| Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. | But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin. |
| The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. | A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. |
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| A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. | People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. |
| Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. | Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. |
| He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. | The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord. |
| We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. | Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. |
| It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. | Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling. |
| Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers. | Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. |
| Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. | Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. |
| Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. | God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. |
| Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. | Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly. |
| In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. | In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. |
| Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. | People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness. |
| Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. | Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. |
| The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. | The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. |
| Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. | A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. |
| He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. | No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. |
| The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously. | The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers. |
| All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing. | Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give! |
| To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless. | To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. |
| “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him.” | “They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child.” |
| One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. | There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. |
| However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. | So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. |
| Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways. For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence. | Don’t envy violent people or copy their ways. Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord, but he offers his friendship to the godly. |
| Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. | Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. |
