Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked
The aproverbs of Solomon.
bA wise son makes a father glad,
But ca foolish son is a grief to his mother.
2 aIll‑gotten gains do not profit,
But righteousness delivers from death.
3 The Lord awill not allow the righteous to hunger,
But He bwill reject the craving of the wicked.
4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the ahand 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 aBlessings are on the head of the righteous,
But bthe mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The amemory of the righteous is blessed,
But bthe name of the wicked will rot.
8 The awise of heart will receive commands,
But a babbling fool will be ruined.
9 He awho walks in integrity walks securely,
But bhe who perverts his ways will be found out.
10 He awho winks the eye causes trouble,
And ba babbling fool will be ruined.
11 The amouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But bthe mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But alove covers all transgressions.
13 On athe lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But ba rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.
14 Wise men astore up knowledge,
But with bthe mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
15 The arich man’s wealth is his fortress,
The bruin of the poor is their poverty.
16 The awages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.
17 He ais on the path of life who heeds instruction,
But he who ignores reproof goes astray.
18 He awho conceals hatred has lying lips,
And he who spreads slander is a fool.
19 When there are amany words, transgression is unavoidable,
But bhe who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is as achoice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The alips of the righteous feed many,
But fools bdie for lack of understanding.
22 It is the ablessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.
23 Doing wickedness is like asport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.
24 What athe wicked fears will come upon him,
But the bdesire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the awhirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the brighteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the alazy one to those who send him.
27 The afear of the Lord prolongs life,
But the byears of the wicked will be shortened.
28 The ahope of the righteous is gladness,
But the bexpectation of the wicked perishes.
29 The away of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright,
But bruin to the workers of iniquity.
30 The arighteous will never be shaken,
But bthe wicked will not dwell in the land.
31 The amouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the bperverted tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous bring forth awhat is acceptable,
But the bmouth of the wicked what is perverted.
Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
A afalse balance is an abomination to the Lord,
But a bjust weight is His delight.
2 When apride comes, then comes dishonor,
But with the humble is wisdom.
3 The aintegrity of the upright will guide them,
But the bcrookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.
4 aRiches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But brighteousness delivers from death.
5 The arighteousness of the blameless will smooth his way,
But bthe wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the treacherous will abe caught by their own greed.
7 When a wicked man dies, his aexpectation will perish,
And the bhope of strong men perishes.
8 The righteous is delivered from trouble,
But the wicked takes his place.
9 With his amouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the brighteous will be delivered.
10 When it agoes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.
11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.
12 He who despises his neighbor lacks sense,
But a man of understanding keeps silent.
13 He awho goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is trustworthy bconceals a matter.
14 Where there is no aguidance the people fall,
But in abundance of counselors there is victory.
15 He who is aguarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it,
But he who hates being a guarantor is secure.
16 A agracious woman attains honor,
And ruthless men attain riches.
17 The amerciful man does himself good,
But the cruel man does himself harm.
18 The wicked earns deceptive wages,
But he who asows righteousness gets a true reward.
19 He who is steadfast in arighteousness will attain to life,
And bhe who pursues evil will bring about his own death.
20 The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the ablameless in their walk are His bdelight.
21 Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished,
But the descendants of the righteous will be delivered.
22 As a aring of gold in a swine’s snout
So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the aexpectation of the wicked is wrath.
24 There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.
25 The agenerous man will be prosperous,
And he who bwaters will himself be watered.
26 He who withholds grain, the apeople will curse him,
But bblessing will be on the head of him who csells it.
27 He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But ahe who seeks evil, evil will come to him.
28 He who atrusts in his riches will fall,
But bthe righteous will flourish like the green leaf.
29 He who atroubles his own house will binherit wind,
And cthe foolish will be servant to the wisehearted.
30 The fruit of the righteous is aa tree of life,
And bhe who is wise wins souls.
31 If athe righteous will be rewarded in the earth,
How much more the wicked and the sinner!