Proverbs 10

²Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere;
    an honest life is immortal.

³God won’t starve an honest soul,
    but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.

⁴Sloth makes you poor;
    diligence brings wealth.

⁵Make hay while the sun shines—that’s smart;
    go fishing during harvest—that’s stupid.

⁶Blessings accrue on a good and honest life,
    but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

⁷A good and honest life is a blessed memorial;
    a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.

⁸A wise heart takes orders;
    an empty head will come unglued.

⁹Honesty lives confident and carefree,
    but Shifty is sure to be exposed.

¹⁰An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead,
    but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.

¹¹The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well,
    but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

¹²Hatred starts fights,
    but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.

¹³You’ll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight,
    but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.

¹⁴The wise accumulate knowledge—a true treasure;
    know-it-alls talk too much—a sheer waste.

¹⁶The wage of a good person is exuberant life;
    an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.

¹⁷The road to life is a disciplined life;
    ignore correction and you’re lost for good.

¹⁸Liars secretly hoard hatred;
    fools openly spread slander.

¹⁹The more talk, the less truth;
    the wise measure their words.

²⁰The speech of a good person is worth waiting for;
    the blabber of the wicked is worthless.

²¹The talk of a good person is rich fare for many,
    but chatterboxes die of an empty heart.

²³An empty-head thinks mischief is fun,
    but a mindful person relishes wisdom.

²⁴The nightmares of the wicked come true;
    what the good people desire, they get.

²⁵When the storm is over, there’s nothing left of the wicked;
    good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren’t even fazed.

²⁶A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble;
    it’s vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.

²⁷The Fear-of-God expands your life;
    a wicked life is a puny life.

²⁸The aspirations of good people end in celebration;
    the ambitions of bad people crash.

²⁹God is solid backing to a well-lived life,
    but he calls into question a shabby performance.

³⁰Good people last—they can’t be moved;
    the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.

³¹A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom;
    a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.

³²The speech of a good person clears the air;
    the words of the wicked pollute it.