1 Dead flies make gthe perfumer’s ointment give off a stench;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 hA wise man’s heart inclines him to the right,
but a fool’s heart to the left.
3 Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,
and he isays to everyone that he is a fool.
4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, jdo not leave your place,
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were lan error proceeding from the ruler: 6 mfolly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. 7 nI have seen slaves oon horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.
8 He who pdigs a pit will fall into it,
and qa serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.
9 rHe who quarries stones is hurt by them,
and he who ssplits logs is endangered by them.
10 If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,
he must use more strength,
but wisdom helps one to succeed.2
11 If the serpent bites before it is tcharmed,
there is no advantage to the charmer.
12 The words of a wise man’s mouth uwin him favor,3
but vthe lips of a fool consume him.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,
and the end of his talk is evil madness.
14 wA fool multiplies words,
though no man knows what is to be,
and who can tell him xwhat will be after him?
15 The toil of a fool wearies him,
for he does not know ythe way to the city.
16 zWoe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
and your princes feast in the morning!
17 Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility,
and your princes feast at the proper time,
for strength, and not for adrunkenness!
18 Through sloth the roof sinks in,
and through indolence the house leaks.
19 Bread is made for laughter,
and bwine gladdens life,
and cmoney answers everything.
20 Even in your thoughts, ddo not curse the king,
nor in your ebedroom curse the rich,
for a bird of the air will carry your voice,
or some winged creature tell the matter.
1 fCast your bread upon the waters,
gfor you will find it after many days.
2 hGive a portion to iseven, or even to eight,
jfor you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
3 If the clouds are full of rain,
they empty themselves on the earth,
and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
4 He who observes the wind will not sow,
and he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know the way kthe spirit comes to lthe bones in the womb4 of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening mwithhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to nsee the sun.
8 So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember othat the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is pvanity.5
9 qRejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. rWalk in the ways of your heart and sthe sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things tGod will bring you into judgment.
10 Remove vexation from your heart, and uput away pain6 from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
1 Remember also your Creator in vthe days of your youth, before wthe evil days come and the years draw near of which xyou will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before ythe sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and zthose who look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and athe doors on the street are shut—when bthe sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all cthe daughters of song are brought low— 5 they are afraid also of what is high, and dterrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,7 and desire fails, because man is going to his eeternal fhome, and the gmourners go about the streets— 6 before the silver cord is snapped, or hthe golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is ishattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and jthe dust returns to the earth as it was, and kthe spirit returns to God lwho gave it. 8 mVanity8 of vanities, says nthe Preacher; all is vanity.
9 Besides being wise, nthe Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging omany proverbs with great care. 10 nThe Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.
11 pThe words of the wise are like goads, and like qnails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are rgiven by sone Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making umany books there is no end, and vmuch study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. wFear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.9 14 For xGod will bring every deed into judgment, with10 every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Psalm 86
iA Prayer of David.
1 jIncline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am kpoor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am lgodly;
save your servant, who mtrusts in you—you are my God.
3 nBe gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
for oto you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and pforgiving,
qabounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 rGive ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
7 In sthe day of my trouble I call upon you,
tfor you answer me.
8 There is unone like you among the gods, O Lord,
vnor are there any works like yours.
9 wAll the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10 For xyou are great and ydo wondrous things;
zyou alone are God.
11 aTeach me your way, O Lord,
that I may bwalk in your truth;
cunite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
13 dFor great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have edelivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, insolent men have frisen up against me;
a band of ruthless men seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God gmerciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 hTurn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to iyour servant,
and save ithe son of your maidservant.
17 jShow me a sign of your kfavor,
that those who hate me may see and be put to shame
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Proverbs 13
1 A wise son hears his father’s instruction,
but qa scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
2 From the fruit of his mouth a man reats what is good,
but the desire of the treacherous sis for violence.
3 tWhoever guards his mouth preserves his life;
uhe who opens wide his lips vcomes to ruin.
4 wThe soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
while the soul of the diligent xis richly supplied.
5 The righteous hates falsehood,
but the wicked brings shame1 and disgrace.
6 yRighteousness guards him whose zway is blameless,
but sin overthrows the wicked.
7 aOne pretends to be rich,2 yet has nothing;
banother pretends to be poor,3 yet has great wealth.
8 The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,
but a poor man chears no threat.
9 dThe light of the righteous rejoices,
but ethe lamp of the wicked will be put out.
10 fBy insolence comes nothing but strife,
but with those who take advice is wisdom.
11 gWealth gained hastily4 will dwindle,
but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
hbut a desire fulfilled is ia tree of life.
13 Whoever jdespises kthe word5 brings destruction on himself,
but he who reveres the commandment6 will be lrewarded.
14 The teaching of the wise is ma fountain of life,
that one may nturn away from the snares of death.
but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.7
16 qEvery prudent man acts with knowledge,
rbut a fool flaunts his folly.
17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
but sa faithful envoy brings healing.
18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who tignores instruction,
ubut whoever vheeds reproof is honored.
19 wA desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul,
but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.
20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
21 xDisaster8 pursues sinners,
ybut the righteous are rewarded with good.
22 zA good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
but athe sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
23 The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food,
but it is swept away through binjustice.
24 cWhoever spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.9
25 dThe righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,
but the belly of the wicked suffers want.
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