1  ^hWine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,

and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.¹

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

whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.

3  ^jIt is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,

but every fool will be quarreling.

4  ^kThe sluggard does not plow in the autumn;

he will seek at harvest and have nothing.

5  The purpose in a man’s heart is like ^ldeep water,

but a man of ^munderstanding will draw it out.

6  Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love,

but a faithful man ⁿwho can find?

7  The righteous who walks in his integrity—

blessed are his children after him!

8  A king who sits on the throne of judgment

winnows all evil with his eyes.

9  ^oWho can say, ^p“I have made my heart pure;

I am clean from my sin”?

10  ^qUnequal² weights and unequal measures

are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

11  Even a child makes himself known by his acts,

by whether his conduct is pure and upright.³

12  The hearing ear and the seeing eye,

the Lord has made them both.

13  ^rLove not sleep, lest you come to poverty;

open your eyes, and you will have ^splenty of bread.

14  “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,

but when he goes away, then he boasts.