Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness 1 UST It is better for someone to have a little stale food{ to eat} while living peacefully than for someone to live in a house where people frequently eat large meals while arguing with each other. BSB BSB: Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 UST An insightful slave will become the boss of a disgraceful son{ of his master}, and that slave will inherit a portion{ of his master’ s property} along with his master’ s sons. BSB BSB: A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 UST People put silver and gold into very hot furnaces{ to burn out what is impure}, and Yahweh tests what people are thinking and desiring to do{ in a similar manner}. BSB BSB: A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
4 UST People who act wickedly listen carefully when people speak what is sinful; people who lie pay attention when people say things that destroy{ others}. BSB BSB: A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
5 UST People who ridicule poor people despise Yahweh, who made them; Yahweh will certainly punish people who rejoice when other people experience disastrous things. BSB BSB: He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
6 UST Old people are proud of their grandchildren, and children are proud of their parents. BSB BSB: Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
7 UST It is not fitting for worthless people to speak eloquently. It is even less fitting for royal officials to speak falsely! BSB BSB: Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!
8 UST People who pay bribes think that bribes are magical;{ by paying bribes, they think that} everything that they do will be successful. BSB BSB: A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
9 UST If you want people to love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they have done to you. If you continue to remind them about those{ wrong} things, they will no longer be your friends. BSB BSB: Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.
10 UST Rebuking sensible people once causes them to learn more than hitting foolish people a hundred times{ causes them to learn}. BSB BSB: A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.
11 UST Evil people only want to rebel, so a merciless messenger will come and punish them. BSB BSB: An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 UST A mother bear who is furious because someone has stolen her cubs is dangerous, but it can be more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish. BSB BSB: It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
13 UST If someone does bad things to people who have done good things to him, then bad things will always happen to his family. BSB BSB: If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
14 UST When people start arguing with each other, it is{ as difficult to stop as it is to stop} water that is leaking out{ of a dam}, so prevent yourself from arguing before you start to argue. BSB BSB: To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
15 UST There are people who acquit guilty people, and there are people who condemn innocent people; Yahweh detests both types of people. BSB BSB: Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.
16 UST How useless it is for foolish people to try to pay money in order to become wise when they are unable to think! BSB BSB: Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?
17 UST A friend loves{ you} all the time, and relatives exist in order to help{ other relatives} when disastrous things happen. BSB BSB: A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18 UST People who do not think wisely agree to pay someone else’ s loan and even guarantee to pay that loan in front of people whom they know. BSB BSB: A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
19 UST People who love to sin{ also} love to cause people to argue; people who brag a lot cause others to destroy them. BSB BSB: He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.
20 UST People who think deceitfully will not experience good things, and bad things will happen to people who speak deceitfully. BSB BSB: The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
21 UST Foolish people grieve their parents. Indeed, worthless people will cause their parents to be very sad. BSB BSB: A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
22 UST Being cheerful helps the body to heal, but being discouraged makes the body weak. BSB BSB: A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 UST Wicked people accept bribes that people give to them secretly, so that they will decide matters unfairly. BSB BSB: A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.
24 UST Understanding people concentrate on what is wise, but foolish people cannot concentrate on anything. BSB BSB: Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
25 UST Foolish children grieve their fathers and make their mothers miserable. BSB BSB: A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
26 UST Punishing innocent people is surely very bad,{ and} flogging noble people{ would be just as} wrong. BSB BSB: It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.
27 UST People who refrain from speaking{ unnecessarily} are knowledgeable, and people who can remain calm are{ truly} wise. BSB BSB: A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
28 UST People will think even foolish people are wise if those foolish people do not speak. Indeed, if fools refrain from speaking people will consider them to be insightful. BSB BSB: Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.