proverbs
Proverbs 31/31 Advice to King Lemuel from his mother: Don’t spend your time pursuing women; this has brought down many kings. Kings should not get drunk so they do not tear down what they created while sober. Speak for those who do not have a voice. Judge justly and defend the rights of the poor. A wonderful spouse is rare. They can be trusted and have a good work ethic. Always they provide for their family and plan for their future. They are confident and strong. They help the poor and are not afraid of hard times for which they have prepared. From their mouth flows wisdom and kindness. They are praised by their children and their spouses. Charm and beauty are fleeting, but a spouse who reveres God is praiseworthy. They will get back more than they have put in.
Proverbs 30/31 God’s word is true; don’t add to it. Stay away from lying and fakeness. Don’t become rich and forget who God is. Don’t become poor and steal, disrespecting God. Some think themselves clean while covered in filth. Greed is never content; give, and it wants more. If you mock your father, mother, and all authority, there will be consequences. Being suddenly put in a situation for which one is deeply unqualified will lead to disaster. Even small things can be wise; ants, groundhogs, locusts, lizards. The beloved leader walks with the confidence of the lion. If you have been foolish or planning to do evil, restrain yourself. Pressing anger produces strife.
Proverbs 29/31 Those that are stiff and inflexible will be broken. With justice, a nation is built, but greed tears one down. The good understand the rights of the poor. A fool indulges every passion of their spirit, but one with wisdom quietly holds themself back. The proud will be brought low, and the humble will be raised in honor. Fear is a cage, but one who trusts God is free. We look to judges for justice, but it can only truly be given by God. Good and evil appear as an abomination to one another.
Proverbs 28/31 The evil live constantly in fear, but the good live confidently. It is better to be poor and honest than rich and crooked. Be generous to the poor. A rich one thinks themself wise, but is bested by a poor one with understanding. There is glory when good prevails, but people hide when evil rises. One that hides their sins will not prosper, but one that owns up to them and turns away will receive mercy. An unwise leader oppresses cruelly, but one who hates unjust gain will prolong their time. The faithful one abounds with blessings, but one who cheats for their own gain will be punished. Whoever puts their faith in their mind is a fool, but those that walk in wisdom will do well.
Proverbs 27/31 Don’t brag about your future, it is not guaranteed. Praise from one’s own mouth is not valid; let it come from another. Be cautious of anger and jealousy; it is difficult to stand against them. True love includes rebuke when needed. An enemy can feign love with kind words. Everything tastes good to one who is hungry. The goodness of a friend comes from their authentic advice. A close neighbor is better than a far brother. When and where you act is just as important as how. Friends sharpen each other like iron on iron. As gold is refined in the furnace, one is tested by their praise. Pay attention to what you have; your possessions do not watch themselves and will not last on their own.
Proverbs 26/31 Honor does not fit a fool. Don’t answer a fool in their style, but correct their mistakes. A proverb coming from a fool is useless. Fools return to their ways like dogs to their vomit. There is more hope for a fool than one who thinks themselves wise. Do not meddle in other people’s fights. Fire dies without wood, and strife dies without a gossiper. One who displays hate hides deceit in their heart; do not trust them when they aim kind words your way. Those who lay traps will fall into them.
Proverbs 25/31 God, knowing all, conceals. We, knowing little, seek truth. Don’t force yourself into high places, it is better to be invited from a lowly place than to be put down in a high place. Don’t share other’s secrets. Patient and persuasive words may change the course of nations. Take even good things in moderation. Don’t be overly joyful in the presence of those with a heavy heart. Provide for your enemy, this is a greater victory than battle. Like a clogged sprinkler is a good one who allows evil. One without self-control is like a house that has been broken into and left open.
Proverbs 24/31 With wisdom comes strength, wars are won with wise guidance. The mocker is an abomination. Your strength is small if it fails in times of adversity. Rescue those going astray. Wisdom is like a sweet honey to the soul. The righteous fall over and over but rise each time. Don’t be glad when your enemy falls. Don’t envy the evil, they have no future. Don’t appease evil, rebuke it.
Proverbs 23/31 Don’t desire luxuries. Be cautious when a stingy person offers gifts to you. Don’t let your words be wasted on fools. Don’t take what isn’t yours. Don’t stop a child from being disciplined, it will not kill them. On the contrary, it will save them from death. Don’t envy sinners, go on in reverence and trust there is a future. Don’t befriend drunks or gluttons, they will come to ruin and take you with them. Buy truth and don’t sell it for anything. Stay away from a flirt, they increase the traitors among mankind. Don’t let yourself love drunkenness, it will lead to many sorrows and is a vicious cycle.
Proverbs 22/31 Good name > great riches. Train a child well and they will stay true into old age. The borrower serves the lender. Get rid of a mocker, and discord stops. Children tend towards folly, but discipline leads to knowledge. Whoever oppresses the poor will in the end come to poverty. Don’t befriend wrathful people. Don’t borrow more than you can afford to borrow. One skillful in their work stands before kings.
Proverbs 21/31 Patient work leads to abundance, and hastiness leads to poverty. Gains from lying are fleeting and catch you in a snare. Justice is joy to the righteous and terror to the evil. One who loves pleasure and luxury will be poor. The wise preserve their treasures, but fools devour theirs. Pursue righteousness, and you will find it, along with life and honor. Control your speech to stay out of trouble. The wicked act boldly, but the upright openly consider their ways.
Proverbs 20/31 Do not be led astray by drunkenness. It is honorable to keep from quarreling. Many proclaim steadfast love, but it is difficult to find one truly faithful. Who can confidently say their heart is pure? Even a child is known by their acts, evil or good. Plans come to fruition when advice is sought. Do not take revenge on evil, leave it to God. Reflect before you give your word. The young prize their strength and beauty, the old prize their wisdom.
Proverbs 19/31 Desire without knowledge is bad. A generous person finds many friends. Glory for one who can forgive offenses against them. Idleness puts you to sleep and you grow hungry. Listen to advice. One who reveres God rests satisfied.
Proverbs 18/31 Fools take pleasure in expressing only their own opinions. Humility comes before honor. It is shameful to give an answer before one hears. Giving gifts will bring you into the presence of the great. The one who states their case first seems right, until examined by another. Words have the power of death and life. Better to have one friend who sticks close than many friends.
Proverbs 17/31 (Poor + peace) > (rich + strife). Judging the poor insults your creator. Be careful offering bribes, lest you come to depend on them. It is loving to forgive, you will lose friends if you rehash old wounds. A reprimand to the wise penetrates further than a beating to a fool. Friends love through highs and lows. Joy is good medicine, but a crushed spirit is crippling. Those with a calm spirit have understanding.
Proverbs 16/31 Every person thinks themselves right, but God weighs the spirit. Commit your work to God and it will be established. Everything is for a purpose, even the wicked. One turns from evil through reverence to God. When a man follows the ways of God, he is at peace even with his enemies. People plan, God establishes. You will discover good things if you ponder the word. Gracious words are sweet to the soul. One’s appetite urges them on. A whisperer separates close friends. One who rules their own spirit is better than one who rules a city.
Proverbs 15/31 A gentle response cools anger, but a harsh response stirs it up. If God knows the depths of hell, how much more does he know the depths of your heart? The cheerful heart has a continuous feast. (Poor + God) > (Rich + Trouble). (Lettuce + Love) > (Filet Mignon + Hatred). The path is easy for the upright, but for the idle, it is like walking through thorns. Plans fail without counsel, but with many advisors, they succeed. The Lord destroys the house of the arrogant but protects the house of the humble. He who hates bribes will live. The heart of the righteous ponders, but the mouth of the wicked pours out. Reverence for God is instruction in wisdom. Humility comes before honor.
Proverbs 14/31 The upright reveres the Lord, the evil despises him. Things are easy without work, but there will be nothing to harvest. A cynic seeks wisdom in vain, but it comes easy for one of understanding. Run from fools. Fools mock those who seek forgiveness, but the upright find it. No one knows your heart like you. Life is both joy and grief, together. The wise are cautious, but fools are reckless. Blessed are those generous to the poor. A ruler is only as good as their people. Be slow to anger. Envy will rot your core.
Proverbs 13/31 The one who watches their words saves their life, but the one who speaks without thinking will be ruined. The poor one is not threatened by ransoms for their life. Insolent = strife, receptive = wisdom. Quick riches dwindle, gather little by little to increase. Prudent ones act with knowledge, but fools flaunt their folly. If disaster pursues you, consider living righteously. One who walks with the wise becomes wise, but a friend of fools hurts themselves. To discipline is to love. The righteous are satisfied, the wicked want.
Proverbs 12/31 Discipline = knowledge. The evil will not be established, but the roots of the good run deep. Better to be unassuming with assets than to be lavish without assets. The evil are ensnared by their words, the good free themselves with their words. A fool is right in his own eyes, but the wise listens to advice. The wise ignore insults, but a fool is clear about their rage. The words of the fool damage, the words of the wise heal. Truth is forever, lies are for a moment. The diligent rule and the idle are put to work.