Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1He who separates himself seeks his own desire,

He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

2A fool does not delight in understanding,

But only in revealing his own mind.

3When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes,

And with dishonor comes scorn.

4The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;

The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

5To show partiality to the wicked is not good,

Nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment.

6A fool’s lips bring strife,

And his mouth calls for blows.

7A fool’s mouth is his ruin,

And his lips are the snare of his soul.

8The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,

And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.

9He also who is slack in his work

Is brother to him who destroys.

10The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

The righteous runs into it and is safe.

11A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

And like a high wall in his own imagination.

12Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,

But humility goes before honor.

13He who gives an answer before he hears,

It is folly and shame to him.

14The spirit of a man can endure his sickness,

But as for a broken spirit who can bear it?

15The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge,

And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

16A man’s gift makes room for him

And brings him before great men.

17The first to plead his case seems right,

Until another comes and examines him.

18The cast lot puts an end to strife

And decides between the mighty ones.

19A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city,

And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

20With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;

He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.

21Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit.

22He who finds a wife finds a good thing

And obtains favor from the Lord.

23The poor man utters supplications,

But the rich man answers roughly.

24A man of too many friends comes to ruin,

But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

On Life and Conduct

1Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity

Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

2Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,

And he who hurries his footsteps errs.

3The foolishness of man ruins his way,

And his heart rages against the Lord.

4Wealth adds many friends,

But a poor man is separated from his friend.

5A false witness will not go unpunished,

And he who tells lies will not escape.

6Many will seek the favor of a generous man,

And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts.

7All the brothers of a poor man hate him;

How much more do his friends abandon him!

He pursues them with words, but they are gone.

8He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;

He who keeps understanding will find good.

9A false witness will not go unpunished,

And he who tells lies will perish.

10Luxury is not fitting for a fool;

Much less for a slave to rule over princes.

11A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger,

And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.

12The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,

But his favor is like dew on the grass.

13A foolish son is destruction to his father,

And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping.

14House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,

But a prudent wife is from the Lord.

15Laziness casts into a deep sleep,

And an idle man will suffer hunger.

16He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,

But he who is careless of conduct will die.

17One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord,

And He will repay him for his good deed.

18Discipline your son while there is hope,

And do not desire his death.

19A man of great anger will bear the penalty,

For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.

20Listen to counsel and accept discipline,

That you may be wise the rest of your days.

21Many plans are in a man’s heart,

But the counsel of the Lord will stand.

22What is desirable in a man is his kindness,

And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.

23The fear of the Lord leads to life,

So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

24The sluggard buries his hand in the dish,

But will not even bring it back to his mouth.

25Strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd,

But reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge.

26He who assaults his father and drives his mother away

Is a shameful and disgraceful son.

27Cease listening, my son, to discipline,

And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice,

And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity.

29Judgments are prepared for scoffers,

And blows for the back of fools.

On Life and Conduct

1Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,

And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.

2The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion;

He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

3Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man,

But any fool will quarrel.

4The sluggard does not plow after the autumn,

So he begs during the harvest and has nothing.

5A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water,

But a man of understanding draws it out.

6Many a man proclaims his own loyalty,

But who can find a trustworthy man?

7A righteous man who walks in his integrity—

How blessed are his sons after him.

8A king who sits on the throne of justice

Disperses all evil with his eyes.

9Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart,

I am pure from my sin”?

10Differing weights and differing measures,

Both of them are abominable to the Lord.

11It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself

If his conduct is pure and right.

12The hearing ear and the seeing eye,

The Lord has made both of them.

13Do 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.

15There is gold, and an abundance of jewels;

But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing.

16Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger;

And for foreigners, hold him in pledge.

17Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man,

But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

18Prepare plans by consultation,

And make war by wise guidance.

19He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,

Therefore do not associate with a gossip.

20He who curses his father or his mother,

His lamp will go out in time of darkness.

21An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning

Will not be blessed in the end.

22Do not say, “I will repay evil”;

Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.

23Differing weights are an abomination to the Lord,

And a false scale is not good.

24Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord,

How then can man understand his way?

25It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!”

And after the vows to make inquiry.

26A wise king winnows the wicked,

And drives the threshing wheel over them.

27The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord,

Searching all the innermost parts of his being.

28Loyalty and truth preserve the king,

And he upholds his throne by righteousness.

29The glory of young men is their strength,

And the honor of old men is their gray hair.

30Stripes that wound scour away evil,

And strokes reach the innermost parts.