On Life and Conduct
aBetter is a poor man who bwalks in his integrity
Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.
2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,
And he who hurries ahis footsteps errs.
3 The afoolishness of man ruins his way,
And his heart brages against the Lord.
4 aWealth adds many friends,
But a poor man is separated from his friend.
5 A afalse witness will not go unpunished,
And he who btells lies will not escape.
6 aMany will seek the favor of a generous man,
And every man is a friend to him who bgives gifts.
7 All the brothers of a poor man hate him;
How much more do his afriends abandon him!
He bpursues them with words, but they are gone.
8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;
He who keeps understanding will afind good.
9 A afalse witness will not go unpunished,
And he who tells lies will perish.
10 Luxury is anot fitting for a fool;
Much less for a bslave to rule over princes.
11 A man’s adiscretion makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory bto overlook a transgression.
12 The aking’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like bdew on the grass.
13 A afoolish son is destruction to his father,
And the bcontentions of a wife are a constant dripping.
14 House and wealth are an ainheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15 aLaziness casts into a deep sleep,
And an idle man will suffer hunger.
16 He who akeeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who is careless of conduct will die.
17 One who ais gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord,
And He will repay him for his bgood deed.
18 aDiscipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire his death.
19 A man of great anger will bear the penalty,
For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.
20 aListen to counsel and accept discipline,
That you may be wise the rest of your days.
21 Many aplans are in a man’s heart,
But the bcounsel of the Lord will stand.
22 What is desirable in a man is his kindness,
And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.
23 The afear of the Lord leads to life,
So that one may sleep bsatisfied, cuntouched by evil.
24 The asluggard buries his hand bin the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 aStrike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd,
But breprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge.
26 He awho assaults his father and drives his mother away
Is a shameful and disgraceful son.
27 Cease listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice,
And the mouth of the wicked aspreads iniquity.
29 Judgments are prepared for ascoffers,
And bblows for the back of fools.
On Life and Conduct
aWine is a mocker, bstrong drink a brawler,
And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.
2 The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion;
He who provokes him to anger aforfeits his own life.
3 aKeeping away from strife is an honor for a man,
But any fool will quarrel.
4 The asluggard does not plow after the autumn,
So he begs during the harvest and has nothing.
5 A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding draws it out.
6 Many a man aproclaims his own loyalty,
But who can find a btrustworthy man?
7 A righteous man who awalks in his integrity—
bHow blessed are his sons after him.
8 aA king who sits on the throne of justice
Disperses all evil with his eyes.
9 aWho can say, “I have cleansed my heart,
I am pure from my sin”?
10 aDiffering weights and differing measures,
Both of them are abominable to the Lord.
11 It is by his deeds that a lad adistinguishes himself
If his conduct is pure and right.
12 The hearing aear and the seeing eye,
The Lord has made both of them.
13 aDo not love sleep, or you will become poor;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
But when he goes his way, then he boasts.
15 There is gold, and an abundance of jewels;
But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing.
16 Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger;
And for foreigners, hold him in pledge.
17 aBread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man,
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
18 Prepare aplans by consultation,
And bmake war by wise guidance.
19 He who agoes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
Therefore do not associate with ba gossip.
20 He who acurses his father or his mother,
His blamp will go out in time of darkness.
21 An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning
Will not be blessed in the end.
22 aDo not say, “I will repay evil”;
bWait for the Lord, and He will save you.
23 aDiffering weights are an abomination to the Lord,
And a bfalse scale is not good.
24 aMan’s steps are ordained by the Lord,
How then can man understand his way?
25 It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!”
And aafter the vows to make inquiry.
26 A awise king winnows the wicked,
And drives the bthreshing wheel over them.
27 The aspirit of man is the lamp of the Lord,
Searching all the innermost parts of his being.
28 Loyalty and atruth preserve the king,
And he upholds his throne by righteousness.
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
And the ahonor of old men is their gray hair.
30 aStripes that wound scour away evil,
And strokes reach the innermost parts.
On Life and Conduct
The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He aturns it wherever He wishes.
2 aEvery man’s way is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord bweighs the hearts.
3 To do arighteousness and justice
Is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
The alamp of the wicked, is sin.
5 The plans of the adiligent lead surely to advantage,
But everyone bwho is hasty comes surely to poverty.
6 The aacquisition of treasures by a lying tongue
Is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of bdeath.
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
Because they arefuse to act with justice.
8 The way of a guilty man is acrooked,
But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.
9 It is better to live in a corner of a roof
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His aneighbor finds no favor in his eyes.
11 When the ascoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise;
But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
12 The righteous one considers the house of the wicked,
Turning the awicked to ruin.
13 He who ashuts his ear to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be banswered.
14 A agift in secret subdues anger,
And a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.
15 The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous,
But is aterror to the workers of iniquity.
16 A man who wanders from the way of understanding
Will arest in the assembly of the dead.
17 He who aloves pleasure will become a poor man;
He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.
18 The wicked is a aransom for the righteous,
And the btreacherous is in the place of the upright.
19 aIt is better to live in a desert land
Than with a contentious and vexing woman.
20 There is precious atreasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise,
But a foolish man bswallows it up.
21 He who apursues righteousness and loyalty
Finds life, righteousness and honor.
22 A awise man scales the city of the mighty
And brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 He who aguards his mouth and his tongue,
Guards his soul from troubles.
24 “Proud,” “Haughty,” “aScoffer,” are his names,
Who acts with binsolent pride.
25 The adesire of the sluggard puts him to death,
For his hands refuse to work;
26 All day long he is craving,
While the righteous agives and does not hold back.
27 The asacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,
How much more when he brings it with evil intent!
28 A afalse witness will perish,
But the man who listens to the truth will speak forever.
29 A wicked man adisplays a bold face,
But as for the bupright, he makes his way sure.
30 There is ano wisdom and no understanding
And no counsel against the Lord.
31 The ahorse is prepared for the day of battle,
But bvictory belongs to the Lord.