Proverbs

¹A WISE son heeds [and is the fruit of] his father's instruction and correction, but a scoffer listens not to rebuke. ²A good man eats good from the fruit of his mouth, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. ³He who guards his mouth keeps his life, but he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. ⁴The appetite of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the appetite of the diligent is abundantly supplied. [Prov. 10:4.] ⁵A [consistently] righteous man hates lying and deceit, but a wicked man is loathsome [his very breath spreads pollution] and he comes [surely] to shame. ⁶Righteousness (rightness and justice in every area and relation) guards him who is upright in the way, but wickedness plunges into sin and overthrows the sinner. ⁷One man considers himself rich, yet has nothing [to keep permanently]; another man considers himself poor, yet has great [and indestructible] riches. [Prov. 12:9; Luke 12:20, 21.]