The Message

Proverbs 16:19-29 The Message (MSG)

19. It’s better to live humbly among the poorthan to live it up among the rich and famous.

20. It pays to take life seriously;things work out when you trust in God.

21. A wise person gets known for insight;gracious words add to one’s reputation.

22. True intelligence is a spring of fresh water,while fools sweat it out the hard way.

23. They make a lot of sense, these wise folks;whenever they speak, their reputation increases.

24. Gracious speech is like clover honey—good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body.

25. There’s a way that looks harmless enough;look again—it leads straight to hell.

26. Appetite is an incentive to work;hunger makes you work all the harder.

27. Mean people spread mean gossip;their words smart and burn.

28. Troublemakers start fights;gossips break up friendships.

29. Calloused climbers betray their very own friends;they’d stab their own grandmothers in the back.