Christian Standard Bible

Hebrew Study Bible

1Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife.

1ט֤וֹב פַּ֣ת חֲ֭רֵבָה וְשַׁלְוָה־ בָ֑הּ מִ֝בַּ֗יִת מָלֵ֥א זִבְחֵי־ רִֽיב׃

2A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share an inheritance among brothers.

2עֶֽבֶד־ מַשְׂכִּ֗יל יִ֭מְשֹׁל בְּבֵ֣ן מֵבִ֑ישׁ וּבְת֥וֹךְ אַ֝חִ֗ים יַחֲלֹ֥ק נַחֲלָֽה׃

3A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, and the LORD is the tester of hearts.

3מַצְרֵ֣ף לַ֭כֶּסֶף וְכ֣וּר לַזָּהָ֑ב וּבֹחֵ֖ן לִבּ֣וֹת יְהוָֽה׃

4A wicked person listens to malicious talk; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

4מֵ֭רַע מַקְשִׁ֣יב עַל־ שְׂפַת־ אָ֑וֶן שֶׁ֥קֶר מֵ֝זִין עַל־ לְשׁ֥וֹן הַוֺּֽת׃

5The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker, and one who rejoices over calamity will not go unpunished.

5לֹעֵ֣ג לָ֭רָשׁ חֵרֵ֣ף עֹשֵׂ֑הוּ שָׂמֵ֥חַ לְ֝אֵ֗יד לֹ֣א יִנָּקֶֽה׃

6Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of children is their fathers.

6עֲטֶ֣רֶת זְ֭קֵנִים בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֑ים וְתִפְאֶ֖רֶת בָּנִ֣ים אֲבוֹתָֽם׃

7Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool's lips; how much worse are lies for a ruler.

7לֹא־ נָאוָ֣ה לְנָבָ֣ל שְׂפַת־ יֶ֑תֶר אַ֝֗ף כִּֽי־ לְנָדִ֥יב שְׂפַת־ שָֽׁקֶר׃

8A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

8אֶֽבֶן־ חֵ֣ן הַ֭שֹּׁחַד בְּעֵינֵ֣י בְעָלָ֑יו אֶֽל־ כָּל־ אֲשֶׁ֖ר יִפְנֶ֣ה יַשְׂכִּֽיל׃

9Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends.

9מְֽכַסֶּה־ פֶּ֭שַׁע מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ אַהֲבָ֑ה וְשֹׁנֶ֥ה בְ֝דָבָ֗ר מַפְרִ֥יד אַלּֽוּף׃

10A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

10תֵּ֣חַת גְּעָרָ֣ה בְמֵבִ֑ין מֵהַכּ֖וֹת כְּסִ֣יל מֵאָֽה׃

11An evil person desires only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

11אַךְ־ מְרִ֥י יְבַקֶּשׁ־ רָ֑ע וּמַלְאָ֥ךְ אַ֝כְזָרִ֗י יְשֻׁלַּח־ בּֽוֹ׃

12Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his foolishness.

12פָּג֬וֹשׁ דֹּ֣ב שַׁכּ֣וּל בְּאִ֑ישׁ וְאַל־ כְּ֝סִ֗יל בְּאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃

13If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never depart from his house.

13מֵשִׁ֣יב רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה לֹא־ [תמיש] (תָמ֥וּשׁ) רָ֝עָ֗ה מִבֵּיתֽוֹ׃

14To start a conflict is to release a flood; stop the dispute before it breaks out.

14פּ֣וֹטֵֽר מַ֭יִם רֵאשִׁ֣ית מָד֑וֹן וְלִפְנֵ֥י הִ֝תְגַּלַּ֗ע הָרִ֥יב נְטֽוֹשׁ׃

15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just--both are detestable to the LORD.

15מַצְדִּ֣יק רָ֭שָׁע וּמַרְשִׁ֣יעַ צַדִּ֑יק תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת יְ֝הוָ֗ה גַּם־ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃

16Why does a fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

16לָמָּה־ זֶּ֣ה מְחִ֣יר בְּיַד־ כְּסִ֑יל לִקְנ֖וֹת חָכְמָ֣ה וְלֶב־ אָֽיִן׃

17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.

17בְּכָל־ עֵ֭ת אֹהֵ֣ב הָרֵ֑עַ וְאָ֥ח לְ֝צָרָ֗ה יִוָּלֵֽד׃

18One without sense enters an agreement and puts up security for his friend.

18אָדָ֣ם חֲסַר־ לֵ֭ב תּוֹקֵ֣עַ כָּ֑ף עֹרֵ֥ב עֲ֝רֻבָּ֗ה לִפְנֵ֥י רֵעֵֽהוּ׃

19One who loves to offend loves strife; one who builds a high threshold invites injury.

19אֹ֣הֵֽב פֶּ֭שַׁע אֹהֵ֣ב מַצָּ֑ה מַגְבִּ֥יהַּ פִּ֝תְח֗וֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ־ שָֽׁבֶר׃

20One with a twisted mind will not succeed, and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.

20עִקֶּשׁ־ לֵ֭ב לֹ֣א יִמְצָא־ ט֑וֹב וְנֶהְפָּ֥ךְ בִּ֝לְשׁוֹנ֗וֹ יִפּ֥וֹל בְּרָעָֽה׃

21A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow; the father of a fool has no joy.

21יֹלֵ֣ד כְּ֭סִיל לְת֣וּגָה ל֑וֹ וְלֹֽא־ יִ֝שְׂמַ֗ח אֲבִ֣י נָבָֽל׃

22A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

22לֵ֣ב שָׂ֭מֵחַ יֵיטִ֣ב גֵּהָ֑ה וְר֥וּחַ נְ֝כֵאָ֗ה תְּיַבֶּשׁ־ גָּֽרֶם׃

23A wicked person secretly takes a bribe to subvert the course of justice.

23שֹׁ֣חַד מֵ֭חֵיק רָשָׁ֣ע יִקָּ֑ח לְ֝הַטּ֗וֹת אָרְח֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

24Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive, but a fool's eyes roam to the ends of the earth.

24אֶת־ פְּנֵ֣י מֵבִ֣ין חָכְמָ֑ה וְעֵינֵ֥י כְ֝סִ֗יל בִּקְצֵה־ אָֽרֶץ׃

25A foolish son is grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.

25כַּ֣עַס לְ֭אָבִיו בֵּ֣ן כְּסִ֑יל וּ֝מֶ֗מֶר לְיוֹלַדְתּֽוֹ׃

26It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person or to beat a noble for his honesty.

26גַּ֤ם עֲנ֣וֹשׁ לַצַּדִּ֣יק לֹא־ ט֑וֹב לְהַכּ֖וֹת נְדִיבִ֣ים עַל־ יֹֽשֶׁר׃

27The one who has knowledge restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a person of understanding.

27חוֹשֵׂ֣ךְ אֲ֭מָרָיו יוֹדֵ֣עַ דָּ֑עַת [וקר־] (יְקַר־) ר֝֗וּחַ אִ֣ישׁ תְּבוּנָֽה׃

28Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent--discerning, when he seals his lips.

28גַּ֤ם אֱוִ֣יל מַ֭חֲרִישׁ חָכָ֣ם יֵחָשֵׁ֑ב אֹטֵ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֣יו נָבֽוֹן׃

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.