Proverbs for Kids: Biblical Wisdom for Children

Proverbs for Kids: Biblical Wisdom for Children (Bible Chapters for Kids)

Drawing from the wisdom of Proverbs, this book can help children apply the positive traits and qualities therein. Colorful illustrations and easy explanations encourage kids to grow in their moral character. Includes 15 key Bible verses. Suggested for ages 8 and under.

Written by Agnes de Bezenac (Author, Illustrator), Salem de Bezenac (Author)
Page Count ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
Publisher ‏ : ‎ iCharacter.org (15 March 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English

For more kids products and free downloads, visit our website at www.icharacter.org

English proverbs for children on various topics

A good name is better then riches. – Not a penny of money, but fame is good.
After dinner comes the reckoning. – After lunch you have to pay.
Watched pot never boils. – A watched pot never boils.
A good name is sooner lost then won. – A good reputation is easier to lose than to gain.
A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will. – A smart person changes his opinion, but a fool does not.
After dinner sleep a while, after supper walk a mile. – After lunch, sleep a little, and after dinner, go for a walk.
A good name keeps its lustre in the dark. – Gold glitters even in dirt.
A good waif makes a good husband. – With a good wife, the husband is honest.
A great dowry is a bed full of brambles. “It’s better to marry a poor woman than to quarrel with a rich woman.”
After a storm comes a calm. – Calm comes after the storm.
Adversity is a great schoolmaster. – Misfortune is a great teacher.
After rain comes fair weather. – After bad weather comes good weather.
A great fortune is a great slavery. – More money – more troubles.
A great ship asks deep waters. – For a large ship, a long voyage.
A guilty conscience needs no accuser. – A bad conscience doesn’t let you sleep.
A heavy purse makes a light heart. – If you have something to clink, you can also grunt.
A honey tongye, a heart of gall. – There is honey on the tongue, and ice under the tongue.
A hungry belly has no ears. – A hungry belly is deaf to everything.
A jack of all trades is master of none. – He takes on everything, but not everything succeeds.
A joke never gains an enemy but often loses a friend. – Jokes, but be careful, otherwise you can get into trouble.
Adversity makes strange bedfellows. – Necessity will bring a person with anyone.
Actions speak louder than words. – Actions speak louder than words.
A lawyer never goes to law himself. “A smart person doesn’t go to court.”
All are good lasses, but whence come the bad wives? – All girls are good, but where do bad wives come from?
All are not hunters that blow the horn. – Not every hunter is the one who blows the horn.
A lazy sheep thinks its heavy wool. – A lazy horse’s tail is a burden.
All lay load on the willing horse. “They put all the burden on a conscientious horse.”
A liar is not believed when he speaks the truth. “Once you lie, you become a liar forever.”
A lie begets a lie. – Lies beget lies.
All are not friends that speak us fair. – Not everyone is a friend who praises us.
A word is enough to the wise. – For a smart person, a word is enough.
All truths are not to be told. – Not every truth should be spoken out loud.
Agues come on horseback, but go away on foot. – Diseases come to us on horseback, and leave us on foot.
A light purse is a heavy curse. – The worst of all troubles is when there is no money.
A tree is known by its fruit. – A tree is known by its fruits.
All is well that ends well. – All is well that ends well.
All that glitters is not gold. – All that glitters is not gold.
An oak is not felled at one stroke. “You can’t knock down an oak tree with one blow.”
A wager is a fool’s argument. – Betting is a fool’s argument.
An evil chance rarely comes alone. – Trouble rarely comes alone.
An ill wound is cured, not an ill name. “You can heal a serious wound, but not a bad reputation.”
A word spoken is past recalling. – You can’t take back what’s been said.

Better to be alone than in bad company. “It’s better to be alone than in bad company.”
Before you make a friend eat a bushel of salt with him. “Before you make friends with a person, eat a bushel of salt with him.”
Best defense is offense. – Attack is the best type of defense.
Be swift to hear, slow to speak. “Listen hard, but don’t talk too much.”
Be slow to promise and quick to perform. – Be not quick to promise, but quick to fulfill.
Better a glorious death than a shameful life. “Better a glorious death than a shameful life.”
Better be born lucky than rich. “It’s better to be born lucky than rich.”
Better lose a joke than a friend. “It’s better to refrain from making a joke than to lose a friend.”
Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow. – Better an egg today than a chicken tomorrow.
Better die standing than live kneeling. “It’s better to die standing than to live on your knees.”
Better be envied than pitied. – It is better to arouse envy in people than pity.
Better to go to bed supperless than rise in debt. “It’s better to go to bed without dinner than to wake up in debt.”
Better to do well than to say well. – It is better to act well than to speak well.
Better an open enemy than a false friend. “It’s better to have an obvious enemy than a hypocritical friend.”
Between two stools one goes (falls) to the ground. “Whoever sits between two chairs can easily fall.”
Between two evils ’tis not worth choosing. – There is no need to choose between two evils.
Better a lean peace than a fat victory. – A bad peace is better than a good quarrel.
Better deny at once than promise long. – Rather than promising all the time, it’s better to refuse right away.
Bind the sack before it be full. – Tie the bag before it is full to the top.
Burn not your house to get rid of it of the mouse. – Don’t burn your house to get rid of mice.

Catch the bear before you sell his skin. – First catch the bear, and then sell its skin.
Cheapest is the dearest. – What’s cheap is the most expensive.
Confession is the first step to repentance. – Confession is the first step to repentance.
Company in distress makes trouble less. – When there are friends in misfortune, there is less misfortune.
Cross the stream where it is shallowest. – Cross the river at the shallowest point.
Curses like chickens come home to roost. “Curses, like chickens, return to their roost.”

Deeds, not words. – Actions are needed, not words.
Death is the grand leveler. – Death is the great equalizer.
Desperate diseases must have desperate remedies. – Serious illnesses must be treated with strong remedies.
Do as you would be done by. – Do as you want to be treated.
Do not educate children: they will be like you. Educate yourself. – Don’t raise children: they will still be like you. Educate yourself.
Drunkenness reveals what soberness conceals. “What’s on a sober person’s mind is on the drunken person’s tongue.”
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. – Whoever goes to bed early and gets up early will gain health, wealth and intelligence.
East or West – home is best. – Whether it’s East or West, home is best.
Easy come, easy go. – Easy to get – easy to live.

Hard words break no bones. – A strong word does not break bones.
Harm watch, harm catch. – If you keep guard bravely, you will catch it dashingly.
Haste makes waste. – If you hurry, you will waste your time.
Hatred is blind, as well as love. – Hatred, like love, is blind.
Don’t dance well to whom fortune pipes. – He dances well to whom fate plays along.
Don’t be a fool that forgets yourself. – He is a fool who does not remember about himself.
Not happy that thinks himself so. – Happy is the one who believes that he is happy.
It is not fit to command others that cannot command himself. “He who cannot control himself cannot control others.”
Not is not laughed at that laughs at himself first. – They don’t laugh at those who laugh at themselves first.
It is not poor that has little, but he that desires much. – Poor is not the one who has little, but the one who desires a lot.
Doesn’t know best what good is that has endured evil. “He who has experienced evil knows best what good is.”
Don’t laugh best who laugh last. – He who laughs last laughs best.

Not that commits a fault thinks everyone speaks of it. “For someone who does something, it seems like everyone is talking about it.”
Not that fears every bush must never go a-birding. “He who is afraid of every bush should not go bird-catching.”
Not that goes barefoot must not plant thorns. “He who walks barefoot should not plant thorns.”
Not that is ill to himself will be good to nobody. “Anyone who doesn’t love himself won’t be of any use to people.”
Not that lies down with dogs must rise up with fleas. – He who lies down with dogs will rise with fleas.
Not that respects is not respected. – One is not respected who does not respect others.
Not that serves everyone is paid by nobody. – He who serves everyone, no one pays him.
Not that spares the bad injures the good. “He who spares the bad harms the good.”
Not that will eat the kernel must crack the nut. – Whoever wants to eat nuts must crack them.
Not that will not when he may, when he will he shall have nay. “He who doesn’t want to when he can, won’t be able to when he wants to.”
Not that would have eggs must endure the cackling of hens. “Whoever wants to have balls must endure cackling.”

Many hands make light work. – When there are many hands, the work goes smoothly.
Many a true word is spoken in jest. – The truth is often told in a humorous form.
Measure thrice and cut once. – Measure three times, cut once.
Never put off till tomorrow what you can do (can be done) today. – Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
No joy without alloy. – There is no joy without an admixture of something unpleasant.

Of two evils choose the least. – Choose the lesser of two evils.
Poverty is not a shame, but the being ashamed of it is. – Poverty is not a shame, but being ashamed of it is shameful.
Promise little, but do much. – Promise little and deliver a lot.
Prosperity makes friends, and adversity tries them. – Prosperity gathers friends around, and misfortune tests their friendship.
Repentance is good, but innocence is better. – It is good to repent, but it is better not to sin.
Saying and doing are two things. – Saying and doing are two different things.
Soon ripe, soon rotten. – What ripens quickly also spoils quickly.
The busiest man finds the most leisure. – The busiest person finds the most leisure.

Sayings in English with translation into Russian

A hard nut to crack. – The nut is too tough.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing. – Wolf in sheep’s clothing.
All cats are gray in the dark (in the night). – At night all cats are gray.
A wonder lasts but nine days. – The miracle lasts only nine days.
All roads lead to Rome. – All roads lead to Rome.
All is fish that comes to his net. “Whatever comes into his net is all fish.”
After us the deluge. – After us there might be a flood.
All bread is not baked in one oven. – Not all bread comes from the same oven.
An ass in a lion’s skin. – Donkey in lion skin.
An empty sack cannot stand upright. – An empty bag will not stand.
All asses wag their ears. – All donkeys wiggle their ears.

Barking does rarely bite. – Barking dogs rarely bite.
Bad news has wings. – Bad news has wings.
Betwixt and between. – Half a heart.
By hook or by crook. – Not with a hook, but with a hook.

Care killed the cat. – Caring killed the cat.
Charity begins at home. “Charity begins at home.”
Claw me, and I will claw thee. – Praise me, and I will praise you.
Crows do not pick crow’s eyes. “A raven won’t peck out a crow’s eyes.”
Custom is a second nature. – Habit is second nature.
Cut your coat according to your cloth. – When cutting, proceed from the available material.

Divide and rule. – Divide and rule.
Dogs that put up many hares kill none. – Dogs that scare away many hares will not catch a single one.
Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched. – Don’t count the chickens before they hatch.
Don’t keep a dog and bark yourself. – If you keep a dog, don’t bark yourself.
Don’t whistle (halloo) until you are out of the wood. – Don’t whistle until you get out of the forest.
Drive the nail that will go. – Drive in the nail that is being driven in.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. – Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. – Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Each bird loves to hear himself sing. – Every bird loves to listen to itself.

Half a Loaf is Better Than No Bread. – Half a loaf is better than no bread at all.
Not that is born to be hung shall never be drowned. – He who is destined to be hanged will not drown.
Not that has by head needs no hat. – Someone who doesn’t have a head doesn’t need a hat.
His money burns a hole in his pocket. “Money is burning a hole in his pocket.”
Honey is not for the ass’s mouth. – Honey is not for donkeys.
Hungry bellies have no ears. – A hungry belly has no ear.
If an ass (donkey) bray at you, don’t bray at him. – Don’t bray at a donkey like a donkey.

Measure for measure. – An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth.
Money has no smell. – Money doesn’t smell.
Marriages are made in heaven. – Marriages are made in heaven.
Much ado about nothing. – Much ado about nothing.
My house is my castle. – My home is my castle.
Neither here nor there. – Neither here nor there.
New brooms sweep clean. – The new broom sweeps cleanly.
Neither fish nor flesh. – Neither fish nor fowl.
No flying from fate. – You can’t escape fate.

Once is no rule (custom). – Once doesn’t count.
One drop of poison infects the whole tun of wine. – One drop of poison contaminates the entire barrel of wine.
One man, no man. “One person doesn’t count.” There is safety in numbers.
Rats desert a sinking ship. – Rats leave the sinking ship.
Silence gives consent. – Silent means consent.
Sink or swim! – Sink or swim!
Speech is silver but silence is gold. – The word is silver, silence is gold.
Strike while the iron is hot. – Strike while the iron is hot.

The cap fits. – The hat fits. The thief’s hat is on fire.
The devil is not so black as he is painted. – The devil is not as scary as he is painted.
The game is not worth the candle. – It is not worth it.
The leopard cannot change its spots. – A leopard cannot change its color.
The mountain has brought forth a mouse. – The mountain gave birth to a mouse.
The rotten apple injures its neighbors. – A rotten apple spoils the neighbors.
The wind cannot be caught in a net. “You can’t catch the wind with a net.”
There is no smoke without fire. – There is no smoke without fire.
That be wise behind the hand. – Strong in hindsight.
That came out dry. – Come out dry from water.
That’s fish in troubled waters. – Fishing in troubled waters.
Then kill two birds with one stone. – Kill two birds with one stone.
Then look for a needle in a haystack. -Looking for a needle in a haystack.
Then make both ends meet. – Make ends meet.

Proverb Source: http://mamulichkam.ru/pogovorki-poslovicy-anglijskie-russkim-perevodom/