Proverbs 9-12

New International Version

⁷ Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
    whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.^(L)
8 Do not rebuke mockers^(M) or they will hate you;
    rebuke the wise and they will love you.^(N)
9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
    teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.^(O)

¹⁰ The fear of the Lord^(P) is the beginning of wisdom,
    and knowledge of the Holy One^(Q) is understanding.^(R)
11 For through wisdom^[b] your days will be many,
    and years will be added to your life.^(S)
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
    if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.

¹³ Folly is an unruly woman;^(T)
    she is simple and knows nothing.^(U)
14 She sits at the door of her house,
    on a seat at the highest point of the city,^(V)
15 calling out^(W) to those who pass by,
    who go straight on their way,
¹⁶     “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense^(X) she says,
¹⁷     “Stolen water is sweet;
    food eaten in secret is delicious!^(Y)”
¹⁸ But little do they know that the dead are there,
    that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.^(Z)

A wise son brings joy to his father,^(AC)
    but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

² Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value,^(AD)
    but righteousness delivers from death.^(AE)

³ The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,^(AF)
    but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.^(AG)

⁴ Lazy hands make for poverty,^(AH)
    but diligent hands bring wealth.^(AI)

⁵ He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son,
    but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.^(AJ)

⁶ Blessings crown the head of the righteous,
    but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.^[c](AK)

⁷ The name of the righteous^(AL) is used in blessings,^[d]
    but the name of the wicked^(AM) will rot.^(AN)

⁸ The wise in heart accept commands,
    but a chattering fool comes to ruin.^(AO)

⁹ Whoever walks in integrity^(AP) walks securely,^(AQ)
    but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.^(AR)

¹⁰ Whoever winks maliciously^(AS) causes grief,
    and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

¹¹ The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,^(AT)
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.^(AU)

¹² Hatred stirs up conflict,
    but love covers over all wrongs.^(AV)

¹³ Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,^(AW)
    but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.^(AX)

¹⁴ The wise store up knowledge,^(AY)
    but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.^(AZ)

¹⁵ The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,^(BA)
    but poverty is the ruin of the poor.^(BB)

¹⁶ The wages of the righteous is life,^(BC)
    but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.^(BD)

¹⁷ Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,^(BE)
    but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

¹⁸ Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips^(BF)
    and spreads slander is a fool.

¹⁹ Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
    but the prudent hold their tongues.^(BG)

²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
    but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

²¹ The lips of the righteous nourish many,
    but fools die for lack of sense.^(BH)

²² The blessing of the Lord^(BI) brings wealth,^(BJ)
    without painful toil for it.^(BK)

²³ A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes,^(BL)
    but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.

²⁴ What the wicked dread^(BM) will overtake them;^(BN)
    what the righteous desire will be granted.^(BO)

²⁵ When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,
    but the righteous stand firm^(BP) forever.^(BQ)

²⁶ As vinegar to the teeth and smoke^(BR) to the eyes,
    so are sluggards to those who send them.^(BS)

²⁷ The fear of the Lord adds length to life,^(BT)
    but the years of the wicked are cut short.^(BU)

²⁸ The prospect of the righteous is joy,
    but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.^(BV)

²⁹ The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless,
    but it is the ruin of those who do evil.^(BW)

³⁰ The righteous will never be uprooted,
    but the wicked will not remain in the land.^(BX)

³¹ From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom,^(BY)
    but a perverse tongue^(BZ) will be silenced.

³² The lips of the righteous know what finds favor,^(CA)
    but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.^(CB)

11 The Lord detests dishonest scales,^(CC)
    but accurate weights find favor with him.^(CD)

² When pride comes, then comes disgrace,^(CE)
    but with humility comes wisdom.^(CF)

³ The integrity of the upright guides them,
    but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.^(CG)

⁴ Wealth^(CH) is worthless in the day of wrath,^(CI)
    but righteousness delivers from death.^(CJ)

⁵ The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,^(CK)
    but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.^(CL)

⁶ The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
    but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.^(CM)

⁷ Hopes placed in mortals die with them;^(CN)
    all the promise of^[e] their power comes to nothing.^(CO)

⁸ The righteous person is rescued from trouble,
    and it falls on the wicked instead.^(CP)

⁹ With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,
    but through knowledge the righteous escape.^(CQ)

¹⁰ When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;^(CR)
    when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.^(CS)

¹¹ Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,^(CT)
    but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.^(CU)

¹² Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,^(CV)
    but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.^(CW)

¹³ A gossip betrays a confidence,^(CX)
    but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.^(CY)

¹⁴ For lack of guidance a nation falls,^(CZ)
    but victory is won through many advisers.^(DA)

¹⁵ Whoever puts up security^(DB) for a stranger will surely suffer,
    but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.^(DC)

¹⁶ A kindhearted woman gains honor,^(DD)
    but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷ Those who are kind benefit themselves,
    but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

¹⁸ A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
    but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.^(DE)

¹⁹ Truly the righteous attain life,^(DF)
    but whoever pursues evil finds death.^(DG)

²⁰ The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse,^(DH)
    but he delights^(DI) in those whose ways are blameless.^(DJ)

²¹ Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,
    but those who are righteous will go free.^(DK)

²² Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
    is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

²³ The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
    but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

²⁴ One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
    another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

²⁵ A generous^(DL) person will prosper;
    whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.^(DM)

²⁶ People curse the one who hoards grain,
    but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.

²⁷ Whoever seeks good finds favor,
    but evil comes to one who searches for it.^(DN)

²⁸ Those who trust in their riches will fall,^(DO)
    but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.^(DP)

²⁹ Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,
    and the fool will be servant to the wise.^(DQ)

³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,^(DR)
    and the one who is wise saves lives.

³¹ If the righteous receive their due^(DS) on earth,
    how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but whoever hates correction is stupid.^(DT)

² Good people obtain favor from the Lord,^(DU)
    but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.^(DV)

³ No one can be established through wickedness,
    but the righteous cannot be uprooted.^(DW)

⁴ A wife of noble character^(DX) is her husband’s crown,
    but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.^(DY)

⁵ The plans of the righteous are just,
    but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶ The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
    but the speech of the upright rescues them.^(DZ)

⁷ The wicked are overthrown and are no more,^(EA)
    but the house of the righteous stands firm.^(EB)

⁸ A person is praised according to their prudence,
    and one with a warped^(EC) mind is despised.

⁹ Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
    than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

¹⁰ The righteous care for the needs of their animals,^(ED)
    but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹ Those who work their land will have abundant food,
    but those who chase fantasies have no sense.^(EE)

¹² The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,
    but the root of the righteous endures.

¹³ Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,^(EF)
    and so the innocent escape trouble.^(EG)

¹⁴ From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,^(EH)
    and the work of their hands brings them reward.^(EI)

¹⁵ The way of fools seems right to them,^(EJ)
    but the wise listen to advice.^(EK)

¹⁶ Fools^(EL) show their annoyance at once,^(EM)
    but the prudent overlook an insult.^(EN)

¹⁷ An honest witness tells the truth,
    but a false witness tells lies.^(EO)

¹⁸ The words of the reckless pierce like swords,^(EP)
    but the tongue of the wise brings healing.^(EQ)

¹⁹ Truthful lips endure forever,
    but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

²⁰ Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
    but those who promote peace have joy.^(ER)

²¹ No harm overtakes the righteous,^(ES)
    but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²² The Lord detests lying lips,^(ET)
    but he delights^(EU) in people who are trustworthy.^(EV)

²³ The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,^(EW)
    but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.^(EX)

²⁴ Diligent hands will rule,
    but laziness ends in forced labor.^(EY)

²⁵ Anxiety weighs down the heart,^(EZ)
    but a kind word cheers it up.

²⁶ The righteous choose their friends carefully,
    but the way of the wicked leads them astray.^(FA)

²⁷ The lazy do not roast^[f] any game,
    but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

²⁸ In the way of righteousness there is life;^(FB)
    along that path is immortality.