| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 1A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. | 1A wise child accepts a parent’s discipline; a mocker refuses to listen to correction. |
| 2A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence. | 2Wise words will win you a good meal, but treacherous people have an appetite for violence. |
| 3He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. | 3Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. |
| 4The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. | 4Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper. |
| 5A righteous man hates lying, But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame. | 5The godly hate lies; the wicked cause shame and disgrace. |
| 6Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, But wickedness overthrows the sinner. | 6Godliness guards the path of the blameless, but the evil are misled by sin. |
| 7There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches. | 7Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor. |
| 8The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, But the poor does not hear rebuke. | 8The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won’t even get threatened. |
| 9The light of the righteous rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked will be put out. | 9The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out. |
| 10By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom. | 10Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise. |
| 11Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labor will increase. | 11Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time. |
| 12Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. | 12Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. |
| 13He who despises the word will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded. | 13People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed. |
| 14The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death. | 14The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death. |
| 15Good understanding gains favor, But the way of the unfaithful is hard. | 15A person with good sense is respected; a treacherous person is headed for destruction. |
| 16Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly. | 16Wise people think before they act; fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness. |
| 17A wicked messenger falls into trouble, But a faithful ambassador brings health. | 17An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble, but a reliable messenger brings healing. |
| 18Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, But he who regards a rebuke will be honored. | 18If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored. |
| 19A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil. | 19It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them. |
| 20He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. | 20Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. |
| 21Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid. | 21Trouble chases sinners, while blessings reward the righteous. |
| 22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. | 22Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly. |
| 23Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor, And for lack of justice there is waste. | 23A poor person’s farm may produce much food, but injustice sweeps it all away. |
| 24He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly. | 24Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them. |
| 25The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul, But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want. | 25The godly eat to their hearts’ content, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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. |
|
