Proverbs 15:8-29 - Compare All Versions

Share

The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him. The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness. Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path; the one who hates correction will die. Death and Destruction lie open before the LORD— how much more do human hearts! Mockers resent correction, so they avoid the wise. A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil. Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred. A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway. A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother. Folly brings joy to one who has no sense, but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course. Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word! The path of life leads upward for the prudent to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead. The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place. The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight. The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live. The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil. The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but he loves him who pursues righteousness. There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die. Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD; how much more the hearts of the children of man! A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise. A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it. A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother. Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead. Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! The path of life leads upward for the prudent, that he may turn away from Sheol beneath. The LORD tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow’s boundaries. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but gracious words are pure. Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live. The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but he delights in the prayers of the upright. The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue godliness. Whoever abandons the right path will be severely disciplined; whoever hates correction will die. Even Death and Destruction hold no secrets from the LORD. How much more does he know the human heart! Mockers hate to be corrected, so they stay away from the wise. A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit. A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash. For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast. Better to have little, with fear for the LORD, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate. A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them. A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers, but the path of the upright is an open highway. Sensible children bring joy to their father; foolish children despise their mother. Foolishness brings joy to those with no sense; a sensible person stays on the right path. Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time! The path of life leads upward for the wise; they leave the grave behind. The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but he protects the property of widows. The LORD detests evil plans, but he delights in pure words. Greed brings grief to the whole family, but those who hate bribes will live. The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words. The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.

The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the  LORD,  but the prayer of the upright is his delight.  The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but he loves the one who pursues righteousness.  Discipline is harsh for the one who leaves the path; the one who hates correction will die. Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the  LORD    —  how much more, human hearts.  A mocker doesn’t love one who corrects him;  he will not consult the wise. A joyful heart makes a face cheerful, but a sad heart produces a broken spirit.  A discerning mind seeks knowledge,  but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.  All the days of the oppressed are miserable, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast. Better a little with the fear of the  LORD than great treasure with turmoil.  Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox  with hatred.  A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,  but one slow to anger  calms strife. A slacker’s way is like a thorny hedge, but the path of the upright is a highway.  A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.  Foolishness brings joy to one without sense, but a person with understanding walks a straight path.  Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.  A person takes joy in giving an answer;  and a timely word — how good that is!  For the prudent the path of life leads upward, so that he may avoid going down to Sheol. The LORD tears apart the house of the proud, but he protects the widow’s territory.  The LORD detests the plans of the one who is evil, but pleasant words are pure.  The one who profits dishonestly  troubles his household, but the one who hates bribes will live.  The mind of the righteous person thinks before answering,  but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things.  The LORD is far from the wicked,  but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: But the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: But he loveth him that followeth after righteousness. Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: And he that hateth reproof shall die. Hell and destruction are before the LORD: How much more then the hearts of the children of men? A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: Neither will he go unto the wise. A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: But the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. All the days of the afflicted are evil: But he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. Better is little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. A wrathful man stirreth up strife: But he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife. The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: But the way of the righteous is made plain. A wise son maketh a glad father: But a foolish man despiseth his mother. Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: But a man of understanding walketh uprightly. Without counsel purposes are disappointed: But in the multitude of counsellors they are established. A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: And a word spoken in due season, how good is it! The way of life is above to the wise, That he may depart from hell beneath. The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: But he will establish the border of the widow. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: But the words of the pure are pleasant words. He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; But he that hateth gifts shall live. The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: But the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. The LORD is far from the wicked: But he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves him who follows righteousness. Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way, And he who hates correction will die. Hell and Destruction are before the LORD; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men. A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, Nor will he go to the wise. A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast. Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, Than a fatted calf with hatred. A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention. The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway. A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother. Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, But a man of understanding walks uprightly. Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established. A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is! The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below. The LORD will destroy the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, But the words of the pure are pleasant. He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil. The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

GOD can’t stand pious poses, but he delights in genuine prayers. A life frittered away disgusts GOD; he loves those who run straight for the finish line. It’s a school of hard knocks for those who leave God’s path, a dead-end street for those who hate God’s rules. Even hell holds no secrets from GOD— do you think he can’t read human hearts? Know-it-alls don’t like being told what to do; they avoid the company of wise men and women. A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day. An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth; fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies. A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song. A simple life in the Fear-of-GOD is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches. Better a bread crust shared in love than a slab of prime rib served in hate. Hot tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace. The path of lazy people is overgrown with briers; the diligent walk down a smooth road. Intelligent children make their parents proud; lazy students embarrass their parents. The empty-headed treat life as a plaything; the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it. Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed. Congenial conversation—what a pleasure! The right word at the right time—beautiful! Life ascends to the heights for the thoughtful— it’s a clean about-face from descent into hell. GOD smashes the pretensions of the arrogant; he stands with those who have no standing. GOD can’t stand evil scheming, but he puts words of grace and beauty on display. A greedy and grasping person destroys community; those who refuse to exploit live and let live. Prayerful answers come from God-loyal people; the wicked are sewers of abuse. GOD keeps his distance from the wicked; he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves the one who pursues righteousness. There is severe punishment for one who abandons the way; One who hates a rebuke will die. Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD, How much more the hearts of mankind! A scoffer does not love one who rebukes him; He will not go to the wise. A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. All the days of the needy are bad, But a cheerful heart has a continual feast. Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure, and turmoil with the treasure. Better is a portion of vegetables where there is love, Than a fattened ox served with hatred. A hot-tempered person stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute. The way of the lazy one is like a hedge of thorns, But the path of the upright is a highway. A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother. Foolishness is joy to one who lacks sense, But a person of understanding walks straight. Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed. A person has joy in an apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word! The path of life leads upward for the wise, So that he may keep away from Sheol below. The LORD will tear down the house of the proud, But He will set the boundary of the widow. Evil plans are an abomination to the LORD, But pleasant words are pure. He who profits illicitly troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

The sacrifice of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight! [Is 1:11; Jer 6:20; Amos 5:22] The way [of life] of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the LORD, But He loves one who pursues righteousness [personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character]. There is severe discipline for him who turns from the way [of righteousness]; And he who hates correction will die. Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the abyss, the place of eternal punishment) lie open before the LORD— How much more the hearts and inner motives of the children of men. [Job 26:6; Ps 139:8; Rev 9:2; 20:1, 2] A scoffer [unlike a wise man] resents one who rebukes him and tries to teach him; Nor will he go to the wise [for counsel and instruction]. A heart full of joy and goodness makes a cheerful face, But when a heart is full of sadness the spirit is crushed. [Prov 17:22] The mind of the intelligent and discerning seeks knowledge and eagerly inquires after it, But the mouth of the [stubborn] fool feeds on foolishness. [Is 32:6] All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of the circumstances]. Better is a little with the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LORD Than great treasure and trouble with it. [Ps 37:16; Prov 16:8; 1 Tim 6:6] Better is a dinner of vegetables and herbs where love is present Than a fattened ox served with hatred. [Prov 17:1] A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger and patient calms disputes. The way of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns [it pricks, lacerates, and entangles him], But the way [of life] of the upright is smooth and open like a highway. A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother. Foolishness is joy to him who is without heart and lacks [intelligent, common] sense, But a man of understanding walks uprightly [making his course straight]. [Eph 5:15] Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they are established and succeed. A man has joy in giving an appropriate answer, And how good and delightful is a word spoken at the right moment—how good it is! The [chosen] path of life leads upward for the wise, That he may keep away from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) below. [Phil 3:20; Col 3:1, 2] The LORD will tear down the house of the proud and arrogant (self-righteous), But He will establish and protect the boundaries [of the land] of the [godly] widow. Evil plans and thoughts of the wicked are exceedingly vile and offensive to the LORD, But pure words are pleasant words to Him. He who profits unlawfully brings suffering to his own house, But he who hates bribes [and does not receive nor pay them] will live. [Is 5:8; Jer 17:11] The heart of the righteous thinks carefully about how to answer [in a wise and appropriate and timely way], But the [babbling] mouth of the wicked pours out malevolent things. [1 Pet 3:15] The LORD is far from the wicked [and distances Himself from them], But He hears the prayer of the [consistently] righteous [that is, those with spiritual integrity and moral courage].

The LORD abhors the sacrifices of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him. The LORD abhors the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness. Severe discipline is for the one who abandons the way; the one who hates reproof will die. Death and Destruction are before the LORD – how much more the hearts of humans! The scorner does not love one who corrects him; he will not go to the wise. A joyful heart makes the face cheerful, but by a painful heart the spirit is broken. The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly. All the days of the afflicted are bad, but one with a cheerful heart has a continual feast. Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth and turmoil with it. Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox where there is hatred. A quick-tempered person stirs up dissension, but one who is slow to anger calms a quarrel. The way of the sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is like a highway. A wise child brings joy to his father, but a foolish person despises his mother. Folly is a joy to one who lacks sense, but one who has understanding follows an upright course. Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with abundant advisers they are established. A person has joy in giving an appropriate answer, and a word at the right time – how good it is! The path of life is upward for the wise person, to keep him from going downward to Sheol. The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but he maintains the boundaries of the widow. The LORD abhors the plans of the wicked, but pleasant words are pure. The one who is greedy for gain troubles his household, but whoever hates bribes will live. The heart of the righteous considers how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.