The Proverbs of Solomon[a]
Chapter 10
The One Who Leads an Honest Life . . .[b]
1 The Proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son gives grief to his mother.
2 Treasures obtained by wicked means profit nothing,
but a righteous life brings delivery from death.
3 The Lord will not allow the righteous to go hungry,
but he foils the craving of the wicked.
4 Idle hands ensure poverty,
but the hands of the diligent bring riches.[c]
5 A son who gathers the crops during the summer is wise,
but a son who sleeps at harvest-time[d] is shameful.
6 Blessings are showered on the head of the righteous,
but sorrow will cover the face of the wicked.
7 The righteous is remembered with blessings,
but the name of the wicked fades away.
8 A wise man will heed commandments,
but a babbling fool will come to grief.
9 Anyone who leads an honorable life walks in safety,
but whoever pursues wicked ways will be found out.
10 Anyone who winks with the eye causes trouble,
but the one who rebukes promotes peace.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked is filled with violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
but love overlooks all offenses.
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of one who has understanding,
but a rod is in store for the back of a fool.
14 Wise men store up knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool precipitates ruin.
15 The wealth of the rich man is his stronghold;
the poverty of the lowly is his undoing.[e]
16 The reward of the righteous leads to life;
the gains of the wicked lead to sin.[f]
17 Whoever heeds admonition is on the path to life,
but anyone who rejects correction goes astray.
18 Lying lips conceal hatred,
and anyone who slanders another is a fool.
19 Where many words are spoken, sin is not absent,
but whoever restrains his tongue is prudent.
20 The tongue of the just man is like pure silver;
the heart of the wicked is without worth.
21 The lips of the righteous nourish many,
but fools die for lack of sense.
22 The blessing of the Lord is what brings wealth,
and our toil adds nothing to it.[g]
23 Doing wrong affords pleasure to the fool,
but wisdom is a delight to an intelligent man.
24 What the wicked man fears[h] catches up with him,
but what the righteous man desires is granted.
25 When the storm ends, the wicked man is no more,
but the righteous man stands firm forever.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
so is the sluggard[i] to those he serves.
27 The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
but the years of the wicked are cut short.
28 The hope of the righteous brings them joy,
but the expectations of the wicked are frustrated.
29 The way of the Lord[j] is a stronghold for the upright,
but destruction for evildoers.
30 The righteous man will never be destroyed,
but the wicked will not remain in the land.
31 The mouth of the righteous dispenses wisdom,
but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
32 The lips of the righteous utter words of kindness,
but the mouth of the wicked knows only how to pervert.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:1 This section makes up the oldest part of the Book of Proverbs, and there is a probability that some of its sayings go back to Solomon or even earlier. They represent an ancient fund of rural, familial, social, or human wisdom. The collection unrolls a long series of isolated maxims; they are rarely brought together around a single theme, but they resemble one another by their brief, rhythmic, and thought-provoking form. It is difficult to remain attentive while attempting a continuous reading; it is better to concentrate on random phrases here and there. Some sayings stand out by their picturesqueness: concerning laziness (Prov 10:26) or concerning an insupportable woman (Prov 11:22; 12:4; 21:9). Others are characterized by their teaching about the spirit of justice (Prov 11:26), by their humanity (Prov 10:12), and by their religious sense: about the poor (Prov 14:31, 34; 17:5); about God who sees everything (Prov 15:3, 11); and about sincere offering (Prov 15:8; 21:3, 27).
Any attempt to systematize the sayings is likely to be artificial. To stimulate the imagination, we highlight simply one or another theme. - Proverbs 10:1 In these scattered elements, we might note the idea that one has of justice in his human relations, the aversion to laziness, the cost of the true word, the horror of lying (vv. 19-21), and finally the certitude that God takes in hand the cause of the righteous.
- Proverbs 10:4 This is a theme that runs throughout the Book: diligence is good and brings prosperity while laziness is bad and leads to unhappy consequences (see Prov 6:6; 12:11, 24, 27; 13:4; 14:23; 15:19; 18:9; 19:15; 27:23-27; 28:19).
- Proverbs 10:5 Sleeps at harvest-time: the same condemnation is found in Prov 6:9-11; 19:15; 20:13.
- Proverbs 10:15 This verse states an obvious fact of human life: money is power and poverty is powerlessness; but the author does not approve of this fact. It is true that wealth brings friends (Prov 14:20; 19:4) and power (Prov 18:23; 22:7), while poverty has no influence (Prov 18:23), no friends (Prov 19:4, 7), and no security. However, the only real security is found in God (Ps 52:7-10).
- Proverbs 10:16 The gains of the wicked lead to sin: and the corollary to this is Paul’s dictum: “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
- Proverbs 10:22 Labor without God’s blessing leads nowhere.
- Proverbs 10:24 What the wicked man fears: e.g., distress and anguish (see Prov 1:27; 3:25; Job 15:21; Isa 66:4). What the righteous man desires: e.g., happiness in the Lord’s presence, serving God in holiness, and an answer to prayers (Pss 27:4; 37:4; 145:19; Mt 5:6; 1 Jn 5:14-15).
- Proverbs 10:26 Sluggard: see note on Prov 6:6.
- Proverbs 10:29 Way of the Lord: i.e., the way that God desires for us, the life of wisdom (see Pss 27:11; 143:8; Mt 22:16; Acts 18:25).