Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13 sets two paths side by side: the wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked, the diligent and the lazy. It speaks of how we take correction, use our words, handle money and choose our friends. Throughout, it shows that how we live now shapes where we end up.

Proverbs 13:1

A wise child listens to a father’s correction. The mocker, who thinks he is above learning, will not even hear a warning. The difference is not intelligence but humility: wisdom begins with a willingness to be taught.

BSA: discipline (“correction, instruction”): A father’s discipline is not only punishment but also teaching that shapes a child. mocker (“scoffer, scorner”): The mocker looks down on correction and so closes the door to learning.

See also: Proverbs 1:7; Ephesians 6:4.

Proverbs 13:2

Good words bear good fruit, and the speaker eats it. The treacherous, by contrast, crave harm, and their appetite for violence will come back on them. What we say and want shapes what we receive.

BSA: fruit (“produce, result”): Words are like a crop: what is sown by the lips is harvested later. faithless (“unfaithful, treacherous”): These are people who break trust and betray others.

See also: Proverbs 12:14.

Proverbs 13:3

Guarding one’s mouth guards one’s life. A careless tongue can wreck friendships, reputation and peace. The one who blurts out everything opens the door to disaster. Self-control in speech is a kind of protection.

BSA: guards (“watches over, keeps safe”): The mouth is pictured as a gate that needs a watchman.

Hebrew: פָּשַׂק (pasaq, H6589) — “to open wide.” The Hebrew behind ‘opens’ pictures lips flung wide open, with no restraint at all. It describes the person who talks without thinking.

See also: James 3:2; Psalm 141:3.

Proverbs 13:4

The lazy person wants plenty but does nothing to get it, and ends up with nothing. The hard worker finds real satisfaction. Wishing alone never fills the soul; steady effort does.

BSA: diligent (“hard workers, sharp”): The word suggests someone keen and decisive, not drifting. fully satisfied (“made fat, prospered”): The picture is of a well-fed, flourishing life.

See also: Proverbs 10:4.

Proverbs 13:5

The righteous have a deep dislike of lying. They will not live comfortably with deceit. The wicked, by their dishonesty, end up bringing shame on themselves and a stink on their name.

BSA: hate (“to abhor, feel intense dislike”): The righteous feel a real revulsion toward lies, not just mild disapproval.

See also: Ephesians 4:25.

Proverbs 13:6

Righteousness acts like a guard around a person whose way is straight. Wickedness works like a trapdoor: it brings the sinner down by his own wrongdoing. Doing right protects, and doing wrong undoes.

BSA: undermines (“overthrows, corrupts”): Sin does not just harm from outside; it topples a person from within.

See also: Proverbs 11:3.

Proverbs 13:7

Appearances can mislead. Some put on a show of wealth while empty-handed; others hide what they have. The proverb warns us not to measure life by display. True worth is not always what shows on the surface.

BSA: pretends (“makes himself appear”): Both people are acting a part that does not match reality.

See also: Luke 12:15; Revelation 3:17.

Proverbs 13:8

A rich man may have to pay a ransom when threatened or held for debt or crime. The poor man is not a target, so no one threatens him. Wealth brings its own dangers as well as its protection.

BSA: ransom (“pay a redemption price, save”): Money can sometimes buy a person out of trouble, but it also makes him a target.

See also: Psalm 49:7-8.

Proverbs 13:9

The righteous life is like a lamp burning brightly and joyfully. The lamp of the wicked goes out. Light here means life, joy and a future. Those who walk with God have a hope that those without him do not.

BSA: extinguished (“put out, snuffed out”): The wicked person’s hope and future finally go dark.

See also: Proverbs 4:18; Job 18:5.

Proverbs 13:10

Pride is the root of quarrels, because the proud will not give way. Wisdom is found with those who ask advice and are willing to be guided. Humility keeps peace; arrogance breaks it.

BSA: well-advised (“those who take counsel, guided by wisdom”): These are people who seek out advice instead of insisting on their own way.

See also: James 4:1; Proverbs 11:2.

Proverbs 13:11

Wealth gained quickly or crookedly melts away. Wealth gathered patiently, bit by bit, tends to grow. God’s way is the steady one. Honest work builds what lasts.

BSA: earned (“gathered by labor, collected bit by bit”): Wealth built little by little, by the hand, is more durable than a quick gain.

See also: Proverbs 20:21.

Proverbs 13:12

When hope is put off again and again, the heart grows weary and sick. But when a longing is finally met, it brings new life, like fruit from the tree of life. The verse shows how much the heart depends on hope.

BSA: tree (“strong and firm object”): A fulfilled longing gives strength and refreshment, like a sturdy fruit-bearing tree. deferred (“delayed expectation”): The pain comes from waiting that drags on.

Hebrew: מְמֻשָּׁכָה (memushakhah, H4900) — “drawn out, prolonged.” The Hebrew word ‘deferred’ carries the sense of something dragged out and stretched long, which is why the waiting wears the heart down.

See also: Genesis 2:9; Revelation 22:2.

Proverbs 13:13

To despise a word of instruction is to bring a debt on oneself that must be paid. To respect a command, especially God’s, is to be rewarded. Whether we honor or scorn God’s word makes all the difference.

BSA: respects (“fears with reverence, honors”): The right attitude toward a command is reverent honor, not mere compliance.

See also: Psalm 19:11.

Proverbs 13:14

What a wise person teaches is like a spring of fresh water. It gives life and also steers people away from hidden traps that lead to death. Good teaching refreshes and rescues.

BSA: fountain (“source of life, spring”): Wise teaching keeps flowing and keeps giving life to others. snares (“traps, dangers”): Sin hides dangers like traps set in the path.

See also: Proverbs 10:11; Psalm 18:5.

Proverbs 13:15

Good sense earns goodwill from others. The path of the treacherous is hard going, like rough, unyielding ground. The way of wrongdoing may look easy but turns out to be hard.

BSA: difficult (“hard, strong”): The road of the faithless is tough and unyielding, not smooth.

Proverbs 13:16

The prudent person thinks before acting and relies on what he knows. The fool cannot hide his lack of sense; it shows in what he does and says. Folly is quickly on display.

BSA: displays (“lays open, spreads out”): The fool spreads out his foolishness for everyone to see.

See also: Proverbs 12:23.

Proverbs 13:17

A messenger carries someone else’s words and reputation. An unreliable one brings trouble on himself and others. A trustworthy envoy brings healing and peace. It is a lesson for anyone who speaks on behalf of another, including God’s people.

BSA: envoy (“ambassador”): He represents another and must be faithful to the message. healing (“a cure, deliverance, peace”): A faithful messenger brings restoration, not harm.

See also: 2 Corinthians 5:20.

Proverbs 13:18

Refusing correction leads to poverty and shame; welcoming it leads to honor. It is humbling to be corrected, but the person who learns from it rises, while the one who resists falls.

BSA: honored (“glorified, respected”): Those who accept correction gain respect in the end.

See also: Proverbs 15:32.

Proverbs 13:19

A desire met is sweet, and the fool does not want that sweetness spoiled by turning from evil. He clings to his wrongdoing because he loves it. The verse shows how sin holds on to people who prefer it.

BSA: detestable (“an abomination, disgusting”): To fools, giving up evil feels repulsive, though it is the road to life.

Proverbs 13:20

We become like the people we spend time with. Walking with the wise makes us wise. Befriending fools leads to harm. Choose your companions carefully, for they shape who you become.

BSA: walks (“goes, associates”): Walking with someone means sharing the road of life and daily habits.

See also: 1 Corinthians 15:33; Psalm 1:1.

Proverbs 13:21

Trouble follows sinners as if chasing them, while good things come to the righteous. As a general principle, wrongdoing catches up with people and right living brings blessing, though other Scriptures remind us this is not always seen right away.

BSA: pursues (“chases after, follows with hostile intent”): Disaster is pictured as a hunter on the sinner’s trail.

See also: Psalm 32:10.

Proverbs 13:22

A good person leaves a lasting legacy, reaching even to grandchildren. The wealth of the sinner will in the end pass to the righteous. Goodness builds something that endures across generations.

BSA: inheritance (“a lasting legacy, heritage”): A good life leaves more than money; it leaves a heritage.

See also: Psalm 112:1-2; Job 27:16-17.

Proverbs 13:23

Even a poor man’s small, newly plowed field can yield plenty. But where there is no justice, the harvest is swept away by the powerful or unfair. God’s gift of food can be lost through oppression.

BSA: justice (“righteous judgment”): Fair dealing protects what the poor have worked for.

See also: Proverbs 14:31.

Proverbs 13:24

A father who never corrects his child does him no kindness. Loving discipline begins early and is careful and steady. The verse speaks of love expressed in wise guidance, not harshness or cruelty.

BSA: disciplines (“corrects, guides, chastens”): Discipline here means shaping the child toward what is right. diligently (“early, with care”): A loving parent corrects early and with earnest attention, not as an afterthought.

See also: Hebrews 12:6-7; Proverbs 23:13.

Proverbs 13:25

The righteous have enough and are content. The wicked, however much they gather, are left hungry and wanting. Satisfaction comes from a life lived rightly before God, not from endless getting.

BSA: empty (“lacking, in need”): The wicked are never filled, always lacking.

See also: Psalm 34:10; Matthew 5:6.