Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, May 13th, 2025
the Fourth Week after Easter
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Proverbs 12:15

Fools are headstrong and do what they like; wise people take advice.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Conceit;   Counsel;   Humility;   Pride;   Self-Righteousness;   Wisdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Advice;   Counsel;   Evil;   Pathway of Sin;   Self-Justification-Self-Condemnation;   Self-Righteousness;   Way;   The Topic Concordance - Counsel;   Foolishness;   Hearing;   Wisdom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fools;   Presumption;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Fool, folly;   Guidance;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fool;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fool;   Way;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Folly and Fool;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for December 17;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
A fool’s way is right in his own eyes,but whoever listens to counsel is wise.
Hebrew Names Version
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who is wise listens to counsel.
King James Version
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
English Standard Version
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
New American Standard Bible
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a person who listens to advice is wise.
New Century Version
Fools think they are doing right, but the wise listen to advice.
New English Translation
The way of a fool is right in his own opinion, but the one who listens to advice is wise.
Amplified Bible
The way of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God's wisdom] is right in his own eyes, But a wise and prudent man is he who listens to counsel.
World English Bible
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who is wise listens to counsel.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The way of a foole is right in his owne eyes: but he that heareth counsell, is wise.
Legacy Standard Bible
The way of an ignorant fool is right in his own eyes,But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.
Berean Standard Bible
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.
Contemporary English Version
Fools think they know what is best, but a sensible person listens to advice.
Complete Jewish Bible
Fools suppose their way is straight, but the wise pay attention to advice.
Darby Translation
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel.
Easy-to-Read Version
Fools always think their own way is best, but wise people listen to what others tell them.
George Lamsa Translation
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he who listens to counsel is wise.
Good News Translation
Stupid people always think they are right. Wise people listen to advice.
Lexham English Bible
The way of a fool is upright in his own eyes, but he who listens to advice is wise.
Literal Translation
The way of a fool is upright in his own eyes, but he who listens to advice is wise.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Loke what a foole taketh in honde, he thinketh it well done: but he that is wyse, wyl be couceled.
American Standard Version
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; But he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel.
Bible in Basic English
The way of the foolish man seems right to him? but the wise man gives ear to suggestions.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The way of a fool is straight in his own eyes; but he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel.
King James Version (1611)
The way of a foole is right in his owne eyes: but he that hearkeneth vnto counsell, is wise.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The way of a foole is strayght in his owne eyes: but he that hearkeneth vnto counsayle is wise.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The ways of fools are right in their own eyes; but a wise man hearkens to counsels.
English Revised Version
The way of the foolish is right in his own eyes: but he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The weie of a fool is riytful in hise iyen; but he that is wijs, herith counsels.
Update Bible Version
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; But he that is wise harkens to counsel.
Webster's Bible Translation
The way of a fool [is] right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth to counsel [is] wise.
New King James Version
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.
New Living Translation
Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.
New Life Bible
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to good teaching.
New Revised Standard
Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to advice.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The way of the foolish, is right in his own eyes, but, he that hearkeneth to counsel, is wise.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsels.
Revised Standard Version
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
Young's Literal Translation
The way of a fool [is] right in his own eyes, And whoso is hearkening to counsel [is] wise.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

Contextual Overview

15 Fools are headstrong and do what they like; wise people take advice.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

way: Proverbs 3:7, Proverbs 14:16, Proverbs 16:2, Proverbs 16:25, Proverbs 26:12, Proverbs 26:16, Proverbs 28:11, Proverbs 30:12, Luke 18:11, Galatians 6:3

but: Proverbs 1:5, Proverbs 9:9, Proverbs 19:20, Ecclesiastes 4:13, Jeremiah 38:15-28

Reciprocal: Judges 17:6 - right 2 Chronicles 10:6 - took counsel Proverbs 13:10 - with Proverbs 14:12 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
I'll make you a great nation and bless you. I'll make you famous; you'll be a blessing. I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you."
Genesis 12:4
So Abram left just as God said, and Lot left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him, along with all the possessions and people they had gotten in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan and arrived safe and sound. Abram passed through the country as far as Shechem and the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites occupied the land.
Genesis 12:16
Because of her, Abram got along very well: he accumulated sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, men and women servants, and camels. But God hit Pharaoh hard because of Abram's wife Sarai; everybody in the palace got seriously sick.
Genesis 41:1
Two years passed and Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile River. Seven cows came up out of the Nile, all shimmering with health, and grazed on the marsh grass. Then seven other cows, all skin and bones, came up out of the river after them and stood by them on the bank of the Nile. The skinny cows ate the seven healthy cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
Exodus 2:15
Pharaoh heard about it and tried to kill Moses, but Moses got away to the land of Midian. He sat down by a well.
1 Kings 3:1
Solomon arranged a marriage contract with Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He married Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the City of David until he had completed building his royal palace and God 's Temple and the wall around Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the people were worshiping at local shrines because at that time no temple had yet been built to the Name of God . Solomon loved God and continued to live in the God-honoring ways of David his father, except that he also worshiped at the local shrines, offering sacrifices and burning incense.
Proverbs 29:12
When a leader listens to malicious gossip, all the workers get infected with evil.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The way of a fool [is] right in his own eyes,.... Whether it be the way of open profaneness, or self-righteousness, it appears to him to be the right way; it seems to him a very plain one, and he finds it pleasant; and, trusting to carnal sense, corrupt reason, and a false judgment, and having a high opinion of himself and his own knowledge, never asks after the right way, nor takes the advice of others;

but he that hearkeneth unto counsel [is] wise; that asks advice and takes it of such who are men of age and experience, men of longer standing, and are wiser than himself; who consults the word of God about the right way of walk, worship, and salvation, and makes the testimonies of God the men of his counsel, which are able to make him wise unto salvation; who hearkens to the counsel of Gospel ministers, and obeys it; and especially to Jesus Christ the wonderful Counsellor, and to the advice he gives, Revelation 3:18; and who not only hears his words, but does them; such an one is a wise man, Matthew 7:24.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile