Proverbs 10

The Wise Sayings of Solomon ¹

An Honest Life Is Immortal

²    Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere;
   an honest life is immortal.

³    GOD won't starve an honest soul,
   but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.

⁴    Sloth makes you poor;
   diligence brings wealth.

⁵    Make hay while the sun shines—that's smart;
   go fishing during harvest—that's stupid.

⁶    Blessings accrue on a good and honest life,
   but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

⁷    A good and honest life is a blessed memorial;
   a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.

⁸    A wise heart takes orders;
   an empty head will come unglued.

⁹    Honesty lives confident and carefree,
   but Shifty is sure to be exposed.

¹⁰    An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead,
   but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.

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.

¹²    Hatred starts fights,
   but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.

¹³    You'll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight,
   but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.

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 ¹⁵ The wealth of the rich is their bastion;
   the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.

¹⁶    The wage of a good person is exuberant life;
   an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.

¹⁷    The road to life is a disciplined life;
   ignore correction and you're lost for good.

¹⁸    Liars secretly hoard hatred;
   fools openly spread slander.

¹⁹    The more talk, the less truth;
   the wise measure their words.

²⁰    The speech of a good person is worth waiting for;
   the blabber of the wicked is worthless.

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 ²² God's blessing makes life rich;
   nothing we do can improve on God.

²³    An empty-head thinks mischief is fun,
   but a mindful person relishes wisdom.

²⁴    The nightmares of the wicked come true;
   what the good people desire, they get.

²⁵    When the storm is over, there's nothing left of the wicked;
   good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren't even fazed.

²⁶    A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble;
   it's vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.

²⁷    The Fear-of-GOD expands your life;
   a wicked life is a puny life.

²⁸    The aspirations of good people end in celebration;
   the ambitions of bad people crash.

²⁹    GOD is solid backing to a well-lived life,
   but he calls into question a shabby performance.

³⁰    Good people last—they can't be moved;
   the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.

³¹    A good person's mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom;
   a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.

³²    The speech of a good person clears the air;
   the words of the wicked pollute it.