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Proverbs · Bible in Basic English

Proverbs 13 Bible in Basic English

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About BBE
  • Scholarly edition
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew (not verified)
  • NT: Critical text (not verified)
  • Protestant (66 books)
  • Simplified language
  • 1965
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

BBE Bible in Basic English
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 A wise son is a lover of teaching, but the ears of the haters of authority are shut to sharp words.
1 A wise son listens to his father’s instruction, but a scoffer doesn’t listen to rebuke.
2 A man will get good from the fruit of his lips, but the desire of the false is for violent acts.
2 By the fruit of his lips, a man enjoys good things, but the unfaithful crave violence.
3 He who keeps a watch on his mouth keeps his life; but he whose lips are open wide will have destruction.
3 He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
4 The hater of work does not get his desires, but the soul of the hard workers will be made fat.
4 The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.
5 The upright man is a hater of false words: the evil-doer gets a bad name and is put to shame.
5 A righteous man hates lies, but a wicked man brings shame and disgrace.
6 Righteousness keeps safe him whose way is without error, but evil-doers are overturned by sin.
6 Righteousness guards the way of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.
7 A man may be acting as if he had wealth, but have nothing; another may seem poor, but have great wealth.
7 There are some who pretend to be rich, yet have nothing. There are some who pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth.
8 A man will give his wealth in exchange for his life; but the poor will not give ear to sharp words.
8 The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, but the poor hear no threats.
9 There is a glad dawn for the upright man, but the light of the sinner will be put out.
9 The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.
10 The only effect of pride is fighting; but wisdom is with the quiet in spirit.
10 Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is with people who take advice.
11 Wealth quickly got will become less; but he who gets a store by the work of his hands will have it increased.
11 Wealth gained dishonestly dwindles away, but he who gathers by hand makes it grow.
12 Hope put off is a weariness to the heart; but when what is desired comes, it is a tree of life.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.
13 He who makes sport of the word will come to destruction, but the respecter of the law will be rewarded.
13 Whoever despises instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command will be rewarded.
14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning men away from the nets of death.
14 The teaching of the wise is a spring of life, to turn from the snares of death.
15 Wise behaviour gets approval, but the way of the false is their destruction.
15 Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard.
16 A sharp man does everything with knowledge, but a foolish man makes clear his foolish thoughts.
16 Every prudent man acts from knowledge, but a fool exposes folly.
17 A man taking false news is a cause of trouble, but he who gives news rightly makes things well.
17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy gains healing.
18 Need and shame will be the fate of him who is uncontrolled by training; but he who takes note of teaching will be honoured.
18 Poverty and shame come to him who refuses discipline, but he who heeds correction shall be honored.
19 To get one's desire is sweet to the soul, but to give up evil is disgusting to the foolish.
19 Longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.
20 Go with wise men and be wise: but he who keeps company with the foolish will be broken.
20 One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
21 Evil will overtake sinners, but the upright will be rewarded with good.
21 Misfortune pursues sinners, but prosperity rewards the righteous.
22 The heritage of the good man is handed down to his children's children; and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the upright man.
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous.
23 There is much food in the ploughed land of the poor; but it is taken away by wrongdoing.
23 An abundance of food is in poor people’s fields, but injustice sweeps it away.
24 He who keeps back his rod is unkind to his son: the loving father gives punishment with care.
24 One who spares the rod hates his son, but one who loves him is careful to discipline him.
25 The upright man has food to the full measure of his desire, but there will be no food for the stomach of evil-doers.
25 The righteous one eats to the satisfying of his soul, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.
Cross references (25)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 Proverbs 15:5; Proverbs 9:7–8; Proverbs 15:20; Proverbs 4:1–14; Proverbs 10:1
  2. 2 Proverbs 12:14; Proverbs 18:20; Proverbs 10:11; Psalm 140:11; Proverbs 1:31
  3. 3 Proverbs 21:23; Proverbs 18:21; Proverbs 18:7; James 3:2–12; Matthew 12:36–37
  4. 4 Proverbs 12:24; Proverbs 12:11; 2 Peter 1:5–11; Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 2:2–9
  5. 5 Colossians 3:9; Psalm 119:163; Ephesians 4:25; Ezekiel 36:31; Ezekiel 20:43
  6. 6 Proverbs 11:3; Proverbs 11:5–6; Psalm 25:21; Psalm 140:11; Proverbs 21:12
  7. 7 Revelation 3:17; Luke 18:11–14; Proverbs 11:24; Proverbs 12:9; 2 Corinthians 6:10
  8. 8 Matthew 16:26; 1 Peter 1:18–19; 2 Kings 24:14; Psalm 49:6–10; 2 Kings 25:12
  9. 9 Proverbs 24:20; Proverbs 4:18; Proverbs 20:20; Psalm 97:11; Psalm 112:4
  10. 10 Proverbs 19:20; Proverbs 12:15–16; Proverbs 17:14; 1 Timothy 6:4; James 4:1
  11. 11 Proverbs 20:21; Proverbs 10:2; James 5:1–5; Proverbs 28:8; Proverbs 27:23–27
  12. 12 John 16:22; Proverbs 13:19; Psalm 119:81–83; Psalm 17:15; Proverbs 11:30
  13. 13 Numbers 15:31; 2 Chronicles 36:16; Psalm 119:165; 2 John 8; Ezekiel 20:16
  14. 14 Proverbs 14:27; Proverbs 10:11; Psalm 18:5; 2 Samuel 22:6–7; Psalm 116:3
  15. 15 Jeremiah 2:19; Proverbs 4:19; Proverbs 15:10; Romans 6:21; Psalm 95:9–11
  16. 16 Proverbs 15:2; Proverbs 12:22–23; Ephesians 5:17; Isaiah 52:13; Ecclesiastes 10:3
  17. 17 Proverbs 25:13; 2 Corinthians 5:20; 1 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Timothy 1:12; Ezekiel 33:7–8
  18. 18 Proverbs 15:5; Proverbs 15:31–32; Proverbs 12:1; Proverbs 13:13; Proverbs 25:12
  19. 19 Proverbs 13:12; Revelation 7:14–17; Proverbs 29:27; 2 Timothy 2:19; Proverbs 16:17
  20. 20 1 Corinthians 15:33–34; Proverbs 15:31; Proverbs 9:6; 2 Corinthians 6:14–18; Psalm 119:63
  21. 21 Psalm 32:10; Isaiah 3:10–11; Proverbs 13:13; Romans 2:7–10; Genesis 4:7
  22. 22 Ecclesiastes 2:26; Job 27:16–17; Proverbs 28:8; Psalm 37:25; Psalm 112:2
  23. 23 Proverbs 12:11; Proverbs 28:19; Ecclesiastes 5:9; Psalm 112:5; Ecclesiastes 8:5–6
  24. 24 Proverbs 29:17; Proverbs 23:13–14; Proverbs 29:15; Proverbs 19:18; Hebrews 12:6–8
  25. 25 Psalm 34:10; Proverbs 10:3; Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 4:8; Deuteronomy 32:24

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Quotes verse 13:9 Basil of Caesarea, Hexaemeron (Homily II)

    No one will contradict this; least of all he who looks for celestial light as one of the rewards promised to virtue, the light which, as Solomon says, is always a light to the righteous, the light which made the Apostle say "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)