• Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked

  • 1 Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it Than a house full of feasting with strife.
  • 2 A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully, And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
  • 3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests hearts.
  • 4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
  • 5 One who mocks the poor taunts his Maker; One who rejoices at disaster will not go unpunished.
  • 6 Grandchildren are the crown of the old, And the glory of sons is their fathers.
  • 7 Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, Much less are lying lips to a prince.
  • 8 A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers.
  • 9 One who conceals an offense seeks love, But one who repeats a matter separates close friends.
  • 10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding Than a hundred blows into a fool.
  • 11 A rebellious person seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
  • 12 Let a person meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his foolishness.
  • 13 One who returns evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.
  • 14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water, So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
  • 15 One who justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
  • 16 Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense?
  • 17 A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
  • 18 A person lacking in sense shakes hands And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
  • 19 One who loves wrongdoing loves strife; One who makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
  • 20 One who has a crooked mind finds nothing good, And one who is corrupted in his language falls into evil.
  • 21 He who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy.
  • 22 A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
  • 23 A wicked person accepts a bribe from an inside pocket To pervert the ways of justice.
  • 24 Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
  • 25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who gave birth to him.
  • 26 It is also not good to fine the righteous, Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
  • 27 One who withholds his words has knowledge, And one who has a cool spirit is a person of understanding.
  • 28 Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.