7  Wisdom is ^dtoo high for a fool;

in ^ethe gate he does not open his mouth.

8  Whoever ^fplans to do evil

will be called a schemer.

9  ^gThe devising¹ of folly is sin,

and ^hthe scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

10  If you ⁱfaint in the day of adversity,

your strength is small.

11  ^jRescue 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,”

^kdoes not he who ^lweighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who ^mkeeps watch over your soul know it,

and will he not repay man ⁿaccording to his work?

13  My son, ^oeat honey, for it is good,

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

14  Know that wisdom is such to your soul;

if you find it, there will be ^qa future,

and your hope will not be cut off.

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

do no violence to his home;

16  ^sfor the righteous falls ^tseven times and rises again,

but ^uthe wicked stumble in times of calamity.

17  ^vDo 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  ^wFret not yourself because of evildoers,

and be not ^xenvious of the wicked,

20  for the evil man has no ^qfuture;

^ythe lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21  My son, ^zfear 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?

^bPartiality in judging is not good.

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

^dwill 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  ^ePrepare your work outside;

get everything ready for yourself in the field,

and after that build your house.

28  ^fBe not a witness against your neighbor without cause,

and do not deceive with your lips.

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

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

30  ^hI passed by the field of a sluggard,

by the vineyard of a man ⁱlacking sense,

31  and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;

the ground was covered with nettles,

and its stone ^jwall was broken down.

32  Then I saw and ^kconsidered it;

I looked and received instruction.

33  ^lA little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest,

34  and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

and want like an armed man.

2  It is the glory of God to ⁿconceal things,

but the glory of kings is to ^osearch things out.

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

so the heart of kings is ^punsearchable.

4  Take away ^qthe dross from the silver,

and ^rthe smith has material for a vessel;

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

and his ^tthrone will be established in righteousness.

6  Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence

or stand in the place of the great,

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

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

What your eyes have seen

8  ^wdo not hastily bring into court,²

for³ what will you do in the end,

when your neighbor puts you to shame?

9  ^xArgue 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  ^yA word fitly spoken

is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.

12  Like ^za gold ring or an ornament of gold

is a wise reprover to ^aa listening ear.

13  Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest

is ^ba faithful messenger to those who send him;

he refreshes the soul of his masters.

14  Like ^cclouds and wind without rain

is a man who ^dboasts of a gift he does not give.

15  With ^epatience a ruler may be persuaded,

and a soft tongue will break a bone.

16  If you have ^ffound honey, eat ^gonly enough for you,

lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.

17  Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house,

lest he have his fill of you and hate you.

18  A man who ^hbears false witness against his neighbor

is like a war club, or ⁱa 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  Whoever ^jsings songs to a heavy heart

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

and like vinegar on soda.

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

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

22  for you will heap ^lburning coals on his head,

and the Lord will reward you.

23  The north wind brings forth rain,

and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

24  ^mIt is better to live in a corner of the housetop

than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

25  Like cold water to ⁿa thirsty soul,

so is ^ogood news from a far country.

26  Like ^pa muddied spring or a polluted fountain

is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

27  It is ^qnot good to eat much honey,

nor is it glorious to ^rseek one’s own glory.⁴

28  A man ^swithout self-control

is like ^ta city broken into and left without walls.

1  Like snow in summer or ^urain in harvest,

so ^vhonor is ^wnot fitting for a fool.

2  Like ^xa sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,

^ya curse that is causeless does not alight.

3  ^zA whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and ^aa rod for the back of fools.

4  ^bAnswer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself.

5  ^cAnswer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be ^dwise in his own eyes.

6  Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool

cuts off his own feet and ^edrinks violence.

7  Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,

is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

8  Like one who binds the stone in the sling

is ^fone who gives honor to a fool.

9  Like ^ga thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard

is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

10  Like an archer who wounds everyone

is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.⁵

11  Like ^ha dog that returns to his vomit

is ⁱa fool who repeats his folly.

12  Do you see a man who is ^jwise in his own eyes?

^kThere is more hope for a fool than for him.

13  ^lThe sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!

There is a lion in the streets!”

14  As a door turns on its hinges,

so does a sluggard on his bed.

15  ^mThe sluggard buries his hand in the dish;

it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.

16  The sluggard is ^jwiser in his own eyes

ⁿthan seven men who can answer sensibly.

17  Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own

is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.

18  Like a madman who throws ^ofirebrands, arrows, and death

19  is the man who deceives his neighbor

and says, “I am only joking!”

20  For lack of wood the fire goes out,

and where there is no ^pwhisperer, ^qquarreling ceases.

21  As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,

so is ^ra quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

22  ^sThe words of ^pa whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body.

23  ^tLike the ^uglaze⁶ covering an earthen vessel

are fervent lips with an evil heart.

24  Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips

and harbors deceit in his heart;

25  ^vwhen he speaks graciously, believe him not,

for there are ^wseven abominations in his heart;

26  though his hatred be covered with deception,

his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

27  ^xWhoever digs a pit will fall into it,

and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.

28  A lying tongue hates its victims,

and a flattering mouth works ruin.

1  Do not boast about tomorrow,

^yfor you do not know what a day may bring.

2  Let ^zanother praise you, and not your own mouth;

a stranger, and not your own lips.

3  A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,

but ^aa fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

4  Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,

but who can stand before ^bjealousy?

5  ^cBetter is open rebuke

than hidden love.

6  Faithful are ^dthe wounds of a friend;

profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

7  One who is full loathes ^ehoney,

but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.

8  Like ^fa bird that strays from its nest

is a man who strays from his home.

9  ^gOil and perfume make the heart glad,

and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.⁷

10  Do not forsake your friend and ^hyour father’s friend,

and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity.

ⁱBetter is a neighbor who is near

than a brother who is far away.

11  ^jBe wise, ^kmy son, and ^lmake my heart glad,

that I may ^manswer him who reproaches me.

12  ⁿThe prudent sees danger and hides himself,

but ^othe simple go on and suffer for it.

13  ^pTake a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,

and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.⁸

14  Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,

rising early in the morning,

will be counted as cursing.

15  ^qA continual dripping on a rainy day

and a quarrelsome wife are alike;

16  to restrain her is to restrain the wind

or to grasp⁹ oil in one’s right hand.

17  Iron sharpens iron,

and one man sharpens another.¹⁰

18  ^rWhoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

and he who ^sguards his master will be honored.

19  As in water face reflects face,

so the heart of man reflects the man.

20  ^tSheol and Abaddon are ^unever satisfied,

and ^vnever satisfied are the eyes of man.

21  ^wThe crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

and a man is tested by his praise.

22  ^xCrush a fool in a mortar with a pestle

along with crushed grain,

yet his folly will not depart from him.

23  ^yKnow well the condition of your flocks,

and ^ygive attention to your herds,

24  for ^zriches do not last forever;

and does a crown endure to all generations?

25  ^aWhen the grass is gone and the new growth appears

and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,

26  ^bthe lambs will provide your clothing,

and the goats the price of a field.

27  ^bThere will be enough goats’ milk for your food,

for the food of your household

and maintenance for your girls.

1  ^cThe wicked flee when no one pursues,

but ^dthe righteous are bold as a lion.

2  When a land transgresses, ^eit has many rulers,

but with a man of understanding and knowledge,

its stability will long continue.

3  ^fA poor man who oppresses the poor

is a beating rain that leaves no food.

4  Those who forsake the law ^gpraise the wicked,

but those who keep the law ^hstrive against them.

5  Evil men ⁱdo not understand justice,

but those who seek the Lord ^junderstand it completely.

6  ^kBetter is a poor man who ^lwalks in his integrity

than a rich man who is ^lcrooked in his ways.

7  The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,

but ^ma companion of gluttons shames his father.

8  Whoever multiplies his wealth ⁿby interest and profit¹¹

^ogathers it for him who is ^pgenerous to the poor.

9  If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,

even his ^qprayer is an abomination.

10  Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way

^rwill fall into his own pit,

but the blameless ^swill have a goodly inheritance.

11  A rich man is wise in his ^town eyes,

but a poor man who has understanding ^uwill find him out.

12  When ^vthe righteous triumph, there is great glory,

but when ^wthe wicked rise, people hide themselves.

13  Whoever ^xconceals his transgressions will not prosper,

but he who ^yconfesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

14  Blessed is the one who ^zfears the Lord¹² always,

but whoever ^ahardens his heart will fall into calamity.

15  Like ^ba roaring lion or ^ca charging bear

is ^da wicked ruler over a poor people.

16  A ruler who ^elacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,

but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.

17  If one is burdened with ^fthe blood of another,

he will be a fugitive until death;¹³

let no one help him.

18  ^gWhoever ^hwalks in integrity will be delivered,

but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.

19  ⁱWhoever works his land will have plenty of bread,

but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

20  A faithful man will abound with blessings,

but whoever hastens to be rich ^jwill not go unpunished.

21  To show ^kpartiality is not good,

but for ^la piece of bread a man will do wrong.

22  A ^mstingy man^{14 n}hastens after wealth

and does not know that ^opoverty will come upon him.

23  Whoever ^prebukes a man will afterward find more favor

than ^qhe who flatters with his tongue.

24  Whoever robs his father or his mother

and says, “That is no transgression,”

is ^ra companion to a man who destroys.

25  A greedy man ^sstirs up strife,

but the one who trusts in the Lord will ^tbe enriched.

26  Whoever ^utrusts in his own mind is a fool,

but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

27  Whoever ^vgives to the poor will not want,

but he who ^whides his eyes will get many a curse.

28  When ^xthe wicked rise, ^ypeople hide themselves,

but when they perish, the righteous increase.

1  ^zHe who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,

will suddenly be ^abroken ^bbeyond healing.

2  When ^cthe righteous increase, the people rejoice,

but when ^dthe wicked rule, the people groan.

3  He who ^eloves wisdom makes his father glad,

but ^fa companion of prostitutes ^gsquanders his wealth.

4  By justice a king ^hbuilds up the land,

but he who exacts gifts¹⁵ tears it down.

5  ⁱA man who flatters his neighbor

spreads ^ja net for his feet.

6  An evil man is ^kensnared in his transgression,

but a righteous man ^lsings and rejoices.

7  A righteous man ^mknows the rights of the poor;

a wicked man does not ⁿunderstand such knowledge.

8  ^oScoffers set a city aflame,

but the wise turn away wrath.

9  If a wise man has an argument with a fool,

the fool only rages and laughs, and there is ^pno quiet.

10  Bloodthirsty men ^qhate one who is blameless

and seek the life of the upright.¹⁶

11  A fool gives full vent to his spirit,

but a wise man quietly holds it back.

12  If a ruler listens to falsehood,

all his officials will be wicked.

13  The poor man and the oppressor ^rmeet together;

the Lord ^sgives light to the eyes of both.

14  If a king ^tfaithfully judges the poor,

his throne will ^ube established forever.

15  ^vThe rod and reproof give wisdom,

but a child left to himself ^wbrings shame to his mother.

16  When the wicked increase, transgression increases,

but ^xthe righteous will look upon their downfall.

17  ^yDiscipline your son, and he will give you rest;

he will give delight to your heart.

18  Where ^zthere is no prophetic vision the people ^acast off restraint,¹⁷

but blessed is he who ^bkeeps the law.

19  By mere words a servant is not disciplined,

for though he understands, he will not respond.

20  Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?

^cThere is more hope for a fool than for him.

21  Whoever pampers his servant from childhood

will in the end find him his heir.¹⁸

22  ^dA man of wrath stirs up strife,

and one given to anger causes much transgression.

23  ^eOne’s pride will bring him low,

^fbut he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

24  The partner of a thief ^ghates his own life;

^hhe hears the curse, but discloses nothing.

25  ⁱThe fear of man lays a snare,

but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

26  Many ^jseek the face of a ruler,

but it is from the Lord that a man ^kgets justice.

27  ^lAn unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,

but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

The man declares, I am weary, O God;

I am weary, O God, and worn out.²⁰

2  Surely I am too ^mstupid to be a man.

I have not the understanding of a man.

3  I have not learned wisdom,

nor have I knowledge of ⁿthe Holy One.

4  Who has ^oascended to heaven and come down?

Who has ^pgathered the wind in his fists?

Who has ^qwrapped up the waters in a garment?

Who has established all ^rthe ends of the earth?

^sWhat is his name, and what is his son’s name?

Surely you know!

5  ^tEvery word of God proves true;

he is ^ua shield to those who take refuge in him.

6  ^vDo not add to his words,

lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

7  Two things I ask of you;

deny them not to me ^wbefore I die:

8  Remove far from me falsehood and lying;

give me neither poverty nor riches;

feed me with the food that is ^xneedful for me,

9  lest I be ^yfull and ^zdeny you

and say, ^a“Who is the Lord?”

or lest I be poor and steal

^band profane the name of my God.

10  ^cDo not slander a servant to his master,

^dlest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

11  There are those²¹ who ^ecurse their fathers

and do not bless their mothers.

12  There are those who are ^fclean in their own eyes

but are not washed of their filth.

13  There are those—how ^glofty are their eyes,

how high their eyelids lift!

14  There are those whose teeth are ^hswords,

whose ⁱfangs are knives,

to ^jdevour the poor from off the earth,

the needy from among mankind.

15  The leech has two daughters:

Give and Give.²²

^kThree things are never satisfied;

^kfour never say, “Enough”:

16  ^lSheol, ^mthe barren womb,

the land never satisfied with water,

and the fire that never says, “Enough.”

17  The eye that ⁿmocks a father

and ^oscorns to obey a mother

will ^pbe picked out by ^qthe ravens of the valley

and eaten by the vultures.

18  ^kThree things are ^rtoo wonderful for me;

^kfour I do not understand:

19  the way of an eagle in the sky,

the way of a serpent on a rock,

the way of a ship on the high seas,