Old/New Testament
27 Don’t brag about your plans for tomorrow—wait and see what happens.
2 Don’t praise yourself; let others do it!
3 A rebel’s frustrations are heavier than sand and rocks.
4 Jealousy is more dangerous and cruel than anger.
5 Open rebuke is better than hidden love!
6 Wounds from a friend are better than kisses from an enemy!
7 Even honey seems tasteless to a man who is full; but if he is hungry, he’ll eat anything!
8 A man who strays from home is like a bird that wanders from its nest.
9 Friendly suggestions are as pleasant as perfume.
10 Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father’s. Then you won’t need to go to a distant relative for help in your time of need.
11 My son, how happy I will be if you turn out to be sensible! It will be a public honor to me.
12 A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them. The simpleton never looks and suffers the consequences.
13 The world’s poorest credit risk is the man who agrees to pay a stranger’s debts.
14 If you shout a pleasant greeting to a friend too early in the morning, he will count it as a curse!
15 A constant dripping on a rainy day and a cranky woman are much alike! 16 You can no more stop her complaints than you can stop the wind or hold onto anything with greasy hands.
17 A friendly discussion is as stimulating as the sparks that fly when iron strikes iron.
18 A workman may eat from the orchard he tends; anyone should be rewarded who protects another’s interests.
19 A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses.
20 Ambition[a] and death are alike in this: neither is ever satisfied.
21 The purity of silver and gold can be tested in a crucible, but a man is tested by his reaction to men’s praise.
22 You can’t separate a rebel from his foolishness though you crush him to powder.
23-24 Riches can disappear fast. And the king’s crown doesn’t stay in his family forever—so watch your business[b] interests closely. Know the state of your flocks and your herds; 25-27 then there will be lambs’ wool enough for clothing and goats’ milk enough for food for all your household after the hay is harvested, and the new crop appears, and the mountain grasses are gathered in.
28 The wicked flee when no one is chasing them! But the godly are bold as lions!
2 When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily; but with honest, sensible leaders there is stability.
3 When a poor man oppresses those even poorer, he is like an unexpected flood sweeping away their last hope.
4 To complain about the law is to praise wickedness. To obey the law is to fight evil.
5 Evil men don’t understand the importance of justice, but those who follow the Lord are much concerned about it.
6 Better to be poor and honest than rich and a cheater.
7 Young men who are wise obey the law; a son who is a member of a lawless gang is a shame to his father.
8 Income from exploiting the poor will end up in the hands of someone who pities them.
9 God doesn’t listen to the prayers of those who flout the law.
10 A curse on those who lead astray the godly. But men who encourage the upright to do good shall be given a worthwhile reward.
11 Rich men are conceited, but their real poverty is evident to the poor.
12 When the godly are successful, everyone is glad. When the wicked succeed, everyone is sad.
13 A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.
14 Blessed is the man who reveres God, but the man who doesn’t care is headed for serious trouble.
15 A wicked ruler is as dangerous to the poor as a lion or bear attacking them.
16 Only a stupid prince will oppress his people, but a king will have a long reign if he hates dishonesty and bribes.
17 A murderer’s conscience will drive him into hell. Don’t stop him!
18 Good men will be rescued from harm, but cheaters will be destroyed.
19 Hard work brings prosperity; playing around brings poverty.
20 The man who wants to do right will get a rich reward. But the man who wants to get rich quick will quickly fail.
21 Giving preferred treatment to rich people is a clear case of selling one’s soul for a piece of bread.
22 Trying to get rich quick is evil and leads to poverty.
23 In the end, people appreciate frankness more than flattery.
24 A man who robs his parents and says, “What’s wrong with that?” is no better than a murderer.
25 Greed causes fighting; trusting God leads to prosperity.
26 A man is a fool to trust himself! But those who use God’s wisdom are safe.
27 If you give to the poor, your needs will be supplied! But a curse upon those who close their eyes to poverty.
28 When the wicked prosper, good men go away; when the wicked meet disaster, good men return.
29 The man who is often reproved but refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be broken and never have another chance.
2 With good men in authority, the people rejoice; but with the wicked in power, they groan.
3 A wise son makes his father happy, but a lad who hangs around with prostitutes disgraces him.
4 A just king gives stability to his nation, but one who demands bribes destroys it.
5-6 Flattery is a trap; evil men are caught in it, but good men stay away and sing for joy.
7 The good man knows the poor man’s rights; the godless don’t care.
8 Fools start fights everywhere while wise men try to keep peace.
9 There’s no use arguing with a fool. He only rages and scoffs, and tempers flare.
10 The godly pray for those who long to kill them.
11 A rebel shouts in anger; a wise man holds his temper in and cools it.
12 A wicked ruler will have wicked aides on his staff.
13 Rich and poor are alike in this: each depends on God for light.
14 A king who is fair to the poor shall have a long reign.
15 Scolding and spanking a child helps him to learn. Left to himself, he brings shame to his mother.
16 When rulers are wicked, their people are too; but good men will live to see the tyrant’s downfall.
17 Discipline your son and he will give you happiness and peace of mind.
18 Where there is ignorance of God, crime runs wild; but what a wonderful thing it is for a nation to know and keep his laws.
19 Sometimes[c] mere words are not enough—discipline is needed. For the words may not be heeded.
20 There is more hope for a fool than for a man of quick temper.
21 Pamper a servant from childhood, and he will expect you to treat him as a son!
22 A hot-tempered man starts fights and gets into all kinds of trouble.
23 Pride ends in a fall, while humility brings honor.
24 A man who assists a thief must really hate himself! For he knows the consequence but does it anyway.
25 Fear of man is a dangerous trap, but to trust in God means safety.
26 Do you want justice? Don’t fawn on the judge, but ask the Lord for it!
27 The good hate the badness of the wicked. The wicked hate the goodness of the good.
10 I plead with you—yes, I, Paul—and I plead gently, as Christ himself would do. Yet some of you are saying, “Paul’s letters are bold enough when he is far away, but when he gets here he will be afraid to raise his voice!”
2 I hope I won’t need to show you when I come how harsh and rough I can be. I don’t want to carry out my present plans against some of you who seem to think my deeds and words are merely those of an ordinary man. 3 It is true that I am an ordinary, weak human being, but I don’t use human plans and methods to win my battles. 4 I use God’s mighty weapons, not those made by men, to knock down the devil’s strongholds. 5 These weapons can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that can be built to keep men from finding him. With these weapons I can capture rebels and bring them back to God and change them into men whose hearts’ desire is obedience to Christ. 6 I will use these weapons against every rebel who remains after I have first used them on you yourselves and you surrender to Christ.
7 The trouble with you is that you look at me and I seem weak and powerless, but you don’t look beneath the surface. Yet if anyone can claim the power and authority of Christ, I certainly can. 8 I may seem to be boasting more than I should about my authority over you—authority to help you, not to hurt you—but I shall make good every claim. 9 I say this so that you will not think I am just blustering when I scold you in my letters.
10 “Don’t bother about his letters,” some say. “He sounds big, but it’s all noise. When he gets here you will see that there is nothing great about him, and you have never heard a worse preacher!” 11 This time my personal presence is going to be just as rough on you as my letters are!
12 Oh, don’t worry, I wouldn’t dare say that I am as wonderful as these other men who tell you how good they are! Their trouble is that they are only comparing themselves with each other and measuring themselves against their own little ideas. What stupidity!
13 But we will not boast of authority we do not have. Our goal is to measure up to God’s plan for us, and this plan includes our working there with you. 14 We are not going too far when we claim authority over you, for we were the first to come to you with the Good News concerning Christ. 15 It is not as though we were trying to claim credit for the work someone else has done among you. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow and that, still within the limits set for us, our work among you will be greatly enlarged.
16 After that, we will be able to preach the Good News to other cities that are far beyond you, where no one else is working; then there will be no question about being in someone else’s field. 17 As the Scriptures say, “If anyone is going to boast, let him boast about what the Lord has done and not about himself.” 18 When someone boasts about himself and how well he has done, it doesn’t count for much. But when the Lord commends him, that’s different!
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.