Warnings and Instructions
A man who hardens his neck after amuch reproof
Will bsuddenly be broken beyond remedy.
2 When the arighteous increase, the people rejoice,
But when a wicked man rules, people groan.
3 A man who aloves wisdom makes his father glad,
But he who bkeeps company with harlots wastes his wealth.
4 The aking gives stability to the land by justice,
But a man who takes bribes overthrows it.
5 A man who aflatters his neighbor
Is spreading a net for his steps.
6 By transgression an evil man is aensnared,
But the righteous bsings and rejoices.
7 The arighteous is concerned for the rights of the poor,
The wicked does not understand such concern.
8 Scorners aset a city aflame,
But bwise men turn away anger.
9 When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man,
The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest.
10 Men of abloodshed hate the blameless,
But the upright are concerned for his life.
11 A afool always loses his temper,
But a bwise man holds it back.
12 If a aruler pays attention to falsehood,
All his ministers become wicked.
13 The apoor man and the oppressor have this in common:
The Lord gives blight to the eyes of both.
14 If a aking judges the poor with truth,
His bthrone will be established forever.
15 The arod and reproof give wisdom,
But a child who gets his own way bbrings shame to his mother.
16 When the wicked increase, transgression increases;
But the arighteous will see their fall.
17 aCorrect your son, and he will give you comfort;
He will also bdelight your soul.
18 Where there is ano vision, the people bare unrestrained,
But chappy is he who keeps the law.
19 A slave will not be instructed by words alone;
For though he understands, there will be no response.
20 Do you see a man who is ahasty in his words?
There is bmore hope for a fool than for him.
21 He who pampers his slave from childhood
Will in the end find him to be a son.
22 An aangry man stirs up strife,
And a hot‑tempered man abounds in transgression.
23 A man’s apride will bring him low,
But a bhumble spirit will obtain honor.
24 He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life;
He ahears the oath but tells nothing.
25 The afear of man brings a snare,
But he who btrusts in the Lord will be exalted.
26 aMany seek the ruler’s favor,
But bjustice for man comes from the Lord.
27 An aunjust man is abominable to the righteous,
And he who is bupright in the way is abominable to the wicked.
The Words of Agur
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle.
The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
2 Surely I am more astupid than any man,
And I do not have the understanding of a man.
3 Neither have I learned wisdom,
Nor do I have the aknowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has aascended into heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the bwind in His fists?
Who has cwrapped the waters in His garment?
Who has destablished all the ends of the earth?
What is His ename or His son’s name?
Surely you know!
5 Every aword of God is tested;
He is a bshield to those who take refuge in Him.
6 aDo not add to His words
Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.
7 Two things I asked of You,
Do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep deception and lies far from me,
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the afood that is my portion,
9 That I not be afull and deny bYou and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or that I not be cin want and steal,
And dprofane the name of my God.
10 Do not slander a slave to his master,
Or he will acurse you and you will be found guilty.
11 There is a kind of man who acurses his father
And does not bless his mother.
12 There is a kind who is apure in his own eyes,
Yet is not washed from his filthiness.
13 There is a kind—oh how alofty are his eyes!
And his eyelids are raised in arrogance.
14 There is a kind of man whose ateeth are like swords
And his bjaw teeth like knives,
To cdevour the afflicted from the earth
And the needy from among men.
15 The leech has two daughters,
“Give,” “Give.”
There are three things that will not be satisfied,
Four that will not say, “Enough”:
16 aSheol, and the bbarren womb,
Earth that is never satisfied with water,
And fire that never says, “Enough.”
17 The eye that amocks a father
And bscorns a mother,
The cravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young ceagles will eat it.
18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Four which I do not understand:
19 The way of an aeagle in the sky,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the middle of the sea,
And the way of a man with a maid.
20 This is the way of an aadulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, “I have done no wrong.”
21 Under three things the earth quakes,
And under four, it cannot bear up:
22 Under a aslave when he becomes king,
And a fool when he is satisfied with food,
23 Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.
24 Four things are small on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
25 The aants are not a strong people,
But they prepare their food in the summer;
26 The ashephanim are not mighty people,
Yet they make their houses in the rocks;
27 The locusts have no king,
Yet all of them go out in aranks;
28 The lizard you may grasp with the hands,
Yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29 There are three things which are stately in their march,
Even four which are stately when they walk:
30 The lion which is amighty among beasts
And does not bretreat before any,
31 The strutting rooster, the male goat also,
And a king when his army is with him.
32 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself
Or if you have plotted evil, aput your hand on your mouth.
33 For the churning of milk produces butter,
And pressing the nose brings forth blood;
So the churning of aanger produces strife.
The Words of Lemuel
The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:
2 What, O my son?
And what, O ason of my womb?
And what, O son of my bvows?
3 aDo not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which bdestroys kings.
4 It is not for akings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to bdrink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,
5 For they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And apervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to him who is aperishing,
And wine to him bwhose life is bitter.
7 Let him drink and forget his poverty
And remember his trouble no more.
8 aOpen your mouth for the mute,
For the rights of all the unfortunate.
9 Open your mouth, ajudge righteously,
And defend the brights of the afflicted and needy.
Description of a Worthy Woman
10 An aexcellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far babove jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like amerchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 She arises also while it is still night
And bgives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She agirds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She aextends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are aclothed with scarlet.
22 She makes acoverings for herself;
Her clothing is bfine linen and cpurple.
23 Her husband is known ain the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes alinen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25 Strength and adignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26 She aopens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the abread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who afears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.