Proverbs 10

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

This chapter begins a collection of Solomon's proverbs contrasting the behaviors and outcomes of the wise and righteous with those of the foolish and wicked. It details how diligence and integrity lead to security and wealth, whereas idleness and deceit result in poverty and ruin. The text compares the speech, actions, and fates of different individuals, noting that the righteous receive sustenance, blessings, and lasting memory, while the wicked face destruction, shortened years, and ruin. Throughout these verses, contrasts are drawn regarding wealth, labor, speech, and the consequences brought by the Lord upon different types of conduct.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother. ²Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness brings deliverance from death. ³The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but He denies the craving of the wicked. ⁴Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. ⁵He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. ⁶Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. ⁷The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. ⁸A wise heart will receive commandments, but foolish lips will come to ruin. ⁹He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. ¹⁰He who winks the eye causes grief, and foolish lips will come to ruin. ¹¹The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. ¹²Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions. ¹³Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment. ¹⁴The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool invites destruction. ¹⁵The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. ¹⁶The labor of the righteous leads to life, but the gain of the wicked brings punishment. ¹⁷Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who ignores reproof goes astray. ¹⁸The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. ¹⁹When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. 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. ²²The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it. ²³The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom. ²⁴What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. ²⁵When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are secure forever. ²⁶Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the slacker to those who send him. ²⁷The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be cut short. ²⁸The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectations of the wicked will perish. ²⁹The way of the LORD is a refuge to the upright, but destruction awaits those who do evil. ³⁰The righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not inhabit the land. ³¹The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out. ³²The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.

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Louis Segond 1910 and Berean Standard Bible: public domain. Cross references: open-cross-ref, Creative Commons BY 4.0.