The Upright and the Wicked Contrasted

10¹ Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son causeth a father to rejoice, And a foolish son 'is' an affliction to his mother.

² Treasures of wickedness profit not, And righteousness delivereth from death. ³ Jehovah causeth not the soul of the righteous to hunger, And the desire of the wicked He thrusteth away.

⁴ Poor 'is' he who is working—a slothful hand, And the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

⁵ Whoso is gathering in summer 'is' a wise son, Whoso is sleeping in harvest 'is' a son causing shame.

⁶ Blessings 'are' for the head of the righteous, And the mouth of the wicked cover doth violence.

⁷ The remembrance of the righteous 'is' for a blessing, And the name of the wicked doth rot.

⁸ The wise in heart accepteth commands, And a talkative fool kicketh.

⁹ Whoso is walking in integrity walketh confidently, And whoso is perverting his ways is known.

¹⁰ Whoso is winking the eye giveth grief, And a talkative fool kicketh.

¹¹ A fountain of life 'is' the mouth of the righteous, And the mouth of the wicked cover doth violence.

¹² Hatred awaketh contentions, And over all transgressions love covereth.

¹³ In the lips of the intelligent is wisdom found, And a rod 'is' for the back of him who is lacking understanding.

¹⁴ The wise lay up knowledge, and the mouth of a fool 'is' near ruin.

¹⁵ The wealth of the rich 'is' his strong city, The ruin of the poor 'is' their poverty.

¹⁶ The wage of the righteous 'is' for life, The increase of the wicked for sin.

¹⁷ A traveller to life 'is' he who is keeping instruction, And whoso is forsaking rebuke is erring.

¹⁸ Whoso is covering hatred with lying lips, And whoso is bringing out an evil report is a fool.

¹⁹ In the abundance of words transgression ceaseth not, And whoso is restraining his lips 'is' wise.

²⁰ The tongue of the righteous 'is' chosen silver, The heart of the wicked—as a little thing. ²¹ The lips of the righteous delight many, And fools for lack of heart die.

²² The blessing of Jehovah—it maketh rich, And He addeth no grief with it.

²³ To execute inventions 'is' as play to a fool, And wisdom to a man of understanding.

²⁴ The feared thing of the wicked it meeteth him, And the desire of the righteous is given. ²⁵ As the passing by of a hurricane, So the wicked is not, And the righteous is a foundation age-during.

²⁶ As vinegar to the teeth, And as smoke to the eyes, So 'is' the slothful to those sending him.

²⁷ The fear of Jehovah addeth days, And the years of the wicked are shortened. ²⁸ The hope of the righteous 'is' joyful, And the expectation of the wicked perisheth.

²⁹ The way of Jehovah 'is' strength to the perfect, And ruin to workers of iniquity. ³⁰ The righteous to the age is not moved, And the wicked inhabit not the earth.

³¹ The mouth of the righteous uttereth wisdom, And the tongue of frowardness is cut out. ³² The lips of the righteous know a pleasing thing, And the mouth of the wicked perverseness!

11¹ Balances of deceit 'are' an abomination to Jehovah, And a perfect weight 'is' His delight.

² Pride hath come, and shame cometh, And with the lowly 'is' wisdom.

³ The integrity of the upright leadeth them, And the perverseness of the treacherous destroyeth them.

⁴ Wealth profiteth not in a day of wrath, And righteousness delivereth from death.

⁵ The righteousness of the perfect maketh right his way, And by his wickedness doth the wicked fall. ⁶ The righteousness of the upright delivereth them, And in mischief the treacherous are captured.

⁷ In the death of a wicked man, hope perisheth, And the expectation of the iniquitous hath been lost.

⁸ The righteous from distress is drawn out, And the wicked goeth in instead of him.

⁹ With the mouth a hypocrite corrupteth his friend, And by knowledge the righteous are drawn out.

¹⁰ In the good of the righteous a city exulteth, And in the destruction of the wicked 'is' singing. ¹¹ By the blessing of the upright is a city exalted, And by the mouth of the wicked thrown down.

¹² Whoso is despising his neighbour lacketh heart, And a man of understanding keepeth silence. ¹³ A busybody is revealing secret counsel, And the faithful of spirit is covering the matter.

¹⁴ Without counsels do a people fall, And deliverance 'is' in a multitude of counsellors.

¹⁵ Evil 'one' suffereth when he hath been surety 'for' a stranger, And whoso is hating suretyship is confident.

¹⁶ A gracious woman retaineth honour, And terrible 'men' retain riches.

¹⁷ A kind man is rewarding his own soul, And the fierce is troubling his own flesh.

¹⁸ The wicked is getting a lying wage, And whoso is sowing righteousness—a true reward.

¹⁹ Rightly 'is' righteousness for life, And whoso is pursuing evil—for his own death.

²⁰ An abomination to Jehovah 'are' the perverse of heart, And the perfect of the way 'are' His delight.

²¹ Hand to hand, the wicked is not acquitted, And the seed of the righteous hath escaped.

²² A ring of gold in the nose of a sow—A fair woman and stubborn of behaviour.

²³ The desire of the righteous 'is' only good, The hope of the wicked 'is' transgression.

²⁴ There is who is scattering, and yet is increased, And who is keeping back from uprightness, only to want.

²⁵ A liberal soul is made fat, And whoso is watering, he also is watered.

²⁶ Whoso is withholding corn, the people execrate him, And a blessing 'is' for the head of him who is selling.

²⁷ Whoso is earnestly seeking good Seeketh a pleasing thing, And whoso is seeking evil—it meeteth him.

²⁸ Whoso is confident in his wealth he falleth, And as a leaf, the righteous flourish.

²⁹ Whoso is troubling his own house inheriteth wind, And a servant 'is' the fool to the wise of heart.

³⁰ The fruit of the righteous 'is' a tree of life, And whoso is taking souls 'is' wise.

³¹ Lo, the righteous in the earth is recompensed, Surely also the wicked and the sinner!

12¹ Whoso is loving instruction, is loving knowledge, And whoso is hating reproof 'is' brutish.

² The good bringeth forth favour from Jehovah, And the man of wicked devices He condemneth.

³ A man is not established by wickedness, And the root of the righteous is not moved.

⁴ A virtuous woman 'is' a crown to her husband, And as rottenness in his bones 'is' one causing shame.

⁵ The thoughts of the righteous 'are' justice, The counsels of the wicked—deceit.

⁶ The words of the wicked 'are': 'Lay wait for blood,' And the mouth of the upright delivereth them.

⁷ Overthrow the wicked, and they are not, And the house of the righteous standeth.

⁸ According to his wisdom is a man praised, And the perverted of heart becometh despised.

⁹ Better 'is' the lightly esteemed who hath a servant, Than the self-honoured who lacketh bread.

¹⁰ The righteous knoweth the life of his beast, And the mercies of the wicked 'are' cruel.

¹¹ Whoso is tilling the ground is satisfied 'with' bread, And whoso is pursuing vanities is lacking heart,

¹² The wicked hath desired the net of evil doers, And the root of the righteous giveth.

¹³ In transgression of the lips 'is' the snare of the wicked, And the righteous goeth out from distress.

¹⁴ From the fruit of the mouth 'is' one satisfied 'with' good, And the deed of man's hands returneth to him.

¹⁵ The way of a fool 'is' right in his own eyes, And whoso is hearkening to counsel 'is' wise.

¹⁶ The fool—in a day is his anger known, And the prudent is covering shame.

¹⁷ Whoso uttereth faithfulness declareth righteousness, And a false witness—deceit.

¹⁸ A rash speaker is like piercings of a sword, And the tongue of the wise is healing.

¹⁹ The lip of truth is established for ever, And for a moment—a tongue of falsehood.

²⁰ Deceit 'is' in the heart of those devising evil, And to those counselling peace 'is' joy.

²¹ No iniquity is desired by the righteous, And the wicked have been full of evil.

²² An abomination to Jehovah 'are' lying lips, And stedfast doers 'are' his delight.

²³ A prudent man is concealing knowledge, And the heart of fools proclaimeth folly.

²⁴ The hand of the diligent ruleth, And slothfulness becometh tributary.

²⁵ Sorrow in the heart of a man boweth down, And a good word maketh him glad.

²⁶ The righteous searcheth his companion, And the way of the wicked causeth them to err.

²⁷ The slothful roasteth not his hunting, And the wealth of a diligent man is precious.

²⁸ In the path of righteousness 'is' life, And in the way of 'that' path 'is' no death!

4¹ Because of this, having this ministration, according as we did receive kindness, we do not faint, ² but did renounce for ourselves the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor deceitfully using the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth recommending ourselves unto every conscience of men, before God; ³ and if also our good news is vailed, in those perishing it is vailed, ⁴ in whom the god of this age did blind the minds of the unbelieving, that there doth not shine forth to them the enlightening of the good news of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God; ⁵ for not ourselves do we preach, but Christ Jesus—Lord, and ourselves your servants because of Jesus; ⁶ because 'it is' God who said, Out of darkness light 'is' to shine, who did shine in our hearts, for the enlightening of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Living by Faith

⁷ And we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us;

⁸ on every side being in tribulation, but not straitened; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰ at all times the dying of the Lord Jesus bearing about in the body, that the life also of Jesus in our body may be manifested, ¹¹ for always are we who are living delivered up to death because of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our dying flesh, ¹² so that, the death indeed in us doth work, and the life in you. ¹³ And having the same spirit of the faith, according to that which hath been written, 'I believed, therefore I did speak;' we also do believe, therefore also do we speak; ¹⁴ knowing that He who did raise up the Lord Jesus, us also through Jesus shall raise up, and shall present with you, ¹⁵ for the all things 'are' because of you, that the grace having been multiplied, because of the thanksgiving of the more, may abound to the glory of God; ¹⁶ wherefore, we faint not, but if also our outward man doth decay, yet the inward is renewed day by day; ¹⁷ for the momentary light matter of our tribulation, more and more exceedingly an age-during weight of glory doth work out for us— ¹⁸ we not looking to the things seen, but to the things not seen; for the things seen 'are' temporary, but the things not seen 'are' age-during.