Poetry

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Proverbs of Solomon

1 The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son grief to his mother.

The proverbs of Solomon,
Who was both a father and son.
A wise son brings his father joy beyond belief,
But a foolish son robs his mother of joy, and leaves her with grief.

2 Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,
but righteousness delivers from death.

Ill-gotten treasures are not worth a breath,
But righteousness has value that delivers from death.

3 The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

The Lord always the needs of the righteous supports,
But the cravings of the wicked he denies and thwarts.

4 Lazy hands make a man poor,
but diligent hands bring wealth.

Lazy hands make a man poor,
But diligent hands bring wealth galore.

5 He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son,
but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Wise is the son who gathers crops in the summer,
But the son who sleeps at harvest time is a disgraceful bummer.


6 Blessings crown the head of the righteous,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

Men will hold the head of the righteous and with blessings crown it,
But they will slap the mouth of the wicked and with blows they will crown it.

7 The memory of the righteous will be a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.

The memory of the righteous will bless like a bright rose in a pot,
But the name of the wicked will pass and like garbage it will rot.

8 The wise in heart accept commands,
but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

The wise in heart accepts all wisdom's commands,
But a chattering fool ruins all; he never understands.

9 The man of integrity walks securely,
but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

A man of integrity walks securely all about,
But he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

10 He who winks maliciously causes grief,
and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

He who winks maliciously causes grief,
And a chattering fool come to ruin like a thief.

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked is overwhelmed with strife.

12 Hatred stirs up dissension,
but love covers over all wrongs.

Dissension is by hatred stirred,
But all wrongs are by love covered.

13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,
but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.

On the lips of the discerning wisdom is found,
But he who lacks judgment needs to be whacked on the back to the ground.

14 Wise men store up knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

Wise are those men who have knowledge to store,
But the mouth of fools invites ruin, for they spout ignorance galore.

15 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,
but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,
But poverty of the poor is their ruin; it's a pity.

16 The wages of the righteous bring them life,
but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.

When the righteous get paid they use wisely this treasure,
But fools take their pay check and blow it on wicked pleasure.

17 He who heeds discipline shows the way to life,
but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

He shows the way to life who discipline heeds,
But he who ignore correction; he others astray leads.

18 He who conceals his hatred has lying lips,
and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

Lying lips that conceal hatred is not cool,
And whoever spreads slander is a fool.

19 When words are many, sin is not absent,
but he who holds his tongue is wise.

He who talks too much is bound to sin,
But wise is the one who keeps his tongue in.

20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver treasure,
But the whole heart of the wicked has little value to measure.

21 The lips of the righteous nourish many,
but fools die for lack of judgment.

The lips of the righteous add life, and give many nourishment,
But the lips of fools bring death, for they lack judgment and encouragement.

22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth,
and he adds no trouble to it.

The blessing of the Lord will your wealth double,
And the good news is, it will come without trouble.


23 A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct,
but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.

In evil conduct a fools finds his pleasure,
But a man of understanding finds in wisdom his treasure.

24 What the wicked dreads will overtake him;
what the righteous desire will be granted.

What the wicked dreads will overtake him;
But the desires of the righteous will be filled to the brim.

25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,
but the righteous stand firm forever.

When the storm hits the wicked are swept away,
But the righteous stand firm, and are here to stay.

26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
so is a sluggard to those who send him.

If you choose a lazy bum to carry a message, don't be surprised,
If you end up grinding your teeth and wiping tears from your eyes.

27 The fear of the LORD adds length to life,
but the years of the wicked are cut short.

The fear of the Lord will add years, and life it will not abort,
But the years of those who live wicked lives, will be cut short.

28 The prospect of the righteous is joy,
but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.

The prospect of the righteous is to joyful be;
The hopes of the wicked are a non entity.

29 The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous,
but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

It is a refuge for the righteous to go the way of the Lord,
But it is the ruin of those who do evil, for his way is abhorred.

30 The righteous will never be uprooted,
but the wicked will not remain in the land.

The righteous will never be uprooted, but will always remain,
But the wicked will be removed from the land like a stain.

31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

The mouth of the righteous bring forth wisdom with a shout,
But the perverse tongue of the wicked will be cut out.

32 The lips of the righteous know what is fitting,
but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.

The lips of the righteous know what is fitting to rehearse,
But the mouth of the wicked know only the perverse.

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