1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. |
2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers. |
3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart. |
4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue. |
5 He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. |
6 Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. |
7 Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool--how much worse lying lips to a ruler! |
8 A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds. |
9 He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. |
10 A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool. |
11 An evil man is bent only on rebellion; a merciless official will be sent against him. |
12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly. |
13 If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house. |
14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. |
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent--the LORD detests them both. |
16 Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom? |
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. |
18 A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor. |
19 He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction. |
20 A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble. |
21 To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool. |
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. |
23 A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice. |
24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth. |
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him. |
26 It is not good to punish an innocent man, or to flog officials for their integrity. |
27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. |
28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. |