Wise Sayings of Solomon

¹ The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
² Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
But righteousness delivers from death.
³ The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish,
But He casts away the desire of the wicked.
⁴ He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
⁵ He who gathers in summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
⁶ Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
⁷ The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
⁸ The wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall.
⁹ He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.
¹⁰ He who winks with the eye causes trouble,
But a prating fool will fall.
¹¹ The mouth of the righteous is a well of life,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
¹² Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all sins.
¹³ Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,
But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.
¹⁴ Wise people store up knowledge,
But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
¹⁵ The rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
¹⁶ The labor of the righteous leads to life,
The wages of the wicked to sin.
¹⁷ He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses correction goes astray.
¹⁸ Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,
And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
¹⁹ In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.
²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
²¹ The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of wisdom.^[a]
22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.
²³ To do evil is like sport to a fool,
But a man of understanding has wisdom.
²⁴ The fear of the wicked will come upon him,
And the desire of the righteous will be granted.
²⁵ When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
²⁶ As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy man to those who send him.
²⁷ The fear of the LORD prolongs days,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
²⁸ The hope of the righteous will be gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked will perish.
²⁹ The way of the LORD is strength for the upright,
But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
³⁰ The righteous will never be removed,
But the wicked will not inhabit the earth.
³¹ The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
But the perverse tongue will be cut out.
³² The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.