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Contemporary English Version

Proverbs 15:16

It's better to obey the Lord and have only a little, than to be very rich and terribly confused.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Fear of God;   Poverty;   Riches;   Thompson Chain Reference - Content-Discontent;   Contentment;   The Topic Concordance - Fear;   Greed/gluttony;   Wealth;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fear, Godly;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Wealth;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Treasure;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for October 23;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Better a little with the fear of the Lordthan great treasure with turmoil.
Hebrew Names Version
Better is little, with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble.
King James Version
Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.
English Standard Version
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.
New American Standard Bible
Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure, and turmoil with the treasure.
New Century Version
It is better to be poor and respect the Lord than to be wealthy and have much trouble.
Amplified Bible
Better is a little with the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LORD Than great treasure and trouble with it.
World English Bible
Better is little, with the fear of Yahweh, Than great treasure with trouble.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Better is a litle with the feare of the Lord, then great treasure, and trouble therewith.
Legacy Standard Bible
Better is a little with the fear of YahwehThan great treasure and turmoil with it.
Berean Standard Bible
Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.
Complete Jewish Bible
Better little with the fear of Adonai than great wealth coupled with worry.
Darby Translation
Better is little with the fear of Jehovah than great store and disquietude therewith.
Easy-to-Read Version
It is better to be poor and respect the Lord than to be rich and have many troubles.
George Lamsa Translation
Better is a little with reverence for the LORD than the great treasures of the wicked.
Good News Translation
Better to be poor and fear the Lord than to be rich and in trouble.
Lexham English Bible
Better is little with the fear of Yahweh than great treasure and trouble with it.
Literal Translation
Better is a little with the fear of Jehovah than great treasure and tumult with it.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Better is a litle with the feare of the LORDE then greate treasure, for they are not without sorowe.
American Standard Version
Better is little, with the fear of Jehovah, Than great treasure and trouble therewith.
Bible in Basic English
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great wealth together with trouble.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Better is little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure and turmoil therewith.
King James Version (1611)
Better is little with the feare of the Lord, then great treasure, and trouble therewith.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Better is a litle with the feare of the Lorde: then great treasure, and trouble therwith.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Better is a small portion with the fear of the Lord, than great treasures without the fear of the Lord.
English Revised Version
Better is little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure and trouble therewith.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Betere is a litil with the drede of the Lord, than many tresouris and vnfillable.
Update Bible Version
Better is little, with the fear of Yahweh, Than great treasure and trouble therewith.
Webster's Bible Translation
Better [is] little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure and trouble with it.
New English Translation
Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth and turmoil with it.
New King James Version
Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble.
New Living Translation
Better to have little, with fear for the Lord , than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.
New Life Bible
A little with the fear of the Lord is better than great riches with trouble.
New Revised Standard
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Better is a little, with the reverence of Yahweh, than great treasure, and disquietude therewith.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasures without content.
Revised Standard Version
Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it.
Young's Literal Translation
Better [is] a little with the fear of Jehovah, Than much treasure, and tumult with it.
THE MESSAGE
A simple life in the Fear-of- God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it.

Contextual Overview

16 It's better to obey the Lord and have only a little, than to be very rich and terribly confused. 17 A simple meal with love is better than a feast where there is hatred.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

little: Proverbs 16:8, Proverbs 28:6, Psalms 37:16, 1 Timothy 6:6

great: Proverbs 10:22, Ecclesiastes 2:10, Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 2:18-23, Ecclesiastes 5:10-12

Reciprocal: Genesis 43:2 - General Psalms 119:141 - small Proverbs 12:27 - but Proverbs 15:6 - the house Proverbs 19:1 - Better Proverbs 23:17 - be thou Ecclesiastes 4:6 - General Isaiah 33:6 - fear Luke 12:15 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 15:5
Then the Lord took Abram outside and said, "Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That's how many descendants you will have."
Genesis 15:8
Abram asked, " Lord God, how can I know the land will be mine?"
Genesis 15:9
Then the Lord told him, "Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon."
Genesis 15:11
And when birds came down to eat the animals, Abram chased them away.
Exodus 12:40
The Lord 's people left Egypt exactly four hundred thirty years after they had arrived.
Daniel 8:23
When these rulers have become as evil as possible, their power will end, and then a king who is dangerous and cannot be trusted will appear.
1 Thessalonians 2:16
They keep us from speaking his message to the Gentiles and from leading them to be saved. The Jews have always gone too far with their sins. Now God has finally become angry and will punish them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Better [is] little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith. Not that a "little" is better than "much" of that which is good, as the things of this world are in themselves; poverty is not better than riches, simply considered; but as these are attended with different circumstances: if a man has but little of worldly substance, yet if he has "the fear of God" in his heart, and before his eyes; that fear which has God for its author and for its object, and which is itself a treasure; and may be here put for all grace, for the riches of grace saints are partakers of; such a man's little is better than another man's abundance without the fear of the Lord, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it: for such a man, though he has but little, which is the common portion of good men, yet he does not lack; be has enough, and is content; what he has he has with a blessing, and he enjoys it, and God in it, and has communion with him; and has also other bread to eat, the world knows nothing of: and particularly having the fear of God, the eve of God is upon him with pleasure; his heart is towards him, and sympathizes with him in all his troubles; his hand communicates unto him both temporal and spiritual meat, which is given to them that fear the Lord; his angels encamp about him, his power protects him; his secrets are with him, and inconceivable and inexpressible goodness is laid up for him: wherefore he is better off with his little, having the fear of God, than another with his great abundance and affluence, being destitute of it: and besides, having a great deal of "trouble" along with his treasure; trouble in amassing and getting it together; trouble in keeping it from being lost, or taken away by thieves and, robbers, for fear of which he cannot sleep; trouble through an insatiable desire of having more; he has no rest nor peace because he has not so much as he would have, or others have. Besides, he has what he has with curse; God sends upon him cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all he sets his hand to, Deuteronomy 28:2; where the same word is used as here: and he has it also with the cry of the poor; so some render the word, "a noise" or "tumult" g; and interpret it of the cries and tears of those that are oppressed and injured; so Jarchi and Gersom; or, "with terror" h, as some render it; with the terrors of a guilty conscience, with the fear of hell and everlasting damnation. Better have a little with a good conscience, than ever so much attended with such circumstances; it is not any man's little, but the good man's little, that is preferable to the wicked man's much; see Psalms 37:16.

g מהומה "tumultus", Tigurine version, Montanus, Vatablus; "strepitus", Mercerus. h "Terror", Aben Ezra.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This proverb has its completion in the teaching of Matthew 6:33.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 15:16. Better is little with the fear of the Lord — Because where the fear of God is, there are moderation and contentment of spirit.


 
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