compiled by Danna Shirley
If you follow these Positives, you may never have to deal with the negatives!
(New Living
Translation)
Chapter 1
Live disciplined
and successful lives
Do what is right,
just, and fair
Give knowledge and
discernment
Listen and become
even wiser
Receive guidance
Explore the words
of the wise
Foundation of true
knowledge
Listen to
correction, instruction, true knowledge
Learning will
crown you with grace and honor
Listen to wisdom’s
counsel
Listen to wisdom
and live in peace
Chapter 2
Treasure wisdom’s
commands
Tune your ear to
wisdom
Concentrate on
understanding
Cry out and search
for insight and understanding
Seek them like
hidden treasures
Fear the Lord and
gain knowledge of God
The Lord grants
wisdom and common sense
The Lord is a
shield to walk with integrity
The Lord guards
the just and protects the faithful
Understand what is
right, just, and fair
Find the right way
to go
Wisdom will enter
your heart
Knowledge will
fill you with joy
Wise choices will
watch over you
Understanding will
keep you safe
Wisdom will save
you from evil
Follow the steps
of the good
Stay on the paths
of the righteous
The godly will
live in the land
Those with
integrity will remain in the land
Chapter 3
Remember the
things you have been taught
Store God’s
commands in your heart;
if so, you will live
long and life will be satisfying
Never let loyalty
and kindness leave you; tie them around your neck;
write them deep in
your heart
Find favor and a
good reputation
Trust in the Lord
Seek His will in
all you do
Fear the Lord and
turn from evil
Have healing in
your body; strength in your bones
Honor the Lord
with your wealth
Don’t reject the
Lord’s discipline
The Lord corrects
those He loves
Wisdom and understanding
bring joy
Wisdom is more
profitable than silver, gold, or rubies
Wisdom offers long
life and honor
Wisdom guides down
delightful paths
Wisdom’s ways are
satisfying
Wisdom is a tree
of life; hold her tightly
Don’t lose sight
of common sense and discernment;
they will refresh
and keep you safe from stumbling
Lie down and sleep
soundly without fear
The Lord is your
security
Do not withhold
good to those who deserve it
Help your neighbor
The Lord offers
friendship to the godly
The Lord blesses
the home of the upright
The Lord is
gracious to the humble
The wise inherit
honor
Chapter 4
Listen when your
father corrects you
Pay attention and
learn good judgment
Get wisdom;
develop good judgment
Getting wisdom is
the wisest thing you can do
Develop good
judgment
Embrace wisdom and
she will honor you
Wisdom’s ways will
lead you in straight paths
Guard wisdom’s
instructions, they are the key to life
Righteousness,
like first gleam of dawn, shines bright
Let wisdom’s words
penetrate deep into your heart
Wisdom’s words
bring life and healing
Guard your heart;
it determines the course of life
Avoid perverse and
corrupt speech
Fix your eyes
ahead; make straight your safe path
Don’t get
sidetracked
Chapter 5
Pay attention to wisdom;
listen to wise counsel
Show discernment
Share your love
and sex with your own spouse
Be a fountain of
blessing for your spouse
May you always be
captivated by his/her love
Chapter 6
Save yourself from
a friend’s debt
Learn the ways of
the ants and be wise
Obey commands;
don’t neglect instruction
Walk in good
counsel and be led by them
Good counsel will
protect you and advise you
Good counsel is a
lamp and a light of instruction
Corrective
discipline is the way to life
Chapter 7
Follow good
advice; treasure and obey good commands and live
Guard
instructions; write them deep in your heart
Love wisdom and
insight
Don’t let your
heart stray away from your spouse
Chapter 8
Listen to wisdom;
hear understanding; use good judgment
Wisdom speaks
truth and detests deception
Wisdom’s advice is
wholesome
Wisdom’s words are
plain with understanding; clear with knowledge
Choose instruction
and knowledge rather than silver, gold, or rubies
Wisdom lives with
good judgment, knowledge, and discernment
Common sense and
success, insight and strength belong to wisdom
Wisdom walks in
righteousness and justice
Wisdom has been
there from the beginning of creation (vs 22-31)
Listen to wisdom;
follow the ways of wisdom with joy and be wise
Whoever finds
wisdom finds life and receives God’s favor
Chapter 9
Wisdom calls out
from the heights overlooking the city and urges…
Come in with me;
begin to live and use good judgment
Correct the wise
and they will love you
Instruct the wise
and they will be even wiser
Teach the
righteous and they will learn even more
The fear of the
Lord is the foundation of wisdom
Knowledge of the Holy
One results in good judgment
Wisdom will
multiply your days and add years to your life
To become wise is
beneficial
Chapter 10
A wise child
brings joy to a father
Right living can
save your life
The Lord will not
let the godly go hungry
Hard workers get
rich
A wise youth
harvests in the summer
The godly are
showered with blessings and have happy memories
The wise are glad
to be instructed
People with
integrity walk safely
A bold reproof
promotes peace
Godly words are a
life-giving fountain
Love makes up for
all offenses
Wise words come
from people with understanding
Wise people
treasure knowledge
The wealth of the
rich is their fortress
The earnings of
the godly enhance their lives
People who accept
discipline are on the pathway of life
Keeping your mouth
shut is sensible
Words of the godly
are like sterling silver and encourage many
The blessing of
the Lord makes a person rich
Living wisely
brings pleasure to the sensible
Hopes of the godly
will be granted
When storms of
life come, the godly have a lasting foundation
Fear of the Lord
lengthens one’s life
The hope of the
godly results in happiness
The way of the
Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity
The godly will
never be disturbed
The godly person
gives wise advice and helpful words
Chapter 11
The Lord delights
in accurate weights
With humility
comes wisdom
Honesty guides
good people
Right living can
save you from death
The godly are
directed by honesty
The godliness of
good people rescues them
The godly are
rescued from trouble
Knowledge will
rescue the righteous
The whole city
celebrates when the godly succeed
Upright citizens
are good for a city and make it prosper
A sensible person
keeps quiet
Those who are
trustworthy keep a confidence
Wise leadership
upholds a nation
There is safety in
having many advisers
Do not guarantee
another person’s debt
A gracious woman
gains respect
Your kindness will
reward you
The reward of the
godly lasts
Godly people will
find life
The Lord delights
in those with integrity
The children of
the godly will go free
The godly can look
forward to a reward
Give freely and
become more wealthy
The generous prospers
Those who refresh
others will themselves be refreshed
People bless the
ones who sell in time of need
Search for good
and you will find favor
The godly flourish
like leaves in spring
The seeds of good
deeds become a tree of life
A wise person wins
friends
The righteous are
rewarded here on earth
Chapter 12
You must love
discipline to learn from it
The Lord approves
of those who are good
The godly have
deep roots
A worthy wife is a
crown for her husband
The plans of the
godly are just
The words of the
godly save lives
The family of the
godly stands firm
A sensible person
wins admiration
The godly care for
their animals
A hard worker has
plenty of food
The godly are well
rooted and bear their own fruit
The godly escape troubles
Wise words bring
many benefits and hard work brings rewards
The wise listen to
others
A wise person
stays calm when insulted
An honest witness
tells the truth
The words of the
wise bring healing
Truthful words
stand the test of time
Joy fills hearts
that are planning peace
No harm comes to
the godly
The Lord delights
in those who tell the truth
The wise don’t
make a show of their knowledge
Work hard and
become a leader
An encouraging
word cheers a person
The godly give
good advice to their friends
The diligent make
use of everything they find
The way of the
godly leads to life
Chapter 13
A wise child
accepts a parent’s discipline
Wise words will
win you a good meal
Those who control
their tongue will have a long life
Those who work
hard will prosper
The godly hate
lies
Godliness guards
the path of the blameless
The life of the
godly is full of light and joy
Those who take
advice are wise
Wealth from hard
work grows over time
A dream fulfilled
is a tree of life
Those who respect
a command will succeed
Instruction of the
wise is like a life-giving fountain
A person with good
sense is respected
Wise people think
before they act
A reliable
messenger brings healing
Accept correction
and you will be honored
It is pleasant to
see dreams come true
Walk with the wise
and become wise
Blessings reward
the righteous
Good people leave
an inheritance to their grandchildren
Those who love
their children care enough to discipline them
The godly eat to
their heart’s content
Chapter 14
A wise woman
builds her home
Those who follow
the right path fear the Lord
The words of the wise
keep them safe
An honest witness
does not lie
Knowledge comes
easily to those with understanding
The prudent
understand where they are going
The godly
acknowledge guilt and seek reconciliation
The tent of the
godly flourishes
Laughter can
conceal a heavy heart
Good people
receive their reward
The prudent
carefully consider their steps
The wise are
cautious and avoid danger
The prudent are
crowned with knowledge
Blessed are those
who help the poor
If you do good,
you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness
Work brings profit
Wealth is a crown
for the wise
A truthful witness
saves lives
Those who fear the
Lord are secure; He will be their children’s refuge
Fear of the Lord
is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from snares
People with
understanding control their anger
A peaceful heart
leads to a healthy body
Helping the poor
honors God
Wisdom is
enshrined in an understanding heart
Godliness makes a
nation great
Chapter 15
A gentle answer
deflects anger
The tongue of the
wise makes knowledge appealing
The Lord is
watching; keeping His eye on the good
Gentle words are a
tree of life
Whoever learns
from correction is wise
There is treasure
in the house of the godly
The lips of the
wise give good advice
The Lord delights
in the prayers of the upright
The Lord loves
those who pursue godliness
Do not abandon the
right path
The Lord knows the
human heart
A glad heart makes
a happy face
A wise person is
hungry for knowledge
For the happy
heart, life is a continual feast
Better to have
little with the fear of the Lord
A bowl of
vegetables is better with someone you love
A cool-tempered
person stops arguments
The path of the
upright is an open highway
Sensible children
bring joy to their father
A sensible person
stays on the right path
Many advisers
bring success
Everyone enjoys a
fitting reply
It is wonderful to
say the right thing at the right time
The path of life
leads upward for the wise
The Lord delights
in pure words
The heart of the godly
thinks carefully before speaking
The Lord hears the
prayers of the righteous
A cheerful look
brings joy to the heart
Good news makes
for good health
The wise listen to
constructive criticism
If you listen to
correction, you grow in understanding
The fear of the
Lord teaches wisdom
Humility precedes
honor
Chapter 16
The Lord gives us
our right plans
The Lord examines
our motives to be pure
Commit your
actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed
The Lord has made
everything for His own purposes
Unfailing love and
faithfulness make atonement for sin
When your life
pleases the Lord, even your enemies will be at peace
We make our plans
but the Lord determines our steps
Speak with wisdom;
never judge unfairly
The Lord demands
accurate scales and balances
The Lord sets the
standards for fairness
The Lord’s rule is
built on justice
The Lord is
pleased with words from righteous lips
The Lord loves
those who speak honestly
The wise will try
to appease anger
The Lord’s favor
refreshes like a spring rain
It is good to have
wisdom and good judgment
The virtuous
follow the path of safety
Better to live
humbly than prideful
Those who listen
to instruction will prosper
Those who trust
the Lord will be joyful
The wise are known
for their understanding
Pleasant words are
persuasive
Discretion is a
life-giving fountain
A wise mind speaks
wisdom
The words of the
wise are persuasive
Kind words are
like honey—sweet and healthy
Gray hair is a
crown of glory gained by living a godly life
Better to be
patient and have self-control
Chapter 17
Better to live in
a peaceful house
The Lord tests the
heart
Grandchildren are
the crowning glory of the aged
Parents are the
pride of their children
Love prospers when
a fault is forgiven
Dwelling on a
fault separates close friends
A person of
understanding accepts a rebuke
Stop a dispute
before a quarrel breaks out
A friend is always
loyal
A brother is born
to help in time of need
It is poor
judgment to put up security for a friend
A cheerful heart
is good medicine
Sensible people
keep their eyes glued on wisdom
A wise person uses
few words
A person with
understanding is even-tempered
Chapter 18
Friendly people
care about others
Wise words are
like deep waters
Wisdom flows from
the wise like a bubbling brook
The name of the
Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him safely
Humility precedes
honor
Intelligent people
are always ready to learn
Intelligent people
have their ears open for knowledge
Giving a gift can
open doors to important people
Don’t offend or
let arguments separate friends
Wise words satisfy
like a good meal
Be a treasure to
your spouse and find favor from the Lord
A real friend
sticks closer than a brother
Chapter 19
To acquire wisdom
is to love yourself
People who cherish
understanding will prosper
Sensible people
control their temper
Sensible people
earn respect by overlooking wrongs
The Lord’s favor
is like dew on the grass
Keep the
commandments and keep your life
If you help the
poor, you are lending to the Lord; He will repay
Get all the advice
and instruction you can and you will be wise
Make your plans
but the Lord’s purpose will prevail
The fear of the
Lord leads to life, security, and protection
If you correct the
wise, they will be all the wiser
Listen to
instruction, my child, and you will gain knowledge
Chapter 20
The wise stay away
from alcohol
It is honorable to
avoid a quarrel
Good advice lies
deep in the heart; understanding draws it out
The godly walk
with integrity; their children follow and are blessed
Ears to hear and
eyes to see—both are gifts from the Lord
Wise words are
more valuable than gold and rubies
Plans succeed
through good counsel and wise advice
The Lord directs
our steps
Count the cost
before making a rash promise to God and others
The Lord’s light
penetrates the human spirit exposing hidden motives
Unfailing love and
faithfulness are made secure through love
The glory of the
young is their strength
The gray hair of
experience is the splendor of the old
Discipline
purifies the heart
Chapter 21
The heart is like
a stream of water directed by the Lord,
He guides it
wherever He pleases
The Lord examines
the heart
The Lord is
pleased when we do what is right and just
Good planning and
hard work lead to prosperity
The innocent
travels a straight road
If you instruct
the wise, they will be all the wiser
Don’t shut your
ears to the cries of the poor
A secret gift
calms anger and pacifies fury
Justice is a joy
to the godly
Do not stray from
common sense
Whoever pursues
righteousness and unfailing love, will find life, righteousness, and honor
Watch your tongue
and keep silent
A credible witness
will be allowed to speak
The virtuous think
before they act
No human wisdom or
understanding or plan can stand against the Lord
On the day of
battle, the victory belongs to the Lord
Chapter 22
Choose a good
reputation over great riches
Being held in high
esteem is better than silver or gold
A prudent person
foresees danger and takes precautions
True humility and
fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life
Direct your
children onto the right path and they will not leave it
Blessed are those
who are generous because they feed the poor
Love a pure heart
and gracious speech
The Lord preserves
those with knowledge
Apply the words
and instruction of the wise to your heart
Keep these wise
sayings in your heart and always ready on your lips
Trust in the Lord
Make an accurate
report
Don’t agree to
guarantee another’s debt or put up security for them
Chapter 23
Don’t wear
yourself out; be wise enough to know when to quit
Commit yourself to
instruction
Listen carefully
to words of knowledge
If your child’s
heart is wise, your heart will rejoice
I will celebrate
when you speak what is right
Fear the Lord; you
will be rewarded and hope will not be disappointed
Listen and be
wise; keep your heart on the right course
Get the truth; get
wisdom, discipline, and good judgment
What a pleasure
and joy to have godly and wise children
May your eyes take
delight in following wise ways
Chapter 24
A house is built
by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense
The wise are
mightier than the strong
Those with
knowledge grow stronger and stronger
Seek wise
guidance; victory depends on having many advisers
Rescue those who
are unjustly accused
Wisdom is sweet to
the soul
If you find
wisdom, you will have a bright future and hope
It is wrong to
show favoritism when passing judgment
An honest answer
is like a kiss of friendship
Do your planning
and preparation before building
Chapter 25
No one can
comprehend the height of heaven or the depth of the earth
Humble yourself
and wait for an invitation
Keep a confidence
and don’t betray a person’s secret
Keep a good
reputation by avoiding [telling or listening to] gossip
Timely advice is
lovely
Listen to valid
criticism
Trustworthy
messengers are refreshing and revive the spirit
Patience and soft
speech can break through opposition
Feed the hungry
and give water to the thirsty; the Lord will reward you
Don’t seek honors
for yourself; practice self-control
Chapter 26
Speaks of fools
Speaks of laziness
Speaks of quarrels
Speaks of hatred
Chapter 27
The heartfelt
counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense
Never abandon a
friend
Be wise and make
your heart glad
A prudent person
foresees danger and take precautions
As iron sharpens
iron, so a friend sharpens a friend
Workers who protect
their employer’s interests will be rewarded
The heart reflects
the real person
Know the state of
your families and put your heart into caring for them
Chapter 28
The godly are as
bold as lions
Wise and
knowledgeable leaders bring stability
To obey the law is
to fight evil
Those who follow
the Lord understand justice
Young people who
obey the law are wise
Honest people will
inherit good things
When the godly
succeed, everyone is glad
If we confess our
sins and turn from them, we will receive mercy
Blessed are those
who fear to do wrong
One who hates
corruption will have a long life
The blameless will
be rescued from harm
A hard worker has
plenty of food
The trustworthy
person will get a rich reward
Never show partiality
People appreciate
honest criticism far more than flattery
Trusting the Lord
leads to prosperity
Whoever walks in
wisdom is safe
Whoever gives to
the poor will lack nothing
Chapter 29
When the godly are
in authority, the people rejoice
The man who loves
wisdom brings joy to his family
A just leader
gives stability to his nation
The righteous
shout for joy as they escape evil traps
The godly care
about the rights of the poor
The wise will calm
angry agitators
The upright seek
to help the blameless
The wise quietly
hold back their anger
A disciplined
child produces wisdom
When the godly are
in authority, righteousness flourishes
You will have
peace and a glad heart with disciplined children
Humility brings
honor
Trusting in the
Lord means safety
The righteous
despise the unjust
Chapter 30
Every Word of God
proves true
God is a shield to
all who come to Him for protection
O God, help me
never to tell a lie
O God, give me neither
poverty nor riches; just enough to satisfy
Never slander a
worker to an employer
Chapter 31
Speak up for those
who cannot speak for themselves
Ensure justice for
those being crushed
Speak up for the
poor and helpless; see that they get justice
A Wife of Noble Character
A virtuous and
capable wife is more precious than rubies
She can be trusted
and will greatly enrich her husband
She brings him
good, not harm, all the days of her life
She takes care of
her household and plans her day’s work
She is energetic
and strong and a hard worker
She makes sure her
dealings are profitable
She offers
hospitality
She extends a helping
hand to the poor
She opens her arms
to the needy
Her family has all
they need
She is clothed
with strength and dignity
She laughs without
fear of the future
She speaks wise
words
She gives
instructions with kindness
She carefully
watches everything in her household
Her children stand
and bless her
Her husband
praises her
She is virtuous
and capable above all other women
She is a woman who
fears the Lord and will be greatly praised
She will be
rewarded for all she has done
Her deeds publicly declare her praise
