Proverbs — Chapter 15
A gentle response allays wrath;A harsh word provokes anger.
The tongue of the wise produces much knowledge,But the mouth of dullards pours out folly.
GOD’s eyes are everywhere,Observing the bad and the good.
A healing tongue is a tree of life,But a devious one makes for a broken spirit.
A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,But one who heeds reproof becomes clever.
In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,But in the harvest of the wicked there is trouble.
The lips of the wise disseminate knowledge;Not so the minds of dullards.
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to GOD,But the prayer of the upright is pleasing.
The way of the wicked is an abomination to GOD,But those who pursue righteousness are loved.
Discipline seems bad to whoever forsakes the way;One who spurns reproof will die.
Sheol and Abaddon lie exposed to GOD,How much more the minds of mortals!
The scoffer, who dislikes being reproved,Will not resort to the wise.
A joyful heart makes a cheerful face;A sad heart makes a despondent mood.
The mind of a prudent person seeks knowledge;The mouth of dullards pursues folly.
All the days of a pauper are wretched,But contentment is a feast without end.
Better a little with fear of GOD Than great wealth with confusion.
Better a meal of vegetables where there is loveThan a fattened ox where there is hate.
A hot-tempered man provokes a quarrel;A patient person calms strife.
The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,But the path of the upright is paved.
A wise son makes his father happy;A fool of a man humiliates his mother.
Folly is joy to one devoid of sense;A prudent man walks a straight path.
Plans are foiled for want of counsel,But they succeed through many advisers.
Having a ready response feels satisfying,And how good is a word rightly timed!
For the intelligent the path of life leads upward,In order to avoid Sheol below.
GOD will tear down the house of the proud—But will establish the homestead of the widow.
Evil thoughts are an abomination to GOD,But pleasant words are pure.
Whoever pursues ill-gotten gain makes trouble for the household;One who spurns gifts will live long.
A righteous person’s heartaheart For leb as a source of speech, see note to Eccl. 5.1. rehearses the answer,But the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things.
GOD is far from the wicked—But hears the prayer of the righteous.
What brightens the eye gladdens the heart;Good news puts fat on the bones.
One whose ear heeds the discipline of lifeLodges among the wise.
Those who spurn discipline hate themselves;But those who heed reproof gain understanding.
The fear of GOD is the discipline of wisdom;Humility precedes honor.
✦ Connected Across Traditions
The Golden Rule
Matthew 7:12
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Hadith (An-Nawawi 13)
“None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”
Mahabharata 5.1517
“One should never do to another what one regards as injurious to oneself.”
Dhammapada 10:1
“All tremble at violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.”
The Path to Wisdom
Dhammapada 20:282
“Wisdom springs from meditation; without meditation wisdom wanes.”
Analects 2:11
“If you study the past and use it to understand the present, you are worthy of being a teacher.”
Tao Te Ching 33
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.”
Quran 39:9
“Are those who know equal to those who do not know?”
Good vs Evil / Light vs Darkness
Yasna 30:3
“Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action.”
John 1:5
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Dhammapada 1:1-2
“Mind is the forerunner of all actions. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow.”
Bhagavad Gita 16:21
“There are three gates to self-destructive hell: lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one must learn to give these up.”