Proverbs 15

¹²Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.

¹⁵Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

¹⁸A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.

²²An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

²⁵A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper.

¹Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done this to us? Why did you fail to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him violently.

²But Gideon answered them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?

²³A shrewd man keeps his knowledge to himself, but a foolish heart proclaims its folly.

²⁸The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil.

¹⁶Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.

¹²The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.

¹³The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.

¹For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies.” A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A love song. My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses to the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

²³The heart of the wise man instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

¹³Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

¹⁷For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.

²⁴“Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.

⁹For the eyes of the Lord roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war.”

²¹For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and the Lord examines all his paths.

⁴Does He not see my ways and count my every step?

²⁴Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

¹⁸Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

⁸The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who lay hold of her are blessed.

²“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.

¹⁴The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but who can survive a broken spirit?

³¹He who listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.

³²He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.

¹⁸Poverty and shame come to him who ignores discipline, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

¹A wise son heeds his father’s discipline, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

²⁰Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.

²⁰David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you before all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.

¹⁵Speak these things as you encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

²¹bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.

²⁰Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them.

²²The blessing of the Lord enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.

³Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

⁸Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.

¹⁶Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.

³⁴You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

²⁹Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

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

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

²⁷What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.

²I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,

³that we have heard and known and our fathers have relayed to us.

²⁹The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

¹⁷I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You.

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—how much more so when brought with ill intent!

⁹Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer is detestable.

¹⁰Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!

¹¹“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

²⁰What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.”

¹¹But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

²¹He who pursues righteousness and loving devotion finds life, righteousness, and honor.

⁴Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets again and again, saying: ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate.’

¹³Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

³So let us know—let us press on to know the Lord. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth.

¹³Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

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

¹⁷Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.

¹A wise son heeds his father’s discipline, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

⁷The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me, because I testify that its works are evil.

²⁰When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord.

²¹would not God have discovered, since He knows the secrets of the heart?

⁸If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.

¹³Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

³⁰be heard by You from heaven, Your dwelling place. And may You forgive and repay each man according to all his ways, since You know his heart—for You alone know the hearts of men—

⁶Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering.

²³Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

¹⁰There are those who hate the one who reproves in the gate and despise him who speaks with integrity.

¹⁴Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.

⁷He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself; he who rebukes a wicked man taints himself.

⁸Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

³For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.

⁷The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me, because I testify that its works are evil.

¹⁰Discipline is harsh for him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die.

²²A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

¹“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.

²⁵Anxiety weighs down the heart of a man, but a good word cheers it up.

¹⁴The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but who can survive a broken spirit?

¹⁵All the days of the oppressed are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

¹⁰Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

⁹Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.

¹⁰They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.

¹⁵The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it out.

¹⁸But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

¹¹Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.

⁵let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel

¹⁰sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

¹³A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance, but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit.

²²A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

¹¹Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

³Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

⁸Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.

¹⁶Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.

¹⁰He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.

¹¹When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes?

⁶Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.

⁶Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

²²The blessing of the Lord enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.

¹Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.

¹⁹Better to live in the desert than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.

¹⁶And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

¹A song of ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!

²It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard over the collar of his robes.

⁴Again, he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

¹Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

²¹Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

¹A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

²²An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

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

⁴If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest.

⁵Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them.

⁸And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it.

¹³The slacker says, “There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!”

²¹And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

¹³The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!”

¹Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept.

²All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!

³A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

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

¹⁵My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice.

¹⁶My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.

⁴⁸saying, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! Today He has provided one to sit on my throne, and my eyes have seen it.’”

³Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.

⁷When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord this day! He has given David a wise son over this great people!”

¹⁵Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

²³The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom.

¹⁶A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.

¹⁸Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,

¹⁹so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

¹²Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks judgment, but a man of understanding remains silent.

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

¹⁴For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but with many counselors comes deliverance.

¹⁸Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.

⁶For there is a right time and procedure to every purpose, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him.

⁴The Lord God has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.

²⁹Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

¹¹A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹²Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.

¹⁴By fruitful speech a man is filled with good things, and the work of his hands returns to him.

¹³Righteous lips are a king’s delight, and he who speaks honestly is beloved.

²⁶An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.

¹Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

¹¹You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

¹⁴But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.

²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

⁸Furthermore, you are to tell this people that this is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

⁶Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

⁹The Lord protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.

⁵A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation.

⁶God settles the lonely in families; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.

¹⁷For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.

¹⁸He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.

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

⁷The wicked are overthrown and perish, but the house of the righteous will stand.

¹⁰Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

¹⁶There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him:

¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁴Wash the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts within you?

³⁴You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

³⁵The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.

²³A man takes joy in a fitting reply—and how good is a timely word!

³⁰The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.

¹⁴May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

⁸Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

¹⁹Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.

¹¹Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”

²⁹He who brings trouble on his house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

¹⁹Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

¹⁵He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears against murderous plots and shuts his eyes tightly against evil—

¹⁶he will dwell on the heights; the mountain fortress will be his refuge; his food will be provided and his water assured.

¹⁵But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,

¹¹A fool vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back.

²Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.

⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

⁷All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,

²³The heart of the wise man instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

²The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.

³¹We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.

¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth.

¹⁹He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.

⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

¹⁵The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.

¹⁶But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.

¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

¹⁷Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:

¹¹Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!

²⁵Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.

¹¹The Lord will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

⁵There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun. For the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.

²³And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.

⁸But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the Lord our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes.

⁵A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction is prudent.

¹²Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.

⁸Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

⁹Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.

²⁰Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.

³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

⁴Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.

²⁰He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.

¹⁹Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.

²⁴Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,

²⁵because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,

⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

⁵Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted.

³³Listen to instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.

³⁴Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway.

³O Lord, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

⁵Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

¹²Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.

⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

¹¹Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!