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Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked

¹ The ^(C1)proverbs of Solomon.

^(C2)A wise son makes a father glad,
But ^(C3)a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

^2 (F1)(C1)Ill-gotten gains do not profit,
But righteousness delivers from death.

³ The LORD ^(C1)will not allow the ^(F1)righteous to hunger,
But He ^(C2)will ^(F2)reject the craving of the wicked.

⁴ Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the ^(C1)hand of the diligent makes rich.

⁵ He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.

^6 (C1)Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But ^(C2)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

⁷ The ^(C1)memory of the righteous is blessed,
But ^(C2)the name of the wicked will rot.

⁸ The ^(C1)wise of heart will receive commands,
But ^(F1)a babbling fool will be ^(F2)ruined.

⁹ He ^(C1)who walks in integrity walks securely,
But ^(C2)he who perverts his ways will be found out.

¹⁰ He ^(C1)who winks the eye causes trouble,
And ^(F1)(C2)a babbling fool will be ^(F2)ruined.

¹¹ The ^(C1)mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But ^(C2)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

¹² Hatred stirs up strife,
But ^(C1)love covers all transgressions.

¹³ On ^(C1)the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But ^(C2)a rod is for the back of him who lacks ^(F1)understanding.

¹⁴ Wise men ^(C1)store up knowledge,
But with ^(C2)the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.

¹⁵ The ^(C1)rich man's wealth is his ^(F1)fortress,
The ^(C2)ruin of the poor is their poverty.

¹⁶ The ^(F1)(C1)wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.

¹⁷ He ^(C1)is on the path of life who heeds instruction,
But he who ignores reproof goes astray.

¹⁸ He ^(C1)who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And he who spreads slander is a fool.

¹⁹ When there are ^(C1)many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But ^(C2)he who restrains his lips is wise.

²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is as ^(C1)choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.

²¹ The ^(C1)lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools ^(C2)die for lack of ^(F1)understanding.

²² It is the ^(C1)blessing of the LORD that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.

²³ Doing wickedness is like ^(C1)sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.

²⁴ What ^(C1)the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the ^(C2)desire of the righteous will be granted.

²⁵ When the ^(C1)whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the ^(C2)righteous has an everlasting foundation.

²⁶ Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the ^(C1)lazy one to those who send him.

²⁷ The ^(C1)fear of the LORD prolongs ^(F1)life,
But the ^(C2)years of the wicked will be shortened.

²⁸ The ^(C1)hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the ^(C2)expectation of the wicked perishes.

²⁹ The ^(C1)way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright,
But ^(C2)ruin to the workers of iniquity.

³⁰ The ^(C1)righteous will never be shaken,
But ^(C2)the wicked will not dwell in the land.

³¹ The ^(C1)mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the ^(C2)perverted tongue will be cut out.

³² The lips of the righteous bring forth ^(C1)what is acceptable,
But the ^(C2)mouth of the wicked what is perverted.