Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor. | The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility. |
Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. | Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil. |
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Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. | A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back. |
My child, if your heart is wise, my own heart will rejoice! | My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself. |
Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave. | The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor. |
Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart. | The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body. |
Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. | Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established. |
Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor. | Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility. |
Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses. | Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. |
You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. | There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. |
An honest witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies. | A faithful witness does not lie, But a false witness will utter lies. |
Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. | Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. |
I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths. | I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. |
Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. | Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. |
Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. | Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established. |
Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. | In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. |
For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. | For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord. |
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. | A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. |
Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people. | The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them. |
To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. | Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid. |
Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people! | A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men. |
Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. | Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad. |
Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give! | He covets greedily all day long, But the righteous gives and does not spare. |
Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. | Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool. |
Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest. | Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice. |