Proverbs 15

A gentle response defuses anger,
    but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.

A gentle answer turns away wrath,
    but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise;
    fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.

The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,
    but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

God doesn’t miss a thing—
    he’s alert to good and evil alike.

The eyes of the Lord are everywhere,
    keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

Kind words heal and help;
    cutting words wound and maim.

The soothing tongue is a tree of life,
    but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

Moral dropouts won’t listen to their elders;
    welcoming correction is a mark of good sense.

A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
    but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

The lives of God-loyal people flourish;
    a misspent life is soon bankrupt.

The house of the righteous contains great treasure,
    but the income of the wicked brings ruin.

Perceptive words spread knowledge;
    fools are hollow—there’s nothing to them.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
    but the hearts of fools are not upright.

God can’t stand pious poses,
    but he delights in genuine prayers.

The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
    but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

A life frittered away disgusts God;
    he loves those who run straight for the finish line.

The Lord detests the way of the wicked,
    but he loves those who pursue righteousness.

It’s a school of hard knocks for those who leave God’s path,
    a dead-end street for those who hate God’s rules.

Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path;
    the one who hates correction will die.

Even hell holds no secrets from God—
    do you think he can’t read human hearts?

Death and Destruction^[a] lie open before the Lord –
    how much more do human hearts!

Know-it-alls don’t like being told what to do;
    they avoid the company of wise men and women.

Mockers resent correction,
    so they avoid the wise.

A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face;
    a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
    but heartache crushes the spirit.

An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth;
    fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.

The discerning heart seeks knowledge,
    but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

A miserable heart means a miserable life;
    a cheerful heart fills the day with song.

All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
    but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

A simple life in the Fear-of-God
    is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches.

Better a little with the fear of the Lord
    than great wealth with turmoil.

Better a bread crust shared in love
    than a slab of prime rib served in hate.

Better a dish of vegetables with love
    than a fattened calf with hatred.

Hot tempers start fights;
    a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.

A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,
    but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.

The path of lazy people is overgrown with briers;
    the diligent walk down a smooth road.

The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns,
    but the path of the upright is a highway.

Intelligent children make their parents proud;
    lazy students embarrass their parents.

A wise son brings joy to his father,
    but a foolish man despises his mother.

The empty-headed treat life as a plaything;
    the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it.

Folly brings joy to one who has no sense,
    but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course.

Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail;
    take good counsel and watch them succeed.

Plans fail for lack of counsel,
    but with many advisors they succeed.

Congenial conversation—what a pleasure!
    The right word at the right time—beautiful!

A person finds joy in giving an apt reply –
    and how good is a timely word!

Life ascends to the heights for the thoughtful—
    it’s a clean about-face from descent into hell.

The path of life leads upward for the prudent
    to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead.

God smashes the pretensions of the arrogant;
    he stands with those who have no standing.

The Lord tears down the house of the proud,
    but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place.

God can’t stand evil scheming,
    but he puts words of grace and beauty on display.

The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked,
    but gracious words are pure in his sight.

A greedy and grasping person destroys community;
    those who refuse to exploit live and let live.

The greedy bring ruin to their households,
    but the one who hates bribes will live.

Prayerful answers come from God-loyal people;
    the wicked are sewers of abuse.

The heart of the righteous weighs its answers,
    but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

God keeps his distance from the wicked;
    he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people.

The Lord is far from the wicked,
    but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart,
    and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle.

Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart,
    and good news gives health to the bones.

Listen to good advice if you want to live well,
    an honored guest among wise men and women.

Whoever heeds life-giving correction
    will be at home among the wise.

An undisciplined, self-willed life is puny;
    an obedient, God-willed life is spacious.

Those who disregard discipline despise themselves,
    but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.

Fear-of-God is a school in skilled living—
    first you learn humility, then you experience glory.