Proverbs 10

¹ The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son is his father’s joy, a foolish son his mother’s grief.

² Treasures wickedly come by give no benefit, but right conduct brings delivery from death.

³ Yahweh does not leave the virtuous man hungry, but he thwarts the greed of the wicked.

⁴ The slack hand brings poverty, but the diligent hand brings wealth.

⁵ Gathering in summer is the mark of the prudent, sleeping at harvest is the sign of the shameless.

⁶ The blessings of Yahweh are on the head of the virtuous man, premature mourning stops the mouths of the wicked.

⁷ The virtuous man is remembered with blessings, the wicked man’s name rots away.

⁸ The heart that is wise is obedient to instruction, the gabbling fool is heading for ruin.

⁹ He walks secure whose ways are honourable, but he who follows crooked ways is soon discovered.

¹⁰ A wink of the eye, and a man makes trouble, a bold rebuke, and a man makes peace.

¹¹ The mouth of the virtuous man is a life-giving fountain, violence lurks in the mouth of the wicked.

¹² Hatred provokes disputes, love covers over all offences.

¹³ On the lips of a discerning man is wisdom found, on the back of a fool, the stick.

¹⁴ Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool makes ruin imminent.

¹⁵ The rich man’s wealth is his stronghold, poverty is the poor man’s undoing.

¹⁶ The virtuous man’s wage affords him life, but destruction is all the wicked man earns.

¹⁷ The path of life is to abide by discipline, and he who ignores correction goes astray.

¹⁸ The lips of just men silence hatred, he who voices slander is a fool.

¹⁹ A flood of words is never without its fault, he who has his lips controlled is a prudent man.

²⁰ The virtuous man’s tongue is purest silver, the heart of the wicked is of trumpery value.

²¹ The lips of the virtuous man nourish a multitude, but fools die in poverty.

²² The blessing of Yahweh is what brings riches, to this hard toil has nothing to add.

²³ The joy of the fool lies in doing wrong, but the joy of the man of discernment in acquiring wisdom.

²⁴ What the wicked man fears overtakes him, what the virtuous desires comes to him as a present.

²⁵ When the storm is over, the wicked man is no more, but the virtuous stands firm for ever.

²⁶ As vinegar to the teeth, smoke to the eyes, so the sluggard to the one who sends him.

²⁷ The fear of Yahweh adds length to life, the years of the wicked will be cut short.

²⁸ The hope of virtuous men is all joy, the expectations of the wicked are frustrated.

²⁹ Yahweh is a stronghold for the man of honest life, for evildoers nothing but ruin.

³⁰ The virtuous man will never be moved from his own place, but the land will offer no home for the wicked.

³¹ The mouth of the virtuous man utters wisdom, the deceitful tongue shall be torn out.

³² The lips of the virtuous man drip with kindness, the mouth of the wicked with deceit.