Precepts and Warnings
1Do not be envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;
2For their minds devise violence,
And their lips talk of trouble.
3By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
4And by knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5A wise man is strong,
And a man of knowledge increases power.
6For by wise guidance you will wage war,
And in abundance of counselors there is victory.
7Wisdom is too exalted for a fool,
He does not open his mouth in the gate.
8One who plans to do evil,
Men will call a schemer.
9The devising of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10If you are slack in the day of distress,
Your strength is limited.
11Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.
12If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?
And does He not know it who keeps your soul?
And will He not render to man according to his work?
13My son, eat honey, for it is good,
Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
14Know that wisdom is thus for your soul;
If you find it, then there will be a future,
And your hope will not be cut off.
15Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
16For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,
But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.
17Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18Or the Lord will see it and be displeased,
And turn His anger away from him.
19Do not fret because of evildoers
Or be envious of the wicked;
20For there will be no future for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21My son, fear the Lord and the king;
Do not associate with those who are given to change,
22For their calamity will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?
23These also are sayings of the wise.
To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;
25But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26He kisses the lips
Who gives a right answer.
27Prepare your work outside
And make it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterwards, then, build your house.
28Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
And do not deceive with your lips.
29Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”
30I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,
31And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with nettles,
And its stone wall was broken down.
32When I saw, I reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
33“A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
34Then your poverty will come as a robber
And your want like an armed man.
Similitudes, Instructions
1These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.
2It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
3As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4Take away the dross from the silver,
And there comes out a vessel for the smith;
5Take away the wicked before the king,
And his throne will be established in righteousness.
6Do not claim honor in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of great men;
7For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.
8Do not go out hastily to argue your case;
Otherwise, what will you do in the end,
When your neighbor humiliates you?
9Argue your case with your neighbor,
And do not reveal the secret of another,
10Or he who hears it will reproach you,
And the evil report about you will not pass away.
11Like apples of gold in settings of silver
Is a word spoken in right circumstances.
12Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold
Is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
13Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14Like clouds and wind without rain
Is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely.
15By forbearance a ruler may be persuaded,
And a soft tongue breaks the bone.
16Have you found honey? Eat only what you need,
That you not have it in excess and vomit it.
17Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,
Or he will become weary of you and hate you.
18Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow
Is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.
19Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot
Is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.
20Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda,
Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart.
21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22For you will heap burning coals on his head,
And the Lord will reward you.
23The north wind brings forth rain,
And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.
24It is better to live in a corner of the roof
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is good news from a distant land.
26Like a trampled spring and a polluted well
Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
27It is not good to eat much honey,
Nor is it glory to search out one’s own glory.
28Like a city that is broken into and without walls
Is a man who has no control over his spirit.
Similitudes, Instructions
1Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest,
So honor is not fitting for a fool.
2Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
So a curse without cause does not alight.
3A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a rod for the back of fools.
4Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Or you will also be like him.
5Answer a fool as his folly deserves,
That he not be wise in his own eyes.
6He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence
Who sends a message by the hand of a fool.
7Like the legs which are useless to the lame,
So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8Like one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is he who gives honor to a fool.
9Like a thorn which falls into the hand of a drunkard,
So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by.
11Like a dog that returns to its vomit
Is a fool who repeats his folly.
12Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
A lion is in the open square!”
14As the door turns on its hinges,
So does the sluggard on his bed.
15The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
16The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can give a discreet answer.
17Like one who takes a dog by the ears
Is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him.
18Like a madman who throws
Firebrands, arrows and death,
19So is the man who deceives his neighbor,
And says, “Was I not joking?”
20For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.
21Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
22The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.
23Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
24He who hates disguises it with his lips,
But he lays up deceit in his heart.
25When he speaks graciously, do not believe him,
For there are seven abominations in his heart.
26Though his hatred covers itself with guile,
His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.
27He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28A lying tongue hates those it crushes,
And a flattering mouth works ruin.