Christian Standard Bible

International Standard Version

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

1Dry crumbs in peace are better than a full meal with strife.

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

2A prudent servant will rule in place of a disgraceful son and will share in the inheritance among brothers.

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

3The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold— but the LORD assays hearts.

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

4Whoever practices evil pays attention to wicked speech, and the liar listens to malicious talk.

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

5Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their maker, and whoever is happy about disaster will not go unpunished.

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

6Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the pride of children is their parents.

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

7Appropriate speech is inconsistent with the fool; how much more are deceitful statements with a prince!

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

8A bribe works wonders in the eyes of its giver; wherever he turns he prospers.

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

9Anyone who overlooks an offense promotes love, but someone who gossips separates close friends.

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

10A rebuke is more effective with a man of understanding than a hundred lashes to a fool.

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

11A rebellious person seeks evil; a cruel emissary will be sent to oppose him.

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

12It's better to meet a mother bear who has lost her cubs than a fool in his stupidity.

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

13The person who repays good with evil will never see evil leave his home.

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

14Starting a quarrel is like spilling water— so drop the dispute before it escalates.

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

15Exonerating the wicked and condemning the righteous are both detestable to the LORD.

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

16What is this? A fool has enough money to buy wisdom, but is senseless?

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

17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is there for times of trouble.

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

18A man who lacks sense cosigns a loan, becoming a guarantor for his neighbor.

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

19The person who loves transgression loves strife; the person who builds a high gate invites destruction.

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

20The person whose mind is perverse does not find good, and anyone with perverted speech falls into trouble.

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

21The man who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow— the father of a fool has no joy.

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

22A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit drains one's strength.

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

23The wicked man takes a bribe in secret in order 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.

24A person with understanding has wisdom as his objective, but a fool looks only to earthly goals.

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

25A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to his mother.

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

26Furthermore, it isn't good to fine the righteous, or to beat an official because of his uprightness.

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

27Whoever controls what he says is knowledgeable; anyone who has a calm spirit is a man of understanding.

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

28Even a fool is thought to be wise when he remains silent; he is thought to be prudent when he keeps his mouth shut.

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

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.