The wicked aflee when there is no one pursuing,
But the righteous are secure as a lion.
2 By the transgression of a land amany are its princes,
But bby a man who understands, who knows, so it endures.
3 A apoor man who oppresses the lowly
Is a driving rain which leaves no food.
4 Those who forsake the law apraise the wicked,
But those who keep the law bstrive with them.
5 Evil men ado not understand justice,
But those who seek Yahweh bunderstand all things.
6 aBetter is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than he who is crooked—double dealing—though he be rich.
7 He who observes the law is a son who understands,
But he who befriends agluttons humiliates his father.
8 He who increases his wealth by ainterest and usury
Gathers it bfor him who is gracious to the lowly.
9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law,
Even his aprayer is an abomination.
10 He who leads the upright astray in an evil way
Will ahimself fall into his own pit,
But the bblameless will inherit good.
11 The rich man is awise in his own eyes,
But the lowly who understands searches him.
12 When the arighteous exult, there is great honor,
But bwhen the wicked rise, man has to be sought out.
13 He who aconceals his transgressions will not prosper,
But he who bconfesses and forsakes them will receive compassion.
14 How blessed is the man who ais always in dread,
But he who bhardens his heart will fall into calamity.
15 Like a aroaring lion and a rushing bear
Is a bwicked ruler over a poor people.
16 A aleader who lacks discernment abounds in oppressions,
But he who hates greedy gain will prolong his days.
17 A man aoppressed with bthe bloodguilt of life
Will flee until death; let no one uphold him.
18 He who walks blamelessly will be saved,
But he who is acrooked—double dealing—will fall all at once.
19 aHe who cultivates his ground will be bsatisfied with food,
But he who pursues empty things will be satisfied with poverty.
20 A afaithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who bmakes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.
21 To ashow partiality is not good,
bEven for a piece of bread a man will transgress.
22 A man with an aevil eye bhurries after wealth
And does not know that want will come upon him.
23 He who areproves a man will afterward find more favor
Than he who bflatters with the tongue.
24 He who arobs his father or his mother
And says, “It is not a transgression,”
Is the bcompanion of a man who destroys.
25 An arrogant man astirs up strife,
But he who btrusts in Yahweh cwill be enriched.
26 He who atrusts in his own heart is a fool,
But he who walks wisely will escape.
27 He who agives to the poor will never want,
But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.
28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.