away, Because they refuse to do justice. 8The way of him that is laden with guilt is exceeding crooked; But as for the pure, his work is right. 9It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, Than with a contentious woman in a wide house. 10The soul of the wicked desireth evil: His neighbor findeth no favor in his eyes. 11When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise; And when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge. 12The righteous man considereth the house of the wicked, [How] the wicked are overthrown to [their] ruin. 13Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, He also shall cry, but shall not be heard. 14A gift in secret pacifieth anger; And a present in the bosom, strong wrath. 15It is joy to the righteous to do justice; But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity. 16The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding Shall rest in the assembly of the dead. 17He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. 18The wicked is a ransom for the righteous; And the treacherous [cometh] in the stead of the upright. 19It is better to dwell in a desert land, Than with a contentious and fretful woman. 20There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise; But a foolish man swalloweth it up. 21He that followeth after righteousness and kindness Findeth life, righteousness, and honor. 22A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, And bringeth down the strength of the confidence thereof. 23Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue Keepeth his soul from troubles. 24The proud and haughty man, scoffer is his name; He worketh in the arrogance of pride. 25The desire of the sluggard killeth him; For his hands refuse to labor. 26There is that coveteth greedily all the day long; But the righteous giveth and withholdeth not. 27The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination: How much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind! 28A false witness shall perish; But the man that heareth shall speak so as to endure. 29A wicked man hardeneth his face; But as for the upright, he establisheth his ways. 30There is no wisdom nor understanding Nor counsel against Jehovah. 31The horse is prepared against the day of battle; But victory is of Jehovah.
1A [good] name is rather to be chosen than great riches, [And] loving favor rather than silver and gold. 2The rich and the poor meet together: Jehovah is the maker of them all. 3A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; But the simple pass on, and suffer for it. 4The reward of humility [and] the fear of Jehovah [Is] riches, and honor, and life. 5Thorns [and] snares are in the way of the perverse: He that keepeth his soul shall be far from them. 6Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it. 7The rich ruleth over the poor; And the borrower is servant to the lender. 8He that soweth iniquity shall reap calamity; And the rod of his wrath shall fail. 9He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; For he giveth of his bread to the poor. 10Cast out the scoffer, and contention will go out; Yea, strife and ignominy will cease. 11He that loveth pureness of heart, [For] the grace of his lips the king will be his friend. 12The eyes of Jehovah preserve [him that hath] knowledge; But he overthroweth the words of the treacherous man. 13The sluggard saith, There is a lion without: I shall be slain in the streets. 14The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: He that is abhorred of Jehovah shall fall therein. 15Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; [But] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. 16He that oppresseth the poor to increase his [gain], [And] he that giveth to the rich, [shall come] only to want.
17Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, And apply thy heart unto my knowledge. 18For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, If they be established together upon thy lips. 19That thy trust may be in Jehovah, I have made [them] known to thee this day, even to thee. 20Have not I written unto thee excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, 21To make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, That thou mayest carry back words of truth to them that send thee? 22Rob not the poor, because he is poor; Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: 23For Jehovah will plead their cause, And despoil of life those that despoil them. 24Make no friendship with a man that is given to anger; And with a wrathful man thou shalt not go: 25Lest thou learn this ways, And get a snare to thy soul. 26Be thou not one of them that strike hands, [Or] of them that are sureties for debts. 27If thou hast not wherewith to pay, Why should he take away thy bed from under thee? 28Remove not the ancient landmark, Which thy fathers have set. 29Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; He shall not stand before mean men.
1When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider diligently him that is before thee; 2And put a knife to thy throat, If thou be a man given to appetite. 3Be not desirous of his dainties; Seeing they are deceitful food. 4Weary not thyself to be rich; Cease from thine own wisdom. 5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For [riches] certainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven. 6Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, Neither desire thou his dainties: 7For as he thinketh within himself, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee. 8The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, And lose thy sweet words. 9Speak not in the hearing of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words. 10Remove not the ancient landmark; And enter not into the fields of the fatherless: 11For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause against thee. 12Apply thy heart unto instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge. 13Withhold not correction from the child; [For] if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die. 14Thou shalt beat him with the rod, And shalt deliver his soul from Sheol. 15My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart will be glad, even mine: 16Yea, my heart will rejoice, When thy lips speak right things. 17Let not thy heart envy sinners; But [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day long: 18For surely there is a reward; And thy hope shall not be cut off. 19Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And guide thy heart in the way. 20Be not among winebibbers, Among gluttonous eaters of flesh: 21For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; And drowsiness will clothe [a man] with rags. 22Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old. 23Buy the truth, and sell it not; [Yea], wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. 24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; And he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him. 25Let thy father and thy mother be glad, And let her that bare thee rejoice. 26My son, give me thy heart; And let thine eyes delight in my ways. 27For a harlot is a deep ditch; And a foreign woman is a narrow pit. 28Yea, she lieth in wait as a robber, And increaseth the treacherous among men. 29Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? Who hath complaining? who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? 30They that tarry long at the wine; They that go to seek out mixed wine. 31Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly: 32At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder. 33Thine eyes shall behold strange things, And thy heart shall utter perverse things. 34Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, Or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. 35They have stricken me, [shalt thou say], and I was not hurt; They have beaten me, and I felt it not: When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
1Be not thou envious against evil men; Neither desire to be with them: 2For their heart studieth oppression, And their lips talk of mischief. 3Through wisdom is a house builded; And by understanding it is established; 4And by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and pleasant riches. 5A wise man is strong; Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth might 6For by wise guidance thou shalt make thy war; And in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. 7Wisdom is too high for a fool: He openeth not his mouth in the gate. 8He that deviseth to do evil, Men shall call him a mischief-maker. 9The thought of foolishness is sin; And the scoffer is an abomination to men. 10If thou faint in the day of adversity, Thy strength is small. 11Deliver them that are carried away unto death, And those that are ready to be slain see that thou hold back. 12If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not this; Doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his work? 13My son, eat thou honey, for it is good; And the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste: 14So shalt thou know wisdom to be unto thy soul; If thou hast found it, then shall there be a reward, And thy hope shall not be cut off. 15Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous; Destroy not his resting-place: 16For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity. 17Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown; 18Lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him, And he turn away his wrath from him. 19Fret not thyself because of evil-doers; Neither be thou envious at the wicked: 20For there shall be no reward to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out. 21My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king; [And] company not with them that are given to change: 22For their calamity shall rise suddenly; And the destruction from them both, who knoweth it?
23These also are [sayings] of the wise.
To have respect of persons in judgment is not good. 24He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him: 25But to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, And a good blessing shall come upon them. 26He kisseth the lips Who giveth a right answer. 27Prepare thy work without, And make it ready for thee in the field; And afterwards build thy house. 28Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; And deceive not with thy lips. 29Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work. 30I went by the field of the sluggard, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; 31And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, The face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down. 32Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction: 33[Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep; 34So shall thy poverty come as a robber, And thy want as an armed man.
1These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
2It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. 3As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. 4Take away the dross from the silver, And there cometh forth a vessel for the refiner: 5Take away the wicked [from] before the king, And his throne shall be established in righteousness. 6Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king, And stand not in the place of great men: 7For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom thine eyes have seen. 8Go not forth hastily to strive, Lest [thou know not] what to do in the end thereof, When thy neighbor hath put thee to shame. 9Debate thy cause with thy neighbor [himself], And disclose not the secret of another; 10Lest he that heareth it revile thee, And thine infamy turn not away. 11A word fitly spoken Is [like] apples of gold in network of silver. 12[As] an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, [So is] a wise reprover upon an obedient ear. 13As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, [So is] a faithful messenger to them that send him; For he refresheth the soul of his masters. 14[As] clouds and wind without rain, [So is] he that boasteth himself of his gifts falsely. 15By long forbearing is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh the bone. 16Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, Lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. 17Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbor’s house, Lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee. 18A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor Is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow. 19Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is [like] a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint. 20[As] one that taketh off a garment in cold weather, [and as] vinegar upon soda, So is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart. 21If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: 22For thou wilt heap coals of fire upon his head, And Jehovah will reward thee. 23The north wind bringeth forth rain: So doth a backbiting tongue an angry countenance. 24It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, Than with a contentious woman in a wide house. 25[As] cold waters to a thirsty soul, So is good news from a far country. 26[As] a troubled fountain, and a corrupted spring, [So is] a righteous man that giveth way before the wicked. 27It is not good to eat much honey: So [for men] to search out their own glory is grievous. 28He whose spirit is without restraint Is [like] a city that is broken down and without walls.
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