מַעֲנֶה־רַּךְ יָשִׁיב חֵמָה וּדְבַר־עֶצֶב יַעֲלֶה־אָף׃   15:1

Prov. 15:1   A soft answer can turn back wrath,

                                while a hurtful word can cause anger to rise up,

לְשֹׁון חֲכָמִים תֵּיטִיב דָּעַת וּפִי כְסִילִים יַבִּיעַ אִוֶּלֶת׃   15:2

Prov. 15:2   Knowledge will make glad the tongue of the wise,

                                but the mouth of fools will pour forth foolishness.

בְּכָל־מָקוֹם עֵינֵי יְהוָה צֹפוֹת רָעִים וטוֹבִים׃   15:3

Prov. 15:3   The “eyes” of the Lord are in every place,

                                observing evil and good.

מַרְפֵּא לָשֹׁון עֵץ חַיִּים וְסֶלֶף בָּהּ שֶׁבֶר בְּרוּחַ׃   15:4

Prov. 15:4   A healing tongue is a tree of life,

                                while perversity on it is crushing to the spirit.

אֱוִיל יִנְאַץ מוּסַר אָבִיו וְשֹׁמֵר תֹּוכַחַת יַעְרִם׃   15:5

Prov. 15:5   A fool will despise the discipline of his fathers,

                                but the heeder of correction will become shrewd.

בֵּית צַדִּיק חֹסֶן רָב וּבִתְבוּאַת רָשָׁע נֶעְכָּרֶת׃   15:6

Prov. 15:6   The house of one righteous is of much wealth,

                                but calamity is with the income of a wicked person.

שִׂפְתֵי חֲכָמִים יְזָרוּ דָעַת וְלֵב כְּסִילִים לֹא־כֵן׃   15:7

Prov. 15:7   The lips of the wise may dispense knowledge,

                                but the heart of fools is not fitting.

זֶבַח רְשָׁעִים תֹּועֲבַת יְהוָה וּתְפִלַּת יְשָׁרִים רְצֹונֹו׃   15:8

Prov. 15:8   The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination of the Lord,

                                but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

תֹּועֲבַת יְהוָה דֶּרֶךְ רָשָׁע וּמְרַדֵּף צְדָקָה יֶאֱהָב׃   15:9

Prov. 15:9   The way of a wicked person is an abomination of the Lord,

                                but He will love the pursuer of righteousness.

מוּסָר רָע לְעֹזֵב אֹרַח שֹׂונֵא תֹוכַחַת יָמוּת׃   15:10

Prov. 15:10   The worst discipline is for one forsaking the way;

                                anyone hating punishment shall die.

שְׁאֹול וַאֲבַדֹּון נֶגֶד יְהוָה אַף כִּי־לִבֹּות בְּנֵי־אָדָם׃   15:11

Prov. 15:11   Grave and destruction are in the sight of the Lord.

                                Then how much more the hearts of the children of humanity!

לֹא יֶאֱהַב־לֵץ הֹוכֵחַ לֹו אֶל־חֲכָמִים לֹא יֵלֵךְ׃   15:12

Prov. 15:12   A scorner would not love his correction.

                                He would not go to the wise.

לֵב מֵחַ יֵיטִב פָּנִים וּבְעַצְּבַת־לֵב רוּחַ נְכֵאָה׃   15:13

Prov. 15:13   A joyful heart will make a face glad,

                                but with sorrow of heart the spirit will be stricken.

This couplet is beautiful in its implication.  The author seems to be saying that gladness of heart is not as penetrating as sorrow of heart.  Gladness of heart affects the face, whereas sorrow of heart affects the spirit.

לֵב נָבֹון יְבַקֶּשׁ־דָּעַת (וּפְנֵי) [וּפִי] כְסִילִים יִרְעֶה אִוֶּלֶת׃   15:14

Prov. 15:14   The heart of a discerning one will desire knowledge,

                                but (the face) [the mouth] of fools will eat folly.

The word in the parentheses is spelled with an extra nun, which makes its translation faces.  Maybe that’s what the author intended, but the noun is plural and its verb, translated as will eat, is singular.  Without the letter nun, the word (in the brackets) translates to mouth, which, whether intended or not, is also appropriate.  So I’m not sure there’s an error here.  Now a quick observation about the word for will eat:  The verb is normally used with grazing animals.  In fact, it’s how grazing animals eat.  So a fool is being compared to a grazing animal -- thoughtlessly and mindlessly eating its way through life.

כָּל־יְמֵי עָנִי רָעִים וְטֹוב־לֵב מִשְׁתֶּה תָמִיד׃   15:15

Prov. 15:15   All the days of a poor person are unpleasant,

                                but a steady feast, a happy heart.

טֹוב־מְעַט בְּיִרְאַת יְהוָה מֵאֹוצָר רָב וּמְהוּמָה בֹו׃   15:16

Prov. 15:16   With reverence of the Lord,

                                a little is better than great treasure that has turmoil with it.

טֹוב אֲרֻחַת יָרָק וְאַהֲבָה־שָׁם מִשֹּׁור אָבוּס וְשִׂנְאָה־בֹו׃   15:17

Prov. 15:17   A meal of herbs with love therein is better

                                than a fattened ox that has hatred in it.

אִישׁ חֵמָה יְגָרֶה מָדֹון וְאֶרֶך אַפַּיִם יַשְׁקִיט רִיב׃   15:18

Prov. 15:18   A person of quick temper can stir up contention,

                                but one slow to anger can ease strife.

דֶּרֶךְ עָצֵל כִּמְשֻׂכַת חָדֶק וְאֹרַח יְשָׁרִים סְלֻלָה׃   15:19

Prov. 15:19   The way of a sluggish person is like a hedge of thorns,

                               whereas the path of the upright is paved.

בֵּן חָכָם יְשַׂמַּח־אָב וּכְסִיל אָדָם בֹּוזֶה אִמֹּו׃   15:20

Prov. 15:20   A wise son will make a father glad,

                                but a stupid man will be contemptuous of his mother.

I wonder why the author seems to associate a stupid or foolish or unheeding son with his mother (see Prov. 10:1).  Why not also with his father?  I suspect that the author is merely creating contrast between the two parts of his couplet, and may not have been aware of the apparent prejudice it exhibits.

אִוֶּלֶת שִׂמְחָה לַחֲסַר־לֵב וְאִישׁ תְּבוּנָה יְיַשֶּׁר־לָכֶת׃   15:21

Prov. 15:21   To one lacking understanding, folly is a joy,

                                but someone of insight will make the walk straight.

הָפֵר מַחֲשָׁבֹות בְּאֵין סֹוד וּבְרֹב יֹועֲצִים תָּקוּם׃   15:22

Prov. 15:22   Planning without counsel is frustrating,

                                but with an abundance of counseling, it can be established.

I’m not sure I agree with the latter part of this couplet.  I have observed that an abundance of counseling can also be frustrating as well as confusing, not necessarily settling.

שִׂמְחָה לָאִישׁ בְּמַעֲנֵה־פִיו וְדָבָר בְּעִתֹּו מַה־טֹּוב׃   15:23

Prov. 15:23   Joy for someone can be in the response of his mouth.

                                So how good can be a timely word!

אֹרַח חַיִּים לְמַעְלָה לְמַשְׂכִּיל לְמַעַן סוּר מִשְּׁאֹול מָטָּה׃   15:24

Prov. 15:24   The way of life is higher for he who is prudent,

                                in order to be removed from the pit below.

בֵּית גֵּאִים יִסַּח ׀ יְהוָה וְיַצֵּב גְּבוּל אַלְמָנָה׃   15:25

Prov. 15:25   The Lord will tear down the house of the proud,

                                but sets up the border of the widow.

תֹּועֲבַת יְהוָה מַחְשְׁבֹות רָע וּטְהֹרִים אִמְרֵי־נֹעַם׃   15:26

Prov. 15:26   Thoughts of evil are an abomination of the Lord,

                                but utterances of kindness are pure.

עֹכֵר בֵּיתֹו בֹּוצֵעַ בָּצַע וְשֹׂונֵא מַתָּנֹת יִחְיֶה׃   15:27

Prov. 15:27   A greedy person of violent gain troubles his house,

                                but a hater of gifts will live prosperously.

לֵב צַדִּיק יֶהְגֶּה לַעֲנֹות וּפִי רְשָׁעִים יַבִּיעַ רָעֹות׃   15:28

Prov. 15:28   The mind of a righteous person must meditate to find answers,

                                while the mouth of the wicked will spill forth evil words.

רָחֹוק יְהוָה מֵרְשָׁעִים וּתְפִלַּת צַדִּיקִים יִשְׁמָע׃   15:29

Prov. 15:29   The Lord is remote from the wicked,

                                but He can hear the prayer of the righteous.

מְאֹור־עֵינַיִם יְשַׂמַּח־לֵב שְׁמוּעָה טֹובָה תְּדַשֶּׁן־עָצֶם׃   15:30

Prov. 15:30    The light of the eyes can gladden the heart.

                                A good report can make the body swell.

אֹזֶן שֹׁמַעַת תֹּוכַחַת חַיִּים בְּקֶרֶב חֲכָמִים תָּלִין׃   15:31

Prov. 15:31   An ear heeding the rebuke of life

                                can abide in the midst of the wise.

פֹּורֵעַ מוּסָר מֹואֵס נַפְשֹׁו וְשֹׁומֵעַ תֹּוכַחַת קֹונֶה לֵּב׃   15:32

Prov. 15:32   An avoider of correction would be rejecting his own soul,

                                while a heeder of rebuke will be acquiring understanding.

יִרְאַת יְהוָה מוּסַר חָכְמָה וְלִפְנֵי כָבֹוד עֲנָוָה׃   15:33

Prov. 15:33   The instruction of wisdom is to be reverent of the Lord,

                                and humility is before honor.

[Return to Proverbs Chapters]   [Prev.:  Prov. 14]   [Next:  Prov. 16]