Proverbs 15

¹A soft answer will turn away wrath,

²The tongue of the wise will dispense knowledge,

³In every place, the eyes of Yahweh

⁴Gentleness of tongue is a tree of life,[#Or “Healing”]

⁵A fool will despise the instruction of his father,

⁶In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,

⁷The lips of the wise will spread knowledge,

⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination of Yahweh,

⁹An abomination of Yahweh is the way of the wicked,

¹⁰Severe discipline belongs to him who forsakes the way;

¹¹Sheol and Abaddon are before Yahweh,[#A term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the Underworld; #Poetic synonym for “Sheol.” Only mentioned in the ot in relation to Sheol, the grave, or death.]

¹²A scoffer does not like his rebuke;[#Literally “rebuke belonging to him”]

¹³A heart of gladness will make good countenance,[#Or “mind”; #Literally “faces”]

¹⁴The heart of him who understands will seek knowledge,

¹⁵All the days of the poor are hard,

¹⁶Better is little with the fear of Yahweh

¹⁷Better is a dinner of vegetables when love is there[#Hebrew “and”]

¹⁸A man who is hot-tempered will stir up strife,

¹⁹The way of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns,[#Hebrew “thorn”]

²⁰A child of wisdom will make a father glad,

²¹Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,[#Literally “heart”]

²²Plans go wrong when there is no counsel,

²³Joy belongs to a man with answers in his mouth,

²⁴The path of life leads upward for him who has insight,

²⁵The house of the proud, Yahweh will tear it down,

²⁶Plans of evil are an abomination of Yahweh,

²⁷He who makes trouble for his house is he who is greedy for unjust gain,

²⁸A heart of righteousness will ponder the answer,[#Or “mind”]

²⁹Yahweh is far from the wicked,

³⁰From the light of the eyes, the heart will rejoice,[#Or “mind”]

³¹The ear of him who listens to admonitions of life,

³²He who ignores instruction despises himself,[#Or “soul,” or “inner self”]

³³Fear of Yahweh is the instruction of the wise,