Proverbs 10

MSG — The Message Bible (MSG)

NLT — New Living Translation Bible (NLT)

Verse 1

Wise son, glad father;
stupid son, sad mother.

The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise child^[a] brings joy to a father;
a foolish child brings grief to a mother.

Verse 2

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

Tainted wealth has no lasting value,
but right living can save your life.

Verse 3

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

The Lord will not let the godly go hungry,
but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.

Verse 4

Sloth makes you poor;
diligence brings wealth.

Lazy people are soon poor;
hard workers get rich.

Verse 5

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

A wise youth harvests in the summer,
but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.

Verse 6

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

The godly are showered with blessings;
the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

Verse 7

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

We have happy memories of the godly,
but the name of a wicked person rots away.

Verse 8

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

The wise are glad to be instructed,
but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.

Verse 9

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

People with integrity walk safely,
but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.

Verse 10

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

People who wink at wrong cause trouble,
but a bold reproof promotes peace.^[b]

Verse 11

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

The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain;
the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

Verse 12

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

Hatred stirs up quarrels,
but love makes up for all offenses.

Verse 13

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

Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding,
but those lacking sense will be beaten with a rod.

Verse 14

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

The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life

Wise people treasure knowledge,
but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.

Verse 15

The wealth of the rich is their bastion;
the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.

The wealth of the rich is their fortress;
the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

Verse 16

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

The earnings of the godly enhance their lives,
but evil people squander their money on sin.

Verse 17

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

People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life,
but those who ignore correction will go astray.

Verse 18

Liars secretly hoard hatred;
fools openly spread slander.

Hiding hatred makes you a liar;
slandering others makes you a fool.

Verse 19

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

Too much talk leads to sin.
Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.

Verse 20

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

The words of the godly are like sterling silver;
the heart of a fool is worthless.

Verse 21

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

Fear-of-God Expands Your Life

The words of the godly encourage many,
but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.

Verse 22

God’s blessing makes life rich;
nothing we do can improve on God.

The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.

Verse 23

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

Doing wrong is fun for a fool,
but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.

Verse 24

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

The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled;
the hopes of the godly will be granted.

Verse 25

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

When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away,
but the godly have a lasting foundation.

Verse 26

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

Lazy people irritate their employers,
like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.

Verse 27

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

Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life,
but the years of the wicked are cut short.

Verse 28

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

The hopes of the godly result in happiness,
but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.

Verse 29

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

The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity,
but it destroys the wicked.

Verse 30

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

The godly will never be disturbed,
but the wicked will be removed from the land.

Verse 31

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

The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice,
but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.

Verse 32

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

The lips of the godly speak helpful words,
but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.