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Solomon's Proverbs

¹ These are Solomon's proverbs:

Wise children make their fathers proud of them; foolish ones bring their mothers grief.

² Wealth you get by dishonesty will do you no good, but honesty can save your life.

³ The Lord will not let good people go hungry, but he will keep the wicked from getting what they want.

⁴ Being lazy will make you poor, but hard work will make you rich.

⁵ A sensible person gathers the crops when they are ready; it is a disgrace to sleep through the time of harvest.

⁶ Good people will receive blessings. The words of the wicked hide a violent nature.

⁷ Good people will be remembered as a blessing, but the wicked will soon be forgotten.

⁸ Sensible people accept good advice. People who talk foolishly will come to ruin.

⁹ Honest people are safe and secure, but the dishonest will be caught.

¹⁰ Someone who holds back the truth causes trouble, but one who openly criticizes works for peace.^[a]

¹¹ A good person's words are a fountain of life, but a wicked person's words hide a violent nature.

^12 (a)Hate stirs up trouble, but love forgives all offenses.

¹³ Intelligent people talk sense, but stupid people need to be punished.

¹⁴ The wise get all the knowledge they can, but when fools speak, trouble is not far off.

¹⁵ Wealth protects the rich; poverty destroys the poor.

¹⁶ The reward for doing good is life, but sin leads only to more sin.

¹⁷ People who listen when they are corrected will live, but those who will not admit that they are wrong are in danger.

¹⁸ Anyone who hides hatred is a liar. Anyone who spreads gossip is a fool.

¹⁹ The more you talk, the more likely you are to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet.

²⁰ A good person's words are like pure silver; a wicked person's ideas are worthless.

²¹ A good person's words will benefit many people, but you can kill yourself with stupidity.

²² It is the Lord's blessing that makes you wealthy. Hard work can make you no richer.^[b]

²³ It is foolish to enjoy doing wrong. Intelligent people take pleasure in wisdom.

²⁴ The righteous get what they want, but the wicked will get what they fear most.

²⁵ Storms come, and the wicked are blown away, but honest people are always safe.

²⁶ Never get a lazy person to do something for you; he will be as irritating as vinegar on your teeth or smoke in your eyes.

²⁷ Obey the Lord, and you will live longer. The wicked die before their time.

²⁸ The hopes of good people lead to joy, but wicked people can look forward to nothing.

²⁹ The Lord protects honest people, but destroys those who do wrong.

³⁰ Righteous people will always have security, but the wicked will not survive in the land.

³¹ Righteous people speak wisdom, but the tongue that speaks evil will be stopped.

³² Righteous people know the kind thing to say, but the wicked are always saying things that hurt.