Proverbs 10:19-32
Proverbs 10:19-32 The Message (MSG)
The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words. The speech of a good person is worth waiting for; the blabber of the wicked is worthless. The talk of a good person is rich fare for many, but chatterboxes die of an empty heart. GOD GOD’s blessing makes life rich; nothing we do can improve on God. An empty-head thinks mischief is fun, but a mindful person relishes wisdom. The nightmares of the wicked come true; what the good people desire, they get. When the storm is over, there’s nothing left of the wicked; good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren’t even fazed. A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble; it’s vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes. The Fear-of-GOD expands your life; a wicked life is a puny life. The aspirations of good people end in celebration; the ambitions of bad people crash. GOD is solid backing to a well-lived life, but he calls into question a shabby performance. Good people last—they can’t be moved; the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow. A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom; a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp. The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it.
Proverbs 10:19-32 King James Version (KJV)
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: But he that refraineth his lips is wise. The tongue of the just is as choice silver: The heart of the wicked is little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many: But fools die for want of wisdom. The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, And he addeth no sorrow with it. It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: But a man of understanding hath wisdom. The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: But the desire of the righteous shall be granted. As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: But the righteous is an everlasting foundation. As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, So is the sluggard to them that send him. The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: But the years of the wicked shall be shortened. The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: But the expectation of the wicked shall perish. The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: But destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. The righteous shall never be removed: But the wicked shall not inhabit the earth. The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: But the froward tongue shall be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: But the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.
Proverbs 10:19-32 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, The heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of understanding. It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it. Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, And so is wisdom to a man of understanding. What the wicked fears will come upon him, But the desire of the righteous will be granted. When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation. Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy one to those who send him. The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes. The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, But ruin to the workers of iniquity. The righteous will never be shaken, But the wicked will not dwell in the land. The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, But the perverted tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted.
Proverbs 10:19-32 New Century Version (NCV)
If you talk a lot, you are sure to sin; if you are wise, you will keep quiet. The words of a good person are like pure silver, but an evil person’s thoughts are worth very little. Good people’s words will help many others, but fools will die because they don’t have wisdom. The LORD’s blessing brings wealth, and no sorrow comes with it. A foolish person enjoys doing wrong, but a person with understanding enjoys doing what is wise. Evil people will get what they fear most, but good people will get what they want most. A storm will blow the evil person away, but a good person will always be safe. A lazy person affects the one he works for like vinegar on the teeth or smoke in the eyes. Whoever respects the LORD will have a long life, but the life of an evil person will be cut short. A good person can look forward to happiness, but an evil person can expect nothing. The LORD will protect good people but will ruin those who do evil. Good people will always be safe, but evil people will not remain in the land. A good person says wise things, but a liar’s tongue will be stopped. Good people know the right thing to say, but evil people only tell lies.
Proverbs 10:19-32 American Standard Version (ASV)
In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression; But he that refraineth his lips doeth wisely. The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver: The heart of the wicked is little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many; But the foolish die for lack of understanding. The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich; And he addeth no sorrow therewith. It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness; And so is wisdom to a man of understanding. The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted. When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more; But the righteous is an everlasting foundation. As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, So is the sluggard to them that send him. The fear of Jehovah prolongeth days; But the years of the wicked shall be shortened. The hope of the righteous shall be gladness; But the expectation of the wicked shall perish. The way of Jehovah is a stronghold to the upright; But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity. The righteous shall never be removed; But the wicked shall not dwell in the land. The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wisdom; But the perverse tongue shall be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable; But the mouth of the wicked speaketh perverseness.
Proverbs 10:19-32 New International Version (NIV)
Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense. The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it. A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom. What the wicked dread will overtake them; what the righteous desire will be granted. When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are sluggards to those who send them. The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing. The way of the LORD is a refuge for the blameless, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land. From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced. The lips of the righteous know what finds favor, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.
Proverbs 10:19-32 New King James Version (NKJV)
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom. The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom. The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted. When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation. As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him. The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish. The way of the LORD is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth. The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.
Proverbs 10:19-32 Amplified Bible (AMP)
When there are many words, transgression and offense are unavoidable, But he who controls his lips and keeps thoughtful silence is wise. The tongue of the righteous is like precious silver (greatly valued); The heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed and guide many, But fools [who reject God and His wisdom] die for lack of understanding. The blessing of the LORD brings [true] riches, And He adds no sorrow to it [for it comes as a blessing from God]. Engaging in evil is like sport to the fool [who refuses wisdom and chases sin], But to a man of understanding [skillful and godly] wisdom brings joy. What the wicked fears will come upon him, But the desire of the righteous [for the blessings of God] will be granted. When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation. [Ps 125:1; Matt 7:24-27] Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy one to those who send him to work. The [reverent] fear of the LORD [worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect] prolongs one’s life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. The hope of the righteous [those of honorable character and integrity] is joy, But the expectation of the wicked [those who oppose God and ignore His wisdom] comes to nothing. The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, But it is ruin to those who do evil. The [consistently] righteous will never be shaken, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth. [Ps 37:22; 125:1] The mouth of the righteous flows with [skillful and godly] wisdom, But the perverted tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous know (speak) what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked knows (speaks) what is perverted (twisted).
Proverbs 10:19-32 New Living Translation (NLT)
Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense. The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible. The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted. When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation. Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes. Fear of the LORD lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing. The way of the LORD is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked. The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land. The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice, but the tongue that deceives will be cut off. The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.
Proverbs 10:19-32 The Passion Translation (TPT)
If you keep talking, it won’t be long before you’re saying something really wrong. Prove you’re wise from the very start— just bite your tongue and be strong! The teachings of the godly ones are like pure silver, bringing words of redemption to others, but the heart of the wicked is corrupt. The lovers of God feed many with their teachings, but the foolish ones starve themselves for lack of an understanding heart. True enrichment comes from the blessing of the Lord, with rest and contentment in knowing that it all comes from him. The fool finds fun in planning to do wrong, but the wise delight in having discernment. The lawless are haunted by their fears and what they dread will come upon them, but the longings of the lovers of God will all be fulfilled. The wicked are blown away by every stormy wind. But when a catastrophe comes, the lovers of God have a secure anchor. To trust a lazy person to get a job done will be as irritating as smoke in your eyes— as enjoyable as a toothache! Living in the worship and awe of God will bring you many years of contented living. So how could the wicked ever expect to have a long, happy life? Lovers of God have a joyful feast of gladness, but the ungodly see their hopes vanish right before their eyes. The beautiful ways of God are a safe resting place for those who have integrity. But to those who work wickedness the ways of God spell doom. God’s lover can never be greatly shaken. But the wicked will never inherit the covenant blessings. The teachings of the righteous are loaded with wisdom, but the words of the evil ones are crooked and perverse. Words that bring delight pour from the lips of the godly, but the words of the wicked are duplicitous.
Proverbs 10:19-32 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense. The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding. What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever. Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him. The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short. The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers. The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land. The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.
