Daily Bible Reading

1Better is a dry morsel with quiet

than a house full of feasting with strife.

2A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully

and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

3The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

and the Lord tests hearts.

4An evildoer listens to wicked lips,

and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

5Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker;

he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

6Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,

and the glory of children is their fathers.

7Fine speech is not becoming to a fool;

still less is false speech to a prince.

8A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;

wherever he turns he prospers.

9Whoever covers an offense seeks love,

but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.

10A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding

than a hundred blows into a fool.

11An evil man seeks only rebellion,

and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs

rather than a fool in his folly.

13If anyone returns evil for good,

evil will not depart from his house.

14The beginning of strife is like letting out water,

so quit before the quarrel breaks out.

15He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous

are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

16Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom

when he has no sense?

17A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

18One who lacks sense gives a pledge

and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.

19Whoever loves transgression loves strife;

he who makes his door high seeks destruction.

20A man of crooked heart does not discover good,

and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.

21He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow,

and the father of a fool has no joy.

22A joyful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

23The wicked accepts a bribe in secret

to pervert the ways of justice.

24The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,

but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

25A foolish son is a grief to his father

and bitterness to her who bore him.

26To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,

nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

27Whoever restrains his words has knowledge,

and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

28Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;

when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

1Better a dry crust with peace and quiet

than a house full of feasting, with strife.

2A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son

and will share the inheritance as one of the family.

3The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,

but the Lord tests the heart.

4A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;

a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

5Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;

whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

6Children’s children are a crown to the aged,

and parents are the pride of their children.

7Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—

how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

8A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;

they think success will come at every turn.

9Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,

but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

10A rebuke impresses a discerning person

more than a hundred lashes a fool.

11Evildoers foster rebellion against God;

the messenger of death will be sent against them.

12Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than a fool bent on folly.

13Evil will never leave the house

of one who pays back evil for good.

14Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;

so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—

the Lord detests them both.

16Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,

when they are not able to understand it?

17A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

18One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge

and puts up security for a neighbor.

19Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;

whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

20One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;

one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

21To have a fool for a child brings grief;

there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.

22A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

23The wicked accept bribes in secret

to pervert the course of justice.

24A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,

but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

25A foolish son brings grief to his father

and bitterness to the mother who bore him.

26If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,

surely to flog honest officials is not right.

27The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,

and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

28Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,

and discerning if they hold their tongues.