Proverbs 10:1-32
The Way of the Righteous
1The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
2Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.
3The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but He denies the craving of the wicked.
4Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
5He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
6Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
8A wise heart will receive commandments, but foolish lips will come to ruin.
9He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.
10He who winks the eye causes grief, and foolish lips will come to ruin.
11The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.
13Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.
14The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool invites destruction.
15The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.
16The labor of the righteous leads to life, but the gain of the wicked brings punishment.
17Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.
18The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
19When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
20The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked has little worth.
21The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of judgment.
22The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.
23The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom.
24What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are secure forever.
26Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the slacker to those who send him.
27The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be cut short.
28The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectations of the wicked will perish.
29The way of the LORD is a refuge to the upright, but destruction awaits those who do evil.
30The righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not inhabit the land.
31The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.
32The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.
Berean Standard Bible
With this chapter the book moves from the long speeches of a father and Wisdom into a collection of short sayings. Each proverb is small, but the subjects are large: family joy and grief, honest work, wealth, speech, correction, hatred, love, and the difference between a life that lasts and one that collapses.
The sayings are not promises that every righteous person will prosper financially or that every lazy person will immediately become poor. They describe the ordinary moral shape of things. Diligence tends toward provision, dishonest gain carries danger, and words can either preserve a relationship or start a fire. These patterns need wisdom rather than careless application.
The chapter gives special attention to the mouth. A wise person stores up knowledge and speaks at the right time; a fool's mouth invites ruin. Hatred stirs conflict, while love covers offenses—not by calling evil acceptable, but by refusing to keep multiplying a wrong through vengeance and gossip.
The closing contrast returns to endurance. The righteous have a secure foundation because their lives are aligned with God's ways. The wicked may look strong for a time, but their hope is cut off. Proverbs asks us to value the kind of life that remains sound when applause, money, and impulse have all been tested.
Questions
1 What effect can a wise child have on a parent?
AnswerA wise child brings joy, while a foolish child brings grief; family choices affect more people than the person making them.
2 What does dishonest wealth fail to provide?
AnswerIt cannot deliver lasting security or life; righteousness and faithful living are more valuable than gain acquired by wrong means.
3 How can words affect conflict?
AnswerHatred keeps conflict alive, while love refuses to spread offenses and can help stop a quarrel from growing.
4 What distinguishes the righteous person's foundation?
AnswerThe righteous person's life is rooted in what endures, whereas the wicked person's apparent stability eventually gives way.
What This Means for Us
Short sayings need long obedience. We should not use one proverb as a verdict over another person's life, but we can let the collection question our own habits. Is our work dependable? Do our words clarify or inflame? Are we pursuing money in a way we could defend in the light?
Wisdom also makes family life communal. Our choices become another person's joy, burden, or confusion. Faithfulness is therefore not merely private self-improvement; it is a way of making life safer and truer for those near us.
Prayer
God, teach us to live the small choices well. Make our work honest, our speech careful, our correction loving, and our lives rooted in what remains true when temporary success has passed. Amen.