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Proverbs 13:20

箴言 13:20

The Passage

One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

In the other language

与智慧人同行的，必得智慧；和愚昧人作伴的，必受亏损。

Theme

Walk with the wise

Bring a question to this passage

Many readers arrive here from a real question. These are reflections for how this passage speaks to the questions people bring most often — not an answer about what will happen, but an invitation to sit with it slowly.

How do I face this season of pressure at work?

The people you walk with matter in this proverb: wise company nurtures wisdom, while foolish company brings harm. Work pressure is not faced only through private resolve. You also absorb the habits, judgments, and reactions of those around you. Some voices encourage honesty and perspective; others normalize contempt, panic, or cutting corners. The passage invites attention to those influences without asking you to label everyone around you as wise or foolish. You may not choose all your colleagues, but you can notice whose counsel you seek and whose habits you imitate. Whose company helps you face pressure with greater wisdom and integrity?

Carry thisThe company you keep matters when pressure shapes your choices.

Other passages for this questionGenesis 1:26-28 · Isaiah 40:31 · 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

I want to learn to love better in this relationship.

Who you walk beside matters in this proverb: companionship shapes wisdom, and foolish company carries harm. It does not directly describe how to love within a relationship, but it asks you to notice the influence of the people around you. Some companions make contempt sound reasonable; others model patient listening, honest apologies, and boundaries without cruelty. You need not label someone a fool to recognize that their advice brings out your worst habits. Learning to love can include choosing whose example you keep close, especially when you are frustrated or hurt. What in the example of a wise companion helps you notice how you want to treat the person you love?

Carry thisThe company I keep matters to the love I practice.

Other passages for this questionGenesis 1:26-28 · Isaiah 40:31 · 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

What do I need to let go of in the coming weeks?

Companionship quietly shapes what you learn to love, though this proverb does not name what you need to let go of in the coming weeks. You might notice whose company helps you become more patient, truthful, and willing to listen, and whose influence leaves you careless with yourself or others. Letting go need not mean judging someone or abruptly ending a friendship; it may mean loosening the hold of approval, shared habits, or conversations that draw you away from wisdom. Bring those patterns before God without rushing to a verdict. The people you walk with—what influence might you need to loosen so that wisdom has more room to grow?

Carry thisThe company you keep helps shape the life you practice.

Other passages for this questionGenesis 1:26-28 · Isaiah 40:31 · 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

How can I find stillness in a busy life?

Company matters in this passage: the people you walk with help shape the way you live. It does not address stillness directly, but it invites attention to the influence of your companions. Some relationships make haste seem normal; others leave space for listening, reflection, and a thoughtful response. You need not judge everyone around you to notice that difference. Finding stillness in a busy life may involve spending time with someone whose wisdom you respect, rather than trying to become quieter entirely on your own. When in a busy season, knowing this proverb does not speak directly about stillness, whose wise company helps you make room for listening and reflection?

Carry thisThe company you keep helps shape your daily pace.

Other passages for this questionGenesis 1:26-28 · Isaiah 40:31 · 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

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Proverbs 13 — in context

14The teaching of the wise is a spring of life, to turn from the snares of death.

15Good understanding wins favor; but the way of the unfaithful is hard.

16Every prudent man acts from knowledge, but a fool exposes folly.

17A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy gains healing.

18Poverty and shame come to him who refuses discipline, but he who heeds correction shall be honored.

19Longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.

20One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

21Misfortune pursues sinners, but prosperity rewards the righteous.

22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous.

23An abundance of food is in poor people’s fields, but injustice sweeps it away.

24One who spares the rod hates his son, but one who loves him is careful to discipline him.

25The righteous one eats to the satisfying of his soul, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.

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