Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
1 The wise woman builds her house [on a foundation of godly precepts, and her household thrives],
But the foolish one [who lacks spiritual insight] tears it down with her own hands [by ignoring godly principles].
2 He who walks in uprightness [reverently] fears the Lord[and obeys and worships Him with profound respect],
But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.
3 In the mouth of the [arrogant]fool [who rejects God] is a rod for his back,
But the lips of the wise [when they speak with godly wisdom] will protect them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
But much revenue [because of good crops] comes by the strength of the ox.
5 A faithfulandtrustworthy witness will not lie,
But a false witness speaks lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none [for his ears are closed to wisdom],
But knowledge is easy for one who understands [because he is willing to learn].
7 Leave the presence of a [shortsighted] fool,
For you will not find knowledgeorhear godly wisdom from his lips.
8 The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,
But the foolishness of [shortsighted] fools is deceit.
9 Fools mock sin [but sin mocks the fools],
But among the upright there is good willandthe favorandblessing of God.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
And no stranger shares its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown,
But the tent of the upright will thrive.
12 There is a waywhich seemsright to a manandappears straight before him,
But its end is the way of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
And the end of joy may be grief.
14 The backslider in heart will have his fill with his own [rotten] ways,
But a good man willbe satisfiedwith his ways [the godly thought and action which his heart pursues and in which he delights].
15 The naiveorinexperienced person [is easily misled and] believes every word he hears,
But the prudent man [is discreet and astute and] considers well where he is going.
16 A wise man suspects danger and cautiously avoids evil,
But the fool is arrogant and careless.
17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishlyandwithout self-control,
And a man of wicked schemes is hated.
18 The naive [are unsophisticated and easy to exploit and] inherit foolishness,
But the sensible [are thoughtful and far-sighted and] are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil will bow down before the good,
And the wicked [will bow down] at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor man is hated even by his neighbor,
But those who love the rich are many.
21 He who despises his neighbor sins [against God and his fellow man],
But happy [blessed and favored by God] is he who is graciousandmerciful to the poor.
22 Do they not go astray who devise evilandwander from the way of righteousness?
But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.
23 In all labor there is profit,
But mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth [of wisdom],
But the foolishness of [closed-minded] fools is [nothing but] folly.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
But he who speaks lies is treacherous.
26 In the [reverent] fear of the Lordthere is strong confidence,
And His children will [always] have a place of refuge.
27 The [reverent] fear of the Lord[that leads to obedience and worship] is a fountain of life,
So that one may avoid the snares of death.
28 In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,
But in a lack of people is a [pretentious] prince’s ruin.
29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding [and profits from his self-control],
But he who is quick-tempered exposesandexalts his foolishness [for all to see].
30 A calmandpeacefulandtranquil heart is lifeandhealth to the body,
But passionandenvy are like rottenness to the bones.
31 He who oppresses the poor tauntsandinsults his Maker,
But he who is kindandmercifulandgracious to the needy honors Him.
32 The wicked is overthrown through his wrongdoing,
But the righteous has hopeandconfidenceanda refuge [with God] even in death.
33 Wisdom rests [silently] in the heart of one who has understanding,
But what is in the heart of [shortsighted] fools is made known.
34 Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 The king’s favorandgood will are toward a servant who acts wiselyanddiscreetly,
But his angerandwrath are toward him who acts shamefully.