Proverbs 10:1-32 THE WISE SAYINGS OF SOLOMON
An Honest Life Is Immortal
1 Wise son, glad father; stupid son, sad mother.
2 Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere; an honest life is immortal.
3 GOD won't starve an honest soul, but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.
4 Sloth makes you poor; diligence brings wealth.
5 Make hay while the sun shines — that's smart; go fishing during harvest — that's stupid.
6 Blessings accrue on a good and honest life, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
7 A good and honest life is a blessed memorial; a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.
8 A wise heart takes orders; an empty head will come unglued.
9 Honesty lives confident and carefree, but Shifty is sure to be exposed.
10 An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead, but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.
11 The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
12 Hatred starts fights, but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.
13 You'll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight, but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.
14 The wise accumulate knowledge — a true treasure; know-it-alls talk too much — a sheer waste.
15 The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life
The wealth of the rich is their bastion; the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.
16 The wage of a good person is exuberant life; an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.
17 The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you're lost for good.
18 Liars secretly hoard hatred; fools openly spread slander.
19 The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words.
20 The speech of a good person is worth waiting for; the blabber of the wicked is worthless.
21 The talk of a good person is rich fare for many, but chatterboxes die of an empty heart.
22 Fear-of-God Expands Your Life
GOD's blessing makes life rich; nothing we do can improve on God.
23 An empty-head thinks mischief is fun, but a mindful person relishes wisdom.
24 The nightmares of the wicked come true; what the good people desire, they get.
25 When the storm is over, there's nothing left of the wicked; good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren't even fazed.
26 A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble; it's vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.
27 The Fear-of-GOD expands your life; a wicked life is a puny life.
28 The aspirations of good people end in celebration; the ambitions of bad people crash.
29 GOD is solid backing to a well-lived life, but He calls into question a shabby performance.
30 Good people last — they can't be moved; the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.
31 A good person's mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom; a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.
32 The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
An Honest Life Is Immortal
1 Wise son, glad father; stupid son, sad mother.
2 Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere; an honest life is immortal.
3 GOD won't starve an honest soul, but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.
4 Sloth makes you poor; diligence brings wealth.
5 Make hay while the sun shines — that's smart; go fishing during harvest — that's stupid.
6 Blessings accrue on a good and honest life, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
7 A good and honest life is a blessed memorial; a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.
8 A wise heart takes orders; an empty head will come unglued.
9 Honesty lives confident and carefree, but Shifty is sure to be exposed.
10 An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead, but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.
11 The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
12 Hatred starts fights, but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.
13 You'll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight, but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.
14 The wise accumulate knowledge — a true treasure; know-it-alls talk too much — a sheer waste.
15 The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life
The wealth of the rich is their bastion; the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.
16 The wage of a good person is exuberant life; an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.
17 The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you're lost for good.
18 Liars secretly hoard hatred; fools openly spread slander.
19 The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words.
20 The speech of a good person is worth waiting for; the blabber of the wicked is worthless.
21 The talk of a good person is rich fare for many, but chatterboxes die of an empty heart.
22 Fear-of-God Expands Your Life
GOD's blessing makes life rich; nothing we do can improve on God.
23 An empty-head thinks mischief is fun, but a mindful person relishes wisdom.
24 The nightmares of the wicked come true; what the good people desire, they get.
25 When the storm is over, there's nothing left of the wicked; good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren't even fazed.
26 A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble; it's vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.
27 The Fear-of-GOD expands your life; a wicked life is a puny life.
28 The aspirations of good people end in celebration; the ambitions of bad people crash.
29 GOD is solid backing to a well-lived life, but He calls into question a shabby performance.
30 Good people last — they can't be moved; the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.
31 A good person's mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom; a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.
32 The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)