The Ten Commandments

God delivered all these commandments:

"I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation;

But bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation, on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments. "You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished him who takes his name in vain.

"Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you.

In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

"Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you.

"You shall not kill.

"You shall not commit adultery.

"You shall not steal.

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything else that belongs to him."

Exodus 20:1-17

Exodus 15, 20 & 21

"If you really listen to the voice of the LORD, your God," he told them, "and do what is right in his eyes: if you heed his commandments and keep all his precepts, I will not afflict you with any of the diseases with which I afflicted the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer."

Exodus 15:26

You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation;

but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation, on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments. "You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished him who takes his name in vain.

"Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you.

In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. "Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you.

"You shall not kill. "You shall not commit adultery. "You shall not steal. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything else that belongs to him."

Exodus 20:3-17

Whoever strikes his father or mother shall be put to death.

"Whoever curses his father or mother shall be put to death.

But if injury ensues, you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Exodus 21:15, 17, 23-25

Exodus 22, 23 & 31

"You shall not let a sorceress live. "Anyone who lies with an animal shall be put to death. "Whoever sacrifices to any god, except to the LORD alone, shall be doomed.

You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry.

"If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people, you shall not act like an extortioner toward him by demanding interest from him.

Exodus 22:18-20, 22-23, 25

"You shall not repeat a false report. Do not join the wicked in putting your hand, as an unjust witness, upon anyone. Neither shall you allege the example of the many as an excuse for doing wrong, nor shall you, when testifying in a lawsuit, side with the many in perverting justice.

You shall not favor a poor man in his lawsuit. "When you come upon your enemy's ox or ass going astray, see to it that it is returned to him. When you notice the ass of one who hates you lying prostrate under its burden, by no means desert him; help him, rather, to raise it up.

"You shall not deny one of your needy fellow men his rights in his lawsuit. You shall keep away from anything dishonest. The innocent and the just you shall not put to death, nor shall you acquit the guilty. Never take a bribe, for a bribe blinds even the most clear-sighted and twists the words even of the just."

Exodus 23:1-8

Therefore, you must keep the sabbath as something sacred. Whoever desecrates it shall be put to death. If anyone does work on that day, he must be rooted out of his people. Six days there are for doing work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of complete rest, sacred to the LORD. Anyone who does work on the sabbath day shall be put to death.

Exodus 31:14-15

Leviticus 18

"None of you shall approach a close relative to have sexual intercourse with her. I am the LORD. You shall not disgrace your father by having intercourse with your mother. Besides, since she is your own mother, you shall not have intercourse with her.

You shall not have intercourse with your father's wife, for that would be a disgrace to your father. You shall not have intercourse with your sister, your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born in your own household or born elsewhere.

You shall not have intercourse with your son's daughter or with your daughter's daughter, for that would be a disgrace to your own family. You shall not have intercourse with the daughter whom your father's wife bore to him, since she, too, is your sister.

You shall not have intercourse with your father's sister, since she is your father's relative. You shall not have intercourse with your mother's sister, since she is your mother's relative. You shall not disgrace your father's brother by being intimate with his wife, since she, too, is your aunt. You shall not have intercourse with your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife, and therefore you shall not disgrace her.

You shall not have intercourse with your brother's wife, for that would be a disgrace to your brother. You shall not have intercourse with a woman and also with her daughter, nor shall you marry and have intercourse with her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; this would be shameful, because they are related to her.

While your wife is still living you shall not marry her sister as her rival; for thus you would disgrace your first wife. "You shall not approach a woman to have intercourse with her while she is unclean from menstruation. You shall not have carnal relations with your neighbor's wife, defiling yourself with her.

You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination. You shall not have carnal relations with an animal, defiling yourself with it; nor shall a woman set herself in front of an animal to mate with it; such things are abhorrent.

Leviticus 18:6-20, 22-23

Leviticus 19

"You shall not steal. You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another. You shall not swear falsely by my name, thus profaning the name of your God. I am the LORD. "You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer.

You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD. "You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your fellow men justly.

You shall not go about spreading slander among your kinsmen; nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor's life is at stake. I am the LORD. "You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow man, do not incur sin because of him.

Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. "Keep my statutes: do not breed any of your domestic animals with others of a different species; do not sow a field of yours with two different kinds of seed; and do not put on a garment woven with two different kinds of thread.

"Do not eat meat with the blood still in it. Do not practice divination or soothsaying. Do not clip your hair at the temples, nor trim the edges of your beard. Do not lacerate your bodies for the dead, and do not tattoo yourselves. I am the LORD. "You shall not degrade your daughter by making a prostitute of her; else the land will become corrupt and full of lewdness.

Keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary. I am the LORD. "Do not go to mediums or consult fortune-tellers, for you will be defiled by them. I, the LORD, am your God."Stand up in the presence of the aged, and show respect for the old; thus shall you fear your God. I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:11-19, 26-32

Leviticus 20

Should anyone turn to mediums and fortune-tellers and follow their wanton ways, I will turn against such a one and cut him off from his people. Sanctify yourselves, then, and be holy; for I, the LORD, your God, am holy. Be careful, therefore, to observe what I, the LORD, who make you holy, have prescribed.

"Anyone who curses his father or mother shall be put to death; since he has cursed his father or mother, he has forfeited his life. If a man commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.

If a man disgraces his father by lying with his father's wife, both the man and his stepmother shall be put to death; they have forfeited their lives. If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall be put to death; since they have committed an abhorrent deed, they have forfeited their lives.

If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives. If a man marries a woman and her mother also, the man and the two women as well shall be burned to death for their shameful conduct, so that such shamefulness may not be found among you.

If a man has carnal relations with an animal, the man shall be put to death, and the animal shall be slain. If a woman goes up to any animal to mate with it, the woman and the animal shall be slain; let them both be put to death; their lives are forfeit. If a man consummates marriage with his sister or his half-sister, they shall be publicly cut off from their people for this shameful deed; the man shall pay the penalty of having had intercourse with his own sister.

If a man lies in sexual intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period, both of them shall be cut off from their people, because they have laid bare the flowing fountain of her blood. You shall not have intercourse with your mother's sister or your father's sister; whoever does so shall pay the penalty of incest.

If a man disgraces his uncle by having intercourse with his uncle's wife, the man and his aunt shall pay the penalty by dying childless. If a man marries his brother's wife and thus disgraces his brother, they shall be childless because of this incest.

"A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortune-teller shall be put to death by stoning; they have no one but themselves to blame for their death."

Leviticus 20:6-21, 27

Leviticus 24, 25 & 26

"Whoever takes the life of any human being shall be put to death; whoever takes the life of an animal shall make restitution of another animal. A life for a life! Anyone who inflicts an injury on his neighbor shall receive the same in return.

Limb for limb, eye for eye, tooth for tooth! The same injury that a man gives another shall be inflicted on him in return. Whoever slays an animal shall make restitution, but whoever slays a man shall be put to death. You shall have but one rule, for alien and native alike. I, the LORD, am your God."

Leviticus 24:17-22

"When one of your fellow countrymen is reduced to poverty and is unable to hold out beside you, extend to him the privileges of an alien or a tenant, so that he may continue to live with you. Do not exact interest from your countryman either in money or in kind, but out of fear of God let him live with you. You are to lend him neither money at interest nor food at a profit.

Leviticus 25:35-37

"Do not make false gods for yourselves. You shall not erect an idol or a sacred pillar for yourselves, nor shall you set up a stone figure for worship in your land; for I, the LORD, am your God.

Leviticus 26:1

Deuteronomy 4, 5, 6, 23 & 24

Not to degrade yourselves by fashioning an idol to represent any figure, whether it be the form of a man or a woman, of any animal on the earth or of any bird that flies in the sky, of anything that crawls on the ground or of any fish in the waters under the earth.

And when you look up to the heavens and behold the sun or the moon or any star among the heavenly hosts, do not be led astray into adoring them and serving them. These the LORD, your God, has let fall to the lot of all other nations under the heavens;

Deuteronomy 4:16-19

'Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD, your God, has commanded you, that you may have a long life and prosperity in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you.

'You shall not kill. 'You shall not commit adultery. 'You shall not steal. 'You shall not bear dishonest witness against your neighbor. 'You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. 'You shall not desire your neighbor's house or field, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything that belongs to him.'

Deuteronomy 5:16-21

Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:5

"You shall not demand interest from your countrymen on a loan of money or of food or of anything else on which interest is usually demanded. You may demand interest from a foreigner, but not from your countryman, so that the LORD, your God, may bless you in all your undertakings on the land you are to enter and occupy.

Deuteronomy 23:19-20

"Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; only for his own guilt shall a man be put to death.

Deuteronomy 24:16

1 Samuel 15

But Samuel said: "Does the LORD so delight in holocausts and sacrifices as in obedience to the command of the LORD? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams.

For a sin like divination is rebellion, and presumption is the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he, too, has rejected you as ruler."

1 Samuel 15:22-23

Job 35

If you sin, what injury do you do to God? Even if your offenses are many, how do you hurt him? If you are righteous, what do you give him, or what does he receive from your hand? Your wickedness can affect only a man like yourself; and your justice only a fellow human being.

Job 35:6-8

Psalms 1, 24 & 36

Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked, nor go the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers. Rather, the law of the LORD is their joy; God's law they study day and night. They are like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; its leaves never wither; whatever they do prospers.

But not the wicked! They are like chaff driven by the wind. Therefore the wicked will not survive judgment, nor will sinners in the assembly of the just. The LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.

Psalms 1:1-6

Who may go up the mountain of the LORD? Who can stand in his holy place? The clean of hand and pure of heart, who are not devoted to idols, who have not sworn falsely. They will receive blessings from the LORD, and justice from their saving God.

Psalms 24:3-5

Sin directs the heart of the wicked; their eyes are closed to the fear of God. For they live with the delusion: their guilt will not be known and hated.

Empty and false are the words of their mouth; they have ceased to be wise and do good. In their beds they hatch plots; they set out on a wicked way; they do not reject evil.

Psalms 36:1-4

Psalms 41 & 49

Happy those concerned for the lowly and poor; when misfortune strikes, the LORD delivers them. The LORD keeps and preserves them, makes them happy in the land, and does not betray them to their enemies. The LORD sustains them on their sickbed, allays the malady when they are ill.

Psalms 41:1-3

Those who trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches? One cannot redeem oneself, pay to God a ransom. Too high the price to redeem a life; one would never have enough.

To stay alive forever and never see the pit. Anyone can see that the wisest die, the fool and the senseless pass away too, and must leave their wealth to others. Tombs are their homes forever, their dwellings through all generations, though they gave their names to their lands. For all their riches mortals do not abide; they perish like the beasts.

This is the destiny of those who trust in folly, the end of those so pleased with their wealth. Like sheep they are herded into Sheol, where death will be their shepherd. Straight to the grave they descend, where their form will waste away, Sheol will be their palace.

But God will redeem my life; will take me from the power of Sheol. Do not fear when others become rich, when the wealth of their houses grows great. When they die they will take nothing with them, their wealth will not follow them down.

When living, they congratulate themselves and say: "All praise you, you do so well." But they will join the company of their forebears, never again to see the light. For all their riches, if mortals do not have wisdom, they perish like the beasts.

Psalms 49:6-20

Proverbs 1, 2 & 3

Sinners entice you, and say, "Come along with us! Let us lie in wait for the honest man, let us, unprovoked, set a trap for the innocent; Let us swallow them up, as the nether world does, alive, in the prime of life, like those who go down to the pit! All kinds of precious wealth shall we gain, we shall fill our houses with booty; Cast in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse!”

My son, walk not in the way with them, hold back your foot from their path! (For their feet run to evil, they hasten to shed blood.) It is in vain that a net is spread before the eyes of any bird. These men lie in wait for their own blood; they set a trap for their own lives. This is the fate of everyone greedy of loot: unlawful gain takes away the life of him who acquires it.

Proverbs 1:10-19

Saving you from the wife of another, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the pact with her God;

For her path sinks down to death, and her footsteps lead to the shades; none who enter thereon come back again, or gain the paths of life.

Proverbs 2:16-19

Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim when it is in your power to do it for him. Say not to your neighbor, "Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give," when you can give at once.

Plot no evil against your neighbor, against him who lives at peace with you. Quarrel not with a man without cause, with one who has done you no harm.

Envy not the lawless man and choose none of his ways. To the LORD the perverse man is an abomination, but with the upright is his friendship.

The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but the dwelling of the just he blesses; when he is dealing with the arrogant, he is stern, but to the humble he shows kindness.

Proverbs 3:27-35

Proverbs 5

The lips of an adulteress drip with honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, as sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, to the nether world her steps attain. Lest you see before you the road to life, her paths will ramble, you know not where.

So now, O children, listen to me, go not astray from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her; approach not the door of her house.

Lest you give your honor to others, and your years to a merciless one; lest strangers have their fill of your wealth, your hard-won earnings go to an alien's house. And you groan in the end, when your flesh and your body are consumed.

And have joy of the wife of your youth, your lovely hind, your graceful doe. Her love will invigorate you always, through her love you will flourish continually,

Why then, my son, should you go astray for another's wife and accept the embraces of an adulteress? For each man's ways are plain to the LORD'S sight; all their paths he surveys;

By his own iniquities the wicked man will be caught, in the meshes of his own sin he will be held fast; He will die from lack of discipline, through the greatness of his folly he will be lost.

Proverbs 5:3-11, 18-23

Proverbs 6

Go to the ant, O sluggard, study her ways and learn wisdom; for though she has no chief, no commander or ruler, she procures her food in the summer, stores up her provisions in the harvest.

How long, O sluggard, will you rest? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest. Then will poverty come upon you like a highway man, and want like an armed man.

There are six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to him:

Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; A heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil, The false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

For the bidding is a lamp, and the teaching a light, and a way to life are the reproofs of discipline; To keep you from your neighbor's wife, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

Lust not in your heart after her beauty; let her not captivate you with her glance! For the price of a loose woman may be scarcely a loaf of bread, But if she is married, she is a trap for your precious life.

Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his garments not burned? Or can a man walk on live coals, and his feet not be scorched? So with him who goes in to his neighbor's wife, none who touches her shall go unpunished.

But he who commits adultery is a fool; he who would destroy himself does it. A degrading beating will he get, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.

For vindictive is the husband's wrath, he will have no pity on the day of vengeance; He will not consider any restitution, nor be satisfied with the greatest gifts.

Proverbs 6:6-11, 16-19, 23-29, 32-35

Proverbs 24 & 30

To show partiality in judgment is not good. He who says to the wicked man, "You are just"-- men will curse him, people will denounce him. But those who convict the evildoer will fare well, and on them will come the blessing of prosperity.

He gives a kiss on the lips who makes an honest reply.

Complete your outdoor tasks, and arrange your work in the field; afterward you can establish your house.

Be not a witness against your neighbor without just cause, thus committing folly with your lips. Say not, "As he did to me, so will I do to him; I will repay the man according to his deeds."

I passed by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man without sense; and behold! it was all overgrown with thistles; its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall broken down. And as I gazed at it, I reflected; I saw and learned the lesson: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest. Then will poverty come upon you like a highwayman, and want like an armed man.

Proverbs 24:23-34

Every word of God is tested; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Add nothing to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be exposed as a deceiver.

The eye that mocks a father, or scorns an aged mother, Will be plucked out by the ravens in the valley; the young eagles will devour it.

Proverbs 30:5-6, 17

Proverbs 31

It is not for kings, not for kings to drink wine; strong drink is not for princes! Lest in drinking they forget what the law decrees, and violate the rights of all who are in need.

Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the sorely depressed; When they drink, they will forget their misery, and think no more of their burdens.

Open your mouth in behalf of the dumb, and for the rights of the destitute; Open your mouth, decree what is just, defend the needy and the poor!

When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.

She enjoys the success of her dealings; at night her lamp is undimmed.

She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.

Her husband is prominent at the city gates as he sits with the elders of the land.

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel.

She watches the conduct of her household, and eats not her food in idleness. Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her: "Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all."

Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

Proverbs 31:4-12, 18, 20, 23, 25-31

Solomon's Proverbs 10

A wise son makes his father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but virtue saves from death.

The LORD permits not the just to hunger, but the craving of the wicked he thwarts.

The slack hand impoverishes, but the hand of the diligent enriches.

A son who fills the granaries in summer is a credit; a son who slumbers during harvest, a disgrace.

Blessings are for the head of the just, but a rod for the back of the fool.

The memory of the just will be blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.

A wise man heeds commands, but a prating fool will be overthrown.

He who walks honestly walks securely, but he whose ways are crooked will fare badly.

He who winks at a fault causes trouble, but he who frankly reproves promotes peace.

A fountain of life is the mouth of the just, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Hatred stirs up disputes, but love covers all offenses.

On the lips of the intelligent is found wisdom, (but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence).

Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool is imminent ruin.

The rich man's wealth is his strong city; the ruination of the lowly is their poverty.

The just man's recompense leads to life, the gains of the wicked, to sin.

A path to life is his who heeds admonition, but he who disregards reproof goes astray.

It is the lips of the liar that conceal hostility; but he who spreads accusations is a fool.

Where words are many, sin is not wanting; but he who restrains his lips does well.

Like choice silver is the just man's tongue; the heart of the wicked is of little worth.

The just man's lips nourish many, but fools die for want of sense.

It is the LORD'S blessing that brings wealth, and no effort can substitute for it.

Crime is the entertainment of the fool; so is wisdom for the man of sense.

What the wicked man fears will befall him, but the desire of the just will be granted.

When the tempest passes, the wicked man is no more; but the just man is established forever.

As vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes, is the sluggard to those who use him as a messenger.

The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked are brief.

The hope of the just brings them joy, but the expectation of the wicked comes to nought.

The LORD is a stronghold to him who walks honestly, but to evildoers, their downfall.

The just man will never be disturbed, but the wicked will not abide in the land.

The mouth of the just yields wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

The lips of the just know how to please, but the mouth of the wicked, how to pervert.

Proverbs 10:1-32

Solomon's Proverbs 11

False scales are an abomination to the LORD, but a full weight is his delight.

When pride comes, disgrace comes; but with the humble is wisdom.

The honesty of the upright guides them; the faithless are ruined by their duplicity.

Wealth is useless on the day of wrath, but virtue saves from death.

The honest man's virtue makes his way straight, but by his wickedness the wicked man falls.

The virtue of the upright saves them, but the faithless are caught in their own intrigue.

When a wicked man dies his hope perishes, and what is expected from strength comes to nought.

The just man escapes trouble, and the wicked man falls into it in his stead.

With his mouth the impious man would ruin his neighbor, but through their knowledge the just make their escape.

When the just prosper, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.

Through the blessing of the righteous the city is exalted, but through the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.

He who reviles his neighbor has no sense, but the intelligent man keeps silent.

A newsmonger reveals secrets, but a trustworthy man keeps a confidence.

For lack of guidance a people falls; security lies in many counselors.

He is in a bad way who becomes surety for another, but he who hates giving pledges is safe.

A gracious woman wins esteem, but she who hates virtue is covered with shame. (The slothful become impoverished, but the diligent gain wealth.)

A kindly man benefits himself, but a merciless man harms himself.

The wicked man makes empty profits, but he who sows virtue has a sure reward.

Virtue directs toward life, but he who pursues evil does so to his death.

The depraved in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those who walk blamelessly are his delight.

Truly the evil man shall not go unpunished, but those who are just shall escape.

Like a golden ring in a swine's snout is a beautiful woman with a rebellious disposition.

The desire of the just ends only in good; the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

One man is lavish yet grows still richer; another is too sparing, yet is the poorer.

He who confers benefits will be amply enriched, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Him who monopolizes grain, the people curse-- but blessings upon the head of him who distributes it!

He who seeks the good commands favor, but he who pursues evil will have evil befall him.

He who trusts in his riches will fall, but like green leaves the just flourish.

He who upsets his household has empty air for a heritage; and the fool will become slave to the wise man.

The fruit of virtue is a tree of life, but violence takes lives away.

If the just man is punished on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!

Proverbs 11:1-31

Solomon's Proverbs 12

He who loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

The good man wins favor from the LORD, but the schemer is condemned by him.

No man is built up by wickedness, but the root of the just will never be disturbed.

A worthy wife is the crown of her husband, but a disgraceful one is like rot in his bones.

The plans of the just are legitimate; the designs of the wicked are deceitful.

The words of the wicked are a deadly ambush, but the speech of the upright saves them.

The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the just stands firm.

According to his good sense a man is praised, but one with a warped mind is despised.

Better a lowly man who supports himself than one of assumed importance who lacks bread.

The just man takes care of his beast, but the heart of the wicked is merciless.

He who tills his own land has food in plenty, but he who follows idle pursuits is a fool.

The stronghold of evil men will be demolished, but the root of the just is enduring.

In the sin of his lips the evil man is ensnared, but the just comes free of trouble.

From the fruit of his words a man has his fill of good things, and the work of his hands comes back to reward him.

The way of the fool seems right in his own eyes, but he who listens to advice is wise.

The fool immediately shows his anger, but the shrewd man passes over an insult.

He tells the truth who states what he is sure of, but a lying witness speaks deceitfully.

The prating of some men is like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise is healing.

Truthful lips endure forever, the lying tongue, for only a moment.

Deceit is in the hands of those who plot evil, but those who counsel peace have joy.

No harm befalls the just, but the wicked are overwhelmed with misfortune.

Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who are truthful are his delight.

A shrewd man conceals his knowledge, but the hearts of fools gush forth folly.

The diligent hand will govern, but the slothful will be enslaved.

Anxiety in a man's heart depresses it, but a kindly word makes it glad.

The just man surpasses his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

The slothful man catches not his prey, but the wealth of the diligent man is great.

In the path of justice there is life, but the abominable way leads to death.

Proverbs 12:1-28