The Proverbs of Solomon
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a Better is a poor person who b walks in his integrity
than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
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Desire without knowledge is not good,
and whoever c makes haste with his feet misses his way.
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When a man's folly d brings his way to ruin,
his heart e rages against the Lord.
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f Wealth brings many new friends,
f but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
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g A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who h breathes out lies will not escape.
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Many seek the favor of a generous man,
and everyone is a friend to a man who gives i gifts.
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j All a poor man's brothers hate him;
k how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.
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l Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;
he who keeps understanding will m discover good.
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g A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who h breathes out lies will perish.
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n It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
much less for o a slave to rule over princes.
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p Good sense makes one slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
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A king's wrath is like q the growling of a lion,
but his r favor is like s dew on the grass.
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t A foolish son is ruin to his father,
and u a wife's quarreling is v a continual dripping of rain.
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w House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
but a prudent wife is x from the Lord.
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y Slothfulness casts into z a deep sleep,
and a an idle person will suffer hunger.
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Whoever b keeps the commandment keeps his life;
he who despises his ways will die.
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c Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he d will repay him for his e deed.
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f Discipline your son, for there is hope;
do not set your heart on g putting him to death.
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A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,
for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.
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Listen to advice and accept instruction,
that you may gain wisdom in h the future.
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i Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but j it is the purpose of the Lord k that will stand.
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What is desired in a man is steadfast love,
and a poor man is better than a liar.
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The fear of the Lord l leads to life,
and whoever has it rests m satisfied;
he will n not be visited by harm.
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o The sluggard buries his hand in p the dish
and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
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q Strike r a scoffer, and the simple will s learn prudence;
t reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
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He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
is u a son who brings shame and reproach.
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Cease to hear instruction, my son,
v and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
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A worthless witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked w devours iniquity.
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Condemnation is ready for r scoffers,
and x beating for the backs of fools.
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Cross References
Proverbs 28:6
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.
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Cross References
Proverbs 14:2
Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
Proverbs 20:7
The righteous who walks in his integrity - blessed are his children after him!
Psalms 26:1
Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
Psalms 26:11
But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me.
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Cross References
Proverbs 21:5
The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
Proverbs 28:20
A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 29:20
Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
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Cross References
Proverbs 11:3
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
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Cross References
Psalms 37:7
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
Isaiah 8:21
They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward.
Revelation 16:11
And cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.
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Cross References
Proverbs 14:20
The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends.
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Cross References
Proverbs 14:20
The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends.
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Cross References
Proverbs 12:19
Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Proverbs 21:28
A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears will endure.
Deuteronomy 19:16 - 19
If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing.
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Cross References
Proverbs 6:19
A false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
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Cross References
Proverbs 17:8
A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers.
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Cross References
Proverbs 19:4
Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
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Cross References
Psalms 38:11
My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off.
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Cross References
Proverbs 15:32
Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
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Cross References
Proverbs 16:20
Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
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Cross References
Proverbs 19:5
A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
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Cross References
Proverbs 19:5
A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
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Cross References
Proverbs 17:7
Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince.
Proverbs 26:1
Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.
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Cross References
Proverbs 30:22
A slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food.
Ecclesiastes 10:6 - 7
Folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place.
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Cross References
Proverbs 14:29
Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
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Cross References
Proverbs 20:2
The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.
Proverbs 16:14 - 15
A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it.
Proverbs 28:15
Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
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Cross References
Proverbs 14:35
A servant who deals wisely has the king's favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
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Cross References
Psalms 133:3
It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
Hosea 14:5
I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon.
Micah 5:7
Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which delay not for a man nor wait for the children of man.
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Cross References
Proverbs 10:1
The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
Proverbs 17:21
He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.
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Cross References
Proverbs 21:9
It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
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Cross References
Proverbs 27:15
A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike.
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Cross References
2 Corinthians 12:14
Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
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Cross References
Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
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Cross References
Proverbs 6:9 - 11
How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?
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Cross References
Job 4:13
Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men.
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Cross References
Proverbs 10:4
A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
Proverbs 20:4
The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
Proverbs 20:13
Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
Proverbs 23:21
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.
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Cross References
Proverbs 13:13
Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.
Luke 10:28
And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.
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Cross References
Proverbs 22:9
Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, fo...
Proverbs 28:27
Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he...
Ecclesiastes 11:1
Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will f...
Matthew 10:42
And whoever gives one of these little ones even...
Hebrews 6:10
For God is not unjust so as to overlook your wo...
Deuteronomy 15:7 - 10
If among you, one of your brothers should becom...
Matthew 25:40
And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to...
2 Corinthians 9:6 - 8
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will ...
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Cross References
Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.
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Cross References
Proverbs 12:14
From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hand comes back to him.
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Cross References
Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
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Cross References
Proverbs 23:13
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
Deuteronomy 21:18 - 21
If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them.
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Cross References
Psalms 37:37
Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.
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Cross References
Psalms 33:10 - 11
The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
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Cross References
Job 23:13
But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does.
Isaiah 14:26 - 27
This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
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Cross References
Isaiah 46:10
Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.
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Cross References
Proverbs 10:16
The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked to sin.
Proverbs 11:19
Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die.
Isaiah 38:5
Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.
Mark 10:30
Who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
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Cross References
Psalms 25:13
His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land.
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Cross References
Leviticus 26:6
I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land.
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Cross References
Proverbs 26:15
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
Proverbs 15:19
The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.
Proverbs 20:4
The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
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Cross References
Matthew 26:23
He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.
Mark 14:20
He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.
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Cross References
Proverbs 21:11
When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
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Cross References
Psalms 1:1
Book One Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 13:6 - 11
If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which neither you nor your fathers have known.
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Cross References
Proverbs 9:8
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
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Cross References
Proverbs 10:5
He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.
Proverbs 17:2
A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
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Cross References
2 Peter 2:21
For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.
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Cross References
Job 15:16
How much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water!
Proverbs 18:8
The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.
Job 34:7
What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing like water.
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Cross References
Proverbs 19:25
Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
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Cross References
Proverbs 10:13
On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.
Proverbs 18:6
A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating.
Proverbs 26:3
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.