Mishlĕ (Proverbs) 15

¹A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up displeasure.

²The tongue of the wise makes knowledge good, But the mouth of fools pours out foolishness.

³The eyes of יהוה are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.

⁴A healing tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it crushes the spirit.

⁵A fool despises his father’s discipline, But he who heeds reproof is clever.

⁶The household of the righteous is a great treasure, But in the income of the wrong is trouble.

⁷The lips of the wise scatter knowledge, But the heart of fools is not so.

⁸The slaughtering of the wrong ones Is an abomination to יהוה, But the prayer of the straight is His delight.

⁹The way of the wrong one Is an abomination to יהוה, But He loves him who pursues righteousness.

¹⁰Discipline is grievous to him who forsakes the way; He who hates reproof dies.

¹¹She’ol and destruction are before יהוה, How much more the hearts of the sons of men.

¹²A scoffer does not love his reprover, Nor does he go to the wise.

¹³A glad heart makes good a face, But by sorrow of heart the spirit is stricken.

¹⁴The heart of the understanding one seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on folly.

¹⁵All the days of the afflicted are evil, But gladness of heart is a continual feast.

¹⁶Better is a little with the fear of יהוה, Than great treasure with trouble.

¹⁷Better is a meal of vegetables where love is, Than a fatted calf with hatred.

¹⁸A man of wrath stirs up strife, But he who is patient appeases strife.

¹⁹The way of a lazy one is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the straight is a highway.

²⁰A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.

²¹Folly is joy to one lacking heart, But a man of understanding walks straight.

²²Without counsel, plans go wrong, But by great counsellors they are established.

²³A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And how good is a word spoken in its season!

²⁴The path of life is upward for the wise, To turn away from She’ol below.

²⁵יהוה tears down the house of the proud, And He sets up the boundary of the widow.

²⁶Evil thoughts are an abomination to יהוה, But pleasant words are clean.

²⁷He who is greedy for gain, troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes lives.

²⁸The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, But the mouth of the wrong pours out evil.

²⁹יהוה is far from the wrong ones, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.[#See Pro. 28:9]

³⁰The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, A good report gives marrow to the bones.

³¹An ear that hears the reproof of life Does dwell among the wise.

³²He who ignores discipline hates himself, But he who listens to reproof gets understanding.

³³The fear of יהוה is the discipline of wisdom, And before esteem is humility.