Poetry

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1 The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

The wise women builds her house;
Thus she is loved by her children and spouse,
But the foolish woman with her own hands tears hers down;
Thus her family would not miss her if she happened to drown.


2 He whose walk is upright fears the LORD,
but he whose ways are devious despises him.

He whose walk is upright fears the LORD,
And his very walk shows his Lord is adored,
But he who walks in devious ways,
Despises the Lord, and gives him no praise.

3 A fool's talk brings a rod to his back,
but the lips of the wise protect them.

A fool's talk brings a rod to his back;
Everyone who knows him, wants to take a crack.
But the lips of the wise gives them protection,
For no one would dream of hindering his direction.

4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.

When the farmer has no tractor
It is a very negative factor,
For he cannot farm with bare hands,
But if he can ride a few hours
In a machine with great powers,
He can harvest the whole field as it stands.
So the point of it all
Is with an ox in the stall,
You can be assured your food supply expands.

5 A truthful witness does not deceive,
but a false witness pours out lies.

This is a fact so easy to believe;
A truthful witness does not deceive,
But a false witness, also not a surprise,
Will come to the stand and pour out lies.

6 The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
For when people see him coming they run,
But the discerning person draws people to him,
And knowledge comes easy filling him to the brim.

7 Stay away from a foolish man,
for you will not find knowledge on his lips.

From a foolish man just stay away,
For hanging with him will never pay,
For you could listen to him night and day,
And never gain knowledge in anything he would say.

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.

The wisdom of the prudent
Is to be a good student,
And give thought to their direction.
But the folly of fools
Is to discard all tools,
And hope to succeed by deception.

9 Fools mock at making amends for sin,
but goodwill is found among the upright.

Fools mock at making amends for sin;
Doing the right thing they know not where to begin,
But the upright can admit their wrong, and confess,
And bring about goodwill as they clean up their mess.

10 Each heart knows its own bitterness,
and no one else can share its joy.

Each heart knows its own emotions,
And no one else has any valid notions,
And so God alone can fully know us,
And that is why our greatest friend is Jesus.

11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.

The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
But the tent of the upright will always be enjoyed.


12 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.

There is a way that seems to a man so perfectly right,
But in the end it is wrong, and ends in death's dark night.

13 Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and joy may end in grief.

Even in laughter the heart may ache,
And joy may end in the grief of heartbreak.

14 The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,
and the good man rewarded for his.

The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,
And the good man rewarded for walking in righteousness all of his days.

15 A simple man believes anything,
but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.

A simple man believes anything he might hear,
But a prudent man gives thought to make sure his way is safe and clear.

16 A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil,
but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.

A wise man fears the Lord and evil he shuns,
But a fool is a hothead and reckless he runs.

17 A quick-tempered man does foolish things,
and a crafty man is hated.

A quick-tempered man does foolishness often x-rated,
And a crafty man does things that are usually hated.

18 The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The simple inherit folly for their trouble,
But the prudent inherit knowledge that is far more than double.

19 Evil men will bow down in the presence of the good,
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

Evil men will bow down in the presence of the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous as they should.

20 The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
but the rich have many friends.

The poor even by their neighbors are shunned,
But the rich have such a long list of friends they are stunned.

21 He who despises his neighbor sins,
but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.

He who despises his neighbor is sinfully seedy,
But blessed is he who is kind to the needy.

22 Do not those who plot evil go astray?
But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.

Don't those who plot evil end up going astray?
But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness going their way.

23 All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.

A profit is brought to all hard work
But poverty comes to those who only talk, but labor shirk.

24 The wealth of the wise is their crown,
but the folly of fools yields folly.

The wealth of the wise is their crown,
But the folly of fools yields only folly it is found.


25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but a false witness is deceitful.

A truthful witness has lives he saves,
But a false witness by deceit sends many to their graves.

26 He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress,
and for his children it will be a refuge.

He who fears the Lord has a fortress so secure,
And for his children it will be a refuge that will endure.

27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
turning a man from the snares of death.

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
Turning a man from the snares of death, and great strife.

28 A large population is a king's glory,
but without subjects a prince is ruined.

A large population is a king's glory,
For without subjects it is the end of his story.

29 A patient man has great understanding,
but a quick-tempered man displays folly.

A patient man has great understanding,
But a quick-tempered man displays folly by his impatient demanding.

30 A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.

A heart at peace gives the body health,
But the sickness of envy rots the bones of the inner self.

31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

He shows contempt for their Maker who oppresses the poor,
But whoever is kind to the needy honors God, and He comes to their aid even more.

32 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,
but even in death the righteous have a refuge.

When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,
But even in death the righteous have a refuge, and even a crown.

33 Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning
and even among fools she lets herself be known.

Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning, but not there alone,
For even among fools she lets herself be known.

34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Righteousness exalts a nation, and every race,
But sin to any people is a known disgrace.

35 A king delights in a wise servant,
but a shameful servant incurs his wrath.

A king delights in a servant who is wise,
But a shameful servant incurs his wrath and sometimes dies.

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