| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife. | 1Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict. |
| 2A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share an inheritance among brothers. | 2A wise servant will rule over the master’s disgraceful son and will share the inheritance of the master’s children. |
| 3A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, and the LORD is the tester of hearts. | 3Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart. |
| 4A wicked person listens to malicious talk; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue. | 4Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander. |
| 5The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker, and one who rejoices over calamity will not go unpunished. | 5Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished. |
| 6Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers. | 6Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children. |
| 7Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool's lips; how much worse are lies for a ruler. | 7Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler. |
| 8A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner; wherever he turns, he succeeds. | 8A bribe is like a lucky charm; whoever gives one will prosper! |
| 9Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends. | 9Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. |
| 10A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person more than a hundred lashes into a fool. | 10A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool. |
| 11An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him. | 11Evil people are eager for rebellion, but they will be severely punished. |
| 12Better for a man to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his foolishness. | 12It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to confront a fool caught in foolishness. |
| 13If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never depart from his house. | 13If you repay good with evil, evil will never leave your house. |
| 14To start a conflict is to release a flood; stop the dispute before it breaks out. | 14Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out. |
| 15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just-- both are detestable to the LORD. | 15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— both are detestable to the LORD. |
| 16Why does a fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom? | 16It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning. |
| 17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time. | 17A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. |
| 18One without sense enters an agreement and puts up security for his friend. | 18It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for a friend. |
| 19One who loves to offend loves strife; one who builds a high threshold invites injury. | 19Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster. |
| 20One with a twisted mind will not succeed, and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin. | 20The crooked heart will not prosper; the lying tongue tumbles into trouble. |
| 21A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow; the father of a fool has no joy. | 21It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel. |
| 22A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. | 22A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. |
| 23A wicked man secretly takes a bribe to subvert the course of justice. | 23The wicked take secret bribes to pervert the course of justice. |
| 24Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive, but a fool's eyes roam to the ends of the earth. | 24Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth. |
| 25A foolish son is grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him. | 25Foolish children bring grief to their father and bitterness to the one who gave them birth. |
| 26It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person or to beat a noble for his honesty. | 26It is wrong to punish the godly for being good or to flog leaders for being honest. |
| 27The intelligent person restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a man of understanding. | 27A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. |
| 28Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent, discerning when he seals his lips. | 28Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
|
    |