Proverbs 21:17-26
Proverbs 21:17-26 The Message (MSG)
You’re addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied. What a bad person plots against the good, boomerangs; the plotter gets it in the end. Better to live in a tent in the wild than with a cross and petulant spouse. Valuables are safe in a wise person’s home; fools put it all out for yard sales. Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind finds life itself—glorious life! One sage entered a whole city of armed soldiers— their trusted defenses fell to pieces! Watch your words and hold your tongue; you’ll save yourself a lot of grief. You know their names—Brash, Impudent, Blasphemer— intemperate hotheads, every one. Lazy people finally die of hunger because they won’t get up and go to work. Sinners are always wanting what they don’t have; the God-loyal are always giving what they do have.
Proverbs 21:17-26 King James Version (KJV)
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, And the transgressor for the upright. It is better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and an angry woman. There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; But a foolish man spendeth it up. He that followeth after righteousness and mercy Findeth life, righteousness, and honour. A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, And casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue Keepeth his soul from troubles. Proud and haughty scorner is his name, Who dealeth in proud wrath. The desire of the slothful killeth him; For his hands refuse to labour. He coveteth greedily all the day long: But the righteous giveth and spareth not.
Proverbs 21:17-26 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
He who loves pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not become rich. The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, And the treacherous is in the place of the upright. It is better to live in a desert land Than with a contentious and vexing woman. There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man swallows it up. He who pursues righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness and honor. A wise man scales the city of the mighty And brings down the stronghold in which they trust. He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles. “Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names, Who acts with insolent pride. The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work; All day long he is craving, While the righteous gives and does not hold back.
Proverbs 21:17-26 New Century Version (NCV)
Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and perfume will never be rich. Wicked people will suffer instead of good people, and those who cannot be trusted will suffer instead of those who do right. It is better to live alone in the desert than with a quarreling and complaining wife. Wise people’s houses are full of the best foods and olive oil, but fools waste everything they have. Whoever tries to live right and be loyal finds life, success, and honor. A wise person can defeat a city full of warriors and tear down the defenses they trust in. Those who are careful about what they say keep themselves out of trouble. People who act with stubborn pride are called “proud,” “bragger,” and “mocker.” Lazy people’s desire for sleep will kill them, because they refuse to work. All day long they wish for more, but good people give without holding back.
Proverbs 21:17-26 American Standard Version (ASV)
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. The wicked is a ransom for the righteous; And the treacherous cometh in the stead of the upright. It is better to dwell in a desert land, Than with a contentious and fretful woman. There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise; But a foolish man swalloweth it up. He that followeth after righteousness and kindness Findeth life, righteousness, and honor. A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, And bringeth down the strength of the confidence thereof. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue Keepeth his soul from troubles. The proud and haughty man, scoffer is his name; He worketh in the arrogance of pride. The desire of the sluggard killeth him; For his hands refuse to labor. There is that coveteth greedily all the day long; But the righteous giveth and withholdeth not.
Proverbs 21:17-26 New International Version (NIV)
Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich. The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the unfaithful for the upright. Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife. The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down. Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty and pull down the stronghold in which they trust. Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity. The proud and arrogant person—“Mocker” is his name— behaves with insolent fury. The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work. All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.
Proverbs 21:17-26 New King James Version (NKJV)
He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be rich. The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, And the unfaithful for the upright. Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman. There is desirable treasure, And oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man squanders it. He who follows righteousness and mercy Finds life, righteousness, and honor. A wise man scales the city of the mighty, And brings down the trusted stronghold. Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles. A proud and haughty man— “Scoffer” is his name; He acts with arrogant pride. The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor. He covets greedily all day long, But the righteous gives and does not spare.
Proverbs 21:17-26 Amplified Bible (AMP)
He who loves [only selfish] pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves and is devoted to wine and [olive] oil will not become rich. The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, And the treacherous in the place of the upright [for they fall into their own traps]. It is better to dwell in a desert land Than with a contentious and troublesome woman. There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise [who prepare for the future], But a short-sighted and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it. He who earnestly seeks righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness, and honor. [Prov 15:9; Matt 5:6] A wise man scales the city [walls] of the mighty And brings down the stronghold in which they trust. He who guards his mouth and his tongue Guards himself from troubles. [Prov 12:13; 13:3; 18:21; James 3:2] “Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names Who acts with overbearing and insolent pride. The desire of the lazy kills him, For his hands refuse to labor; He craves all the day long [and does no work], But the righteous [willingly] gives and does not withhold [what he has]. [2 Cor 9:6-10]
Proverbs 21:17-26 New Living Translation (NLT)
Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich. The wicked are punished in place of the godly, and traitors in place of the honest. It’s better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife. The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get. Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor. The wise conquer the city of the strong and level the fortress in which they trust. Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble. Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance. Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work. Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give!
Proverbs 21:17-26 The Passion Translation (TPT)
To love pleasure for pleasure’s sake will introduce you to poverty. Indulging in a life of luxury will never make you wealthy. The wicked bring on themselves the very suffering they planned for others, for their treachery comes back to haunt them. It’s better to live in a hut in the wilderness than with a crabby, scolding spouse! In wisdom’s house you’ll find delightful treasures and the oil of the Holy Spirit. But the stupid squander what they’ve been given. The lovers of God who chase after righteousness will find all their dreams come true: an abundant life drenched with favor and a fountain that overflows with satisfaction. A warrior filled with wisdom ascends into the high place and releases breakthrough, bringing down the strongholds of the mighty. Watch your words and be careful what you say, and you’ll be surprised by how few troubles you’ll have. An arrogant man is inflated with pride— nothing but a snooty scoffer in love with his own opinion. Mr. Mocker is his name! Taking the easy way out is the habit of a lazy man, and it will be his downfall. All day long he thinks about all the things that he craves, for he hasn’t learned the secret that the generous man has learned: extravagant giving never leads to poverty.
Proverbs 21:17-26 English Standard Version Revision 2016 (ESV)
Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the traitor for the upright. It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman. Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust. Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride. The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.