Contemporary English Version 1If you are smart, you will know when to keep quiet and when to criticize. 2It is better to speak up than to let anger eat away at you. 3When you are wrong, admit it, and you will save yourself a lot of trouble. 4If a man is unable to have sex, he can't be forced to do so; but it seems harder to force some people to do right. Things Might Not Be As They Seem 5People who talk too much are not well liked, but people who keep quiet are often considered wise. 6Their silence may just mean they have nothing to say. Or it may mean they are waiting for the right time to speak, 7and that is true wisdom. But fools who always talk about themselves are never quiet. 8They are disgusting, and others who grab for power also earn our hatred. 9Sometimes our troubles end up helping us, and other times, good luck turns out to be bad. 10Often a gift isn't really helpful, and when some people give, they expect to be repaid twice what the gift is worth. 11If you search for glory you may lose what you have, but success can come to those who had humble beginnings. 12What seems to be a bargain may cost you seven times what it is worth. 13People love to hear wise people speak. But fools, though polite, are still fools, 14and you would be better off without gifts from them, because they will expect you to give even more in return. 15A small gift, they think, gives them the right to criticize--loudly. Today, they make a loan; tomorrow, they ask for their money back. I cannot stand people like this! 16Fools think they have no friends and that no one appreciates their good deeds. They invite you over for a meal but believe that you will later say bad things about them. 17They deserve to be mocked, and few people will pass up the chance. 18It is better to slip and fall than to suffer a slip of the tongue. And something that small can bring sudden disaster to those who are evil. 19A rude person is disgusting, just like the dirty stories ignorant people tell. 20Everyone ignores a proverb repeated by a fool, because fools never choose the right one. 21You may be too poor to commit some sins, but you can sleep at night with a clear conscience. 22Have a little self-respect and don't act like a fool, or you may risk disaster. 23Broken promises turn friends into enemies, so do not make promises that you cannot keep. 24The ignorant are always lying, not knowing that telling a lie leaves an ugly scar. 25Liars are worse than thieves, but both are on the road to destruction. 26Telling lies brings disgrace and shame that never ends. Some Proverbs 27If you are wise and want to succeed, you will try to please those in power. 28If you plow and plant, you will harvest a crop, and if you please the powerful, they will overlook your mistakes. 29Favors and gifts keep the wise from seeing the truth and muzzle the mouths of those who criticize. * 30Wisdom kept secret and wealth never used do not help anybody, 31but a fool does best to keep foolishness hidden. Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (www.americanbible.org). Learn more at www.cev.bible. Discover .BIBLE resources for your ministry at www.get.bible/cev. |