Online Bible


Proverbs 10 - Contemporary English Version 1995

Wise Sayings of Solomon


2. What you gain by doing evil won't help you at all, but being good can save you from death.

3. If you obey the LORD, you won't go hungry; if you are wicked, God won't let you have what you want.

4. Laziness leads to poverty; hard work makes you rich.

5. At harvest season it's smart to work hard, but stupid to sleep.

6. Everyone praises good people, but evil hides behind the words of the wicked.

7. Good people are remembered long after they are gone, but the wicked are soon forgotten.

8. If you have good sense, you will listen and obey; if all you do is talk, you will destroy yourself.

9. You will be safe, if you always do right, but you will get caught, if you are dishonest.

10. Deceit causes trouble, and foolish talk will bring you to ruin.

11. The words of good people are a source of life, but evil hides behind the words of the wicked.

12. Hatred stirs up trouble; love overlooks the wrongs that others do.

13. If you have good sense, it will show when you speak. But if you are stupid, you will be beaten with a stick.


15. Great wealth can be a fortress, but poverty is no protection at all.

16. If you live right, the reward is a good life; if you are evil, all you have is sin.

17. Accept correction, and you will find life; reject correction, and you will miss the road.

18. You can hide your hatred by telling lies, but you are a fool to spread lies.

19. You will say the wrong thing if you talk too much-- so be sensible and watch what you say.

20. The words of a good person are like pure silver, but the thoughts of an evil person are almost worthless.

21. Many are helped by useful instruction, but fools are killed by their own stupidity.

22. When the LORD blesses you with riches, you have nothing to regret.

23. Fools enjoy doing wrong, but anyone with good sense enjoys acting wisely.

24. What evil people dread most will happen to them, but good people will get what they want most.

25. Those crooks will disappear when a storm strikes, but God will keep safe all who obey him.

26. Having a lazy person on the job is like a mouth full of vinegar or smoke in your eyes.

27. If you respect the LORD, you will live longer; if you keep doing wrong, your life will be cut short.

28. If you obey the Lord, you will be happy, but there is no future for the wicked.

29. The LORD protects everyone who lives right, but he destroys anyone who does wrong.

30. Good people will stand firm, but the wicked will lose their land.

31. Honest people speak sensibly, but deceitful liars will be silenced.


Contemporary English Version

Scriptures marked as "(CEV)" are taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. www.americanbible.org