Old/New Testament
16 We can make our plans, but the final outcome is in God’s hands.
2 We can always “prove” that we are right, but is the Lord convinced?
3 Commit your work to the Lord, then it will succeed.
4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes—even the wicked for punishment.
5 Pride disgusts the Lord. Take my word for it—proud men shall be punished.
6 Iniquity is atoned for by mercy and truth; evil is avoided by reverence for God.
7 When a man is trying to please God, God makes even his worst enemies to be at peace with him.
8 A little gained honestly is better than great wealth gotten by dishonest means.
9 We should make plans—counting on God to direct us.
10 God will help the king to judge the people fairly; there need be no mistakes.
11 The Lord demands fairness in every business deal.[a] He established this principle.
12 It is a horrible thing for a king to do evil. His right to rule depends upon his fairness.[b]
13 The king rejoices when his people are truthful and fair.
14 The anger of the king is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it.
15 Many favors are showered on those who please the king.
16 How much better is wisdom than gold, and understanding than silver!
17 The path of the godly leads away from evil; he who follows that path is safe.
18 Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.
19 Better poor and humble than proud and rich.
20 God blesses those who obey him; happy the man who puts his trust in the Lord.
21 The wise man is known by his common sense, and a pleasant teacher is the best.
22 Wisdom is a fountain of life to those possessing it, but a fool’s burden is his folly.
23 From a wise mind comes careful and persuasive speech.
24 Kind words are like honey—enjoyable and healthful.
25 Before every man there lies a wide and pleasant road he thinks is right, but it ends in death.
26 Hunger is good—if it makes you work to satisfy it!
27 Idle hands are the devil’s workshop; idle lips are his mouthpiece.[c]
28 An evil man sows strife; gossip separates the best of friends.
29 Wickedness loves company—and leads others into sin.[d]
30 The wicked man stares into space with pursed lips, deep in thought, planning his evil deeds.
31 White hair is a crown of glory and is seen most among the godly.
32 It is better to be slow-tempered than famous; it is better to have self-control than to control an army.
33 We toss the coin,[e] but it is the Lord who controls its decision.
17 A dry crust eaten in peace is better than steak every day along with argument and strife.
2 A wise slave will rule his master’s wicked sons and share their estate.
3 Silver and gold are purified by fire, but God purifies hearts.
4 The wicked enjoy fellowship with others who are wicked; liars enjoy liars.
5 Mocking the poor is mocking the God who made them. He will punish those who rejoice at others’ misfortunes.
6 An old man’s grandchildren are his crowning glory. A child’s glory is his father.
7 Truth from a rebel or lies from a king are both unexpected.
8 A bribe works like magic. Whoever uses it will prosper![f]
9 Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends.
10 A rebuke to a man of common sense is more effective than a hundred lashes on the back of a rebel.
11 The wicked live for rebellion; they shall be severely punished.[g]
12 It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool caught in his folly.
13 If you repay evil for good, a curse is upon your home.
14 It is hard to stop a quarrel once it starts,[h] so don’t let it begin.
15 The Lord despises those who say that bad is good and good is bad.
16 It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a rebel who has no heart for truth.[i]
17 A true friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.
18 It is poor judgment to countersign another’s note, to become responsible for his debts.
19 Sinners love to fight; boasting is looking for trouble.
20 An evil man is suspicious of everyone[j] and tumbles into constant trouble.
21 It’s no fun to be a rebel’s father.
22 A cheerful heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit makes one sick.
23 It is wrong to accept a bribe to twist justice.
24 Wisdom is the main pursuit of sensible men, but a fool’s goals are at the ends of the earth!
25 A rebellious son is a grief to his father and a bitter blow to his mother.
26 How shortsighted to fine the godly for being good! And to punish nobles for being honest!
27-28 The man of few words and settled mind is wise; therefore, even a fool is thought to be wise when he is silent. It pays him to keep his mouth shut.
18 The selfish man quarrels against every sound principle of conduct by demanding his own way.
2 A rebel doesn’t care about the facts. All he wants to do is yell.[k]
3 Sin brings disgrace.
4 A wise man’s words express deep streams of thought.
5 It is wrong for a judge to favor the wicked and condemn the innocent.
6-7 A fool gets into constant fights. His mouth is his undoing! His words endanger him.
8 What dainty morsels rumors are. They are eaten with great relish!
9 A lazy man is brother to the saboteur.
10 The Lord[l] is a strong fortress. The godly run to him and are safe.
11 The rich man thinks of his wealth as an impregnable defense, a high wall of safety. What a dreamer!
12 Pride ends in destruction; humility ends in honor.
13 What a shame—yes, how stupid!—to decide before knowing the facts!
14 A man’s courage[m] can sustain his broken body, but when courage dies, what hope is left?
15 The intelligent man is always open to new ideas. In fact, he looks for them.
16 A gift does wonders; it will bring you before men of importance!
17 Any story sounds true until someone tells the other side and sets the record straight.
18 A coin toss[n] ends arguments and settles disputes between powerful opponents.
19 It is harder to win back the friendship of an offended brother than to capture a fortified city.[o] His anger shuts you out like iron bars.
20 Ability to give wise advice satisfies like a good meal!
21 Those who love to talk will suffer the consequences. Men have died for saying the wrong thing!
22 The man who finds a wife finds a good thing; she is a blessing to him from the Lord.
23 The poor man pleads, and the rich man answers with insults.
24 There are “friends” who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
6 As God’s partners, we beg you not to toss aside this marvelous message of God’s great kindness. 2 For God says, “Your cry came to me at a favorable time, when the doors of welcome were wide open. I helped you on a day when salvation was being offered.” Right now God is ready to welcome you. Today he is ready to save you.
3 We try to live in such a way that no one will ever be offended or kept back from finding the Lord by the way we act, so that no one can find fault with us and blame it on the Lord. 4 In fact, in everything we do we try to show that we are true ministers of God.
We patiently endure suffering and hardship and trouble of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, put in jail, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, stayed awake through sleepless nights of watching, and gone without food. 6 We have proved ourselves to be what we claim by our wholesome lives and by our understanding of the Gospel and by our patience. We have been kind and truly loving and filled with the Holy Spirit. 7 We have been truthful, with God’s power helping us in all we do. All of the godly man’s arsenal—weapons of defense, and weapons of attack—have been ours.
8 We stand true to the Lord whether others honor us or despise us, whether they criticize us or commend us. We are honest, but they call us liars.
9 The world ignores us, but we are known to God; we live close to death, but here we are, still very much alive. We have been injured but kept from death. 10 Our hearts ache, but at the same time we have the joy of the Lord. We are poor, but we give rich spiritual gifts to others. We own nothing, and yet we enjoy everything.
11 Oh, my dear Corinthian friends! I have told you all my feelings; I love you with all my heart. 12 Any coldness still between us is not because of any lack of love on my part but because your love is too small and does not reach out to me and draw me in. 13 I am talking to you now as if you truly were my very own children. Open your hearts to us! Return our love!
14 Don’t be teamed with those who do not love the Lord, for what do the people of God have in common with the people of sin? How can light live with darkness? 15 And what harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a Christian be a partner with one who doesn’t believe? 16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For you are God’s temple, the home of the living God, and God has said of you, “I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people.” 17 That is why the Lord has said, “Leave them; separate yourselves from them; don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you 18 and be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.