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The Book of Proverbs is a collection of articles about wisdom. It is in the Old Testament part of the Bible. Its main author was King Solomon.
The Book of Proverbs teaches that we must respect God. This is the most important lesson about wisdom.
The Book of Proverbs begins with Solomon's advice to his son. In Proverbs chapters 1-9, Solomon explains the choice between wise behaviour and foolish behaviour. Good people are wise because they respect God. But evil people are fools. God will punish evil people. So, Solomon advised his son to study wisdom.
In Proverbs chapters 10-22, there are 375 proverbs (wise words). These proverbs teach us how to be wise in many different situations. Then, there are 30 wise lessons (Proverbs chapters 22-24), many more proverbs (Proverbs chapters 25-29), two hard puzzles, and a poem (Proverbs chapters 30-31).
| Listen | Download | Chapter 1 The Beginning of Knowledge; Shun Evil Counsel; Call of Wisdom. Prv1: The proverbs of Solomon. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. Wisdom calls aloud. The complacency of fools destroys them. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 2 The Value of Wisdom. Prv2: My son, apply your heart to understanding. For the LORD gives wisdom. It will save you from the way of evil, and from the adulteress. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 3 Guidance for the Young. Prv3: My son, trust in the LORD with all your heart. Do not despise his discipline. Wisdom is a tree of life. Do not quarrel without cause. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 4 Security in Wisdom. Prv4: Listen, my sons: Get wisdom. The path of the righteous is like the morning sun. Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 5 The Peril of Adultry. Prv5: My son, listen to my words. In the end an adulteress is bitter as wormwood. Keep away from her. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 6 Dangerous Promises; The Folly of Indolence; The Wicken Man; Beware of Adultry. Prv6: A little slumber, and poverty will come like a bandit. A scoundrel sows discord. My son, a man who commits adultery destroys himself. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 7 The Crafty Harlot. Prv7: My son, wisdom will keep you from the adulteress. I saw her seducing a young man. He followed her like an ox going to the slaughter. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 8 The Excellence of Wisdom. Prv8: Wisdom cries aloud: "My mouth speaks truth. The LORD brought me forth at the beginning of his works. Whoever finds me finds life." |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 9 The Way of Wisdom; The Way of Folly. Prv9: Wisdom has built her house. She says, "Come, leave your folly." The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Folly knows nothing. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 10 Wise Sayings of Solomon; The Wise and the Foolish Contrasted. Prv10: A wise son makes a glad father. Love covers all offences. With many words, sin is not lacking. The righteous will never be uprooted. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 11 The Wise and the Foolish Contrasted. Prv11: The LORD hates dishonest scales. The wicked earn false wages. Whoever gives water will get water. Whoever trusts in riches will fall. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 12 The Wise and the Foolish Contrasted. Prv12: No one finds security by wickedness. Those who work the land have food. Rash words pierce like a sword. Righteousness leads to life. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 13 The Wise and the Foolish Contrasted. Prv13: The righteous hate lies. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Whoever heeds reproof is honoured. Whoever spares the rod hates his son. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 14 The Wise and the Foolish Contrasted. Prv14: The talk of fools is a rod for their backs. Even in laughter the heart may ache. Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 15 The Wise and the Foolish Contrasted. Prv15: A gentle answer turns away wrath. The eyes of the LORD are everywhere. Plans fail for lack of counsel. The LORD hears the righteous. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 16 Moral, Ethical and Spritual Precepts. Prv16: A man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. Kings detest evil. Pride goes before destruction. Wisdom is a fountain of life. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 17 Moral, Ethical and Spritual Precepts. Prv17: A wise servant will rule over a shameful son. Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam. Even a fool seems wise if he keeps silent. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 18 Moral, Ethical and Spritual Precepts. Prv18: A fool delights in his own opinions. The name of LORD is a strong tower. A gift opens the way. The tongue can bring life or death. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 19 Moral, Ethical and Spritual Precepts. Prv19: Wealth makes friends. A false witness will not go unpunished. A good wife is from the LORD. Whoever helps the poor lends to the LORD. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 20 Moral, Ethical and Spritual Precepts. Prv20: Wine is a mocker, beer a brawler. Even a child is known by his deeds. The LORD hates false weights. It is a snare to make rash vows. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 21 Moral, Ethical and Spritual Precepts. Prv21: To do justice is better than sacrifice. Better to live on the roof than with a quarrelsome wife. No plans can avail against the LORD. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 22 Moral, Ethical and Spritual Precepts. Prv22: A good name is better than riches. Train a child and he will not go astray. Incline your ear and apply your heart to my teaching. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 23 Moral, Ethical and Spritual Precepts. Prv23: Do not wear yourself out to get rich. Do not move a boundary marker. Buy the truth, and do not sell it. Do not linger long over wine. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 24 Comparisons, Warnings, and Instructions. Prv24: Do not envy the wicked. Wisdom is sweet to the soul. Fear the LORD and the king, my son. I saw thorns in the field of the sluggard. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 25 Comparisons, Warnings, and Instructions. Prv25: Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence. If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. To seek one's own glory is not glory. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 26 Comparisons, Warnings, and Instructions. Prv26: As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. Without gossip a quarrel dies down. Whoever digs a pit will fall into it. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 27 Comparisons, Warnings, and Instructions. Prv27: Faithful are the wounds of a friend. A loud blessing in the morning will be taken as a curse. A person is tested by being praised. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 28 Comparisons, Warnings, and Instructions. Prv28: Better to be poor and honest than crooked and rich. Whoever confesses sins will find mercy. Whoever trusts in the LORD will prosper. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 29 Comparisons, Warnings, and Instructions. Prv29: By justice a king builds up the land. Whether a fool rages or laughs, there is no peace. Correct your son and he will give you rest. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 30 The Wisdom of Agur. Prv30: Every word of God is pure. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Four things are never satisfied: Sheol, a barren womb, earth and fire. |
| Listen | Download | Chapter 31 The Words of King Lemuel's Mother; The Virtuous Wife. Prv31: Speak up for the speechless. Who can find an excellent wife? She buys a field, she makes garments, she watches over her household. |
Book of Proverbs Outlines by J.Vernon McGee PDF format <Link>
About the Book of Proverbs
http://www.easyenglish.info/bible-outline/
The Book of Proverbs - Summary
The Book of Proverbs is a collection of articles about wisdom. It is in the Old Testament part of the Bible. Its main author was King Solomon.
The Book of Proverbs teaches that we must respect God. This is the most important lesson about wisdom.
The Book of Proverbs begins with Solomon's advice to his son. In Proverbs chapters 1-9, Solomon explains the choice between wise behaviour and foolish behaviour. Good people are wise because they respect God. But evil people are fools. God will punish evil people. So, Solomon advised his son to study wisdom.
In Proverbs chapters 10-22, there are 375 proverbs (wise words). These proverbs teach us how to be wise in many different situations. Then, there are 30 wise lessons (Proverbs chapters 22-24), many more proverbs (Proverbs chapters 25-29), two hard puzzles, and a poem (Proverbs chapters 30-31).
Words in boxes are comments on the text.
The translated Bible text has been through Advanced Checking.
A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.
About the Book of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs is about *wisdom. King Solomon wrote a very large part of the book.
What God thinks about us is very important. We should do what he wants us to do. The Book of Proverbs teaches us about that. That is the most important lesson about *wisdom.
Chapter 1
Important *proverbs
v1 These are the *proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of *Israel.
v2 Here are the *proverbs that will make you *wise. They will help you to understand good messages even when they are difficult.
v3 They can help you to understand life. They can teach you how to live a good *honest life. And they can teach you how to be fair to everyone.
v4 They can cause a person who knows nothing to become clever. And they teach young people what they should know. And they teach them the right way to live.
v5 These *proverbs can even make *wise people more *wise. And to those who love to learn, they can give help to know more.
v6 In that way, they can understand the thoughts that *wise men have hidden in their *proverbs and in their words.
Good words for young people
v7 You must be afraid of the *Lord, even before you begin to learn anything. People who are *fools do not listen to *wise words. They refuse to learn them.
v8 Listen, my son, to the words of your father. And do not forget what your mother taught you.
v9 A circle of leaves round your head and a *chain round your neck make you more beautiful. In the same way, what your father and mother teach you will make you a better person.
v10 When bad men try to cause you to *sin, my son, do not do it.
v11 They may say, ‘Come with us. We will find someone to kill. We will attack people who have not done anything wrong.
v12 They may be alive and well when we find them. But they will be dead when we leave them.
v13 We will get lots of valuable things and we will fill our houses with them.
v14 Come and join us. Our money will be your money. And your money will be our money.’
v15 My son, do not go with people like that. Stay away from them.
v16 They cannot wait to do something bad. They are always in a hurry to kill.
v17 The bird that you want to catch may be watching you. So do not show the bird how you will catch it.
v18 In the same way, these men want to kill other men. But in the end, they will die themselves.
v19 This is the end of everyone who will kill people to take things from them. That person will die himself as a result.
Someone *wise is shouting
v20 Listen! Someone *wise is shouting in the streets. She is speaking loudly in the market places.
v21 She speaks in the city. She shouts loudly at the gates, and in all places where people meet.
v22 ‘Some silly people enjoy being silly. Some people enjoy *laughing at those who want to learn. And *fools refuse to listen to *wise words. All of those people should stop doing those things.
v23 I will let you know my thoughts and how I feel. Listen when I tell you about danger.
v24 I shouted to you and I asked you to come. But you refused to come. Nobody listened to what I was saying.
v25 You refused to listen to my *wise words. I told you that you were wrong. But you did not want to hear.
v26 So, when you are in trouble, I will *laugh at you. When you are afraid, I will *laugh at you.
v27 You may be afraid as if you were in a storm. Your troubles may be dangerous like a very strong wind. Pain and problems may happen to you.
v28 Then you will shout to me, but I will not answer. You will look for me everywhere, but you will not find me.
v29 You have never liked to hear *wise words and you have always refused to be afraid of the *Lord.
v30 You have never wanted to listen to my *wise words. I told you that you were wrong. But you thought that my words were not important.
v31 So now other people will *punish you. And everything that you do will make life very difficult for you.
v32 Silly people and *fools love only themselves. They will die when they do not listen to *wise words.
v33 But whoever listens to me will live safely. And so he will be really quiet. And he will not be afraid of bad things that might happen to him.’
Chapter 2
The good results of *wise words
v1 Learn what I teach you, my son. And never forget what I ask you to do.
v2 Listen to my *wise words and try to understand them.
v3 Yes, do not stop asking for *wise words. Do not stop asking until you understand.
v4 Look for *wisdom as you would look for *silver. Look for it as for valuable stones that someone has hidden under the ground.
v5 So you will know how to be afraid of the *Lord. And you will learn about God.
v6 It is the *Lord who says *wise words. He helps us to understand the things that are too difficult for us. He helps us to know what we need to know.
v7 He helps good people to be *wise. And he keeps *honest people safe.
v8 He keeps people safe who are fair to other people. And he watches over those people who obey him.
v9 Listen to me. So you will know what is right. You will know what are true and fair words. You will know what you should do.
v10 You will become *wise. And you will have pleasure in the things that you understand.
v11 Your good thoughts and the things that you understand will help you. They will be like someone who is watching over you to keep you safe.
v12 So you will not do the wrong thing. They will keep you from people who want to cause trouble.
v13 Those people are like people who leave the straight paths. They are like people who walk in dark ways.
v14 Those people enjoy doing the wrong things. They enjoy doing bad things for no good reason.
v15 Those people will not do the right thing. They always do very bad things.
v16 An *adulteress may say nice things to you. But she will be trying to cause you to do the wrong thing. But, if you have listened to *wise words, your mind will be strong. And so you will be safe from that woman.
v17 She leaves her own husband. And she forgets the promises that she said to God at the time of her marriage.
v18 If you go to her house, you will travel the road to death. Her paths will lead to where dead people are.
v19 Nobody who visits her will ever return. He will never return to the way to *life.
v20 So you must do as good people do. And you must live a good life.
v21 People who are good will live in the country. *Perfect people will stay in it.
v22 But God will remove the bad people from this country. He will pull *sinners out like plants from the ground.
Chapter 3
More good words
v1 Do not forget what I teach you, my son. Always remember what I ask you to do.
v2 What I teach will give you a long and good life. And it will give you *peace.
v3 Do not let love go, and always do right things. Keep them like valuable stones round your neck and never forget them.
v4 If you do that, you will make God happy. And you will make people happy too.
v5 Always *trust the *Lord completely. Do not think that your own *wisdom is enough.
v6 Remember the *Lord in everything that you do. If you do, he will show you the right way to go.
v7 Do not think about yourself as *wiser than you really are. Be afraid of the *Lord and refuse to do wrong things.
v8 If you do, it will be like good medicine. It will be like medicine that makes your body well. And it will be like something that makes your bones strong.
v9 Obey the *Lord’s rules with your money and offer him the best things from your farm.
v10 If you do, you will not have enough places to store everything from your farm. And you will have more *wine than you can keep.
v11 My son, the *Lord will sometimes *punish you. And he will sometimes tell you that you have done wrong things. Do not be angry when he does. And, when the *Lord wants you to change something, obey him.
v12 A father may be happy that his son is doing good things. But he will tell him if his son has done something wrong. The *Lord will do the same to the people that he loves.
v13 Happy is anyone who becomes *wise. And happy is anyone who finds out what to do.
v14 It is better than *silver or the best gold.
v15 It is better to be *wise than to have very valuable stones. Nothing that you want could have more value.
v16 If you are *wise, you will have a long life. And you will have money, and people will call you a great person.
v17 When you are *wise, your life will be really good. And you will always be safe.
v18 *Wise people are happy. They will take hold of the good things of life.
v19 The *Lord, who is *wise, made all the earth. And by *wisdom he put the sky where it is.
v20 The *Lord who is *wise, *created the rivers and the clouds to give rain to the earth.
v21 My son, remember my *wise words and do not lose your *wisdom. Always be *wise when you are choosing what to do.
v22 That will keep your *soul alive. And your life will be good.
v23 You will walk and you will not fall. Your feet will keep to the path.
v24 You will not be afraid when you go to bed. And you will sleep well.
v25 Bad things happen to bad men. But you will not have to be afraid about bad things that might surprise you.
v26 You will be able to *trust the *Lord. He will not let you fall into a hole that bad men have dug.
v27 Do not refuse to do good things to those that need it. Always do good things to them when you can.
v28 Do not ask anyone to wait until tomorrow if you can help them today.
v29 The man who lives next to you *trusts you. So do not think about doing bad things to him.
v30 Do not quarrel with other people for no good reason when they have never done anything wrong to you.
v31 You should not want to be like bad people. Do not do anything that they do.
v32 The *Lord *hates people who do bad things. But he shows his purposes to good people.
v33 The *Lord will cause bad things to happen to the homes of bad people. But he does good things to the homes of good people.
v34 The *Lord *laughs at people who *laugh at other people. But he is kind to people who have problems.
v35 *Wise people will be called great. But silly people will not be called great.
Chapter 4
The importance of *wise words
v1 Listen to what your father teaches you my sons. If you listen, you will understand.
v2 The things that I am teaching you are good. So remember them.
v3 When I was a little boy, the one son of my parents,
v4 my father taught me. He said,
‘Remember what I say. And never forget it. Obey my words. If you do, you will live.
v5 Look for words that are *wise. Look for *wisdom! Do not forget my words and do not turn your ear away from them.
v6 If you obey my *wise words, they will keep you from trouble. If you love them, they will keep you safe.
v7 To learn *wise words is the most important thing that you can do. Whatever else you get, get *wisdom.
v8 If you love *wise words, they will make you great. Remember that *wise words are important. If you do, it will cause people to speak well about you.
v9 Everyone will speak well about you when they hear your *wise words.’
v10 Listen to me, my son, and accept my words. If you do, the years of your life will be many.
v11 I have taught you *wise words. And I have taught you the right way to live.
v12 When you walk, your steps will be sure. And when you run, you will not fall.
v13 Always remember what you have learnt. Do not forget it. The things that you have learnt will give you *life. So keep them well.
v14 Do not go where bad people go. Do not follow the ways of bad people.
v15 Do not do it! Keep away from every bad thing! Refuse it and go on your way.
v16 Bad people cannot sleep unless they have done something wrong. They lie awake unless they have caused someone to fall.
v17 To do bad things is like food and drink to bad men.
v18 But the road that good people travel along is like the sunrise. It gets brighter and brighter until it is really day.
v19 But the road of bad people is as dark as night. They fall. But they cannot see what has caused them to fall.
v20 Listen to what I say, my son. Listen to my words.
v21 Never let my words leave you. Think about them and obey them.
v22 They will give *life to anyone who understands them. And they will give health to their whole body.
v23 Be careful how you think. Your thoughts make you the person that you are.
v24 Never say anything that is not true.
v25 Look straight in front of you. And watch where you are going.
v26 You must decide to do things carefully. So whatever you do will be right.
v27 Keep away from bad people and walk on a straight path. Do not go one step off the right way.
Chapter 5
A husband who does right things is the best husband
v1 My son, listen to my *wisdom. And listen to my words that cause you to know.
v2 If you do, you will always choose to do the right thing. And your words will show that you are *wise.
v3 The lips of the wife of another man will be as sweet as *honey. Her kisses will be as soft as *oil.
v4 But in the end, she gives you something that is like a *bitter food. It is like a very sharp *sword. And you will be sad and angry.
v5 She will take you down to the world of dead persons. The road that she walks is the road to death.
v6 She does not think about the way to *life but she walks away. She does not understand what is happening.
v7 So listen to me, my sons. Never forget what I am saying.
v8 Keep away from a woman like that! Do not even go near the door of her house.
v9 If you do, other people will not speak well about you. You will die young because a cruel person will kill you.
v10 Strangers will take all your money. What you have worked for will go into a stranger’s house.
v11 Near the end of your life, you will shout out because your body will be so sick and weak.
v12 You will say, ‘I certainly should have learned. People told me that I was doing the wrong things. But I thought that it was not important.
v13 I did not listen to my teachers. I did not want to do what they said.
v14 In front of all the people I lost the importance that they once gave to me.’
v15 Enjoy sex with your own wife.
v16 If you have children by other women, they will not help you.
v17 Your children should grow up to help you. They should not grow up to help strangers.
v18 So be happy with your wife. You married her when you were young. Enjoy the woman that you married.
v19 She is pretty and she is as nice to watch as a young animal. Let her body keep you happy at all times. Always enjoy her love.
v20 You should not give your love to another woman, my son. You should not go to another man’s wife.
v21 The *Lord sees everything that you do. He is watching you everywhere that you go.
v22 The bad things that a bad person does cover him like a *net. And his own *sin is like *ropes that tie him.
v23 He will not let anyone tell him that he is wrong. So he will die. He will be like a *fool who goes the wrong way.
Chapter 6
The father tells his son again that he must be careful
v1 You may have promised to pay the debts of a friend or of a stranger.
v2 You may have let a man use your words and promises for his own purposes.
v3 So now, you are in the power of that man. Hurry to him and ask him quietly to make you free from your promise.
v4 Do not let yourself sleep or even stop to rest.
v5 Like a bird or a wild animal that runs away from the hunter, make yourself free.
v6 Lazy people should learn a lesson from the way that *ants live.
v7 They have no leader or ruler,
v8 but they prepare their food during the summer. They get it at the time of *harvest to prepare for winter.
v9 You lie in bed too long, you lazy man! It seems that you will never get up out of bed!
v10 ‘I will have only a short sleep’, he says. ‘I will stop work and I will rest for a short time.’
v11 But while you sleep you will lose all your things. It is as if someone robs you.
v12 Bad people go about and they tell everybody false things.
v13 They send messages with their eyes, their feet and their fingers. They want people to believe what is false.
v14 They think about how to say what is not true. They decide to do bad things all the time. They cause quarrels everywhere.
v15 Because of this, very bad trouble will happen to them. It will happen quickly and they will not be able to make things better.
v16 There are 6 things that the *Lord does not like. There are 7 things that he *hates.
v17-19
· a person who thinks that he is great
· a mouth that speaks false things
· hands that kill people that have done nothing wrong
· a mind that decides to do what is wrong
· feet that hurry to do bad things
· a person who gives false reports of what he has seen
· someone who causes trouble among friends.
The father tells his son that he should keep away from *adulteresses
v20 Obey your father’s rules, my son. And never forget what your mother taught you.
v21 Do not forget their words. Think about them often.
v22 When you walk, they will lead you. When you sleep, they will keep you safe. When you wake up, they will speak to you.
v23 Their rules and what they taught you are like a light. They told you when you did wrong things. And that showed you how to live.
v24 They can keep you away from bad women. An *adulteress will say nice things to you. But she wants to cause you to do wrong things.
v25 Do not want these beautiful women. And do not let them cause you to do wrong things.
v26 A *prostitute makes a man poor. He can only buy a loaf of bread. She will rob you of your *life.
v27 You cannot carry fire next to your body and not burn your clothes.
v28 A man cannot walk over a fire and not burn his feet.
v29 It is like that when a man sleeps with another man’s wife. *Punishment will happen to whoever touches her.
v30 Someone may rob to get food when he is hungry. So people do not think that he is bad.
v31 But if someone catches him, he must pay back more. He must pay back 7 things for each thing that he took. He must give up everything that he has in his house.
v32 But an *adulterer does not know anything. He destroys himself.
v33 Men will hit him. They will no longer think that he is a good man. They will never forget his *shame.
v34 The husband will have bad thoughts about the *adulterer and he will be angry with him. He will *punish the *adulterer very much.
v35 He will not accept any money. He will refuse any amount of gifts.
Chapter 7
v1 Remember what I say, my son. Never forget my rules.
v2 If you obey my rules, you will live. Keep my words as you keep your eyes safe.
v3 Remember my words. Think about them all the time.
v4 Love *wise words in the same way as you love your sister. Love *wisdom in the same way as you love your special friend.
v5 *Wisdom will keep you away from the bad wives of other men. They will keep you away from the *adulteress. She says nice words but they could cause you to *sin.
The *adulteress
v6 Once I was looking out of the window of my house.
v7 I saw a group of young men who did not know very much. Among them was a boy who was not *wise.
v8 He was walking along the street near the house of a certain woman, and he passed her house.
v9 It was in the evening after it was dark.
v10 Then she met him. Her clothes were like those that an *adulteress wears. And she knew what she wanted to do.
v11 She was a bad woman. She never did what she should do. Her feet never stayed at her home.
v12 Sometimes she stood in the streets and sometimes she stood in the market place. She waited at the corners of the streets.
v13 She put her arms round the young man and she kissed him. She looked into his eyes.
v14 She said, ‘I have meat from the *sacrifices that I made today. Today I have given what I promised to God.
v15 So I came out to meet you. I was looking for you, and I have found you.
v16 I have covered my bed with cloths from Egypt.
v17 And the colour of it and the smell of it are beautiful.
v18 Come, let me lie all night in your arms. We can enjoy ourselves with love all night long.
v19 My husband is not here. He has gone away on a long journey.
v20 He took plenty of money with him and he will not be back for two weeks.’
v21 She tried to cause him to *sin with her many words of love. She said very nice things to him. So he did everything that she wanted.
v22 Immediately he followed her like an *ox that men kill for food. He was like a fool that people tie with *chains to *punish him.
v23 Then they kill that man with sharp sticks. He was like a bird that hurries into a *net. He did not know that this could be the end of his life.
v24 So, my sons, listen to me. Listen to what I say.
v25 Do not love that kind of a woman. Do not go after her.
v26 She has caused the death of many men. They are too many to count.
v27 If you go to her house, you are on the path to the world of dead persons. It is a quick way to die.
Chapter 8
Remember that *wise words are important
v1 Listen. You should be able to hear the *wise words. *Wisdom is like a woman who is causing people to hear her.
v2 You will hear these words high on the hills along the way. You will hear these words where the paths meet.
v3 Next to the gates that go into the city, you will hear these words. Someone will be shouting them aloud at the doors where you go in.
v4 ‘I shout out to all of you, to everyone on earth.
v5 You who do not have *wisdom, be *wise. You who are *fools, learn to understand.
v6 Listen to my very good words. All that I tell you is right.
v7 What I say is true. I *hate words that are not true.
v8 Everything that I say is true. None of my words are false. They do not turn people on to the wrong path.
v9 *Wise words are clear to people who understand. *Wise words are easy to understand for people who want to learn.
v10 Choose my *wise words rather than *silver. Choose to learn rather than the best gold.
v11 *Wisdom is more valuable than valuable stones. Nothing that you want can be equal to it.
v12 I, *wisdom, am like a woman who lives with careful people. She knows many important things. And she knows when to speak.
v13 Those who are afraid of the *Lord *hate wrong things. Some people think that they are great. They think of themselves as better than they really are. And they say false things. I do not like those people.
v14 I tell people how to do the right things. I am *wise and I am strong.
v15 I help kings to rule, and I help rulers to make fair rules.
v16 I help rulers to rule. And I help officers who work for the king. I help all the fair *judges in the world to do their work.
v17 I love those who love me. Whoever looks for me will find me.
v18 I make people rich and great. I help people not to waste their money. And I help them to do the right things.
v19 What you get from me is better than gold. It is better even than the best gold. It is better than the best *silver.
v20 I walk the way that is good. I follow the paths that are fair.
v21 I make those people rich who love me. I fill their houses with valuable things.
v22 A long time ago, the *Lord had me. He had me before he *created anything.
v23 The *Lord chose me in the beginning, before the world began.
v24 I appeared before he *created the seas. I appeared when there was no water on earth.
v25 I appeared before he *created the mountains. I appeared before he *created the hills.
v26 I was with him before he *created the earth and its fields or even the ground.
v27 I was there when he *created the sky. I was there when he made the sky separate from the sea.
v28 I was there when he put the clouds in the sky. I was there when he opened the streams of waters in the sea.
v29 He said how high the waters of the sea should rise. They must not rise any higher than what he said. I was there when he *created the earth.
v30 I was next to him and I was a help to him every day. I gave him pleasure always. I was happy to be with him.
v31 I was happy in his whole world and all the people gave me pleasure.
v32 So, my sons, listen to me. Do as I say. If you do, you will be happy.
v33 Listen to your teacher. If you are *wise, you will not forget his words.
v34 Happy is the man who listens to me. He watches every day at my gates, and he waits at my door.
v35 Those who find me find *life. The *Lord will enjoy them.
v36 Those who do not obey me hurt themselves. Everybody who does not like me loves death.’
Chapter 9
The *wise woman and the silly woman
v1 *Wisdom is the name of the woman who has built her house. And she has made it beautiful.
v2 She has prepared her meat and she has mixed her *wine. Also, she has made her table ready.
v3 She has sent her servants to shout out from the highest places in the town,
v4 ‘Come in, you people who are not *wise yet. Come in you people who are *fools.
v5 Come, eat my food. Drink the *wine that I have mixed.
v6 Leave the ways of *fools. If you do, you will continue to live. Do what *wise people do.’
v7 Some people think that they are great. You may tell them that they should not say bad words. But they will say bad things about you. Do not tell a bad man that he is wrong. If you do, he will attack you.
v8 Do not tell these people that they are wrong. If you do, they will *hate you. You can tell a *wise man that he is wrong. If you do, he will love you.
v9 Anything that you say to *wise men will cause them to be more *wise. Good men will learn whatever you tell them.
v10 To be afraid of the *Lord is the beginning of *wisdom. If you know the *Holy God you will be *wise.
v11 *Wisdom will give to you more days and even more years of life.
v12 If you are *wise, you will receive good things. But you may think that *wise words are not important. If you do, bad things will happen to you.
v13 Some women are not *wise. They make a lot of noise. They do not know anything. They are like a woman who is not ashamed.
v14 That kind of woman sits at the door of her house. Or she may have a seat at the highest part of the city.
v15 She shouts out to people when they pass by. She shouts to those who want to go straight on their way.
v16 ‘Anyone who is silly should come in here’, she says. And she says to any man who has no *wisdom,
v17 ‘Water that someone did not get *honestly seems better to drink. Food that someone eats secretly seems better to eat.’
v18 But he does not know that dead people are there. They are down deep where dead persons go.
Chapter 10
The *Proverbs of Solomon
v1 These are the *proverbs of Solomon.
A *wise son makes his father happy. A *fool makes his mother a sad woman.
v2 If you are not *honest, your money will not help you. But you should live in the way that God wants you to live. If you do that, it will save you from death.
v3 The *Lord will not let *honest people be hungry. But he will not let bad people get what they want.
v4 If a man is lazy, he will be poor. But if he does good work, he will be rich.
v5 The man who cuts the plants in his field in the summer is a *wise son. But another man sleeps when it is time to work in the field. That man causes his father to be ashamed.
v6 God will do many good things for people who live good lives. The words of bad people hide the fact that they are very angry.
v7 It is a pleasure to remember good people. But when bad people die, everyone will forget their name.
v8 *Wise people listen to *wise rules. But a *fool who talks too much will destroy himself.
v9 *Honest people are safe. But everyone will know about people who are not *honest.
v10 Someone who does not speak true words causes trouble. But a *fool who talks too much will destroy himself.
v11 The words of a good man are like the water that gives *life. But the words of bad people hide the fact that they are very angry.
v12 People who *hate you cause quarrels. But love covers over all *sins.
v13 *Wise people speak *wise words, but *punishment happens to silly people.
v14 *Wise people get all the *wisdom that they can. But when *fools speak, trouble is near.
v15 Money keeps rich people safe. But poor people die because they do not have money.
v16 The money that good people receive for their work keeps them alive. But what bad people receive is *punishment.
v17 People may tell a man that he is wrong. If he listens, he will live. But the man who refuses to listen is making a big mistake.
v18 Some people say what is not true. They hide the fact that they *hate other people. Anyone who says false things about other people is a *fool.
v19 The more you talk, the more possible it is for you to *sin. If you are *wise, you will keep quiet.
v20 The words of a good person are like the best *silver. The ideas of a bad person have no value.
v21 The words of a good person will help many people. But you can kill yourself if you are not *wise.
v22 Good things from the *Lord make you rich. And he does not make you sad at the same time.
v23 A *fool enjoys doing wrong things. But a *wise man enjoys doing things that are right.
v24 Bad people will get what they are afraid of. Good men will get what they want.
v25 When the storm has finished, bad people are no longer there. But good people are always safe.
v26 Do not send a lazy person with a message. He will be like bad *wine to your teeth, or like smoke to your eyes.
v27 If you are afraid of the *Lord, you will live longer. Bad people die before their time.
v28 What good people hope for makes them happy. What bad people hope for does not happen.
v29 The *Lord keeps *honest people safe. But he *punishes those who do wrong things.
v30 Good people will always be safe. But bad people will not stay in the country.
v31 Good people speak *wise words. But the *Lord will take away the *tongue that speaks bad words.
v32 Good people say kind things. But bad people say things that are not kind.
Chapter 11
v1 The *Lord *hates people who do not measure weights *honestly. He is happy when they measure things *honestly.
v2 Some people think that they are great. But they will really be ashamed. But people who do not think like that speak *wise words.
v3 Good people are *honest. So they will always know what is the right thing to do. Bad people say things that are not true. That will destroy them.
v4 Much money will not help you on the day of your death. But if you are a good person you can save your *life.
v5 An *honest man walks a straight path. But the bad things that a bad man does will destroy him.
v6 The good things that good men do will keep them safe. But the bad *plans of cruel men will cause trouble for them.
v7 A bad man dies. And then what he wants dies with him. All that he wanted from his power becomes nothing.
v8 Trouble does not destroy a good man, but it happens to the bad man instead.
v9 People without God can destroy you by the way that they talk. But *wise words keep good people safe.
v10 When good men do well, people in the city will be happy. Also, people will be happy when bad men die. The people will shout because they are happy.
v11 A city becomes great when good men want it to be happy. But the words of bad men destroy it.
v12 A silly man thinks that the people near to him are not important. But a man who is *wise will not speak.
v13 If a man talks too much, he tells people secrets. You can tell your secret to a man who is *wise. He will keep it secret.
v14 The people in a country will fall if it has no *wise men to lead it. But the words of many *wise men make the country safe.
v15 If you promise to pay the debt of a stranger, you will be sorry. If you do not promise things like that, you will be safe.
v16 People think that a beautiful woman is great. But strong men only get money.
v17 A kind man causes good things to happen to himself. A cruel man causes trouble for himself.
v18 The money that bad men get because of their work will not do any good thing on their behalf. But the man who does the right things will receive good things.
v19 The man who decides to do right things will live. But anyone who does wrong things will die.
v20 The *Lord *hates people who make *plans to do bad things. But he loves those people who always do the right thing.
v21 Be sure about this: The *Lord will *punish bad people but he will save the children of good people.
v22 A beautiful woman may refuse to know what is good. A woman like that is like a gold ring in a pig’s nose.
v23 What good people want always causes good things to happen. Bad people may get what they want. But then God will *punish them.
v24 One man gives away his money and he gets even more. Another man refuses to pay his servants for what they have done. And he becomes poor.
v25 If you give away your money, you will receive more. If you help other people, they will help you.
v26 A man may want to keep the seeds that people can eat from the plants in his field. People will speak bad words against him if he is waiting to get more money. But they will say good things if he sells those seeds to them.
v27 The man who looks for good things will be very happy. But the man who looks for trouble will get trouble.
v28 A man may think that his money will save him. But he will fall like the leaves in autumn. But the good man will not fall. His valuable things will be like the green leaves in summer.
v29 The man who causes trouble for his family will have nothing in the end. And the *fool will always be the servant of the *wise man.
v30 The man who decides to do good things lives a really good life. The man who wins *souls is *wise.
v31 Men who are good receive many good things. You can be sure that bad men will receive *punishment.
Chapter 12
v1 Some people like to know things. And they want to know when they are wrong. But *fools do not want to know when they are wrong. They *hate it when someone tells this to them.
v2 Good people give pleasure to the *Lord. But he *punishes those who make *plans to do bad things.
v3 A man who is bad will never be safe. But good people will never need to be afraid.
v4 A good wife gives pleasure to her husband and she makes him happy. But a bad wife makes her husband ashamed. She causes him to be like a man who has weak bones.
v5 The *plans of *honest people are fair. But bad people only want you to believe the false things that they say.
v6 The words of very bad people can cause murder. But the words of good people can save lives.
v7 Bad men will die and they will not have any children. But the families of good men will live.
v8 People speak well about a *wise man, but they do not listen to a *fool.
v9 A man may let people think that he is important. But this same man may not have enough food to eat. It is bad to be a man like that. People may think that another man is not important. But, if that man has a servant, it is better to be a man like that.
v10 Good people are kind to their animals. But very bad people are always cruel.
v11 A farmer who does much work has plenty to eat. But a *fool wastes time on dreams.
v12 Bad people look for bad things to do. But good people do well in everything that they do.
v13 The words of bad men get them into trouble. But a good man will get out of trouble.
v14 When you say all things well, you will get many good things. And when you do all things well, people will give you many good things.
v15 The way of a *fool seems right to him. But *wise people listen to words that help them.
v16 A *fool lets people know when he is angry. But it is not easy to make a *wise man angry.
v17 You can believe a man who usually speaks true words. But you cannot believe a man who speaks *lies.
v18 Careless words can cut like a sharp knife. But to speak *wise words can make people well.
v19 A false word continues for only a short time. But true words continue for all time.
v20 Those people who are bad decide to do bad things. But those people who help other people to live without trouble will be happy.
v21 Nothing bad will happen to good people. But nothing but trouble will happen to bad people.
v22 The *Lord *hates people who speak false words. But it gives him pleasure when people are fair to other people.
v23 *Wise men keep quiet about what they know. But *fools shout out silly words.
v24 Much work will give you power. But if you are lazy, you will become a servant.
v25 If you are afraid, you will not be happy. But kind words will make you happy.
v26 A good man is like a guide to his friend. But bad people are like someone who has gone on to the wrong path.
v27 The lazy man does not cook the animals that he caught. But another man works well. His good things are very important to him.
v28 Good men are like men who follow the road to *life. Along that path, there is no death.
Chapter 13
v1 A *wise son listens to the words of his father. And he does what his father says. But a silly person refuses to listen to anyone. Someone may tell him that he is doing wrong things. But he thinks that it is not important. He laughs about it.
v2 Good people will get good things for what they say. Bad people like to fight.
v3 The man who is careful with his words keeps his *life safe. But the man who is careless with his words destroys himself.
v4 A lazy person may want something, but he will not get it. A person who does a lot of work will receive many good things.
v5 *Honest people *hate to speak false words. But the words of bad people make them ashamed. And nobody likes those people.
v6 When good people do right things, it keeps them safe. But when *sinners do bad things, it causes them trouble.
v7 Some people want other people to think that they are rich. But really, they have nothing. Other people want people to think that they are poor. But really, they have a lot of money.
v8 A rich man must use his money to save his *life. But a poor man has no reason to think that he might lose his *life.
v9 Good people seem to shine like a bright light. But bad people are like a light that is going out.
v10 A man may think that he is great. But he only causes quarrels. But the man who listens to good words is *wise.
v11 If you have not received your money in an *honest way, you will lose it. The man who works to get his money slowly sees it grow.
v12 Someone may not receive what he hopes for. So he is very sad. But he may get what he wants. If he does, he is very happy.
v13 Do not refuse to listen to *wise words. If you do, trouble will destroy you. If you obey *wise words, good things will happen to you.
v14 The words of *wise men are like the water that gives *life. They will help you when you might lose your *life.
v15 People like anyone who speaks *wise words. But the person that you cannot *trust will be in trouble in the end.
v16 Careful people think before they do anything. Silly people let everybody see how silly they are.
v17 A bad man brings a message and he causes trouble to himself. But you can *trust other people to take a message. And they cause you to feel better.
v18 If a man refuses to learn he will be poor. He seems like a *fool. But you may tell another man that he is doing wrong things. And he may listen to you. He may think that your words are important. People will think that he is a great man.
v19 How good it is to get what you want! But silly people *hate to turn away from what is bad.
v20 The man who has *wise friends will be *wise. The man who has silly friends will be in trouble in the end.
v21 Trouble seems to follow *sinners, but good people will receive good things.
v22 When a good man dies, his grandchildren get his money. But a *sinner’s money will go to those who are good.
v23 A poor man may have a lot of food from his farm. But a bad man near to him may destroy it.
v24 If you do not *punish your son, you do not love him. If you do love him, you will *punish him.
v25 The good man has enough food to eat, but bad men are always hungry.
Chapter 14
v1 The *wise woman builds her home. But the silly woman destroys her home with her own hands.
v2 An *honest man is afraid of the *Lord. But some men are not *honest. A man like that thinks that the *Lord is not important.
v3 *Fools think that they are great. So, they talk too much. But the words of *wise men keep them from what is bad.
v4 When a farmer has no *oxen, his building will be clean. But if he has *oxen, his building will be full of seeds from his farm.
v5 An *honest person always speaks true words about what he has seen. But a bad person always speaks false words about what he has seen.
v6 Some people laugh about *wise words. They would like to become *wise but they cannot. But *wise people learn easily.
v7 Stay away from silly people. They have nothing to teach you.
v8 A clever person knows what to do. So he is *wise. But a silly person is a *fool. He only thinks that he knows what to do.
v9 Silly people are not sorry when they *sin. They laugh about it. But everyone likes good people.
v10 When you are happy, you yourself are happy. When you are sad, you yourself are sad. Nobody else is happy or sad with you.
v11 The house of a good person will not fall, but anything can destroy the house of a bad person.
v12 There is a way that seems right to a man. But in the end, it leads him to death.
v13 A man may be sad even when he is laughing. He may smile but he may still not be happy in the end.
v14 A man who was good may now be bad. A man like that receives a lot of bad things. But a good man receives a lot of good things.
v15 A *fool will believe anything. But a careful man will think before he does anything.
v16 A *wise man is careful to stay out of trouble. But a silly man is careless and he does things too quickly.
v17 An angry man does silly things. And people *hate a man whose *plans cause trouble.
v18 People who do not know anything get into trouble. But careful people become *wise.
v19 Bad people must bend their knees to good people. And they must ask the good people to be kind to them.
v20 Nobody likes poor people, not even those near to them. But rich people have many friends.
v21 A man may think that he is better than those near to him. A man like that is a *sinner. But God does good things on behalf of a man who is kind to poor people.
v22 People who try to do bad things make a mistake. But those who do good things for other people will find love and *honest friends.
v23 All work causes you to have money. But people who talk too much become poor.
v24 To a *wise man, money is like what a king wears on his head. But a *fool does not have anything like that.
v25 Someone may speak true words about what he has seen. If he does, he will keep *lives safe. But when a man speaks false words, he causes people to believe false things.
v26 When a man is afraid of the *Lord, he and his family will be safe.
v27 To be afraid of the *Lord is like the water that gives *life. It keeps a man safe, even from death.
v28 When a king rules many people, he is great. But without the people, he is nothing.
v29 A patient man can understand many things, but an angry man does not know anything.
v30 A mind that does not have trouble causes the body to be well. But when someone thinks bad thoughts about other people, he becomes sick.
v31 A man may be cruel to poor people. But really he thinks bad things about God who *created them. But whoever is kind to poor people *worships God.
v32 When bad men do wrong things, they destroy themselves. But good men have hope even in death.
v33 *Wise people think *wise thoughts. But *fools show everyone that they know nothing about *wise thoughts.
v34 A country becomes great when it does right things. But *sin makes its people ashamed.
v35 A *wise servant gives the king pleasure. But the king is angry with the servant who causes *shame.
Chapter 15
v1 A person stops being angry when people answer him kindly. But a cruel word makes a person angry.
v2 When *wise people speak, other people want to learn from them. But *fools say many silly things.
v3 The *Lord sees what happens everywhere. He is watching everyone - whether they are good or bad.
v4 Kind words cause *life for other people. But words that are not honest make you sad.
v5 A *fool *hates his father’s rules and *punishment. But a *wise son listens to him and learns.
v6 Good people have many valuable things in their house. But the valuable things of bad people cause them trouble.
v7 It is *wise people, not *fools, who teach *wise words.
v8 The *Lord *hates the animals that bad people give to him. But it gives pleasure to the *Lord when good people pray.
v9 The *Lord *hates the way of bad people. But he loves the way of good people.
v10 If you do wrong things, you will receive *punishment. Someone may tell you that you are doing wrong things. If you *hate that, you will die.
v11 Death and the things that destroy people lie open in front of the *Lord. Even more open to him are the secret thoughts of men.
v12 Some people laugh about *wise words. A man like that does not love someone who says to him, ‘You are doing wrong things.’ He will not go to *wise people.
v13 When people are happy, they smile. But when they feel sad inside themselves, their *spirit is in trouble. They seem to lose their love of *life.
v14 *Wise people want to learn. But silly people want to know about silly things.
v15 All the days of poor people are sad. But happy people enjoy life.
v16 You may be poor but you obey the *Lord. That is better than if you are rich and in trouble.
v17 It is good to eat vegetables with people that you love. That is better than to eat good meat with people who *hate you.
v18 Angry people cause quarrels, but patient people cause everything to be quiet.
v19 If you are lazy, you will find difficulty everywhere. But if you are *honest, everything will be easy.
v20 A *wise son makes his father happy. But a silly man thinks that his mother is silly.
v21 *Fools are happy when they do silly things. But *wise people will do what is right.
v22 Good ideas become like nothing without the *wise words of many people to help. But if you listen to those *wise words, you will win.
v23 When you hear the right word at the right time, it makes you happy.
v24 A *wise man walks a path that causes him to have *life, not death.
v25 The *Lord will destroy the homes of bad men. But he keeps valuable things safe on behalf of women without husbands.
v26 The *Lord *hates bad thoughts, but friendly words give him pleasure.
v27 A man may want to get a lot of money in ways that are not *honest. A man like that causes trouble for his family. But a man who refuses to speak false words for money will keep himself alive.
v28 Good people think before they answer. Bad people answer quickly, but the answer causes trouble.
v29 The *Lord does not listen to bad people. But when good people pray, he does listen.
v30 A face that smiles makes you happy. Good news makes you feel better.
v31 You can tell some men that they have done wrong things. Your words could save their *life. If they listen to you, they will live among *wise men.
v32 Some men *hate *punishment. But a man like that really thinks that his own *life is not important. But another man wants to learn and he obeys *wise words. That man becomes *wise.
v33 When a man is afraid of the *Lord, it teaches him to be *wise. And some people do not think that they are great. But other people will say that they are great.
Chapter 16
v1 We may have good ideas. But only God can help you to say the right thing.
v2 Whatever you do may be right in your own mind. But the *Lord knows why a man wants to do things.
v3 If you bring your ideas to the *Lord, he will help you to do them well.
v4 The *Lord has *created everything for his purpose. And the purpose of bad people is death.
v5 Some people think that they are great. The *Lord *hates them and he will *punish them always.
v6 God will cover your *sins if you are kind and *honest. And if you are afraid of the *Lord, you will turn away from bad things.
v7 When you give pleasure to the *Lord, God will make even your *enemies into your friends.
v8 It is better to be poor and good than to get rich and not to be fair.
v9 You may have your ideas. But it is God who leads you.
v10 The king speaks with authority from God. He will be a good *judge.
v11 The *Lord wants people to be *honest when they weigh anything. And he wants people to be *honest when they measure anything. He wants those people who sell things to be fair.
v12 Kings *hate to do wrong things. When a king does the right things, he becomes strong.
v13 Kings like to hear honest words. They will love those people who speak true words.
v14 If the king becomes angry, someone may die. So a *wise man will try to make the king happy.
v15 When the king smiles, it means *life. It is like a cloud that gives rain in the spring.
v16 It is better to become *wise than to get gold. It is better than to have a lot of *silver.
v17 A good man keeps away from what is bad. So watch where you are going. It may keep your *life safe.
v18 A man may think that he is great. He will really destroy himself in the end. A man may think that he is better than everyone else. A man like that will soon fall.
v19 A man may think that he is great. So he robs other people. You should not receive any of those things when he gives them out. It is better not to have those things and to live among poor people. It is better to think that you are not important.
v20 If you listen to good words, you will do well. A man who *trusts the *Lord is happy.
v21 A *wise man understands many things. So people call him a clever man. It is easy to learn when the words are nice.
v22 For a *wise man, *wisdom is like the water that gives *life. But *fools cause their own *punishment because they are silly.
v23 *Wise people think before they speak. What they say helps other people to learn.
v24 *Honey is sweet to taste and it is good for your health. Kind words are like that.
v25 There is a way that seems right to a man. But, in the end, it causes his death.
v26 It is not a bad thing when a worker feels hungry. It causes him to work more.
v27 Bad people look for ways to hurt other people, and even their words are like a fire.
v28 A bad man causes quarrels. And the careless words of a man can cause friends to be separate.
v29 A cruel man causes those near to him to believe false things. And he causes them to do wrong things.
v30 A man may close one eye when he looks at you. Or he may move his lips in a strange way. Be careful, because he may be thinking about something bad.
v31 Long life is a gift to good people. Grey hair is like the beautiful thing that kings wear on their heads.
v32 A patient man does not become angry quickly. He is better than a strong man. A man like that is better than a soldier who beats the enemies in a city.
v33 People use *lots to choose the right thing. But God causes the result.
Chapter 17
v1 You may have to eat a bit of dry bread. But to eat it with a quiet mind is better than to eat plenty in a house full of quarrels.
v2 A *wise servant will rule over a son that makes his father ashamed. He will receive part of the valuable things of his master when his master dies.
v3 Fire will show how good gold and *silver are. In the same way, the *Lord shows what a man is like.
v4 Bad people listen to bad ideas. Those who speak false words listen to false words.
v5 You should not say things that are not kind about poor people. If you do, you are not speaking well about God. You should not be happy when trouble has happened to someone. If you are, God will *punish you.
v6 Grandparents enjoy their grandchildren. In the same way, children think that their parents are great.
v7 It does not seem right when a *fool speaks very good words. It seems even worse when a ruler does not speak true things.
v8 Some people think that a *bribe does impossible things. They believe that it can do anything.
v9 People may do bad things to you. If you want them to love you, do not remember those bad things. Remember that those bad things can cause a quarrel among very good friends.
v10 You can tell a *wise man that he has done something wrong. He will learn from that, but a *fool learns nothing. He will not learn, even if someone hits him 100 times.
v11 A man that always causes trouble wants bad things to happen. So a cruel man will tell him bad news.
v12 When someone takes a young animal away from its mother, the mother is very angry. But it is better to meet this mother animal than to meet a *fool who is doing silly things.
v13 Do not give bad things for what is good. If you do, bad things will always happen to you and to your family.
v14 To start a quarrel is like the first small hole in a *dam. Stop it before it is too late.
v15 People may let a man be free when he has done wrong things. Or they may *punish a man who has not done anything wrong. The *Lord *hates it when people do those things.
v16 Money does not do anything good for a *fool because he does not want to be *wise.
v17 A friend loves at all times and a brother is always there to help at the bad times.
v18 Only a *fool promises to pay the debts of another man.
v19 A man who loves a quarrel really loves *sin. And a man may think of himself as great because of what he does. Or he may build a better house than he has money for. But he is really causing trouble for himself in the end.
v20 A man who thinks wrong things cannot do well. The man who speaks false words gets into trouble.
v21 To have a *foolish son makes parents sad. The father of a *fool is never happy.
v22 A happy mind is like good medicine. But when you are sad and lonely you will become ill.
v23 Bad *judges may take money secretly. Then they are not fair to anybody.
v24 A *wise man *judges things with *wisdom. But a *fool looks everywhere.
v25 To have a *foolish son makes his father sad. And it makes his mother very sad.
v26 It is not good to *punish a man who has done nothing wrong. And it is not good to hit officers because they have been *honest.
v27 A *wise man is careful with the words that he uses. A man who is *wise always keeps quiet.
v28 Even a *fool seems to be *wise if he keeps quiet. He should keep his mouth shut. So people will think that he is *wise.
Chapter 18
v1 People who are not friendly with other people think only about themselves. They will refuse to listen to what everyone else knows to be right.
v2 A *fool finds no pleasure in *wisdom, but he likes to show his own thoughts and ideas.
v3 *Sin and *shame happen together. And *shame means that people do not like you.
v4 The words that a *wise man speaks are like deep waters. They are like a cool stream.
v5 You should not refuse to *punish bad people. That would not be good. But do not *punish people who have not done anything wrong.
v6 When a *fool speaks, he starts a quarrel. Then, he will receive *punishment.
v7 When a *fool speaks, he causes trouble for himself. He cannot *escape from the results of his own *lies.
v8 *Lies about other people have much interest and often we believe them.
v9 A lazy person is like someone who destroys things.
v10 The name of the *Lord is like a strong building. Good people can run there and then they will be safe.
v11 Rich people think that their money makes them safe like high, strong walls round a city.
v12 Something will happen to destroy a *proud man. But people will like a man who is not *proud. They will think that he is great.
v13 Listen before you answer. If you do not listen, you are a silly *fool.
v14 When a man is sick, his *spirit helps him. But nobody can live if his *spirit is not strong.
v15 *Wise people are always learning. *Wise people always want to listen.
v16 If you want to meet a great person, take a gift to him. Then it will be easy.
v17 Two men may argue with each other. The first man will seem right until the second man speaks.
v18 Two powerful men may argue. Then they can use *lots to find the right answer.
v19 You may make a brother angry. It will be difficult to become friends with him again. It will be more difficult than it would be to beat the people in a strong city. And it is more difficult to stop quarrels than it is to get into a strong building.
v20 You have to live with the result of the words that you speak.
v21 Words are able to save *life and to cause death. So you must accept the result of what you say.
v22 If you find a wife, you find a good thing. It shows that the *Lord is good to you.
v23 A poor man asks for help, but a rich man replies with angry words.
v24 A man with many friends may lose them. But there is a friend who keeps nearer than a brother.
Chapter 19
v1 It is better to be poor but *honest than to be a *fool that speaks *lies.
v2 Not to know the facts is not good. And if you hurry, you will get into trouble.
v3 Some people do silly things and so they destroy themselves. Then they get angry with the *Lord.
v4 Rich people are always finding new friends. But poor people only have a few friends. And poor people cannot even keep those friends.
v5 If you tell *lies to an officer he will put you in a prison. A man who tells *lies will not be a free man.
v6 Many people try to be a friend of an important person because of the gifts that he gives to them.
v7 The family of a poor man does not want to know him. His friends do not want to know him. Even if he shouts to them, he cannot find them.
v8 It is good for a man to learn all that he can. Remember what you learn. If you do, you will get good things.
v9 If you tell *lies to an officer he will put you in a prison. A man who tells *lies will die.
v10 *Fools should not live in rich houses and slaves should not rule over sons of kings.
v11 A man who speaks *wise words is patient. It is good to forget a wrong thing.
v12 When the king is angry he makes a noise like a *lion. But when he is kind, it is like nice rain.
v13 A father loses all his money when his son is a *fool. A woman who quarrels with her husband makes him tired. Her words are like rain that never stops.
v14 When his parents die a man can receive their house and money. But only the *Lord can give him a *wise wife.
v15 A lazy man sleeps during the day. And that kind of man will be hungry.
v16 If you obey God’s rules, you will live. If you are careless about them, you will die.
v17 To be kind to a poor man is the same as to give money to the *Lord. He will give it back to you.
v18 When your son is young, do not help him to his death. *Punish him until he obeys the rules.
v19 Do not help an angry man, because he will get into trouble all the time. If you help him, you will have to do it again and again.
v20 If you listen to *wise words, you also will be *wise at the end of your life.
v21 A man may have lots of ideas. But the *Lord will do what he wants to do.
v22 It is a good thing for a man to be kind. And it is better to be poor than to tell *lies.
v23 If you are afraid of the *Lord, you will live a long life. You will be happy and safe from trouble, even while you are asleep.
v24 A lazy man puts his hand into his food. But then he is too lazy to put the food into his own mouth.
v25 *Punish a *fool. So people who do not know any better can learn a lesson. But someone who is *wise will learn. He will learn what other people teach him.
v26 The man who robs his father is a bad son. And the man who sends his mother away from his home will make her ashamed.
v27 Son, listen when someone is teaching you. If you do not, you will soon forget their *wise words. And you will soon forget what you have already learnt.
v28 Nobody can stop a bad *witness telling lies. And bad people love to do wrong things.
v29 People will *punish someone who laughs about *wisdom. And they will hit *fools.
Chapter 20
v1 When you drink too much alcohol you become loud and silly. And you want to fight people. It is not *wise to become a drunk.
v2 An angry *lion frightens you, so also should an angry king. If you make him angry, it will cause you to die.
v3 Any *fool can quarrel, but a *wise man will not quarrel.
v4 A lazy farmer who does not plough his fields in winter will have nothing to eat in the summer.
v5 The thoughts of a man are like deep waters. But a *wise man understands them.
v6 Many men say that they love other people. But there are not many men that you can *trust.
v7 An *honest father does what is right. He has happy children.
v8 A king looks at a man. Then he will know if that man is bad.
v9 Nobody can say, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’ Nobody can say, ‘I have not *sinned.’
v10 Some people weigh or measure things in a wrong way. The *Lord *hates people who are like that.
v11 What children do is important. It shows what they are like. And you will know if they are *honest and good.
v12 The ears are to hear with and the eyes are to see with. The *Lord made them both.
v13 Too much sleep will make you poor. If you keep awake, you will have plenty of food.
v14 A man may buy something at a good price. But he says that the price is too much. He goes away. Then he likes to say that he was really clever. He was clever because he bought something so cheap.
v15 *Wise words are better than gold or many valuable stones.
v16 You should not promise to pay the debts of a stranger. That would be silly. If you do, you might lose your own clothes or your things.
v17 You may eat something that is not yours. It may seem good when you taste it. But soon it will seem like sand.
v18 Ask for help when you do not know what to do. If you do, you will do well. Do not go to war unless you prepare for it. First ask *wise people what you should do.
v19 Stay away from people who talk too much. They will tell everybody about your secrets.
v20 Do not speak bad words to your parents. If you do, you will soon die. Your *life will be like a light that goes out in the dark.
v21 The more easily you get rich, the less good it will do to you in the end.
v22 Do not say, ‘You have hurt me so I will hurt you.’ The *Lord himself will make it right.
v23 The *Lord *hates people who rob customers. It is not good to do that.
v24 The *Lord decides the way that a man should go. Nobody knows the way that he should go.
v25 Be careful before you say a promise to God. You might not be able to do what you promised.
v26 A *wise king will know who is doing wrong things. He will be angry and he will *punish that person very much.
v27 The *Lord knows the *spirit of a man. He knows him completely.
v28 A king will continue to live for as long as he rules *honestly and fairly. And he will continue to be king while he does the right things.
v29 Young men show how strong they are. Grey hair shows that a man is old and *wise.
v30 Often only pain can cause us to change what we do.
Chapter 21
v1 The *Lord can change the king’s mind. The *Lord does what he wants to do. The *Lord can change the direction of a stream. In the same way, the *Lord can change the thoughts of a king.
v2 Everybody thinks that he always does right things. But it is the *Lord who knows your thoughts.
v3 Do what is right and fair. That gives pleasure to the *Lord more than *sacrifice.
v4 Bad people think that they are better than anyone else. That is a *sin.
v5 A careful man thinks before he does anything. So he will have plenty. A man may not think before he does anything. That man will become poor.
v6 You may get money because you tell *lies. If you do, that money will go soon. But it will cause your death.
v7 *Punishment happens to bad people who do bad things. They refuse to do what is right.
v8 Bad people do wrong things. Good people do what is right.
v9 It is better to live on the roof of your house than to live with a wife that argues.
v10 Bad people want to do bad things all the time. They are not kind to anyone.
v11 A *fool laughs about *wise words. You should *punish that man. That will help to teach the man who is not *wise. When you teach a *wise man, he will understand more.
v12 The *righteous God knows what happens in the homes of bad people. They will become poor because God will make them poor.
v13 Some people refuse to listen when poor people ask for help. So nobody will listen when they ask for help.
v14 If someone is angry with you, give him a gift. This secret gift will make him quiet.
v15 When anyone does right things, good people are happy. But bad people are often very much afraid.
v16 A man may refuse to understand what is right. If he refuses, he will die.
v17 The man who loves pleasure will become poor. A man who eats expensive food will never get valuable things. A man who drinks too much alcohol will never get valuable things.
v18 Bad people cause to themselves the pain that they try to cause to good people.
v19 It is better to live in wild places than to live with a wife who is always quarrelling.
v20 *Wise people are rich. And there is good food in their house. But when silly people get money, they waste it immediately.
v21 If you are kind and *honest, you will live a long life! Other people will be fair to you. And they will think that you are great.
v22 A *wise man attacks the city of strong men. They think that its walls will keep them safe. But the *wise man destroys the walls.
v23 Be careful what you say. If you are careful, bad things will not happen to you.
v24 A *proud person thinks that he is better than other people. He thinks only about himself. And he laughs about *wise words.
v25 Lazy people refuse to work. They will die before they need to die.
v26 They think only about what they would like to have. But a good man gives away his money and he does not count the cost.
v27 The *Lord will *hate *sacrifices from bad people. Sometimes they do it because of the wrong reasons. So he *hates it even more.
v28 You cannot believe a man who tells *lies. And he will die. But a careful man listens before he speaks. You can believe him. And he speaks for all time.
v29 Good people believe in themselves. But bad people hide what they really believe.
v30 You cannot know anything if the *Lord is against it. And you cannot understand anything if the *Lord is against it. And you cannot be cleverer than he is.
v31 You can make horses ready for war. But it is the *Lord who helps you to beat your enemies.
Chapter 22
v1 If you have to choose a good name or lots of money, choose a good name. You should want people to think that you are great. That is better than *silver or gold.
v2 Rich people and poor people meet together. The *Lord *created them all.
v3 A *wise man sees the danger and he hides himself. But a man who does not think will walk immediately into danger and *punishment.
v4 Do not think that you are important. And be afraid of the *Lord. If you do those things, you will get many valuable things. And you will have a long life. And people will say that you are very good.
v5 Stay away from the paths of bad people. They are dark and dangerous.
v6 Teach children how they should live. They will remember it all their lives.
v7 People lend money. They rule over those who receive it. And rich people rule over poor people.
v8 A bad man who causes trouble for other people will cause trouble for himself. He will no longer have the power to rule over other people.
v9 Give some of your food to poor people. The *Lord will *bless you because you do.
v10 Send away a man who is too *proud. Then there will be nothing to argue about. It will be the end of all quarrels and *shame.
v11 Some men love to do what is right in front of the *Lord. They speak well to everyone. They will have the king as a friend.
v12 The *Lord watches over words that are true. And he does not forget the words of bad men. He does not let them become true.
v13 A lazy man stays in his house. He says, ‘There is a *lion outside. It might kill me in the street.’
v14 The mouth of an *adulteress is like a deep hole. The *Lord is angry with those who fall into it.
v15 A child loves to do silly things. You must hit him when he does wrong things. If you do, he will learn to do right things.
v16 A man may take money from poor people because he hopes to become rich. Another man may give gifts to rich people because he hopes to become rich. But both those men will become poor.
v17 Listen. I will teach you what *wise people have said. Study what they have taught.
v18 If you remember those things, you will be happy. Try to remember them and to repeat them.
v19 I want you to hope in the *Lord. So, I will tell you now what they have taught.
v20 I have written down 30 *proverbs for you. They will make you *wise. They will give good ideas to you. And they will teach you what is true.
v21 Someone may send you to discover what is true. If he does, you should bring back the right answer.
v22 You are stronger than poor people. It is wrong to do cruel things to them. Sometimes, when they bring people to the rulers, those people do not have anybody to speak on their behalf.
v23 The *Lord will speak on their behalf. A rich person may try to take everything that poor people have. If he does, the *Lord will take away the *life of that rich person.
v24 Do not be a friend to people who are very, very angry.
v25 You might become like them and you might always be an angry person.
v26 Do not promise to pay the money that someone else should have paid.
v27 If you are unable to pay, they will take away even your bed.
v28 Do not move the old stones that your fathers and their fathers put there. They show the border of your land.
v29 The king will give work to a man who works well. But he has to do better than most men.
Chapter 23
v1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler be careful.
v2 Even if you enjoy your food, do not eat too much of it.
v3 Do not want his special food. He put it there so that you would seem like a *fool.
v4 Do not try to get rich and so make yourself ill.
v5 Your money can go very quickly. It can seem to grow *wings and to fly away like a big bird.
v6 A man can be too careful about his money. His food seems good when you taste it. But do not eat it or want it.
v7 He says, ‘Please have some more’, but he is thinking, ‘Do not have any more.’
v8 The food will make you sick and all your nice words will mean nothing.
v9 Do not speak *wise words to a *fool. He will not understand them. And he will think that they are silly.
v10 Never move an old stone that shows the border of someone’s land. Never take the land from children who have neither father nor mother.
v11 The *Lord is strong on their behalf. He will speak against you.
v12 Listen to your teacher. And learn all that you can.
v13 Your children must obey you. If you hit them with a stick, you will not kill them.
v14 Hit them with a stick. It will save their lives.
v15 Son, if you become *wise, I will be very happy.
v16 I will be very happy when I hear you speak words of *wisdom.
v17 Do not want to be the same as very bad people. Obey the *Lord during all your life.
v18 If you do, you will be happy in future days. And what you hope for will not come to an end.
v19 Listen, my son, and remember to live a *wise life.
v20 Do not be a friend of people who drink too much alcohol. Do not be a friend of people who eat too much.
v21 They will become poor. And if you sleep too much, your clothes will soon have holes in them.
v22 Listen to your father. You would not be alive without him. Your mother will get old. But do not think that she is not important then.
v23 Buy *wise words and do not sell them. They are worth the money. They are too valuable for you to sell. Get *wisdom. Learn all that you can.
v24 The father of a good man will be happy. He can have pleasure in a *wise son.
v25 Give pleasure to your father and mother. And make your mother happy.
v26 Watch me, my son. Be happy to live as I live.
v27 *Prostitutes cause men to *sin. And an *adulteress is very dangerous.
v28 They take husbands away from their wives. They take men who are not theirs. This happens to more men all the time.
v29-30 Show to me someone who drinks too much alcohol. And he likes to taste new drinks. Then I will show to you someone who is sad and sorry for himself. He always causes quarrels. He is always saying that something is wrong. His eyes are red. His body has marks where he has hurt himself.
v31 Do not look at *wine when it is red. Do not look at it when it shines in the cup. Do not look at it when it goes down easily.
v32 In the end, it bites like a snake with all its poison.
v33 Your eyes will see strange things. And you will not think or speak easily.
v34 You will be like a man on a ship who is asleep in a storm.
v35 ‘They hit me’, he says, ‘but they did not hurt me. They hit me and I do not remember it. I hope that I will wake up soon. I need another drink.’
Chapter 24
*Wise words
v1 Do not want for yourself what bad people have. Do not want to be with them.
v2 To cause trouble is all that they think about. They say that they will hurt people.
v3 A *wise man needs good plans to build a house.
v4 When he knows what to do, he can fill his rooms with beautiful and valuable things.
v5 A *wise man is better than a strong man. To know about things makes a man stronger.
v6 You must think carefully before you go to war. You can win only if you listen to the words of many *wise men.
v7 A *fool cannot understand *wise words. He has nothing to say about important things.
v8 People will know the man who makes *plans to do bad things.
v9 Any idea that a *fool thinks about is a *sin. People *hate a person who causes other people to seem like *fools.
v10 If you are weak in times of trouble, you are very weak.
v11 You may see people who are leading a man to his death. Or you may see people who are going to their own death. Then you should save those people.
v12 You may say that you knew nothing about this. But God knows your thoughts. He knows whether they are right or wrong. He always watches you. He will give gifts to you because of what you have done. He will *punish you for what you have not done.
v13 Son, eat *honey. It is good for you. *Honey is sweet when you taste it.
v14 In the same way, *wise words are good for your *life. If you find them, you will have hope for future days. What you hope for will not come to an end.
v15 Some bad people rob *honest people. Do not be like them. Do not destroy the homes of *honest people.
v16 Trouble might happen 7 times to *honest people and they may make mistakes. But in the end, all will be well. But trouble will destroy bad people.
v17 Do not be happy when trouble happens to your *enemies. Do not feel happy when they make mistakes.
v18 The *Lord will know if you laugh about the troubles of your *enemies. He will not like it. Then he might not *punish them.
v19 Do not be afraid of bad people. Do not want to be like them.
v20 A bad man will not have anything good in future times. He will not have anything to hope for.
v21 Be afraid of the *Lord and of the king, my son. Obey them. Do not be friends with people who do not obey them.
v22 The life of a man can change in a moment. God and the king can cause problems that could destroy those men.
More *wise words
v23 These are also *proverbs of *wise people.
*Judges must say fairly who is wrong or right. They should not always say that their friends are right. And they should not always say that their *enemies are wrong. It is not good if they do those things.
v24 A *judge must not say to a bad person, ‘You are a good person.’ If the *judge does say that, everyone will shout bad words against him.
v25 It will be well with *judges who *punish bad people. God will do good things on their behalf.
v26 A true friend gives an honest answer.
v27 Finish the work outside and in your fields. After that, build your house.
v28 Do not say wrong things about a person who lives near to you. Do not tell *lies about him.
v29 Do not say, ‘I will do to him what he did to me. I will *punish that man because of what he did.’
v30 I walked past the field of a lazy person. And I walked past the *vineyard of a silly person.
v31 There were weeds over all the ground. And the wall of stones round them had fallen down.
v32 I looked at this and I thought about it. Then I learned a lesson.
v33 Perhaps you say, ‘I will sleep for a short time. I will put my hands together and I will rest.’
v34 But while you are asleep you will become poor. You will become as poor as when a man had robbed you. You will be as if a soldier had taken away all your things.
Chapter 25
More of the *Proverbs of Solomon
v1 These are more of the *proverbs of Solomon. Hezekiah’s men wrote them down when Hezekiah was king of Judah.
v2 God hides things because he is great. But great kings discover things.
v3 You never know what a king is thinking. His thoughts are beyond us like the sky that is so high above us. His thoughts are beyond us like the earth that is so deep beneath us.
v4 Take the dirt out of the *silver. Then the man that works with the *silver can make a beautiful thing.
v5 Keep very bad men away from the king. Then his government will be good.
v6 Perhaps you may stand in front of the king. Do not try to cause him to think that you are great. And do not stand where the important people stand.
v7 It will be good if the king asks you to sit on a more important seat. That would be better than if he asks you to give your seat to someone more important than you.
v8 Do not be too quick to tell a ruler about something that you have seen. Another man may tell the ruler something different. You may be wrong. Then you will not know what you should do.
v9 If you and another man argue, try to agree with him. Do not tell his secrets.
v10 If you do tell his secrets, everyone will hear them. People will always think that you are a bad person.
v11 A *wise word is like apples of gold on a *silver plate.
v12 The words of a *wise man are like a gold ring for the ear. They are like gold round the neck. Only someone who wants to learn will hear them.
v13 A good man may bring messages from his master. He helps his master who sent him. He is like cold water during the time of *harvest. He helps his master to feel better.
v14 Some people promise things that they never give. They are like clouds and wind that bring no rain.
v15 A careful man who works slowly can change the thoughts of a ruler. And a careful word can change the thoughts of an angry man.
v16 Never eat more *honey than you need. If you eat too much *honey, you will be a sick man.
v17 Do not visit the people who live near to you too often. They may get tired of you and you will make them angry.
v18 Some men tell *lies about those people who live near to them. They are like the heavy sticks or the sharp knives or the *arrows that soldiers use.
v19 A man who is not *honest in times of trouble is like a bad tooth or a bad foot.
v20 To sing to a sad man is the same as to put salt into places on his body that hurt. Or it is like someone who takes away his coat on a cold day.
v21 If your *enemy is hungry, feed him. If he needs a drink, give it to him.
v22 You will make him ashamed and the *Lord will give gifts to you.
v23 The north wind brings rain. And a man who tells *lies about people makes them angry.
v24 It is better to live on the roof than to live in a house with a quarrelling wife.
v25 As cold water is to a tired person, so is good news from a far away country.
v26 Sometimes a good person does what a very bad person wants him to do. It is like when you drink dirty water. It is like when you take water from a dirty well.
v27 Too much *honey is bad for you. It is wrong, also, when you want people to speak well about you.
v28 An angry man is a weak man. He is like a city without walls that an enemy attacks.
Chapter 26
v1 It is not right to say good words about a *fool. It is like snow in summer. It is like rain at the time of *harvest.
v2 Sometimes people may say bad words about you. They may hope that bad things will happen to you. But if you have not done anything wrong, those words will have no power over you. They are like birds that never stop flying.
v3 You have to hit a *fool like you have to hit a horse or a *donkey.
v4 You are silly if you answer a silly question. You are as silly as the person who asked the question.
v5 If someone asks a silly question, give him a silly answer. So he will know that he is not so *wise. He is not as *wise as he thinks.
v6 If you let a *fool deliver a message there will be trouble. It will be as bad as to cut off your own feet.
v7 A *fool cannot use a *proverb. It is like the legs of a man who cannot walk.
v8 To speak well about a *fool is as silly as to fight with a *sword that you have broken.
v9 When a *fool speaks a *proverb, he is like a drunk. He is like a man who has drunk too much alcohol. He cannot even pick a sharp hard point of wood from his hand.
v10 A soldier who fights everyone is no help to his master. The man who gives work to a *fool is like that soldier. Someone who gives work to a stranger is as silly.
v11 A sick dog cannot keep in its stomach what it has eaten. But then the dog eats it again. That is like a *fool who makes the same mistakes again.
v12 Some men think that they are *wise. But really, they are not. Silly *fools are better than those men.
v13 A lazy man does not go out of the house. He says that there is a *lion in the street.
v14 A lazy person turns over in bed. A door opens and closes. And he is like that door.
v15 A lazy man puts his hand into his food. But then he is too tired to put the food into his own mouth.
v16 A *wise man can give a good answer to any question. But a lazy person thinks that he is *wiser than 7 *wise men.
v17 Only a *fool speaks in a quarrel among strangers. He is like someone who holds on to the ears of a dog.
v18-19 A man may tell *lies and then laugh about it. Do not listen to him. He is like a man who shoots everywhere with *arrows. He is like a man who throws burning sticks about.
v20 Without wood, a fire goes out. When nobody argues about other people, quarrels stop.
v21 With wood, a fire continues to burn. In the same way, a man who causes trouble causes a quarrel to continue.
v22 To say bad things about other people is like when you eat nice food.
v23 Nice words from a bad man are like a cheap pot that shines.
v24 A man who *hates somebody can speak good words. But he is speaking *lies. And nobody knows what he is really thinking.
v25 The words of a bad man may seem good. But do not believe him, because there are 7 *sins in his mind.
v26 He may hide his *sin. But everyone will see the bad things that he does.
v27 If a man digs a very deep hole, he will fall into it. If a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.
v28 If you tell *lies about someone, you *hate them. Bad words destroy the man who listens to them.
Chapter 27
v1 Do not say what great things you will do tomorrow. You do not know what will happen between now and then.
v2 Let other people say how good you are. Let a stranger do it. Never do it yourself.
v3 Stone is heavy and sand is heavy too. But the silly words of a *fool are like something that is heavier than both.
v4 An angry man is a cruel man who destroys everything. But a man is worse who will do anything to get other people’s things.
v5 A good friend will tell you when you have done something wrong. He will tell you even in front of other people. That is better than someone who loves you secretly.
v6 Do not let the painful words of a friend frighten you. But be careful when an *enemy meets you with a kiss.
v7 A person who is full of food will refuse *honey. But to a hungry person, any *bitter thing seems sweet.
v8 A man may leave his home. Then he is like a bird that leaves its home.
v9 *Oil that has the smell of flowers makes you happy. Also, *wise words from a friend make you happy.
v10 Do not forget your friends and do not forget the friends of your father. If you are in trouble, do not ask someone from your family for help. A friend who lives near to you can help you. He can help you more than your family if they live far away.
v11 If you are *wise my son, I will be happy. And I will be able to answer anyone that uses bad words against me.
v12 A careful man can see danger and he will hide himself. But the *fool never stops and he goes into danger.
v13 Take a coat from someone who promises to pay the debts of a stranger or of an *adulteress.
v14 Do not say nice things to your friends early in the morning with loud words. They will think that you are using bad words against them.
v15 On some days, the rain continues to fall and it never stops. A wife who always quarrels is like that.
v16 You can never keep her quiet. Anyone who can keep her quiet could stop the wind! And he could hold *oil in his hand!
v17 People learn from each other, as an iron tool makes iron sharp.
v18 A careful man will eat the fruit from his own trees. And a master will give gifts to a man that is a good servant.
v19 A man can see his face in water. In the same way, a man can understand the thoughts of another man.
v20 The place of the dead people is never full. In the same way, the eyes of a man never get tired because they continue to look.
v21 Fire cleans gold and heat cleans valuable metals. In the same way, if a man hears good words about himself, he will show his true nature.
v22 Even when you hit a *fool with a big stick it is not possible to remove all his silly ideas.
v23 Always watch over your sheep and your cows.
v24 A man can lose his valuable things and a country can lose its king.
v25 You cut the yellow grass and new grass appears. Then you cut the green grass on the hills.
v26 You make clothes from your sheep. When you sell your goats, you can use the money to buy a field.
v27 Your other goats will give enough milk for you, for your family and for your servants.
Chapter 28
v1 The bad man runs when nobody is running after him. But a good person is as brave as a *lion.
v2 When the people in a country *sin, they will have many rulers. But a country will be strong when it has a *wise leader.
v3 A poor man that does bad things to weak people is like a lot of rain. It is like rain that destroys the *harvest.
v4 Men that do not obey the rules speak well about bad people. But men that obey the rules are against bad people.
v5 Bad people do not understand what is fair. But there are people that want to know the *Lord more than anything else. They are the people that do fair things.
v6 It is better to be poor and *honest than to be rich and not *honest.
v7 A son that obeys the rules is *wise. But the man who has bad friends makes his father ashamed of him.
v8 Some men get rich when they demand too much money from people. But their valuable things will go to someone that is kind to poor people.
v9 Someone may not obey God’s rules. God will not listen to the words that he prays. God *hates them.
v10 If you cause an *honest person to do wrong things, bad things will happen to you. But a man who never does wrong things will receive valuable things.
v11 Rich people always think that they know everything. But a poor person who understands people knows better.
v12 When good people have power, everybody is happy. But when bad people have power, good people hide.
v13 The man who hides his *sins will never do well. A man should say that he is sorry. And he should stop doing bad things. If he does, God will be kind to that man.
v14 Always be afraid of God and obey him. If you do, you will be happy. But trouble will happen to the person who *hates authority.
v15 Poor people have no help against a very bad ruler. He is as dangerous as an angry *lion or as frightening as a *bear.
v16 A silly ruler will become a cruel master. An *honest ruler will rule for a long time.
v17 Someone that has done a murder will have to run. And he will have to hide. He will have to hide until the day that he dies. No man should help him.
v18 If you are *honest, God will save you. But the man who is not *honest will be in danger.
v19 A farmer that works well will have plenty of food to eat. But the man that loves to dream during the day will always be poor.
v20 The lives of *honest people will be very happy. But if you are in a hurry to get rich, God will *punish you.
v21 *Judges must say fairly who is wrong or right. They should not always say that their friends are right. And they should not always say that their *enemies are wrong. It is not good if they do those things. A *judge like that would *sin even to get a small piece of bread.
v22 Some people think only about themselves and they never give gifts. People like that are in a great hurry to get rich. They do not know how soon they will become poor.
v23 A man may tell his friend that the friend has done something wrong. In the end, the friend will like that man. He will like him more than a man who says nice words to him.
v24 Some people think that it is not wrong to rob their parents. But a person like that is as bad as a destroyer.
v25 Some people think that they are great. They cause many quarrels. But someone who *trusts the *Lord will enjoy many good things.
v26 He that *trusts himself is a *fool. But people that obey *wise words will receive help. And God will keep them safe.
v27 If you give to the poor people, you will never need anything for yourself. If you do not help the poor people, many people will say bad words about you.
v28 People hide when bad men become rulers. But good men will get their power, and the good men will rule again.
Chapter 29
v1 A man should not refuse to listen when someone checks his words. If he refuses to listen again and again, something will destroy him very quickly. And nothing will be able to make it better.
v2 If you show to me a good ruler, I will show to you happy people. If you show to me a bad ruler, I will show to you sad people.
v3 A man that loves *wise words makes his father happy. But if he likes to be with *prostitutes he will waste his money.
v4 When the king makes fair rules, he will have a strong country. But when he takes money to do wrong things, he will destroy his country.
v5 Do not tell your friends that they are really great. If you continue to tell this to them, it will cause you to have a difficult time.
v6 A bad man cannot *escape from the results of his *sins. But an *honest person is so happy that he sings.
v7 Good people want good rules for poor people. Bad people have no interest in poor people.
v8 People that *laugh at other people can cause difficult problems in a city. But *wise men keep things quiet.
v9 If a *wise man goes to a *judge with a *fool, the *fool will laugh. Or he will shout. There will be trouble.
v10 Men that want to kill people will *hate an *honest man. They will try to kill him.
v11 Silly people show that they are angry. *Wise people are patient people. They do not show that they are angry.
v12 When a ruler listens to *lies, all his officers will become bad men.
v13 The *Lord gave eyes to the poor person and also to the officer that is cruel to him.
v14 If the rules of the king are fair to the poor people, he will rule for a long time.
v15 Do not let a child do always what he wants to do. If he is wrong, hit him. Or tell him that he must not do it. You should not let a child do whatever he wants to do. If you do, he will make his mother ashamed.
v16 When rulers are bad people, more and more people will *sin. But good people will live to see those rulers lose their power.
v17 Do not let your children do always what they want to do. So they will not make you ashamed of them. They will always make you happy.
v18 Only God can be the leader of a country. Without him, people do what they want to do. Happy are those people who obey God’s rules.
v19 If you use only words you cannot cause servants to obey you. Even if they understand you, they will not obey you.
v20 A man may speak before he thinks. Better things will happen to a *fool than will happen to that man.
v21 You may give to a servant everything that he wants. You may have done this since he was a child. If you do, one day he will be like a son. He will take everything that is yours.
v22 An angry man causes quarrels and angry men *sin often.
v23 People will not always like a man that is *proud. They will not think that he is great. But they will like a man that is not *proud. They will think that he is great.
v24 When a man helps someone to rob other people he becomes his own enemy. The *judge asks him what happened. But he does not tell the *judge what happened. So God will *punish him.
v25 If you are afraid of other people you will never feel safe. But if you *trust the *Lord, he will keep you safe.
v26 Everybody wants to speak with the ruler. But only the *Lord is fair.
v27 The good man does not like the bad man, and the bad man does not like the good man.
Chapter 30
The *wise words of Agur
v1 These are the *wise words of Agur the son of Jakeh. The man spoke to Ithiel and to Ucal.
v2 I am sillier than any other man is. And I do not have the *wisdom of a man.
v3 I have never known words of *wisdom and I do not know anything about God.
v4 Tell me who has gone to God’s home. And tell me who has come back. Tell me who has held the wind in his hands. Tell me who has covered the waters with his coat. Tell me who has *created the world. If anybody has done this, tell his name to me. Tell his son’s name to me. Tell me, if you know.
v5 God does everything that he promises to do. You can *trust him and be safe. He is like something that you can hide behind.
v6 Do not mix your words with his words. If you do, he will say, ‘You are wrong.’ And he will show that you tell *lies.
More *wise words
v7 I ask you, God, to do two things for me before I die. Please do not say, ‘No’.
v8 Keep me from *lies. Do not let me be rich or poor. Give me only as much food as I need.
v9 I might have more than I need. Then I might say that I do not need you. But if I am poor, I might rob people. Then I would make you ashamed of me.
v10 Do not say bad words to a servant about his master. If you do, the servant will *punish you.
v11 There are people who say very bad words about their fathers. They are not kind to their mothers.
v12 Some people think that they are always right. But they do bad things anyway.
v13 Some people think that they are very good. Oh, how good they think that they are!
v14 Some people seem to have teeth like knives. They rob and destroy the poor people. That is the work that they do.
v15-16 A *leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they shout.
There are 3 things that are never happy. And there are 4 things that are never full:
· the world of dead people
· a woman without children
· dry ground that needs rain
· a fire that never stops.
v17 There is a man who looks at his father. And he says bad things to him. There is a man who *laughs at his old mother. Big birds will pick out that man’s eyes and they will eat them.
v18-19 There are 3 things that are too difficult for me to understand. There are 4 things that I do not know about:
· how a large bird flies in the sky
· how a snake moves on a rock
· how a ship sails over the sea
· the way of a man with a young woman.
v20 This is the way of an *adulteress.
She eats and she washes her mouth. Then she says, ‘I have not done anything wrong.’
v21-23 There are 3 wrong things on the earth and there are 4 very bad things:
· a slave who becomes a king
· a *fool that has all that he wants to eat
· a woman who has not had a husband then gets one
· a servant woman who takes the place of the woman that she works for.
v24-28 There are 4 small animals in the world that are very *wise:
· *Ants are weak, but they prepare their food in the summer.
· There are small animals that are weak. But they make their homes among the rocks.
· *Locusts have no king. But they all fly together in one direction.
· You can catch a *lizard with your hand. But you can find them in kings’ houses.
v29-31 There are 3 things that seem powerful. They seem powerful when they walk. There are 4 things that are good to see. They are good to see walking:
· *Lions are the strongest of all animals and they are not afraid of anything.
· the *cockerel that wakes the farmer in the morning
· a male goat
· a king with his army round him.
v32 You may think about yourself as good when you really are not so good. If you think like that, you are silly. Put your hand over your mouth. Also put your hand over your mouth if you want to do bad things.
v33 If you mix milk for a long time you will make butter. If you hit someone’s nose, it bleeds. If you make people angry, you will cause a quarrel for yourself.
Chapter 31
Good words for a king
v1 These are the serious words that King Lemuel’s mother taught to him.
v2 You are the son that I prayed for. Let me tell you this.
v3 Do not spend all your money on women. They have destroyed kings.
v4 Listen, Lemuel. Kings should not drink *wine. And rulers should not ask for alcohol.
v5 When kings drink alcohol, they forget the rules. And they are not fair to poor people.
v6 Alcohol is for people who are dying. And *wine is for people who are very sad.
v7 They should drink alcohol. Then they will forget that they are poor. And they will no longer remember that they are sad.
v8 Speak on behalf of people that cannot speak on behalf of themselves. Watch over poor people. And supply what they need.
v9 Speak on behalf of them and rule with *wisdom. Watch over poor people. And supply what they need.
The wife who does all things well
v10 How difficult it is to find a wife that does all things well! She is worth much more than valuable stones.
v11 Her husband knows that she will help him. He will never be poor.
v12 As long as she lives, she does only good things for him.
v13 She is always busy. She makes cloth and she enjoys her work.
v14 A ship brings food from all parts of the world. In the same way, she brings food from far away places.
v15 She gets up while it is still night to prepare food for her family. She tells her servant women what they should do.
v16 She thinks about a field and she buys it with her own money. And she plants fruit bushes to make *wine.
v17 She is strong and she works well.
v18 She knows the cost of everything that she makes. And she works late into the night.
v19 She makes her own cloth from the beginning to the end.
v20 She gives money to poor people. And she helps people that need help.
v21 All her family have warm clothes, so snow is not a problem.
v22 She makes beautiful cloths to cover all her beds. She wears good clothes of beautiful colours.
v23 Everybody in the city knows her husband. He is one of the rulers of the country.
v24 She makes clothes and she sells them. Some men buy and sell all things. She makes belts to sell to them.
v25 She is strong and future times have no problems for her. People think that she is great.
v26 She speaks with *wise words. And she teaches kind rules to people.
v27 She is always busy. And every day she carefully watches everything that happens in her house.
v28 Her children love her. They say that she is good. Her husband says that too.
v29 He says, ‘Many women are good wives, but you are the best of them all.’
v30 A beautiful woman may not be *honest. And she may not be beautiful when she is old. But all men speak well about a woman who is afraid of the *Lord.
v31 Give her the things that she herself has made. Remember her because of all that she has done. Everyone should speak well about her.
Word List
adulterer ~ someone who has sex with a person who is not their husband or wife.
adulteress ~ a wife who has sex with a man who is not her husband; or a woman who has sex with another woman’s husband.
ants ~ small insects that are famous because they work together in groups.
arrow ~ a stick with a point at one end that you shoot from a bow.
bear ~ a big wild animal that can stand on two legs and can kill a man.
bitter ~ opposite of sweet.
bless ~ to do good things for someone.
bribe ~ a gift of money to cause someone to do something that is not fair or right.
chain ~ many metal rings that join to make something like a *rope.
cockerel ~ a beautiful bird that wakes people in the morning.
create ~ to make as only God can make.
dam ~ a very high thick wall to stop a river.
donkey ~ an animal like a small horse. It carries things or people.
enemy ~ person that wants to hurt or to attack.
escape ~ to get free.
fools ~ those who refuse to listen to the word of God.
foolish ~ like a *fool.
forgive ~ when someone stops being angry with another person who has done bad things.
harvest ~ the time when people pick all the fruits that are ready. It may also be the fruits themselves.
hate ~ not to like at all.
holy ~ to be good and to be like God. Only God is really holy. He is too clean to touch.
honest ~ sometimes it means someone who speaks only true words; but sometimes it means someone who is fair; honest people do not rob other people.
honey ~ a special sugar that insects called bees make.
Israel ~ the name of the country that God gave to Jacob (Israel) and to his family.
judge ~ to say who is right or wrong; or, the person that says who is right or wrong.
laugh at somebody ~ laugh against someone to make him feel bad.
leech ~ little animal that drinks blood.
lies ~ words that are not true.
life ~ someone or something that is alive has life; sometimes it means to know God and to live with him after we die.
lion ~ a big wild animal, like a cat, that can kill a man.
lizard ~ a small animal that eats insects.
locusts ~ large insects that eat everything that is in front of them.
Lord ~ a special name for God that his people use.
lot ~ a set of things that people use to find an answer.
net ~ thin *rope that you tie together; or a big bag with small holes in it; you use it to catch fish or animals.
oil ~ not oil for a car, but from a fruit. People burned the oil to give them light. They used it in other ways too.
ox/oxen ~ large animals like cows that people use to pull heavy things; or they eat the meat from them.
peace ~ when we and God are friends; or, when there is no war; or when we have no trouble in our minds.
perfect ~ nothing wrong with it.
plan ~ when you want to do something and you have thought about how to do it.
prostitute ~ a woman who sells her body to men for sex.
proud ~ when someone thinks that he is better than other people.
proverbs ~ *wise words about life.
punish ~ to hurt someone for the wrong things that they have done. For example, a person who has robbed another person must go to prison.
punishment ~ when people hurt someone for the wrong things that they have done. For example, a person who has robbed another person must go to prison.
righteous ~ very good; never does wrong things (only God is really righteous).
rope ~ strong material that people use to tie things together.
sacrifice ~ something that people gave to God. It could be food or drink or an animal. Some sacrifices were to give thanks to God. People also gave sacrifices so that God would *forgive them.
shame ~ what a person ought to feel when they have done bad things; they are not happy about it; or, when lots of people know that a person has done wrong things.
silver ~ a valuable white metal.
sin ~ when people do things against God or other people; when we do not follow the rules of God; when we do not do what God wants us to do.
sinner ~ a person who does not obey God’s rules; a person who does not obey God.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see that is in us during our life; it lives after we die; the part of people that God speaks to by our *spirit; things inside us that we want.
spirit ~ the part of a person that we cannot see.
sword ~ a long metal knife to attack enemies.
tongue ~ large red part (of the body) in the mouth; it helps us to speak.
trust ~ to believe that someone will be good to you; to believe that someone will do the right thing.
vineyard ~ place where fruits called grapes grow. People can make a drink that contains alcohol from grapes.
wine ~ a drink that has alcohol in it; people make it from fruit called grapes.
wing ~ a bird uses its wings to fly.
wisdom ~ when we understand God’s word; or, when somebody knows what is the right thing to do.
wise ~ when we understand God’s word; or, when somebody knows what is the right thing to do.
witness ~ someone who sees what happens; someone who has seen or heard something; then they tell other people about it.
worship ~ to thank God with other people; to love and to thank God more than anyone else; to bend down to God or to a false god; to show God that he is great and that we love him very much.
Book List
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