Mark My Words

¹dA soft answer turns away wrath,

but ea harsh word stirs up anger.

²The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,

but fthe mouths of fools pour out folly.

³gThe eyes of the Lord are in every place,

keeping watch on the evil and the good.

⁴hA gentle1 tongue is ia tree of life,

but jperverseness in it breaks the spirit.

⁵kA fool ldespises his father's instruction,

but mwhoever heeds reproof is prudent.

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

but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.

⁷nThe lips of the wise spread knowledge;

nnot so the hearts of fools.2

⁸oThe sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,

but pthe prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.

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

but he loves him qwho pursues righteousness.

¹⁰There is rsevere discipline for him who forsakes the way;

swhoever hates reproof will die.

¹¹Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord;

how much more tthe hearts of the children of man!

¹²uA scoffer vdoes not like to be reproved;

he will not go to the wise.

¹³wA glad heart makes a cheerful face,

but by xsorrow of heart the spirit is ycrushed.

¹⁴zThe heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,

but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

¹⁵All the days of the afflicted are evil,

but athe cheerful of heart has a continual feast.

¹⁶bBetter is a little with the fear of the Lord

than great treasure and trouble with it.

¹⁷cBetter is a dinner of herbs where love is

than da fattened ox and hatred with it.

¹⁸eA hot-tempered man fstirs up strife,

but he who is gslow to anger quiets contention.

¹⁹The way of ha sluggard is like a hedge of ithorns,

but the path of the upright is ja level highway.

²⁰kA wise son makes a glad father,

but a foolish man despises his mother.

²¹lFolly is a joy to him who lacks sense,

but a man of understanding mwalks straight ahead.

²²nWithout counsel plans fail,

but with many advisers they succeed.

²³To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,

and oa word in season, how good it is!

²⁴The path of life leads upward pfor the prudent,

that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.

²⁵The Lord tears down the house of qthe proud

but rmaintains sthe widow's boundaries.

²⁶tThe thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,

but ugracious words are pure.

²⁷Whoever is vgreedy for unjust gain wtroubles his own household,

but he who hates xbribes will live.

²⁸The heart of the righteous yponders how to answer,

but zthe mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

²⁹The Lord is afar from the wicked,

but he bhears the prayer of the righteous.

³⁰cThe light of the eyes rejoices the heart,

and dgood news refreshes3 the bones.

³¹eThe ear that listens to flife-giving reproof

will dwell among the wise.

³²Whoever gignores instruction hdespises himself,

but he who listens to reproof igains intelligence.

³³jThe fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,

and khumility comes before honor.