Proverbs 15-18

New American Standard Bible

15 A ^(A)gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a ^[a](B)harsh word stirs up anger.
² The ^(C)tongue of the wise makes knowledge pleasant,
But the ^(D)mouth of fools spouts foolishness.
³ The ^(E)eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Watching the evil and the good.
⁴ A ^[b]soothing tongue is a tree of life,
But perversion in it ^[c]crushes the spirit.
⁵ A fool ^[d]rejects his father’s discipline,
But he who complies with rebuke is sensible.
⁶ Great wealth is in the house of the ^(F)righteous,
But trouble is in the income of the wicked.
⁷ The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
But the hearts of fools are not so.
⁸ The ^(G)sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But ^(H)the prayer of the upright is His delight.
⁹ The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves the one who ^(I)pursues righteousness.
¹⁰ There is severe punishment for one who abandons the way;
One who hates a rebuke will die.
^11 [e](J)Sheol and ^[f]Abaddon lie open before the Lord,
How much more the ^(K)hearts of ^[g]mankind!
¹² A ^(L)scoffer does not love one who rebukes him;
He will not go to the wise.
¹³ A ^(M)joyful heart makes a ^[h]cheerful face,
But ^[i]when the heart is ^(N)sad, the ^(O)spirit is broken.
¹⁴ The ^(P)mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.
¹⁵ All the days of the ^[j]needy are bad,
But a ^[k]cheerful heart has a continual feast.
^16 (Q)Better is a little with ^[l]the fear of the Lord
Than great treasure, and turmoil with ^[m]the treasure.
^17 (R)Better is a portion of ^[n]vegetables where there is love,
Than a ^(S)fattened ox served with hatred.
¹⁸ A ^(T)hot-tempered person stirs up strife,
But the ^(U)slow to anger ^(V)calms a dispute.
¹⁹ The way of the ^[o]lazy one is like a hedge of thorns,
But the path of the upright is a highway.
²⁰ A ^(W)wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man ^(X)despises his mother.
²¹ Foolishness is joy to one who lacks ^[p]sense,
But a person of understanding ^(Y)walks straight.
²² Without consultation, plans are frustrated,
But with many counselors they ^[q]succeed.
²³ A ^(Z)person has joy in an ^[r]apt answer,
And how delightful is a timely ^(AA)word!
²⁴ The ^(AB)path of life leads upward for the wise,
So that he may keep away from ^[s]Sheol below.
²⁵ The Lord will ^(AC)tear down the house of the proud,
But He will ^(AD)set the boundary of the ^(AE)widow.
²⁶ Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord,
But pleasant words are pure.
²⁷ He who ^(AF)profits illicitly troubles his own house,
But he who ^(AG)hates bribes will live.
²⁸ The heart of the righteous ^(AH)ponders how to answer,
But the ^(AI)mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
²⁹ The Lord is ^(AJ)far from the wicked,
But He ^(AK)hears the prayer of the righteous.
^30 [t]Bright eyes gladden the heart;
Good news ^[u]refreshes the bones.
³¹ One whose ear listens to a life-giving rebuke
Will stay among the wise.
³² One who ^(AL)neglects discipline ^(AM)rejects himself,
But one who ^(AN)listens to a rebuke acquires ^[v]understanding.
^33 [w]The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom,
And before honor comes humility.

16 The ^(AO)plans of the heart belong to a person,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
² All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight,
But the ^(AP)Lord examines the ^[x]motives.
^3 [y](AQ)Commit your works to the Lord,
And your plans will be established.
⁴ The Lord ^(AR)has made everything for ^[z]its own purpose,
Even the ^(AS)wicked for the day of evil.
⁵ Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
^[aa]Be assured, he will not go unpunished.
⁶ By ^(AT)mercy and truth atonement is made for wrongdoing,
And by ^[ab]the ^(AU)fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.
⁷ When a person’s ways are pleasing to the Lord,
He ^(AV)causes even his enemies to make peace with him.
⁸ Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income with injustice.
⁹ The mind of a ^(AW)person plans his way,
But ^(AX)the Lord directs his steps.
¹⁰ A divine ^(AY)verdict is on the lips of the king;
His mouth should not ^[ac]err in judgment.
¹¹ A ^(AZ)just balance and scales belong to the Lord;
All the ^[ad]weights of the bag are His ^[ae]concern.
¹² It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts,
Because a ^(BA)throne is established on righteousness.
¹³ Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And one who speaks right is loved.
¹⁴ The fury of a king is like messengers of death;
But a wise person will appease it.
¹⁵ In the light of a king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud with the ^[af](BB)spring rain.
¹⁶ How much ^(BC)better it is to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
¹⁷ The ^(BD)highway of the upright is to turn away from evil;
One who watches his way protects his ^[ag]life.
^18 (BE)Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
¹⁹ It is better to be ^(BF)humble in spirit with the needy
Than to ^(BG)divide the spoils with the proud.
²⁰ One who pays attention to the word will ^(BH)find good,
And ^(BI)blessed is one who trusts in the Lord.
²¹ The ^(BJ)wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweetness of ^[ah]speech ^(BK)increases ^[ai]persuasiveness.
²² Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it,
But the discipline of fools is foolishness.
²³ The ^(BL)heart of the wise instructs his mouth
And adds ^[aj]persuasiveness to his lips.
^24 (BM)Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and ^(BN)healing to the bones.
^25 (BO)There is a way which seems right to a person,
But its end is the way of death.
²⁶ A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his ^[ak]hunger urges him on.
²⁷ A ^(BP)worthless person digs up evil,
While ^[al]his words are like ^(BQ)scorching fire.
²⁸ A perverse person spreads strife,
And a ^[am]slanderer separates close friends.
²⁹ A person of violence ^(BR)entices his neighbor
And leads him in a way that is not good.
³⁰ He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.
³¹ A ^(BS)gray head is a crown of glory;
It ^(BT)is found in the way of righteousness.
³² One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And one who rules his spirit, than one who captures a city.
³³ The ^(BU)lot is cast into the lap,
But its every ^(BV)decision is from the Lord.

17 ^(BW)Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of ^[an]feasting with strife.
² A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
³ The ^(BX)refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But ^(BY)the Lord tests hearts.
⁴ An ^(BZ)evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A ^[ao]liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
⁵ One who mocks the ^(CA)poor taunts his Maker;
One who ^(CB)rejoices at disaster will not go unpunished.
^6 (CC)Grandchildren are the crown of the old,
And the ^(CD)glory of sons is their fathers.
^7 [ap](CE)Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,
Much less are ^(CF)lying lips to a prince.
⁸ A ^(CG)bribe is a ^[aq]charm in the sight of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
⁹ One who ^(CH)conceals an offense seeks love,
But one who repeats a matter ^(CI)separates close friends.
¹⁰ A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool.
¹¹ A rebellious person seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
¹² Let a ^(CJ)person meet a ^(CK)bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his foolishness.
¹³ One who ^(CL)returns evil for good,
^(CM)Evil will not depart from his house.
¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So ^(CN)abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
¹⁵ One who ^(CO)justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
¹⁶ Why is there money in the hand of a fool to ^(CP)buy wisdom,
When ^[ar]he has no sense?
¹⁷ A ^(CQ)friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
¹⁸ A person lacking in ^[as]sense ^(CR)shakes hands
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
¹⁹ One who ^(CS)loves wrongdoing loves strife;
One who ^(CT)makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
²⁰ One who has a crooked ^[at]mind ^(CU)finds nothing good,
And one who is ^[au](CV)corrupted in his language falls into evil.
²¹ He who ^(CW)fathers a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
²² A ^(CX)joyful heart ^[av]is good medicine,
But a broken spirit ^(CY)dries up the bones.
²³ A wicked person accepts a ^(CZ)bribe ^[aw]from an inside pocket
To ^(DA)pervert the ways of justice.
²⁴ Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding,
But the ^(DB)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
²⁵ A ^(DC)foolish son is a grief to his father,
And ^(DD)bitterness to her who gave birth to him.
²⁶ It is also not good to ^(DE)fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
²⁷ One who ^(DF)withholds his words ^[ax]has knowledge,
And one who has a ^(DG)cool spirit is a person of understanding.
²⁸ Even a fool, when he ^(DH)keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

18 One who separates himself seeks his own desire;
He ^[ay](DI)quarrels against all sound wisdom.
² A fool does not delight in understanding,
But ^(DJ)in revealing his own ^[az]mind.
³ When a wicked person comes, contempt also comes,
And with dishonor comes taunting.
⁴ The words of a person’s mouth are ^(DK)deep waters;
^[ba]The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
⁵ To ^(DL)show partiality to the wicked is not good,
Nor to ^(DM)suppress the righteous in judgment.
⁶ A fool’s lips ^[bb]bring strife,
And his mouth invites ^(DN)beatings.
⁷ A ^(DO)fool’s mouth is his ruin,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.
⁸ The words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the ^[bc]innermost parts of the body.
⁹ He also who is ^(DP)lax in his work
^(DQ)Is a brother to him who destroys.
¹⁰ The ^(DR)name of the Lord is a ^(DS)strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and ^(DT)is ^[bd]safe.
¹¹ A ^(DU)rich person’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own imagination.
^12 (DV)Before destruction the heart of a person is haughty,
But ^(DW)humility goes before honor.
¹³ One who ^(DX)gives an answer before he hears,
It is foolishness and shame to him.
¹⁴ The ^(DY)spirit of a person can endure his sickness,
But as for a ^(DZ)broken spirit, who can endure it?
¹⁵ The ^[be](EA)mind of the discerning acquires knowledge,
And the ^(EB)ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
¹⁶ A person’s ^(EC)gift makes room for him
And brings him before great people.
¹⁷ The first ^[bf]to plead his case seems right,
Until ^[bg]another comes and examines him.
¹⁸ The cast ^(ED)lot puts an end to quarrels,
And ^[bh]decides between the mighty ones.
¹⁹ A brother who is offended is harder to be won than a strong city,
And quarrels are like the bars of a citadel.
²⁰ With the ^[bi](EE)fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
^(EF)He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.
^21 (EG)Death and life are in the ^[bj]power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its ^(EH)fruit.
²² He who finds a ^(EI)wife finds a good thing
And ^(EJ)obtains favor from the Lord.
²³ A ^(EK)poor person utters pleadings,
But a ^(EL)rich person ^(EM)answers defiantly.
²⁴ A person of too many friends comes to ^[bk]ruin,
But there is ^(EN)a friend who sticks closer than a brother.