The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

But eknowledge is easy to him who understands.

  7Go from the presence of a foolish man,

  When you do not perceive in him the lips of fknowledge.

  8The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,

  But the folly of fools is deceit.

  9g Fools mock at 2sin,

  But among the upright there is favor.

  10The heart knows its own bitterness,

  And a stranger does not share its joy.

  11h The house of the wicked will be overthrown,

  But the tent of the upright will flourish.

  12i There is a way that seems right to a man,

  But jits end is the way of kdeath.

  13Even in laughter the heart may sorrow,

  And lthe end of mirth may be grief.

  14The backslider in heart will be mfilled with his own ways,

  But a good man will be satisfied 3from nabove.

  15The simple believes every word,

  But the prudent considers well his steps.

  16o A wise man fears and departs from evil,

  But a fool rages and is self-confident.

  17A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,

  And a man of wicked intentions is hated.

  18The simple inherit folly,

  But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

  19The evil will bow before the good,

  And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

  20p The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor,

  But 4the rich has many qfriends.

  21He who despises his neighbor sins;

  r But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

  22Do they not go astray who devise evil?

  But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.

  23In all labor there is profit,

  But 5idle chatter leads only to poverty.

  24The crown of the wise is their riches,

  But the foolishness of fools is folly.

  25A true witness 6delivers ssouls,

  But a deceitful witness speaks lies.

  26In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,

  And His children will have a place of refuge.

  27t The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,

  To turn one away from the snares of death.

  28In a multitude of people is a king’s honor,

  But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.

  29u He who is slow to wrath has great understanding,

  But he who is 7impulsive exalts folly.

  30A sound heart is life to the body,

  But venvy is wrottenness to the bones.

  31x He who oppresses the poor reproaches yhis Maker,

  But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.

  32The wicked is banished in his wickedness,

  But zthe righteous has a refuge in his death.

  33Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,

  But awhat is in the heart of fools is made known.

  34Righteousness exalts a bnation,

  But sin is a 8reproach to any people.

  35c The king’s favor is toward a wise servant,

  But his wrath is against him who causes shame.

  Proverbs 15

  A Soft Answer Turns Away Wrath

  1A asoft answer turns away wrath,

  But ba harsh word stirs up anger.

  2The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,

  c But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

  3d The eyes of the LORD are in every place,

  Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

  4A 1wholesome tongue is a tree of life,

  But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

  5e A fool despises his father’s instruction,

  f But he who 2receives correction is prudent.

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

  But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.

  7The lips of the wise 3disperse knowledge,

  But the heart of the fool does not do so.

  8g The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,

  But the prayer of the upright is His delight.

  9The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,

  But He loves him who hfollows righteousness.

  10i Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way,

  And jhe who hates correction will die.

  11k Hell4 and 5Destruction are before the LORD;

  So how much more lthe hearts of the sons of men.

  12m A scoffer does not love one who corrects him,

  Nor will he go to the wise.

  13n A merry heart makes a cheerful 6countenance,

  But oby sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

  14The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,

  But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.

  15All the days of the afflicted are evil,

  p But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

  16q Better is a little with the fear of the LORD,

  Than great treasure with trouble.

  17r Better is a dinner of 7herbs where love is,

  Than a fatted calf with hatred.

  18s A wrathful man stirs up strife,

  But he who is slow to anger allays contention.

  19t The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns,

  But the way of the upright is a highway.

  20u A wise son makes a father glad,

  But a foolish man despises his mother.

  21v Folly is joy to him who is destitute of 8discernment,

  w But a man of understanding walks uprightly.

  22x Without counsel, plans go awry,

  But in the multitude of counselors they are established.

  23A man has joy by the answer of his mouth,

  And ya word spoken 9in due season, how good it is!

  24z The way of life winds upward for the wise,

  That he may aturn away from 10hell below.

  25b The LORD will destroy the house of the proud,

  But cHe will establish the boundary of the widow.

  26d The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD,

  e But the words of the pure are pleasant.

  27f He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,

  But he who hates bribes will live.

  28The heart of the righteous gstudies how to answer,

  But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.

  29h The LORD is far from the wicked,

  But iHe hears the prayer of the righteous.

  30The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,

  And a good report makes the bones 11healthy.

  31The ear that hears the rebukes of life

  Will abide among the wise.

  32He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,

  But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.

  33j The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,

  And kbefore honor is humility.

  Proverbs 16

  Wisdom Is Better Than Gold

  1The apreparations1 of the heart belong to man,

  b But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

  2All the ways of a man are pure in his own ceyes,

  But the LORD weighs the spirits.

  3d Commit2 your works to the LORD,

  And your thoughts will be established.

  4The eLORD has made all for Himself,

  f Yes, even the wicked for the day of 3doom.

  5g Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD;

  Though they join 4forces, none will go unpunished.

  6h In mercy and truth

  Atonement is provided for iniquity;

  And iby the fear of the LORD one departs from evil.

  7When a man’s ways please the LORD,

  He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

  8j B
etter is a little with righteousness,

  Than vast revenues without justice.

  9k A man’s heart plans his way,

  l But the LORD directs his steps.

  10Divination is on the lips of the king;

  His mouth must not transgress in judgment.

  11m Honest weights and scales are the LORD’s;

  All the weights in the bag are His 5work.

  12It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,

  For na throne is established by righteousness.

  13o Righteous lips are the delight of kings,

  And they love him who speaks what is right.

  14As messengers of death is the king’s wrath,

  But a wise man will pappease it.

  15In the light of the king’s face is life,

  And his favor is like a qcloud of the latter rain.

  16r How much better to get wisdom than gold!

  And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

  17The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;

  He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

  18Pride goes before destruction,

  And a haughty spirit before 6a fall.

  19Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,

  Than to divide the 7spoil with the proud.

  20He who heeds the word wisely will find good,

  And whoever strusts in the LORD, happy is he.

  21The wise in heart will be called prudent,

  And sweetness of the lips increases learning.

  22Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.

  But the correction of fools is folly.

  23The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,

  And adds learning to his lips.

  24Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,

  Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

  25There is a way that seems right to a man,

  But its end is the way of tdeath.

  26The person who labors, labors for himself,

  For his hungry mouth drives uhim on.

  278 An ungodly man digs up evil,

  And it is on his lips like a burning vfire.

  28A perverse man sows strife,

  And wa whisperer separates the best of friends.

  29A violent man entices his neighbor,

  And leads him in a way that is not good.

  30He winks his eye to devise perverse things;

  He 9purses his lips and brings about evil.

  31x The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,

  If it is found in the way of righteousness.

  32y He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

  And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

  33The lot is cast into the lap,

  But its every decision is from the LORD.

  Proverbs 17

  The LORD Tests Hearts

  1Better is aa dry morsel with quietness,

  Than a house full of 1feasting with strife.

  2A wise servant will rule over ba son who causes shame,

  And will share an inheritance among the brothers.

  3The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,

  c But the LORD tests the hearts.

  4An evildoer gives heed to false lips;

  A liar listens eagerly to a 2spiteful tongue.

  5d He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;

  e He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

  6f Children’s children are the crown of old men,

  And the glory of children is their father.

  7Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,

  Much less lying lips to a prince.

  8A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor;

  Wherever he turns, he prospers.

  9g He who covers a transgression seeks love,

  But hhe who repeats a matter separates friends.

  10i Rebuke is more effective for a wise man

  Than a hundred blows on a fool.

  11An evil man seeks only rebellion;

  Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

  12Let a man meet ja bear robbed of her cubs,

  Rather than a fool in his folly.

  13Whoever krewards evil for good,

  Evil will not depart from his house.

  14The beginning of strife is like releasing water;

  Therefore lstop contention before a quarrel starts.

  15m He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,

  Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.

  16Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,

  Since he has no heart for it?

  17n A friend loves at all times,

  And a brother is born for adversity.

  18o A man devoid of 3understanding 4shakes hands in a pledge,

  And becomes 5surety for his friend.

  19He who loves transgression loves strife,

  And phe who exalts his gate seeks destruction.

  20He who has a 6deceitful heart finds no good,

  And he who has qa perverse tongue falls into evil.

  21He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,

  And the father of a fool has no joy.

  22A rmerry heart 7does good, like medicine,

  But a broken spirit dries the bones.

  23A wicked man accepts a bribe 8behind the back

  To pervert the ways of justice.

  24s Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,

  But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

  25A tfoolish son is a grief to his father,

  And bitterness to her who bore him.

  26Also, to punish the righteous is not good,

  Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.

  27u He who has knowledge spares his words,

  And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.

  28v Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;

  When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

  Proverbs 18

  The Name of the LORD Is a Strong Tower

  1A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;

  He rages against all 1wise judgment.

  2A fool has no delight in understanding,

  But in expressing his aown heart.

  3When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;

  And with dishonor comes reproach.

  4b The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;

  c The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.

  5It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,

  Or to overthrow the righteous in djudgment.

  6A fool’s lips enter into contention,

  And his mouth calls for blows.

  7e A fool’s mouth is his destruction,

  And his lips are the snare of his fsoul.

  8g The words of a 2talebearer are like 3tasty trifles,

  And they go down into the 4inmost body.

  9He who is slothful in his work

  Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

  10The name of the LORD is a strong htower;

  The righteous run to it and are 5safe.

  11The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

  And like a high wall in his own esteem.

  12i Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty,

  And before honor is humility.

  13He who answers a matter before he hears it,

  It is folly and shame to him.

  14The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,

  But who can bear a broken spirit?

  15The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge,

  And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

  16j A man’s gift makes room for him,

  And brings him before great men.

  17The first one to plead his cause seems right,

  U
ntil his neighbor comes and examines him.

  18Casting klots causes contentions to cease,

  And keeps the mighty apart.

  19A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,

  And contentions are like the bars of a castle.

  20l A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;

  From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.

  21m Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

  And those who love it will eat its fruit.

  22n He who finds a wife finds a good thing,

  And obtains favor from the LORD.

  23The poor man uses entreaties,

  But the rich answers oroughly.

  24A man who has friends 6must himself be friendly,

  p But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

  Proverbs 19

  The Fear of the LORD Leads to Life

  1Better ais the poor who walks in his integrity

  Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

  2Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge,

  And he sins who hastens with his feet.

  3The foolishness of a man twists his way,

  And his heart frets against the LORD.

  4b Wealth makes many friends,

  But the poor is separated from his friend.

  5A cfalse witness will not go unpunished,

  And he who speaks lies will not escape.

  6Many entreat the favor of the nobility,

  And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.

  7d All the brothers of the poor hate him;

  How much more do his friends go efar from him!

  He may pursue them with words, yet they 1abandon him.

  8He who gets 2wisdom loves his own soul;

  He who keeps understanding fwill find good.

  9A false witness will not go unpunished,

  And he who speaks lies shall perish.

  10Luxury is not fitting for a fool,

  Much less gfor a servant to rule over princes.

  11h The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,

  i And his glory is to overlook a transgression.

  12j The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,

  But his favor is klike dew on the grass.

  13l A foolish son is the ruin of his father,

  m And the contentions of a wife are a continual 3dripping.

  14n Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers,

  But oa prudent wife is from the LORD.

  15p Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,

  And an idle person will qsuffer hunger.

  16r He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,

  But he who 4is careless of his ways will die.

  17s He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD,