The Living Bible (208 page)
Authors: Inc. Tyndale House Publishers
Tags: #BIBLES / Other Translations / Text
A dry crust eaten in peace is better than steak every day along with argument and strife.
2
A wise slave will rule his master’s wicked sons and share their estate.
3
Silver and gold are purified by fire, but God purifies hearts.
4
The wicked enjoy fellowship with others who are wicked; liars enjoy liars.
5
Mocking the poor is mocking the God who made them. He will punish those who rejoice at others’ misfortunes.
6
An old man’s grandchildren are his crowning glory. A child’s glory is his father.
7
Truth from a rebel or lies from a king are both unexpected.
8
A bribe works like magic. Whoever uses it will prosper!
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9
Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends.
10
A rebuke to a man of common sense is more effective than a hundred lashes on the back of a rebel.
11
The wicked live for rebellion; they shall be severely punished.
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12
It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool caught in his folly.
13
If you repay evil for good, a curse is upon your home.
14
It is hard to stop a quarrel once it starts,
*
so don’t let it begin.
15
The Lord despises those who say that bad is good and good is bad.
16
It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a rebel who has no heart for truth.
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17
A true friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.
18
It is poor judgment to countersign another’s note, to become responsible for his debts.
19
Sinners love to fight; boasting is looking for trouble.
20
An evil man is suspicious of everyone
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and tumbles into constant trouble.
21
It’s no fun to be a rebel’s father.
22
A cheerful heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit makes one sick.
23
It is wrong to accept a bribe to twist justice.
24
Wisdom is the main pursuit of sensible men, but a fool’s goals are at the ends of the earth!
25
A rebellious son is a grief to his father and a bitter blow to his mother.
26
How shortsighted to fine the godly for being good! And to punish nobles for being honest!
27-28
The man of few words and settled mind is wise; therefore, even a fool is thought to be wise when he is silent. It pays him to keep his mouth shut.
The selfish man quarrels against every sound principle of conduct by demanding his own way.
2
A rebel doesn’t care about the facts. All he wants to do is yell.
*
3
Sin brings disgrace.
4
A wise man’s words express deep streams of thought.
5
It is wrong for a judge to favor the wicked and condemn the innocent.
6-7
A fool gets into constant fights. His mouth is his undoing! His words endanger him.
8
What dainty morsels rumors are. They are eaten with great relish!
9
A lazy man is brother to the saboteur.
10
The Lord
*
is a strong fortress. The godly run to him and are safe.
11
The rich man thinks of his wealth as an impregnable defense, a high wall of safety. What a dreamer!
12
Pride ends in destruction; humility ends in honor.
13
What a shame—yes, how stupid!—to decide before knowing the facts!
14
A man’s courage
*
can sustain his broken body, but when courage dies, what hope is left?
15
The intelligent man is always open to new ideas. In fact, he looks for them.
16
A gift does wonders; it will bring you before men of importance!
17
Any story sounds true until someone tells the other side and sets the record straight.
18
A coin toss
*
ends arguments and settles disputes between powerful opponents.
19
It is harder to win back the friendship of an offended brother than to capture a fortified city.
*
His anger shuts you out like iron bars.
20
Ability to give wise advice satisfies like a good meal!
21
Those who love to talk will suffer the consequences. Men have died for saying the wrong thing!
22
The man who finds a wife finds a good thing; she is a blessing to him from the Lord.
23
The poor man pleads, and the rich man answers with insults.
24
There are “friends” who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Better to be poor and honest than rich
*
and dishonest.
2
It is dangerous and sinful to rush into the unknown.
3
A man may ruin his chances by his own foolishness and then blame it on the Lord!
4
A wealthy man has many “friends”; the poor man has none left.
5
Punish false witnesses. Track down liars.
6
Many beg favors from a man who is generous; everyone is his friend!
7
A poor man’s own brothers turn away from him in embarrassment;
*
how much more his friends! He calls after them, but they are gone.
8
He who loves wisdom loves his own best interest and will be a success.
9
A false witness shall be punished, and a liar shall be caught.
10
It doesn’t seem right for a fool to succeed or for a slave to rule over princes!
11
A wise man restrains his anger and overlooks insults. This is to his credit.
12
The king’s anger is as dangerous as a lion’s. But his approval is as refreshing as the dew on grass.
13
A rebellious son is a calamity to his father, and a nagging wife annoys like constant dripping.
14
A father can give his sons homes and riches, but only the Lord can give them understanding wives.
15
A lazy man sleeps soundly—and he goes hungry!
16
Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them means death.
17
When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord—and he pays wonderful interest on your loan!
18
Discipline your son in his early years while there is hope. If you don’t, you will ruin his life.
19
A short-tempered man must bear his own penalty; you can’t do much to help him. If you try once, you must try a dozen times!
20
Get all the advice you can and be wise the rest of your life.
21
Man proposes, but God disposes.
22
Kindness makes a man attractive. And it is better to be poor than dishonest.
23
Reverence for God gives life, happiness, and protection from harm.
24
Some men are so lazy they won’t even feed themselves!
25
Punish a mocker and others will learn from his example. Reprove a wise man, and he will be the wiser.
26
A son who mistreats his father or mother is a public disgrace.
27
Stop listening to teaching that contradicts what you know is right.
28
A worthless witness cares nothing for truth—he enjoys his sinning too much.
29
Mockers and rebels shall be severely punished.