Proverbs 15

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

1A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

2The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness.

2The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

Note"Fool" in Proverbs is not a comment on intelligence. It names a settled character type: someone who will not take correction and lives with no regard for wisdom. "Wise" is its opposite, a way of living, not a level of cleverness.

3The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, watching both the evil and the good.

3The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

4A gentle, healing tongue is a tree of life, but a twisted tongue crushes the spirit.

4A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Note"A tree of life" is a stock image in Proverbs for whatever gives and sustains life; the phrase also echoes the tree in the garden in Genesis 2–3. Calling speech a tree of life says it is life-giving, not merely pleasant.

5A fool rejects his father's correction, but anyone who pays attention to correction is sensible.

5A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

6The house of the person who does right holds much treasure, but the income of the wicked brings trouble.

6In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.

7The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools do not.

7The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

NoteThe Hebrew word behind "heart" covers the whole inner person, thinking, planning and deciding as much as feeling. Where modern English would say "mind", Hebrew usually says "heart". That is why a heart can be said to spread, or fail to spread, knowledge.

8The sacrifice the wicked bring is disgusting to the LORD, but the prayer of honest people delights him.

8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

NoteA sacrifice was an animal or grain offering brought to a priest and burned at the altar, the ordinary, visible, expensive way an Israelite worshiped; prayer by contrast cost nothing. "Disgusting" translates a strong Hebrew word (to'ebah, older versions "abomination") used of what is utterly unacceptable and shut out of God's presence.

9The way the wicked live is disgusting to the LORD, but he loves the person who chases after what is right.

9The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.

10Correction feels harsh to the person who wanders off the path, and whoever hates being corrected will die.

10Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.

11The place of the dead and the place of ruin lie open before the LORD. How much more, then, do the hearts of human beings!

11Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?

NoteThe two names in the Hebrew are Sheol, the underworld where all the dead go, and Abaddon, literally "destruction" or "ruin", a parallel name for the same region. They were pictured as the deepest and most hidden place that exists, which is what makes the comparison work.

12A person who mocks does not like being corrected, and he will not go to the wise for advice.

12A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.

Note"A person who mocks" (older versions: "a scorner") is another fixed type in Proverbs, not someone who tells jokes, but someone whose settled stance is contempt for correction and for those who give it.

13A happy heart makes a cheerful face, but sorrow in the heart breaks the spirit.

13A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

14The heart of a person with understanding looks for knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.

14The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.

15For a person who is beaten down, every day is bad, but a cheerful heart is like a feast that never ends.

15All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

16It is better to have little and respect the LORD than to have great treasure along with turmoil.

16Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.

Note"Respect the LORD" translates the phrase usually rendered "the fear of the LORD": reverent awe, taking God seriously enough to order your life by him. It does not mean being frightened of him.

17It is better to eat a meal of vegetables where there is love than to eat a fattened ox where there is hatred.

17Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

NoteMeat was rare; ordinary meals were bread, vegetables and lentils. A "fattened ox" was one penned and grain-fed for slaughter rather than worked, the most lavish meal a household could put on. The contrast is between the poorest and the richest table imaginable.

18A hot-tempered man stirs up fights, but a person who is slow to get angry calms a quarrel.

18A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

19The path of the lazy man is blocked like a hedge of thorns, but the path of those who do right is a clear, level road.

19The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

NoteFields and animal pens were fenced with piled cut thornbushes; forcing your way through one is slow and painful. The road in the second half is a built-up, cleared highway raised above the ground, an engineered road rather than a footpath.

20A wise son makes his father glad, but a foolish man treats his mother with contempt.

20A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.

21Foolishness is fun to a person with no sense, but a person with understanding walks a straight path.

21Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.

22Plans fall apart when no one gives advice, but with many advisers they succeed.

22Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

23A person is glad when he can give a fitting reply, and a word spoken at just the right time is very good.

23A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

24For the wise, the path of life leads upward, so that he turns away from the place of the dead below.

24The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.

NoteThe dead were pictured as going down to Sheol, the underworld beneath the earth, so life and death are described here as directions of travel: the wise person's road runs upward, away from the grave's downward pull.

25The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but he keeps the widow's property lines secure.

25The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.

NoteFields were marked off by stones set at their edges, easy to shift quietly at night, and a widow had no husband to press her claim in a dispute. Moving a boundary stone was a standard way of stealing land from people who could not fight back, and Israelite law specifically forbade it.

26The thoughts of the wicked are disgusting to the LORD, but the words of those who are pure please him.

26The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.

27The person greedy for gain brings trouble on his own household, but the person who hates bribes will live.

27He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.

NoteThe word translated "bribes" simply means "gifts", payments made to a judge or official to bend a ruling. Israelite law banned officials from accepting them, because they blinded the eyes of those deciding a case.

28The heart of a person who does right thinks carefully before answering, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil.

28The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

29The LORD stays far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of those who do right.

29The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

30A bright look in someone's eyes makes the heart glad, and good news gives strength to the body.

30The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.

NoteThe King James has "maketh the bones fat". In Hebrew a person's bones stand for their physical vigor: well-fed bones mean health and strength, while dry or wasted bones mean weakness, grief or fear.

31The person who listens to correction that leads to life will live among the wise.

31The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.

32Anyone who refuses instruction despises his own life, but whoever listens to correction gains understanding.

32He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

33Respect for the LORD is the training that produces wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

33The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

Note"Honour" here is public standing in the eyes of your community, in this culture one of the most valuable things a person could hold. The proverb states the order in which the two arrive, not that humility is a technique for getting honor.