1  Be not ^yenvious of evil men,

nor desire to be with them,

2  for their hearts devise violence,

and their lips talk of trouble.

3  By wisdom a house is built,

and by understanding it is established;

4  by knowledge the rooms are filled

with all precious and pleasant riches.

5  A wise man is full of strength,

and a man of knowledge enhances his might,

6  for ^zby wise guidance you can wage your war,

and ^ain abundance of counselors there is victory.

7  Wisdom is too high for a fool;

in the gate he does not open his mouth.

8  Whoever ^bplans to do evil

will be called a schemer.

9  The devising¹ of folly is sin,

and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

10  If you faint in the day of adversity,

your strength is small.

11  ^cRescue those who are being taken away to death;

hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

12  If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”

does not he who ^dweighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,

and will he not repay man ^eaccording to his work?

13  My son, eat honey, for it is good,

and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.

14  Know that wisdom is such to your soul;

if you find it, ^fthere will be a future,

and your hope will not be cut off.

15  Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;

do no violence to his home;

16  for the righteous ^gfalls seven times and rises again,

but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

17  ^hDo not rejoice when your enemy falls,

and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,

18  lest the Lord see it and be displeased,

and turn away his anger from him.

19  ⁱFret not yourself because of evildoers,

and be not envious of the wicked,

20  for the evil man has no future;

the ^jlamp of the wicked will be put out.

21  My son, ^kfear the Lord and the king,

and do not join with those who do otherwise,

22  for disaster will arise suddenly from them,

and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

^mPartiality in judging is not good.

24  Whoever ⁿsays to the wicked, “You are in the right,”

will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations,

25  but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,

and a good blessing will come upon them.

26  Whoever gives an honest answer

kisses the lips.

27  ^oPrepare your work outside;

get everything ready for yourself in the field,

and after that build your house.

28  Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause,

and do not deceive with your lips.

29  ^pDo not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;

I will pay the man back for what he has done.”

30  ^qI passed by the field of a sluggard,

by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,

31  and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;

the ground was covered with nettles,

and its stone wall was broken down.

32  Then I saw and considered it;

I looked and received instruction.

33  ^rA little sleep, a little slumber,

a little ^sfolding of the hands to rest,

34  and ^tpoverty will come upon you like a robber,

and want like an armed man.

2  It is the glory of God to conceal things,

but the glory of kings is to search things out.

3  As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,

so the heart of kings is unsearchable.

4  Take away the ^vdross from the silver,

and the smith has material for a vessel;

5  take away the wicked from the presence of the king,

and ^whis throne will be established in righteousness.

6  ^xDo not put yourself forward in the king’s presence

or stand in the place of the great,

7  for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”

than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

^yWhat your eyes have seen

8  do not hastily bring into court,²

for³ what will you do in the end,

when your neighbor puts you to shame?

9  ^zArgue your case with your neighbor himself,

and do not reveal another’s secret,

10  lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,

and your ill repute have no end.

11  ^aA word fitly spoken

is ^blike apples of gold in a setting of silver.

12  Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold

is a wise ^creprover to a listening ear.

13  Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest

is a faithful messenger to those who send him;

he refreshes the soul of his masters.

14  Like clouds and wind without rain

is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

15  With patience a ruler may be persuaded,

and ^da soft tongue will break a bone.

16  If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,

lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.

17  ^eLet your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house,

lest he have his fill of you and hate you.

18  A man who bears false witness against his neighbor

is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.

19  Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble

is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.

20  ^fWhoever ^gsings songs to a heavy heart

is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,

and like vinegar on soda.

21  ^hIf your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,

and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

22  for you will heap burning coals on his head,

and the Lord will reward you.

23  The north wind brings forth rain,

and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

24  ⁱIt is better to live in a corner of the housetop

than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

25  Like cold water to a thirsty soul,

so is ^jgood news from a far country.

26  Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain

is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

27  It is not good to eat much honey,

^knor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.⁴

28  A man without self-control

is like a city broken into and left without walls.

1  ^lBlessed is the one who considers the poor!¹

In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;

2  the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;

he is called blessed in the land;

you do not ^mgive him up to the will of his enemies.

3  The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;

in his illness you restore him to full health.²

4  As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;

ⁿheal me,³ for ^oI have sinned against you!”

5  My enemies say of me in malice,

“When will he die, and his name perish?”

6  And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,

while his heart gathers iniquity;

when he goes out, he tells it abroad.

7  All who hate me whisper together about me;

they imagine the worst for me.⁴

8  They say, “A deadly thing is poured out⁵ on him;

he will not rise again from where he lies.”

9  Even my close friend in whom I trusted,

^pwho ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

10  But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,

and raise me up, that I may repay them!

11  By this I know that you delight in me:

my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.

12  But you have upheld me because of my integrity,

and set me in your presence forever.

13  ^qBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting!

^rAmen and Amen.