Proverbs 18

Words Kill, Words Give Life 1 Loners who care only for themselves spit on the common good. 2 Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse; all they do is run off at the mouth. 3 When wickedness arrives, shame’s not far behind; contempt for life is contemptible. 4 Many words rush along like rivers in flood, […]

Proverbs 19

If You Quit Listening 1 Better to be poor and honest than a rich person no one can trust. 2 Ignorant zeal is worthless; haste makes waste. 3 People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why doesGodalways get blamed? 4 Wealth attracts friends as honey draws flies, but poor people are avoided like […]

Proverbs 20

Deep Water in the Heart 1 Wine makes you mean, beer makes you quarrelsome— a staggering drunk is not much fun. 2 Quick-tempered leaders are like mad dogs— cross them and they bite your head off. 3 It’s a mark of good character to avert quarrels, but fools love to pick fights. 4 A farmer […]

Proverbs 21

God Examines Our Motives 1 Good leadership is a channel of water controlled byGod; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses. 2 We justify our actions by appearances; Godexamines our motives. 3 Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more toGodthan religious performance. 4 Arrogance and pride—distinguishing marks in the […]

Proverbs 22

The Cure Comes Through Discipline 1 A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank. 2 The rich and the poor shake hands as equals— Godmade them both! 3 A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered. […]

Proverbs 23

Restrain Yourself 6 1-3 When you go out to dinner with an influential person, mind your manners: Don’t gobble your food, don’t talk with your mouth full. And don’t stuff yourself; bridle your appetite. 7 4-5 Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich; restrain yourself! Riches disappear in the blink of an eye; wealth […]

Proverbs 24

Intelligence Outranks Muscle 19 1-2 Don’t envy bad people; don’t even want to be around them. All they think about is causing a disturbance; all they talk about is making trouble. 20 3-4 It takes wisdom to build a house, and understanding to set it on a firm foundation; It takes knowledge to furnish its […]

Proverbs 25

The Right Word at the Right Time 1 There are also these proverbs of Solomon, collected by scribes of Hezekiah, king of Judah. 2 God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in discovering things. 3 Like the horizons for breadth and the ocean for depth, the understanding of a good leader is broad and deep. […]

Proverbs 26

Fools Recycle Silliness 1 We no more give honors to fools than pray for snow in summer or rain during harvest. 2 You have as little to fear from an undeserved curse as from the dart of a wren or the swoop of a swallow. 3 A whip for the racehorse, a tiller for the […]

Proverbs 27

You Don’t Know Tomorrow 1 Don’t brashly announce what you’re going to do tomorrow; you don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. 2 Don’t call attention to yourself; let others do that for you. 3 Carrying a log across your shoulders while you’re hefting a boulder with your arms Is nothing compared to the burden […]