Proverbs 11:14-12:28 (NIV84)

¹⁴ For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but many advisers make victory sure.

¹⁵ He who puts up security for another will surely suffer,
but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe.

¹⁶ A kindhearted woman gains respect,
but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷ A kind man benefits himself,
but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.

¹⁸ The wicked man earns deceptive wages,
but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

¹⁹ The truly righteous man attains life,
but he who pursues evil goes to his death.

²⁰ The LORD detests men of perverse heart
but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.

²¹ Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,
but those who are righteous will go free.

²² Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

²³ The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

²⁴ One man gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

²⁵ A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

²⁶ People curse the man who hoards grain,
but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.

²⁷ He who seeks good finds goodwill,
but evil comes to him who searches for it.

²⁸ Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

²⁹ He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise.

³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and he who wins souls is wise.

³¹ If the righteous receive their due on earth,
how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

Proverbs 12

¹ Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates correction is stupid.

² A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
but the LORD condemns a crafty man.

³ A man cannot be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

⁴ A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

⁵ The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶ The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.

⁷ Wicked men are overthrown and are no more,
but the house of the righteous stands firm.

⁸ A man is praised according to his wisdom,
but men with warped minds are despised.

⁹ Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

¹⁰ A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹ He who works his land will have abundant food,
but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.

¹² The wicked desire the plunder of evil men,
but the root of the righteous flourishes.

¹³ An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk,
but a righteous man escapes trouble.

¹⁴ From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things
as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.

¹⁵ The way of a fool seems right to him,
but a wise man listens to advice.

¹⁶ A fool shows his annoyance at once,
but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

¹⁷ A truthful witness gives honest testimony,
but a false witness tells lies.

¹⁸ Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹ Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

²⁰ There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but joy for those who promote peace.

²¹ No harm befalls the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²² The LORD detests lying lips,
but he delights in men who are truthful.

²³ A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself,
but the heart of fools blurts out folly.

²⁴ Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in slave labor.

²⁵ An anxious heart weighs a man down,
but a kind word cheers him up.

²⁶ A righteous man is cautious in friendship, ^[a]
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

²⁷ The lazy man does not roast ^[b] his game,
but the diligent man prizes his possessions.

²⁸ In the way of righteousness there is life;
along that path is immortality.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 12:26 Or man is a guide to his neighbor
2. Proverbs 12:27 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.