Better is aa dry morsel with quietness,
Than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 A wise servant will rule over aa son who causes shame,
And will share an inheritance among the brothers.
3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
aBut the Lord tests the hearts.
4 An evildoer gives heed to false lips;
A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue.
5 aHe who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;
bHe who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
6 aChildren’s children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father.
7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
Much less lying lips to a prince.
8 A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9 aHe who covers a transgression seeks love,
But bhe who repeats a matter separates friends.
10 aRebuke is more effective for a wise man
Than a hundred blows on a fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion;
Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet aa bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
13 Whoever arewards evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water;
Therefore astop contention before a quarrel starts.
15 aHe who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,
Since he has no heart for it?
17 aA friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18 aA man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes surety for his friend.
19 He who loves transgression loves strife,
And ahe who exalts his gate seeks destruction.
20 He who has a deceitful heart finds no good,
And he who has aa perverse tongue falls into evil.
21 He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A amerry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.
23 A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back
To pervert the ways of justice.
24 aWisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A afoolish son is a grief to his father,
And bitterness to her who bore him.
26 Also, to punish the righteous is not good,
Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.
27 aHe who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
28 aEven a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved.