Proverbs 15:20-1964 bbe — A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man has no respect for his mother. Foolish behaviour is joy to the unwise…

Proverbs 15:20-1964 in the Bible in Basic English reads: “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man has no respect for his mother. Foolish behaviour is joy to the unwise; but a man of good sense makes his way straight. Where there are no wise suggestions, purposes come to nothing; but by a number of wise guides they are made certain. A man has joy in the answer of his mouth: and a word at the right time, how good it is! Acting wisely is the way of life, guiding a man away from the underworld. The house of the man of pride will be uprooted by the Lord, but he will make safe the heritage of the widow. Evil designs are disgusting to the Lord, but the words of the clean-hearted are pleasing. He whose desires are fixed on profit is a cause of trouble to his family; but he who has no desire for offerings will have life. The heart of the upright gives thought to his answer; but from the mouth of the evil-doer comes a stream of evil things. The Lord is far from sinners, but his ear is open to the prayer of the upright. The light of the eyes is a joy to the heart, and good news makes the bones fat. The man whose ear is open to the teaching of life will have his place among the wise. He who will not be controlled by training has no respect for his soul, but he who gives ear to teaching will get wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the teaching of wisdom; and a low opinion of oneself goes before honour.”

Proverbs 15:20-1964 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Proverbs, chapter 15, verses 20–1964.

Proverbs is traditionally attributed to Solomon (primarily), with sections by Agur and Lemuel. It was written c. 970–700 BC.

Proverbs is practical wisdom for everyday life — short, vivid sayings on speech, work, money, friendship, sex, parenting, and the fear of the LORD. It teaches that wisdom is not mere cleverness but a way of walking with God in a complicated world.

Proverbs explores themes including Wisdom, Folly, Fear of the LORD, Discipline, Speech, Diligence. These themes shape the meaning and context of Proverbs 15:20-1964.

Proverbs 15:20-1964 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.

Proverbs 15:20-1964 reads (BBE): “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man has no respect for his mother. Foolish behaviour is joy to the unwise; but a man of good sense makes his way straight. Where there are no wise suggestions, purposes come to nothing; but by a number of wise guides they are made certain. A man has joy in the answer of his mouth: and a word at the right time, how good it is! Acting wisely is the way of life, guiding a man away from the underworld. The house of the man of pride will be uprooted by the Lord, but he will make safe the heritage of the widow. Evil designs are disgusting to the Lord, but the words of the clean-hearted are pleasing. He whose desires are fixed on profit is a cause of trouble to his family; but he who has no desire for offerings will have life. The heart of the upright gives thought to his answer; but from the mouth of the evil-doer comes a stream of evil things. The Lord is far from sinners, but his ear is open to the prayer of the upright. The light of the eyes is a joy to the heart, and good news makes the bones fat. The man whose ear is open to the teaching of life will have his place among the wise. He who will not be controlled by training has no respect for his soul, but he who gives ear to teaching will get wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the teaching of wisdom; and a low opinion of oneself goes before honour.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.