The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  18k Riches and honor are with me,

  Enduring riches and righteousness.

  19My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,

  And my revenue than choice silver.

  20I 4traverse the way of righteousness,

  In the midst of the paths of justice,

  21That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,

  That I may fill their treasuries.

  22“Thel LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way,

  Before His works of old.

  23m I have been established from everlasting,

  From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

  24When there were no depths I was brought forth,

  When there were no fountains abounding with water.

  25n Before the mountains were settled,

  Before the hills, I was brought forth;

  26While as yet He had not made the earth or the 5fields,

  Or the 6primal dust of the world.

  27When He prepared the heavens, I was there,

  When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,

  28When He established the clouds above,

  When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

  29o When He assigned to the sea its limit,

  So that the waters would not transgress His command,

  When pHe marked out the foundations of the earth,

  30q Then I was beside Him as 7a master craftsman;

  r And I was daily His delight,

  Rejoicing always before Him,

  31Rejoicing in His inhabited world,

  And smy delight was with the sons of men.

  32“Now therefore, listen to me, my children,

  For tblessed are those who keep my ways.

  33Hear instruction and be wise,

  And do not disdain it.

  34u Blessed is the man who listens to me,

  Watching daily at my gates,

  Waiting at the posts of my doors.

  35For whoever finds me finds life,

  And vobtains favor from the LORD;

  36But he who sins against me wwrongs his own soul;

  All those who hate me love death.”

  Proverbs 9

  The Way of Wisdom

  1Wisdom has abuilt her house,

  She has hewn out her seven pillars;

  2b She has slaughtered her meat,

  c She has mixed her wine,

  She has also 1furnished her table.

  3She has sent out her maidens,

  She cries out from the highest places of the city,

  4“Whoeverd is simple, let him turn in here!”

  As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,

  5“Come,e eat of my bread

  And drink of the wine I have mixed.

  6Forsake foolishness and live,

  And go in the way of understanding.

  7“He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,

  And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.

  8f Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;

  g Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

  9Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;

  Teach a just man, hand he will increase in learning.

  10“Thei fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

  And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

  11j For by me your days will be multiplied,

  And years of life will be added to you.

  12k If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,

  And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”

  The Way of Folly

  13l A foolish woman is 2clamorous;

  She is simple, and knows nothing.

  14For she sits at the door of her house,

  On a seat mby the highest places of the city,

  15To call to those who pass by,

  Who go straight on their way:

  16“Whoevern is 3simple, let him turn in here”;

  And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,

  17“Stoleno water is sweet,

  And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

  18But he does not know that pthe dead are there,

  That her guests are in the depths of 4hell.

  Proverbs 10

  Wise Sayings of Solomon

  1The proverbs of aSolomon:

  b A wise son makes a glad father,

  But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

  2c Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,

  d But righteousness delivers from death.

  3e The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish,

  But He casts away the desire of the wicked.

  4f He who has a slack hand becomes poor,

  But gthe hand of the diligent makes rich.

  5He who gathers in hsummer is a wise son;

  He who sleeps in harvest is ia son who causes shame.

  6Blessings are on the head of the righteous,

  But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

  7j The memory of the righteous is blessed,

  But the name of the wicked will rot.

  8The wise in heart will receive commands,

  k But 1a prating fool will 2fall.

  9l He who walks with integrity walks securely,

  But he who perverts his ways will become known.

  10He who winks with the eye causes trouble,

  But a prating fool will fall.

  11The mouth of the righteous is a well of life,

  But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

  12Hatred stirs up strife,

  But mlove covers all sins.

  13Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,

  But na rod is for the back of him who 3is devoid of understanding.

  14Wise people store up knowledge,

  But othe mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

  15The prich man’s wealth is his strong city;

  The destruction of the poor is their poverty.

  16The labor of the righteous leads to qlife,

  The wages of the wicked to sin.

  17He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,

  But he who refuses correction 4goes astray.

  18Whoever rhides hatred has lying lips,

  And swhoever spreads slander is a fool.

  19t In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,

  But uhe who restrains his lips is wise.

  20The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;

  The heart of the wicked is worth little.

  21The lips of the righteous feed many,

  But fools die for lack of 5wisdom.

  22v The blessing of the LORD makes one rich,

  And He adds no sorrow with it.

  23w To do evil is like sport to a fool,

  But a man of understanding has wisdom.

  24x The fear of the wicked will come upon him,

  And ythe desire of the righteous will be granted.

  25When the whirlwind passes by, zthe wicked is no more,

  But athe righteous has an everlasting foundation.

  26As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,

  So is the lazy man to those who send him.

  27b The fear of the LORD prolongs days,

  But cthe years of the wicked will be shortened.

  28The hope of the righteous will be gladness,

  But the dexpectation of the wicked will perish.

  29The way of the LORD is strength for the upright,

  But edestruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

  30f The righteous will never be removed,

  But the wicked will not inhabit the 6earth.

  31g The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,

  But the perverse tongue will be cut out.

  32The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,

  But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.r />
  Proverbs 11

  The Folly of Wickedness

  1aDishonest1 scales are an abomination to the LORD,

  But a 2just weight is His delight.

  2When pride comes, then comes bshame;

  But with the humble is wisdom.

  3The integrity of the upright will guide cthem,

  But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

  4d Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,

  But erighteousness delivers from death.

  5The righteousness of the blameless will 3direct his way aright,

  But the wicked will fall by his own fwickedness.

  6The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,

  But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.

  7When a wicked man dies, his expectation will gperish,

  And the hope of the unjust perishes.

  8h The righteous is delivered from trouble,

  And it comes to the wicked instead.

  9The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor,

  But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.

  10i When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices;

  And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.

  11By the blessing of the upright the city is jexalted,

  But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

  12He who 4is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,

  But a man of understanding holds his peace.

  13k A talebearer reveals secrets,

  But he who is of a faithful spirit lconceals a matter.

  14m Where there is no counsel, the people fall;

  But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

  15He who is nsurety5 for a stranger will suffer,

  But one who hates 6being surety is secure.

  16A gracious woman retains honor,

  But ruthless men retain riches.

  17o The merciful man does good for his own soul,

  But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

  18The wicked man does deceptive work,

  But phe who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.

  19As righteousness leads to qlife,

  So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own rdeath.

  20Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD,

  But the blameless in their ways are His delight.

  21sThough they join 7forces, the wicked will not go unpunished;

  But tthe posterity of the righteous will be delivered.

  22As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,

  So is a lovely woman who lacks 8discretion.

  23The desire of the righteous is only good,

  But the expectation of the wicked uis wrath.

  24There is one who vscatters, yet increases more;

  And there is one who withholds more than is right,

  But it leads to poverty.

  25w The generous soul will be made rich,

  x And he who waters will also be watered himself.

  26The people will curse yhim who withholds grain,

  But zblessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

  27He who earnestly seeks good 9finds favor,

  a But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.

  28b He who trusts in his riches will fall,

  But cthe righteous will flourish like foliage.

  29He who troubles his own house dwill inherit the wind,

  And the fool will be eservant to the wise of heart.

  30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

  And fhe who 10wins souls is wise.

  31g If the righteous will be 11recompensed on the earth,

  How much more the ungodly and the sinner.

  Proverbs 12

  The House of the Righteous Shall Stand

  1Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,

  But he who hates correction is stupid.

  2A good man obtains favor from the LORD,

  But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.

  3A man is not established by wickedness,

  But the aroot of the righteous cannot be moved.

  4b An1 excellent wife is the crown of her husband,

  But she who causes shame is clike rottenness in his bones.

  5The thoughts of the righteous are right,

  But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.

  6d The words of the wicked are, “Lie in wait for blood,”

  e But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.

  7f The wicked are overthrown and are no more,

  But the house of the righteous will stand.

  8A man will be commended according to his wisdom,

  g But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised.

  9h Better is the one who is 2slighted but has a servant,

  Than he who honors himself but lacks bread.

  10i A righteous man regards the life of his animal,

  But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

  11j He who 3tills his land will be satisfied with kbread,

  But he who follows 4frivolity lis devoid of 5understanding.

  12The wicked covet the catch of evil men,

  But the root of the righteous yields fruit.

  13m The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,

  n But the righteous will come through trouble.

  14o A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,

  p And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.

  15q The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

  But he who heeds counsel is wise.

  16r A fool’s wrath is known at once,

  But a prudent man covers shame.

  17s He who speaks truth declares righteousness,

  But a false witness, deceit.

  18t There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,

  But the tongue of the wise promotes health.

  19The truthful lip shall be established forever,

  u But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

  20Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,

  But counselors of peace have joy.

  21v No grave 6trouble will overtake the righteous,

  But the wicked shall be filled with evil.

  22w Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,

  But those who deal truthfully are His delight.

  23x A prudent man conceals knowledge,

  But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.

  24y The hand of the diligent will rule,

  But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.

  25z Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,

  But aa good word makes it glad.

  26The righteous should choose his friends carefully,

  For the way of the wicked leads them astray.

  27The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,

  But diligence is man’s precious possession.

  28In the way of righteousness is life,

  And in its pathway there is no death.

  Proverbs 13

  Wisdom Loves Righteousness

  1A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,

  a But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

  2b A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth,

  But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.

  3c He who guards his mouth preserves his life,

  But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

  4d The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;

  But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

  5A righteous man hates lying,

  But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame.

  6e Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,

  But wickedness overthrows the sinner.

  7f There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;

  And on
e who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.

  8The ransom of a man’s life is his riches,

  But the poor does not hear rebuke.

  9The light of the righteous rejoices,

  g But the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

  10By pride comes nothing but hstrife,

  But with the well-advised is wisdom.

  11i Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished,

  But he who gathers by labor will increase.

  12Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

  But jwhen the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

  13He who kdespises the word will be destroyed,

  But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.

  14l The law of the wise is a fountain of life,

  To turn one away from mthe snares of death.

  15Good understanding 1gains nfavor,

  But the way of the unfaithful is hard.

  16o Every prudent man acts with knowledge,

  But a fool lays open his folly.

  17A wicked messenger falls into trouble,

  But pa faithful ambassador brings health.

  18Poverty and shame will come to him who 2disdains correction,

  But qhe who regards a rebuke will be honored.

  19A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul,

  But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.

  20He who walks with wise men will be wise,

  But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

  21r Evil pursues sinners,

  But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.

  22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,

  But sthe wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

  23t Much food is in the 3fallow ground of the poor,

  And for lack of justice there is 4waste.

  24u He who spares his rod hates his son,

  But he who loves him disciplines him 5promptly.

  25v The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul,

  But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.

  Proverbs 14

  The Ways of Life and Death

  1The wise woman builds her house,

  But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.

  2He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD,

  a But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.

  3In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,

  b But the lips of the wise will preserve them.

  4Where no oxen are, the 1trough is clean;

  But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.

  5A cfaithful witness does not lie,

  But a false witness will utter dlies.

  6A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it,