Bible

Proverbs

¹The proverbs of Solomon son of David, the king of Israel.

²These proverbs are to teach wisdom and instruction,

to teach words of insight,

³that you may receive instruction in prudent behavior,

righteousness, justice, and uprightness.

⁴These proverbs are also to give wisdom to the naive,

and to give knowledge and discretion to the youth.

⁵Let wise people listen and increase their learning,

and let discerning people get wise counsel,

⁶to understand proverbs, parables,

and words of wise people and their riddles.

⁷The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge—

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸My son, hear the instruction of your father

and do not abandon the rules of your mother;

⁹they will be a graceful wreath for your head

and pendants hanging from your neck.

¹⁰My son, if sinners try to entice you into their sin,

do not go with them.

¹¹If they say, "Come with us,

let us lie in wait for blood,

let us hide and attack innocent people for no reason;

¹²let us swallow them up alive, like Sheol takes away those who are healthy,

and make them like those who go down into the pit;

¹³we will find all kinds of valuable things;

we will fill our houses with plunder;

¹⁴throw in your lot with us,

and we will all have one purse together"—

¹⁵my son, do not walk down that path with them;

do not let your foot touch where they walk;

¹⁶their feet run to evil

and they hurry to shed blood.

¹⁷For it is useless to spread the net

in the sight of any bird.

¹⁸These men lie in wait for their own blood—

they set an ambush for their own lives.

¹⁹So are the ways of everyone who gains profit by violence;

unjust gain takes away the lives of those who hold on to it.

²⁰Wisdom cries aloud in the street,

she raises her voice in the open places;

²¹at the head of the noisy streets she cries out,

at the entrance of the city gates she speaks her sayings,

²²"How long, you naive people, will you love being naive?

How long, you mockers, will you delight in mockery,

and how long, you fools, will you hate knowledge?

²³Turn at my correction;

I will pour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you.

²⁴I have called, and you have refused to listen;

I reached out with my hand, but there was no one who paid attention.

²⁵But you have ignored all my instruction

and paid no attention to my correction.

²⁶I will laugh at your calamity,

I will mock you when the terror comes—

²⁷when your fearful dread comes like a storm

and disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

²⁸Then they will call upon me, and I will not answer;

they will diligently seek me, but they will not find me.

²⁹Because they hate knowledge

and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,

³⁰they would not follow my instruction,

and they despised all my correction.

³¹They will eat the fruit of their ways,

and with the fruit of their schemes they will be filled.

³²For the naive are killed when they turn away,

and the indifference of fools will destroy them.

³³But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety

and will rest secure with no fear of disaster."

¹My son, if you receive my words

and treasure up my commandments with you,

²make your ears pay attention to wisdom

and incline your heart to understanding.

³If you cry out for discernment

and raise your voice for understanding,

⁴if you seek it like you would seek silver

and search for understanding as you would seek hidden treasures,

⁵then you will understand the fear of Yahweh

and you will find the knowledge of God.

⁶For Yahweh gives wisdom;

from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

⁷He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

he is a shield for those who walk in integrity;

⁸he guards the paths of justice

and he will preserve the way of his faithful ones.

⁹Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and equity,

and every good path.

¹⁰For wisdom will come into your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

¹¹Discretion will watch over you;

understanding will guard you.

¹²They will rescue you from the way of evil,

from those who speak perverse things,

¹³who abandon the paths of uprightness

and walk in the ways of darkness.

¹⁴They rejoice when they do evil

and delight in the perversities of evil.

¹⁵They follow crooked paths,

and using deception they hide their tracks.

¹⁶Wisdom and discretion will save you from an adulteress,

from an immoral woman and her flattering words.

¹⁷She abandons the companion of her youth

and forgets the covenant of her God.

¹⁸For her house sinks down to death,

and her tracks will lead you to those in the grave.

¹⁹All who go to her will not return again

and they will not reach the paths of life.

²⁰So you will walk in the way of good people

and follow the paths of righteous people.

²¹For the upright will make a home in the land,

and those with integrity will remain in it.

²²But the wicked will be cut off from the land,

and the faithless will be cut off from it.

¹My son, do not forget my teaching,

and keep my commandments in your heart,

²for the length of your days and years of your life,

they will add peace to you.

³Do not let steadfast love and faithfulness ever leave you;

tie them together about your neck;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴Then you will find favor and a good reputation

in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in Yahweh with all your heart

and do not lean on your own understanding;

⁶in all your ways acknowledge him

and he will make your paths straight.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear Yahweh and turn away from evil.

⁸It will be healing to your flesh

and refreshment for your bones.

⁹Honor Yahweh with your wealth

and with the firstfruits of all your produce,

¹⁰and your storehouses will be filled up

and your vats will be bursting, full of new wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise Yahweh's instruction

and do not hate his rebuke,

¹²for Yahweh disciplines those he loves,

as a father deals with a son who pleases him.

¹³The one who finds wisdom is blessed;

he also gets understanding.

¹⁴What you gain from wisdom is better than what silver will give in return

and its profit is better than gold.

¹⁵Wisdom is more precious than jewels

and nothing you desire can compare to her.

¹⁶She has the length of her days in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness

and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who take hold of it;

those who hold on to it are happy.

¹⁹By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth;

by understanding he established the heavens.

²⁰By his knowledge the depths broke open

and the clouds dropped their dew.

²¹My son, do not let these depart from your eyes:

guard sound wisdom and discretion.

²²They will be life to your soul

and an adornment of favor to wear around your neck.

²³Then you will walk on your way in safety

and your foot will not stumble;

²⁴when you lie down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden terror

or devastation caused by the wicked, when it comes,

²⁶for Yahweh will be on your side

and will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,

when it is in your power to act.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor,

"Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give it,"

when you have the money with you.

²⁹Do not make a plan to harm your neighbor—

the one who dwells in safety with you.

³⁰Do not argue with a person without a reason,

when he has done nothing to harm you.

³¹Do not envy a violent person

or choose any of his ways.

³²For the devious person is an abomination to Yahweh,

but he brings the upright person into his confidence.

³³The curse of Yahweh is on the house of the wicked person,

but he blesses the home of righteous people.

³⁴He mocks mockers,

but he gives his favor to humble people.

³⁵Wise people inherit honor,

but fools will be lifted up in their shame.

¹Listen, sons, to a father's instruction,

and pay attention so you will know what understanding is.

²I am giving you good instructions;

do not abandon my teaching.

³When I was a son of my father,

the tender and only child of my mother,

⁴he taught me and said to me,

"Let your heart hold fast to my words;

keep my commands and live.

⁵Acquire wisdom and understanding;

do not forget and do not reject the words of my mouth;

⁶do not abandon wisdom and she will watch over you;

love her and she will keep you safe.

⁷Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom

and spend all you own so you can get understanding.

⁸Cherish wisdom and she will exalt you;

she will honor you when you embrace her.

⁹She will put a wreath of honor on your head;

she will give you a beautiful crown."

¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my words,

and you will have many years in your life.

¹¹I am teaching you in the way of wisdom;

I am leading you in upright paths.

¹²When you walk, no one will stand in your way

and if you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;

guard it, for it is your life.

¹⁴Do not follow the path of the wicked

and do not go along the way of those who do evil.

¹⁵Avoid it, do not go on it;

turn away from it and go another way.

¹⁶For they cannot sleep until they do evil

and they are robbed of sleep until they cause someone to stumble.

¹⁷For they devour the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of righteous people is like the first light that grows brighter;

it shines more and more until the fullness of the day comes.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like darkness—

they do not know what it is they stumble over.

²⁰My son, pay attention to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

²¹Do not let them turn away from your eyes;

keep them in your heart.

²²For my words are life to those who find them

and health to their whole body.

²³Keep your heart safe and guard it with all diligence,

for from it flow the springs of life.

²⁴Put crooked speech away from you

and put corrupt talk far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead

and fix your gaze straight before you.

²⁶Make a level path for your foot;

then all your ways will be established.

²⁷Do not turn aside to the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil.

¹My son, pay attention to my wisdom;

incline your ears to my understanding,

²so you may learn about discretion

and your lips may protect knowledge.

³For the lips of an adulteress drip with honey

and her mouth is smoother than oil,

⁴but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood,

cutting like a sharp sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death;

her steps go all the way to Sheol.

⁶She gives no thought to the path of life.

Her footsteps wander;

she does not know where she is going.

⁷Now, my sons, listen to me;

do not turn away from listening to the words of my mouth.

⁸Keep your path far away from her

and do not come near the door of her house.

⁹In that way you will not give away your honor to others

or years of your life to a cruel person;

¹⁰strangers will not feast on your strength;

your labor will not go into the house of foreigners.

¹¹At the end of your life you will groan

when your flesh and your body waste away.

¹²You will say, "How I hated instruction

and my heart despised correction!

¹³I would not listen to the voice of my teachers

or incline my ear to my instructors.

¹⁴I was almost completely ruined

in the midst of the assembly,

among the gathering of the people."

¹⁵Drink water from your own cistern

and drink running water from your own well.

¹⁶Should your springs be dispersed everywhere

and your streams of water flow in the public squares?

¹⁷Let them be for yourself alone

and not for strangers with you.

¹⁸May your fountain be blessed

and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth,

¹⁹for she is a loving deer and a graceful doe.

Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;

may you be continually intoxicated by her love.

²⁰For why should you, my son, be captivated by an adulteress?

Why should you embrace the bosom of an immoral woman?

²¹Yahweh sees everything a person does

and watches all the paths he takes.

²²A wicked person will be seized by his own iniquities;

the cords of his sin will hold him tight.

²³He will die because he lacks instruction;

he is led astray by his great foolishness.

¹My son, if you set aside your money as a guarantee for your neighbor's loan,

if you gave your promise for a loan of someone you do not know,

²then you have laid a trap for yourself by your promise

and you have been caught by the words of your mouth.

³When you are caught by your words, my son,

do this and save yourself,

since you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor;

go and humble yourself

and make your case before your neighbor.

⁴Give your eyes no sleep

and your eyelids no slumber.

⁵Save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,

like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Look at the ant, you lazy person,

consider her ways, and be wise.

⁷It has no commander,

officer, or ruler,

⁸yet it prepares its food in the summer

and during the harvest it stores up what it will eat.

⁹How long will you lie down, you lazy person?

When will you rise from your sleep?

¹⁰"A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest"—

¹¹and your poverty will come like a robber

and your needs like an armed soldier.

¹²A worthless person—a wicked man—

lives by the crookedness of his speech,

¹³winking his eyes, making signals with his feet

and pointing with his fingers.

¹⁴He plots evil with perversity in his heart;

he always stirs up strife.

¹⁵Therefore his disaster will overtake him in an instant;

in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

¹⁶There are six things that Yahweh hates,

seven that are an abomination to him:

¹⁷the eyes of a proud person, a tongue that lies,

hands that shed the blood of innocent people,

¹⁸a heart that invents wicked schemes,

feet that quickly run to do evil,

¹⁹a witness who breathes out lies

and one who sows discord among brothers.

²⁰My son, obey the command of your father

and do not abandon the teaching of your mother.

²¹Always bind them on your heart;

tie them about your neck.

²²When you walk, they will guide you;

when you lie down, they will watch over you;

and when you wake up, they will teach you.

²³For the commands are a lamp,

and the teaching is a light;

the corrections that come by instruction

are the way of life.

²⁴It keeps you from the evil woman,

from the smooth tongue of an immoral woman.

²⁵Do not lust in your heart after her beauty

and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes.

²⁶The price of a prostitute is the cost of a loaf of bread,

but the wife of another man hunts for a precious life.

²⁷Can a man carry a fire against his chest

without burning his clothes?

²⁸Can a man walk on hot coals

without scorching his feet?

²⁹So is the man who goes to his neighbor's wife;

the one who touches her will not go unpunished.

³⁰People do not despise a thief if he steals

to satisfy his need when he is hungry.

³¹Yet if he is caught, he will pay back seven times what he stole;

he must give up everything of value in his house.

³²The one who commits adultery lacks sense;

the one who does it destroys himself.

³³Wounds and shame are what he deserves

and his disgrace will not be blotted out.

³⁴For jealousy makes a man furious;

he will show no mercy on the day of vengeance.

³⁵He will accept no ransom

and he cannot be bought off,

though you offer him many gifts.

¹My son, keep my words

and store up my commands within yourself.

²Keep my commands and live,

and keep my instruction as the apple of your eye.

³Tie them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"

and call understanding your kinsman,

⁵in order to keep yourself from the adulterous woman,

from the immoral woman who makes her words smooth.

⁶At the window of my house

I was looking out through the lattice.

⁷I looked at the naive people,

and I noticed among the young men

a youth who had no sense.

⁸That young man passed down the street near her corner,

and he went toward her house.

⁹It was twilight, in the evening of the day,

at the time of night and darkness.

¹⁰There a woman met him,

dressed like a prostitute, with a false heart.

¹¹She was loud and rebellious;

her feet did not stay at home.

¹²Now in the streets, then in the marketplace,

and at every corner she waited in ambush.

¹³So she grabbed him and kissed him,

with a strong face she said to him,

¹⁴"I made my peace offering today,

I fulfilled my vows,

¹⁵so I came out to meet you,

to eagerly seek your face,

and I have found you.

¹⁶I have spread coverings on my bed,

colored linens from Egypt.

¹⁷I have sprinkled my bed

with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

¹⁸Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning;

let us take great pleasure in acts of love.

¹⁹For my husband is not at his house;

he has gone on a long journey.

²⁰He took a bag of money with him;

he will come home on the day of the full moon."

²¹With her great persuasiveness she turned him;

with her smooth lips she compelled him.

²²Suddenly he went after her

like an ox going to slaughter,

and like a fool is punished with shackles, ¹

²³until an arrow pierces through his liver.

He was like a bird rushing into a snare.

He did not know that it would cost him his life.

²⁴Now, my sons, listen to me;

pay attention to the words of my mouth.

²⁵May your heart not turn aside onto her paths;

do not be led astray onto her paths.

²⁶She has caused many people to fall down pierced;

those she has killed are numerous.

²⁷Her house is on the paths to Sheol;

they go down to the dark bedrooms of death.

¹The Hebrew text is difficult to understand. The ancient Greek translation has: like a dog to the muzzle. Some translations have like a deer to the trap .

¹Does not Wisdom call out?

Does not Understanding raise her voice?

²On the hilltops beside the road,

at the crossroads, Wisdom has taken her stand.

³Before the gates at the entrance into the city,

at the entrances into the city, she cries out.

⁴"It is to you, people, that I call;

my voice is for the sons of mankind.

⁵You who are naive, learn wisdom;

and you who are foolish, you must get an understanding mind.

⁶Listen, because I will speak of noble things,

and when my lips open I will say upright things.

⁷For my mouth speaks what is trustworthy,

and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

⁸All the words of my mouth are just;

in them is nothing twisted or perverse.

⁹All of them are straight for the person who understands;

my words are upright for those who find knowledge.

¹⁰Acquire my instruction rather than silver;

acquire knowledge rather than choicest gold.

¹¹For Wisdom is better than jewels;

no desirable thing is equal to her.

¹²I, Wisdom, live with Prudence,

and I possess knowledge and discretion.

¹³The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil.

I hate pride and arrogance, the evil way,

and perverted speech. I hate them.

¹⁴I have good advice and sound wisdom;

I am insight; strength belongs to me.

¹⁵By me kings reign,

and rulers make laws that are just.

¹⁶By me princes rule,

nobles, and all who judge with justice.

¹⁷I love those who love me,

and those who diligently seek me, find me.

¹⁸With me are riches and honor,

lasting wealth and righteousness.

¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold;

my produce is better than pure silver.

²⁰I walk in the path of righteousness,

in the midst of the paths of justice.

²¹As a result, I make those who love me inherit wealth;

I fill up their treasuries.

²²Yahweh created me at the beginning,

the first of his deeds long ago.

²³In ages long ago I was established—from the first,

from the beginnings of the earth.

²⁴Before there were oceans, I was given birth—

before there were springs abounding with water.

²⁵Before the mountains were settled

and before the hills, I was born.

²⁶I was born before Yahweh had made the earth or the fields,

or even the first dust in the world.

²⁷I was there when he established the heavens,

when he drew a circle on the surface of the deep.

²⁸I was there when he established the clouds above

and when the springs in the deep became fixed.

²⁹I was there when he made his limit for the sea,

so the waters should not spread beyond his command,

and when there was set the limit for the foundations of the dry land.

³⁰I was beside him, as a skilled craftsman;

I was his delight day after day,

always rejoicing before him.

³¹I was rejoicing in his whole world,

and my delight was in the sons of mankind.

³²Now, my sons, listen to me,

for those who keep my ways will be blessed.

³³Listen to my instruction and be wise;

do not neglect it.

³⁴The one who listens to me will be blessed.

He will be watching every day at my doors,

waiting beside the posts of my doors.

³⁵For whoever finds me, finds life,

and he will find the favor of Yahweh.

³⁶But he who fails, harms his own life;

all who hate me love death."

¹Wisdom has built her own house;

she has carved seven pillars out of rocks.

²She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,

and she has set her table.

³She has sent out her maids; she calls out

from the highest points of the city,

⁴"Who is naive? Let him turn aside here!"

To the one lacking good sense she speaks.

⁵"Come, eat my food,

and drink the wine I have mixed.

⁶Leave your naive actions and live;

walk in the path of understanding.

⁷Whoever disciplines a mocker receives dishonor,

and whoever rebukes a wicked person receives abuse.

⁸Do not reprove a mocker, or he will hate you;

reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

⁹Give to a wise person, and he will become even wiser;

teach a righteous person, and he will add to his learning.

¹⁰The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

¹¹For through me your days will be multiplied,

and years of life will be added to you.

¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,

and if you mock, you will carry it by yourself."

¹³The woman of foolishness is ignorant;

she is untaught and knows nothing.

¹⁴She sits at the door of her house,

on a seat in the highest places of the town.

¹⁵She is calling out to those who pass by in the streets,

to people walking straight on their way.

¹⁶"Let anyone who is naive turn aside here,"

she says to those who have no sense.

¹⁷"Stolen waters are sweet,

and bread of secrecy is delicious."

¹⁸But he does not know that the dead are there,

that her invited guests are in the depths of Sheol.

¹The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son makes his father rejoice

but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

²Treasures accumulated by wickedness give no profit,

but doing what is right delivers from death.

³Yahweh does not let the soul of the righteous person go hungry,

but he frustrates the cravings of the wicked.

⁴A lazy hand causes a person to be poor,

but the hand of the diligent person gains riches.

⁵A wise son gathers a crop in the summer,

but it is disgraceful for him to sleep during harvest.

⁶Blessings from God are upon the head of the righteous person,

but the mouth of the wicked covers up violence.

⁷The righteous person makes those who remember him happy,

but the name of the wicked will rot away.

⁸The wise of heart accept commands,

but a talkative fool will come to ruin.

⁹He who walks in integrity walks in safety,

but the one who makes his ways crooked, he will be found out.

¹⁰He who winks the eye causes grief,

but a talkative fool will come to ruin.

¹¹The mouth of the righteous person is a water spring of life,

but the mouth of the wicked covers up violence.

¹²Hatred stirs up conflicts,

but love covers over all transgressions.

¹³Wisdom is found on the lips of a discerning person,

but a rod is for the back of the one who has no sense.

¹⁴Wise men store up knowledge,

but the mouth of a fool brings destruction near.

¹⁵The wealth of a rich man is his fortified city;

the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

¹⁶The wage of the righteous person leads to life;

the income of the wicked leads them to sin.

¹⁷There is a path to life for the one who follows discipline,

but the one who rejects correction is led astray.

¹⁸Whoever conceals hatred has lying lips,

and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

¹⁹When there are many words, transgression is not lacking,

but he who is careful in what he says is wise.

²⁰The tongue of the righteous person is pure silver;

there is little value in the heart of the wicked.

²¹The lips of the righteous person nourish many,

but fools die because of their lack of sense.

²²The blessings of Yahweh bring wealth

and he adds no pain to it.

²³Wickedness is a game a fool plays,

but wisdom is a pleasure to a man of understanding.

²⁴The fear of the wicked person will overtake him,

but the desire of righteous people will be granted.

²⁵The wicked are like the storm that passes by, and they are no more,

but the righteous person is a foundation that lasts forever.

²⁶Like vinegar on the teeth and smoke in the eyes,

so is the lazy person to those who send him.

²⁷The fear of Yahweh prolongs life,

but the years of the wicked will be short.

²⁸The hope of righteous people is their joy,

but the hope of wicked people will perish.

²⁹The way of Yahweh is a stronghold for those who have integrity,

but it is destruction for those who behave wickedly.

³⁰The righteous person will never be overthrown,

but the wicked will not remain in the land.

³¹Out of the mouth of the righteous person comes the fruit of wisdom,

but the perverse tongue will be cut out.

³²The lips of the righteous person know what gains favor,

but the mouth of the wicked, they know what is perverse.

¹False scales are an abomination to Yahweh,

but he delights in a precise weight.

²When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with humility comes wisdom.

³The integrity of the upright guides them,

but the crooked ways of the treacherous destroy them.

⁴Wealth is worthless on the day of wrath,

but doing right delivers you from death.

⁵The right conduct of a blameless person makes his way straight,

but the wicked will fall because of their own wickedness.

⁶The right conduct of the upright keeps them safe,

but the treacherous are trapped by their cravings.

⁷When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes

and the hope that was in his strength comes to nothing.

⁸The righteous person is delivered from trouble

and it comes upon the wicked instead.

⁹With his mouth the godless person destroys his neighbor,

but through knowledge righteous people are kept safe.

¹⁰When righteous people prosper, a city rejoices;

when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

¹¹Through the blessings of the upright the city is exalted;

by the mouth of the wicked the city is thrown down.

¹²The man who has contempt for his friend has no sense,

but a man of understanding keeps quiet.

¹³Whoever goes around slandering reveals secrets,

but the trustworthy in spirit keeps a matter covered.

¹⁴Where there is no counsel, a nation falls,

but victory comes through many counselors.

¹⁵Whoever guarantees a loan for a stranger will surely suffer harm,

but the one who hates giving a pledge in that kind of promise is safe.

¹⁶A gracious woman gets honor,

but violent people grasp for wealth.

¹⁷A merciful person benefits himself,

but one who is cruel hurts himself.

¹⁸The wicked person lies to get his wages,

but one who sows what is right reaps the wages of truth.

¹⁹An honest person who does what is right will live,

but the one who pursues evil will die.

²⁰Those whose hearts are perverse are an abomination to Yahweh,

but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.

²¹Be sure of this—the wicked person will not go unpunished,

but the descendants of righteous people will be kept safe.

²²Like a gold ring in a pig's nose

is a beautiful woman without discretion.

²³The desires of righteous people result in good,

but wicked people can only hope for wrath.

²⁴There is one who scatters—he will accumulate even more;

another withholds what is just—he comes to poverty.

²⁵The generous person will prosper

and the one who gives water to others will have water for himself.

²⁶People curse the man who refuses to sell grain,

but good gifts crown the head of him who sells it.

²⁷The one who diligently seeks good is also seeking favor,

but the one who searches for evil will find it.

²⁸Those who trust in their riches will fall,

but like the leaf, righteous people will flourish.

²⁹The one who brings trouble on his own household will inherit the wind

and the fool will become a servant to the wise of heart.

³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

but violence takes away lives.

³¹Behold! The righteous person is rewarded on earth;

how much more the wicked and the sinner!

¹Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but the one who hates correction is stupid.

²Yahweh gives favor to a good man,

but he condemns a man who makes evil plans.

³A person cannot be established by wickedness,

but righteous people cannot be uprooted.

⁴A worthy wife is her husband's crown,

but she who brings shame is like a disease that rots his bones.

⁵The plans of the righteous are just,

but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶The words of wicked people are an ambush waiting for bloodshed,

but the words of the upright keep them safe.

⁷Wicked people are overthrown and they are gone,

but the house of the righteous person will stand.

⁸A man is praised for prudent lips,

but the perverse heart is despised.

⁹Better the person of low position who has a servant

than the one who honors himself but has no food.

¹⁰The righteous person cares about the needs of his animal,

but even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

¹¹The one who works his land will have plenty of food,

but whoever chases after worthless projects has no sense.

¹²The evil person desires the plunder of the wicked,

but the righteous root endures.

¹³An evil person is trapped by the transgression of his lips,

but the righteous person escapes from trouble.

¹⁴From the fruit of his words a person is filled with good things,

just as the work of his hands rewards him.

¹⁵The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

but a wise man listens to advice.

¹⁶A fool shows his anger at once,

but one who ignores an insult is prudent.

¹⁷The one who speaks the truth says what is right,

but a false witness, deceit.

¹⁸The words of one who speaks rashly are like the thrusts of a sword,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹Truthful lips last forever,

but a lying tongue is only for a moment.

²⁰There is deceit in the hearts of those who plan to do evil,

but joy comes to the advisors of peace.

²¹No ill comes upon the righteous,

but the wicked are filled with distress.

²²Lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh,

but those who live faithfully are his delight.

²³A prudent man conceals his knowledge,

but the heart of fools shouts out folly.

²⁴The hand of the diligent will rule,

but lazy people will be put to forced labor.

²⁵Anxiety in the heart of a person weighs him down,

but a good word makes him glad.

²⁶The righteous person is a guide for his friend,

but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

²⁷Lazy people would not roast their own game,

but the diligent man will obtain precious wealth.

²⁸Those who walk in the right way find life

and in its path there is no death.

¹A wise son hears his father's instruction,

but a mocker will not listen to rebuke.

²From the fruit of his mouth a person enjoys good things,

but the appetite of the treacherous is for violence.

³The one who guards his mouth protects his life,

but the one who opens wide his lips will ruin himself.

⁴The appetite of the lazy person craves but gets nothing,

but the appetite of the diligent person will be richly satisfied.

⁵The righteous person hates deceptive words,

but a wicked person makes himself repugnant, and he does what is shameful.

⁶Righteousness protects those who are faultless in their path,

but wickedness ruins those who commit sin.

⁷There is someone who enriches himself, but has nothing at all,

and there is someone who gives everything away, yet has much wealth.

⁸The ransom of a rich man's life is his wealth,

but a poor person does not hear a threat.

⁹The light of righteous people rejoices,

but the lamp of wicked people will be put out.

¹⁰Pride only breeds conflict,

but for those who listen to good advice there is wisdom.

¹¹Wealth dwindles away when there is too much vanity,

but the one who makes money by working with his hand

will make his money grow.

¹²When hope is postponed, it breaks the heart,

but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

¹³Whoever despises instruction brings destruction on himself,

but he who respects the commandment will be rewarded.

¹⁴The teaching of a wise person is a fountain of life,

turning you away from the snares of death.

¹⁵Good insight wins favor,

but the way of the treacherous is disaster. ¹

¹⁶Prudent people act out of knowledge in every decision,

but a fool parades his folly.

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into trouble,

but a faithful envoy brings healing.

¹⁸The one who ignores instruction will have poverty and shame,

but honor will come to him who learns from correction.

¹⁹A longing realized is sweet to the appetite,

but turning away from evil is an abomination to fools.

²⁰Walk with wise people and you will be wise,

but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

²¹Disaster runs after sinners,

but righteous people are rewarded with good.

²²A good person leaves an inheritance for his grandchildren,

but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous person.

²³An unplowed field owned by the poor could produce much food,

but it is swept away by injustice.

²⁴The one who does not use his rod hates his son,

but one who loves his son is careful to instruct him.

²⁵The righteous person eats until he satisfies his appetite,

but the stomach of the wicked is always hungry.

¹The ULB is following the ancient Greek translation because the Hebrew is difficult to understand. The Hebrew has: the way of the treacherous is unending.

¹The wise woman builds her house,

but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.

²The one who walks uprightly fears Yahweh,

but the one who is dishonest in his ways despises him.

³From the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,

but the lips of the wise will preserve them.

⁴Where there are no cattle, the feeding trough is clean,

but an abundant crop comes from the strength of an ox.

⁵A faithful witness does not lie,

but a false witness breathes out lies.

⁶A mocker seeks wisdom and there is none,

but knowledge comes easily to the one who is discerning.

⁷Walk away from a foolish person,

for you will not find knowledge on his lips.

⁸The wisdom of the prudent person is to understand his own way,

but the folly of fools is deception.

⁹Fools mock when the guilt offering is sacrificed,

but among the upright favor is shared.

¹⁰The heart knows its own bitterness

and no stranger shares its joy.

¹¹The house of wicked people will be destroyed,

but the tent of the upright will flourish.

¹²There is a way that seems right to a man,

but its end only leads to death.

¹³A heart can laugh but still be in pain

and joy may end up being grief.

¹⁴The faithless in heart will get what his ways deserve,

but a good person will get what is his.

¹⁵The one who is naive believes everything,

but the prudent man thinks about his steps.

¹⁶A wise man fears and turns away from evil,

but the fool confidently dismisses a warning.

¹⁷One who is quick to become angry does foolish things,

and a person who makes evil schemes is hated.

¹⁸The naive inherit foolishness,

but prudent people are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹Evil people will bow down before those who are good

and those who are wicked will bow down at the gates of the righteous person.

²⁰The poor person is hated even by his own companions,

but the rich people have many friends.

²¹The one who shows contempt for his neighbor is sinning,

but the one who shows favor to the poor is blessed.

²²Do not those who plot evil go astray?

But those who plan to do good will receive steadfast love and faithfulness.

²³With all hard work comes a profit,

but when there is only talk, it leads to poverty.

²⁴The crown of wise people is their wealth,

but the folly of fools brings them only more folly.

²⁵A truthful witness saves lives,

but he who breathes out lies brings betrayal.

²⁶In the fear of Yahweh is strong confidence;

it will be a refuge for his children.

²⁷The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life,

so that a person may turn away from the snares of death.

²⁸The glory of a king is found in the great number of his people,

but without people the prince is ruined.

²⁹A patient person has great understanding,

but the quick-tempered person exalts folly.

³⁰A tranquil heart is life for the body,

but envy rots the bones.

³¹The one who oppresses the poor insults his Maker,

but the one who shows favor to the needy honors him.

³²The wicked person is brought down by his evil actions,

but the righteous person has a refuge even in death.

³³Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning,

but even among fools she lets herself be known.

³⁴Doing what is right exalts a nation,

but sin is a disgrace to any people.

³⁵The favor of the king is with the servant who acts prudently,

but his anger is for the one who acts shamefully.

¹A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

²The tongue of wise people compliments knowledge,

but the mouth of fools pours out folly.

³The eyes of Yahweh are everywhere,

keeping watch over the evil and the good.

⁴A healing tongue is a tree of life,

but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

⁵A fool has contempt for his father's instruction,

but he who learns from correction is prudent.

⁶In the house of the righteous person there is great treasure,

but the earnings of the wicked person give him trouble.

⁷The lips of wise people scatter knowledge about,

but not so the hearts of fools.

⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh,

but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

⁹The way of wicked people is an abomination to Yahweh,

but he loves the one who pursues what is right.

¹⁰Harsh discipline awaits anyone who abandons the way

and he who hates correction will die.

¹¹Sheol and destruction are open before Yahweh;

how much more the hearts of the sons of mankind?

¹²The mocker does not love the one who corrects him;

he will not go to the wise.

¹³A joyful heart makes the face cheerful,

but by an injured heart the spirit is broken.

¹⁴The heart of the discerning seeks knowledge,

but the mouth of fools feeds on folly.

¹⁵All the days of the afflicted are miserable,

but a cheerful heart has an unending feast.

¹⁶Better is little with the fear of Yahweh

than great treasure with tumult.

¹⁷Better is a meal with vegetables where there is love

than a fattened calf served with hatred.

¹⁸An angry man stirs up strife,

but a person who is slow to anger quiets a quarrel.

¹⁹The path of the lazy person is like a place with a hedge of thorns,

but the path of the upright is a built-up highway.

²⁰A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish person despises his mother.

²¹Folly delights a person who lacks sense,

but the one who has understanding walks a straight path.

²²Plans go wrong where there is no advice,

but with numerous advisors they succeed.

²³A person finds joy when he gives a pertinent reply;

how good is a timely word!

²⁴The path of life leads upward for prudent people,

that they may turn away from Sheol beneath.

²⁵Yahweh tears down the house of the proud,

but he protects the property of the widow.

²⁶The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to Yahweh,

but pleasant words are pure.

²⁷The person who profits from unjust gain brings trouble to his family,

but the one who hates bribes will live.

²⁸The heart of the righteous person ponders before it answers,

but the mouth of wicked people pours out all its evil.

²⁹Yahweh is far away from wicked people,

but he hears the prayer of righteous people.

³⁰The light of the eyes brings joy to the heart

and good news is health to the body.

³¹The ear that listens to life-giving rebuke

will dwell among wise people.

³²The one who rejects discipline despises himself,

but he who listens to correction gains understanding.

³³The fear of Yahweh instructs in wisdom,

and humility comes before honor.

¹The plans of the heart belong to a person,

but the answer from his tongue comes from Yahweh.

²All of a person's ways are pure in his own eyes,

but Yahweh weighs the spirits.

³Commit your works to Yahweh

and your plans will succeed.

⁴Yahweh has made everything for its purpose,

even the wicked for the day of trouble.

⁵Every exalted heart is an abomination to Yahweh,

but be sure of this, they will not go unpunished.

⁶By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for

and by the fear of Yahweh people turn away from evil.

⁷When a person's ways are pleasing to Yahweh,

he makes even that person's enemies to be at peace with him.

⁸Better is a little with what is right,

than a large income with injustice.

⁹In his heart a person plans out his way,

but Yahweh directs his steps.

¹⁰Insightful decisions are on the lips of a king;

his mouth should not betray justice.

¹¹Honest scales come from Yahweh;

all the weights in the bag are his work.

¹²Doing evil is an abomination to kings,

for a throne is established by doing what is right.

¹³Righteous lips are the delight of the king,

and he loves the person who speaks upright words.

¹⁴A king's wrath is a messenger of death

but a wise man will try to calm his anger.

¹⁵In the light of a king's face is life

and his favor is like a cloud that brings a spring rain.

¹⁶How much better it is to get wisdom than gold.

To get understanding should be chosen more than silver.

¹⁷The highway of the upright turns away from evil;

the one who guards his way preserves his life.

¹⁸Pride comes before destruction

and a haughty spirit before a downfall.

¹⁹It is better to be of humble spirit among poor people

than to divide the plunder with proud people.

²⁰Whoever contemplates what they are taught will find what is good,

and those who trust in Yahweh will be blessed.

²¹The one who is wise in heart is called discerning

and sweetness of speech improves the ability to teach.

²²Understanding is a fountain of life to the one who has it,

but the instruction of fools is their foolishness.

²³The heart of a wise person gives insight to his mouth

and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

²⁴Pleasant words are a honeycomb—

sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

²⁵There is a way that seems right to a man,

but its end is the way to death.

²⁶The laborer's appetite works for him;

his hunger urges him on.

²⁷A worthless person digs up mischief

and his speech is like a scorching fire.

²⁸A perverse person stirs up conflict

and a gossip separates close friends.

²⁹A man of violence lies to his neighbor

and leads him down a path that is not good.

³⁰The one who winks the eye is plotting perverse things;

those who purse the lips will bring evil to pass.

³¹Gray hair is a crown of glory;

it is gained by living the right way.

³²It is better to be slow to anger than to be a warrior

and one who rules his spirit is stronger than one who conquers a city.

³³The lots are cast into the lap,

but the decision is from Yahweh.

¹It is better to have quiet with a dry morsel of bread

than a house full of feasting with strife.

²A wise servant will rule over a son who acts shamefully

and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

³The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold,

but Yahweh tests hearts.

⁴The evildoer pays attention to wicked lips;

a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

⁵Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker

and the one who rejoices at misfortune will not go unpunished.

⁶Grandchildren are the crown of the aged

and parents bring honor to their children.

⁷Eloquent speech is not suitable for a fool;

much less are lying lips suitable for a prince.

⁸A bribe is like a magic stone to the one who gives it;

wherever he turns, he succeeds.

⁹Whoever overlooks an offense seeks love,

but the one who repeats a matter alienates close friends.

¹⁰A rebuke goes deeper into a person who has understanding

than a hundred blows go into a fool.

¹¹An evil person only seeks rebellion,

so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹²It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than to meet a fool in his foolishness.

¹³When someone returns evil for good,

evil will never leave his house.

¹⁴The beginning of conflict is like one who releases water everywhere,

so walk away from the dispute before it has broken out.

¹⁵The person who acquits the wicked person and the person who condemns the righteous person—

both are an abomination to Yahweh.

¹⁶Why should a fool pay money to learn about wisdom

when he has no sense?

¹⁷A friend is loving at all times

and a brother is born for times of trouble.

¹⁸A man having no sense makes binding promises

and becomes responsible for his neighbor's debts.

¹⁹Whoever loves conflict loves sin;

whoever raises his door seeks destruction.

²⁰A person who has a crooked heart finds nothing that is good;

the one who has a perverse tongue falls into calamity.

²¹Whoever is the parent of a fool brings grief to himself;

and the father of a fool has no joy.

²²A joyful heart is good medicine,

but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

²³A wicked man accepts a secret bribe

to pervert the ways of justice.

²⁴The one who has understanding sets his face toward wisdom,

but the eyes of a fool are set on the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son is a grief to his father

and bitterness to the woman who bore him.

²⁶Also, it is never good to punish the righteous;

neither is it good to flog the noble for their integrity.

²⁷One who has knowledge uses few words

and he who is cool of spirit has understanding.

²⁸Even a fool is thought to be wise if he keeps silent;

when he keeps his mouth shut, he is considered to be intelligent.

¹One who isolates himself seeks his own desire,

and he quarrels with all sound wisdom.

²A fool finds no pleasure in understanding,

but only in revealing what is in his own heart.

³When a wicked person comes, contempt comes with him—

along with shame and disgrace.

⁴The words of a man's mouth are deep waters;

the fountain of wisdom is a flowing stream.

⁵It is not good to be partial to the wicked person,

nor to deny justice to the righteous person.

⁶A fool's lips bring him conflict

and his mouth invites a beating.

⁷A fool's mouth is his ruin

and he ensnares himself with his lips.

⁸The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels

and they go down into the inner parts of the body.

⁹Also, one who is slack in his work

is a brother to the one who destroys the most.

¹⁰The name of Yahweh is a strong tower;

the righteous person runs into it and is safe.

¹¹The wealth of the rich is his fortified city

and in his imagination it is like a high wall.

¹²Before his downfall a person's heart is proud,

but humility comes before honor.

¹³One who answers before listening—

it is his folly and shame.

¹⁴A person's spirit will endure sickness,

but who can bear a broken spirit?

¹⁵The heart of the intelligent acquires knowledge

and the hearing of the wise seeks it out.

¹⁶A man's gift may open the way

and bring him before great men.

¹⁷The first to plead his case seems just

until his opponent comes and examines him.

¹⁸Casting the lot settles disputes

and separates strong opponents.

¹⁹An offended brother is harder to be won than a strong city,

and quarrels are like the bars of a castle.

²⁰From the fruit of his mouth one's stomach is filled;

with the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.

²¹Death and life are controlled by the tongue,

and those who love the tongue will eat its fruit.

²²He who finds a wife finds a good thing

and receives favor from Yahweh.

²³A poor person pleads for mercy,

but a rich person answers harshly.

²⁴The one who claims many friends is brought to ruin by them,

but there is a friend who comes closer than a brother.

¹Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity

than one who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

²Also, it is not good to have desire without knowledge

and the one who runs too fast misses the path.

³A person's folly ruins his life

and his heart rages against Yahweh.

⁴Wealth adds many friends,

but a poor person is separated from his friends.

⁵A false witness will not go unpunished

and he who breathes out lies will not escape.

⁶Many will ask for a favor from a generous person

and everyone is a friend of the one who gives gifts.

⁷All the brothers of a poor man hate him;

how much more do his friends who go far away from him!

He pursues them with words,

but they are gone.

⁸He who gets wisdom loves his own life;

he who keeps understanding will find what is good.

⁹A false witness will not go unpunished,

but the one who breathes out lies will perish.

¹⁰It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury—

much less for a slave to rule over princes.

¹¹Discretion makes a person slow to anger

and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

¹²The wrath of the king is like the roaring of a young lion,

but his favor is like dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish son is ruin to his father

and a quarreling wife is a constant dripping of water.

¹⁴A house and wealth are inherited from parents,

but a prudent wife is from Yahweh.

¹⁵Laziness throws a person into a deep sleep,

but the one not willing to work will go hungry.

¹⁶The one who obeys the command guards his life,

but the one who despises his ways will die.

¹⁷Whoever is gracious to the poor lends to Yahweh

and he will repay him for what he has done.

¹⁸Discipline your son while there is hope

and do not set your desire on putting him to death.

¹⁹A person with great anger must bear the penalty;

if you rescue him, you will have to do it a second time.

²⁰Listen to advice and accept instruction,

so you may become wise by the end of your life.

²¹Many are the plans in a person's heart,

but it is the purpose of Yahweh that will stand.

²²Loyalty is what a person desires

and a poor person is better than a liar.

²³Honor for Yahweh leads people to life;

anyone who has it will rest satisfied and not afflicted by harm.

²⁴The lazy person buries his hand in the dish;

he will not even bring it back up to his mouth.

²⁵Strike a mocker, and the naive person will become prudent;

discipline one who is discerning, and he will gain knowledge.

²⁶The one who robs his father and drives his mother away

is a son who brings shame and disgrace.

²⁷If you cease to hear instruction, my son,

you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A corrupt witness mocks justice

and the mouth of the wicked swallows iniquity.

²⁹Judgments are ready for mockers

and flogging for the backs of fools.

¹Wine is a mocker and strong drink is a brawler;

whoever is led astray by drink is not wise.

²The fear of a king is like the fear of a young lion that is roaring;

the one who makes him angry forfeits his life.

³It is an honor for anyone to avoid conflict,

but every fool jumps into an argument.

⁴The lazy person does not plow in autumn;

he seeks a crop at harvest time but will have nothing.

⁵The purpose in a human heart is like deep water,

but someone with understanding will draw it out.

⁶Many a person proclaims he is loyal,

but who can find one who is faithful?

⁷The righteous person walks in his integrity,

and his sons who follow after him will be blessed.

⁸A king who sits on the throne performing the duties of a judge

is winnowing with his eyes all the evil that is before him.

⁹Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure;

I am clean from my sin"?

¹⁰Differing weights and unequal measures—

both are abominations to Yahweh.

¹¹Even a youth is known by his actions,

by whether his conduct is pure and upright.

¹²Ears that hear and eyes that see—

Yahweh made them both.

¹³Do not love sleep or you will come to poverty;

open your eyes and you will have plenty to eat.

¹⁴"Bad! Bad!" says the buyer,

but when he goes away he boasts.

¹⁵There is gold and an abundance of costly stones,

but lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

¹⁶Take a garment of one who has put up security for a stranger,

and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an immoral woman.

¹⁷Bread gained by deceit tastes sweet,

but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.

¹⁸Plans are established by advice

and only with wise guidance should you wage war.

¹⁹A slanderer reveals secrets,

and so you should not associate with people who talk too much.

²⁰If a person curses his father or his mother,

his lamp will be put out in the middle of darkness.

²¹An inheritance gained quickly at the beginning

will not be blessed in the end.

²²Do not say, "I will pay you back for this wrong!"

Wait for Yahweh and he will rescue you.

²³Unequal weights are an abomination to Yahweh,

and deceptive scales are not good.

²⁴A person's steps are directed by Yahweh;

how then can he understand his way?

²⁵It is a snare for a person to say rashly, "This thing is holy,"

and begin to think about what it means only after making his vow.

²⁶A wise king winnows the wicked

and he turns a threshing wheel over them.

²⁷The spirit of a person is the lamp of Yahweh,

searching all his inmost parts.

²⁸Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king;

he makes his throne strong by love.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength

and the splendor of old people is their gray hair.

³⁰Blows that make a wound cleanse away evil

and beatings make the innermost parts clean.

¹The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of Yahweh;

he turns it wherever he pleases.

²Every person's way is right in his own eyes,

but it is Yahweh who weighs the hearts.

³To do what is right and just

is more acceptable to Yahweh than sacrifice.

⁴Haughty eyes and a proud heart—

the lamp of the wicked—are sin.

⁵The plans of the diligent lead only to prosperity,

but everyone who acts too quickly comes only to poverty.

⁶Acquiring treasures by a lying tongue

is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.

⁷The violence of the wicked will drag them away,

for they refuse to do what is just.

⁸The way of a guilty person is crooked,

but the one who is pure does what is right.

⁹It is better to live on a corner of the roof

than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

¹⁰The appetite of the wicked craves evil;

his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

¹¹When the mocker is punished, the naive become wise,

and when the wise person is instructed, he lays hold of knowledge.

¹²The righteous person watches the house of the wicked person;

he brings wicked people to disaster.

¹³The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,

he also will cry out, but he will not be answered.

¹⁴A gift in secret appeases anger

and a concealed gift appeases strong wrath.

¹⁵When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous person,

but it brings terror to workers of iniquity.

¹⁶The one who wanders from the way of understanding,

he will rest in the assembly of the dead.

¹⁷Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;

the one who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

¹⁸A wicked person is ransom for the righteous,

and the treacherous person is ransom for the upright.

¹⁹It is better to live in the desert

than with a quarreling and angry wife.

²⁰Desirable treasure and oil are kept in the dwelling of the wise,

but a foolish person swallows it all up.

²¹The one who does right and is kind—

this person finds life, righteousness, and honor.

²²A wise man scales the city of the mighty ones,

and he brings down the stronghold in which they trusted.

²³Whoever guards his mouth and tongue

keeps himself out of trouble.

²⁴The proud and haughty person—"Mocker" is his name—

acts with arrogant pride.

²⁵The desire of the lazy person kills him,

for his hands refuse to work.

²⁶All day long he craves and craves more,

but the righteous person gives and does not hold back.

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;

it is even more detestable when he brings it with evil motives.

²⁸A false witness will perish,

but the one who listens will speak for all time.

²⁹A wicked man makes his face hard,

but the upright is certain about his ways. ¹

³⁰There is no wisdom, there is no understanding, and there is no advice

that can stand against Yahweh.

³¹The horse is prepared for the day of battle,

but the victory belongs to Yahweh.

¹Some ancient copies of the Hebrew text have but the upright thinks about his way .

¹A good name is to be chosen over great riches

and favor is better than silver and gold.

²Rich and poor people have this in common—

Yahweh is the maker of all of them.

³The prudent sees trouble and hides himself,

but the naive go on and suffer because of it.

⁴The reward for humility and fear of Yahweh

is riches, honor, and life.

⁵Thorns and snares lie in the path of the perverse;

whoever guards his life will keep far from them.

⁶Teach a child the way he should go

and when he is old he will not turn away from that instruction.

⁷Rich people rule over poor people

and one who borrows is a slave to the one who lends.

⁸He who sows injustice will reap trouble

and the rod of his fury will fade away.

⁹The one who has a generous eye will be blessed,

for he shares his bread with the poor.

¹⁰Drive away the mocker, and out goes strife;

disputes and dishonor will cease.

¹¹The one who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious,

he will have the king for his friend.

¹²The eyes of Yahweh keep watch over knowledge,

but he overthrows the words of the treacherous.

¹³The lazy person says, "There is a lion in the street!

I will be killed in the open places."

¹⁴The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;

Yahweh's anger is stirred up against anyone who falls into it.

¹⁵Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child,

but the rod of discipline drives it far away.

¹⁶The one who oppresses poor people to increase his wealth,

or gives to rich people, will come to poverty.

¹⁷Incline your ear and listen to the words of the wise

and apply your heart to my knowledge,

¹⁸for it will be pleasant for you if you keep them within you,

if all of them are ready on your lips.

¹⁹So your trust may be in Yahweh,

I teach them to you today—even to you.

²⁰Have I not written for you thirty sayings

of instruction and knowledge,

²¹to teach you truth in these trustworthy words,

so you may give trustworthy answers

to those who sent you?

²²Do not rob the poor because he is poor,

or crush the needy at the gate,

²³for Yahweh will plead their case,

and he will rob of life those who robbed them.

²⁴Do not make a friend of someone who is ruled by anger

and you must not go with one who rages,

²⁵or you will learn his ways

and entangle yourself in a snare.

²⁶Do not be one who strikes hands in making a pledge,

or who puts up security for debts.

²⁷If you lack the means to pay,

what could stop someone from taking away your bed from under you?

²⁸Do not remove the ancient boundary stone

that your fathers have set.

²⁹Do you see a man skilled at his work? He will stand before kings;

he will not stand before common people.

¹When you sit to eat with a ruler,

observe carefully what is before you,

²and put a knife to your throat

if you are a person who likes to eat a lot of food.

³Do not crave his delicacies,

for it is the food of lies.

⁴Do not work too hard to gain wealth;

be wise enough to know when to stop.

⁵Will you let your eyes light upon it? It will be gone,

for it will surely take up wings like an eagle

and fly off to the sky.

⁶Do not eat the food of one with an evil eye—

and do not crave his delicacies,

⁷for he is the kind of man

who counts the price of the food.

"Eat and drink!" he says to you,

but his heart is not with you.

⁸You will vomit up the little you have eaten

and you will have wasted your compliments.

⁹Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,

for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

¹⁰Do not move an ancient boundary stone

or encroach on the fields of orphans,

¹¹for their Redeemer is strong

and he will plead their case against you.

¹²Apply your heart to instruction

and your ears to words of knowledge.

¹³Do not withhold instruction from a child,

for if you beat him with the rod, he will not die.

¹⁴It is you who must beat him with the rod

and save his soul from Sheol.

¹⁵My son, if your heart is wise,

then my heart also will be glad;

¹⁶my kidneys will rejoice

when your lips speak what is right.

¹⁷Do not let your heart envy sinners,

but continue in the fear of Yahweh all the day.

¹⁸Surely there is a future

and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁹Hear—you!—my son, and be wise

and direct your heart in the way.

²⁰Do not associate with those who drink much wine,

or with gluttonous eaters of meat,

²¹for the drunkard and the glutton become poor

and slumber will clothe them with rags.

²²Listen to your father who begot you

and do not despise your mother when she is old.

²³Buy the truth, but do not sell it;

buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

²⁴The father of the righteous person will greatly rejoice,

and he who begets a wise child will be glad in him.

²⁵Let your father and your mother be glad

and let her who bore you rejoice.

²⁶My son, give me your heart

and let your eyes observe my ways.

²⁷For a prostitute is a deep pit,

and an immoral woman is a narrow well.

²⁸She lies in wait like a robber

and she increases the number of the treacherous among humanity.

²⁹Who has woe? Who has sorrow?

Who has strife? Who has complaining?

Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?

³⁰Those who linger over wine,

those who try the mixed wine.

³¹Do not look at the wine when it is red,

when it sparkles in the cup

and goes down smoothly.

³²In the last it bites like a serpent

and it stings like an adder.

³³Your eyes will see strange things

and your heart will utter perverse things.

³⁴You will be as one who sleeps on the high seas

or lies down on the top of a mast.

³⁵"They hit me," you will say, "but I was not hurt.

They beat me, but I did not feel it.

When will I wake up?

I will seek another drink."

¹Do not be envious of those who are evil,

nor desire to associate with them,

²because their hearts plot violence

and their lips talk about trouble.

³Through wisdom a house is built

and by understanding it is established.

⁴By knowledge the rooms are filled

with all precious and pleasant riches.

⁵A warrior of wisdom is strong,

and a man of knowledge increases his strength;

⁶for with guidance you can wage your war

and with many advisors there is victory.

⁷Wisdom is too high for a fool;

in the gate he does not open his mouth.

⁸There is one who plans to do evil—

people call him a master of schemes.

⁹A foolish plan is sin

and a mocker is an abomination to people.

¹⁰If you become weak with fear in the day of trouble,

then your strength is small.

¹¹Rescue those who are being taken away to death

and hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter.

¹²If you say, "Behold, we knew nothing about this,"

does not the one who weighs the heart understand what you are saying?

The one who guards your life, does he not know it?

Will God not give to each one what he deserves?

¹³My son, eat honey because it is good,

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

¹⁴Such is wisdom for your soul—

if you find it, there will be a future

and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵Do not lie in wait like the wicked person who attacks the house of the righteous person.

Do not destroy his home!

¹⁶For the righteous person falls down seven times and rises again,

but wicked people stumble at calamity.

¹⁷Do not rejoice when your enemy falls

and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,

¹⁸or Yahweh will see and disapprove

and turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹Do not be angry because of evildoers,

and do not envy wicked people,

²⁰for the evil person has no future

and the lamp of wicked people will go out.

²¹Fear Yahweh, and fear the king, my son;

do not associate with those who rebel against them,

²²for suddenly their disaster will come,

and who knows the extent of the destruction that will come from both of them?

²³These also are sayings of the wise.

Partiality in judging a case at law is not good.

²⁴Whoever says to the wicked person, "You are a righteous person,"

will be cursed by peoples and abhorred by nations.

²⁵But those who discipline the wicked will have delight

and gifts of goodness will come to them.

²⁶The one who gives a straight answer

gives a kiss on the lips.

²⁷Prepare your outdoor work,

and make everything ready for yourself in the field;

after that, build your house.

²⁸Do not bear witness against your neighbor without cause

and do not deceive with your lips.

²⁹Do not say, "I will do to him what he has done to me;

I will pay him back for what he has done."

³⁰I went by the field of a lazy person,

past the vineyard of the man having no sense.

³¹Thorns had grown up everywhere,

the ground was covered with nettles,

and its stone wall was broken down.

³²Then I saw and considered it;

I looked and received instruction.

³³A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest—

³⁴and poverty comes marching upon you,

and your needs like an armed soldier.

¹These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah.

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

but the glory of kings to search it out.

³Like the heavens are for height and the earth is for depth,

so the heart of kings is unsearchable.

⁴Remove the dross from the silver

and a metal worker can use the silver in his craft.

⁵Even so, remove wicked people from the presence of the king

and his throne will be established by doing what is right.

⁶Do not honor yourself in the king's presence

and do not stand in the place designated for great people.

⁷It is better for him to say to you, "Come up here,"

than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.

What you have witnessed,

⁸do not bring quickly to trial.

For what will you do in the end

when your neighbor puts you to shame?

⁹Argue your case between you and your neighbor himself

and do not reveal another's secret,

¹⁰or else the one who hears you will bring shame upon you

and an evil report about you that cannot be silenced.

¹¹Apples of gold in settings of silver

is a word spoken in the right situation.

¹²A gold ring or jewelry made of fine gold

is a wise rebuke to a listening ear.

¹³Like the cold of snow at harvest time

is a faithful messenger for those who sent him;

he brings back the life of his masters.

¹⁴Clouds and wind without rain

is the one who boasts about a gift he does not give.

¹⁵With patience a ruler can be persuaded

and a soft tongue can break a bone.

¹⁶If you find honey, eat just enough—

otherwise, having too much of it, you vomit it up.

¹⁷Do not set your foot in your neighbor's house too often;

he may become tired of you and hate you.

¹⁸A man who bears false witness against his neighbor

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

¹⁹An unfaithful man in whom you trust in a time of trouble

is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.

²⁰Like a person who takes off a garment in cold weather,

or like vinegar poured upon carbonate of soda,

is the one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,

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

²²for you will shovel coals of fire on his head

and Yahweh will reward you.

²³As surely as the north wind brings rain,

so a tongue that tells secrets will result in angry faces.

²⁴It is better to live on a corner of the roof

than in a house shared with a quarreling wife.

²⁵Like cold waters to one who is thirsty,

so is good news from a far country.

²⁶Like a fouled spring or a ruined fountain

is a righteous person tottering before wicked people.

²⁷It is not good to eat too much honey;

that is like searching for honor after honor. ¹

²⁸A person without self-control

is like a city breached and without walls.

¹Many modern translations have different interpretations of this difficult verse.

¹Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,

so a fool does not deserve honor.

²As the sparrow flutters and the swallow darts when they fly,

so an undeserved curse does not alight.

³A whip is for the horse, a bridle is for the donkey

and a rod is for the back of fools.

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

or you will become like him.

⁵Answer a fool and join in on his folly,

so he will not become wise in his own eyes.

⁶Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool

cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

⁷Like the legs of a paralytic which hang down

is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

⁸Like tying a stone in a sling

is giving honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard

is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰Like an archer who wounds all those around him

is one who hires a fool or hires anyone who passes by.

¹¹As a dog returns to his own vomit,

so is a fool who repeats his folly.

¹²Do you see someone who is wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The lazy person says, "There is a lion on the road!

There is a lion between the open places!"

¹⁴As the door turns on its hinges,

so is the lazy person upon his bed.

¹⁵The lazy person puts his hand into the dish

and yet he has no strength to lift it up to his mouth.

¹⁶The lazy person is wiser in his own eyes

than seven men who respond with good judgment.

¹⁷Like one who takes hold of the ears of a dog

is a passerby who becomes angry at a dispute that is not his own.

¹⁸Like a madman who throws

firebrands, arrows, and death

¹⁹is the one who deceives his neighbor

and says, "Was I not telling a joke?"

²⁰For lack of wood, the fire goes out;

and where there is no gossiper, quarreling ceases.

²¹As charcoal is to burning coals and wood is to fire,

so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.

²²The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body.

²³Like the glaze overlaying an earthen vessel,

so are burning lips and an evil heart.

²⁴One who hates others disguises his feelings with his lips

and he lays up deceit within himself.

²⁵He will speak graciously, but do not believe him,

for there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶Though his hatred is covered with deception,

his wickedness will be revealed in the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit will fall into it

and the stone will roll back on the one who pushed it.

²⁸A lying tongue hates the people it crushes

and a flattering mouth brings about ruin.

¹Do not boast about tomorrow,

for you do not know what a day may bring.

²Let someone else praise you and not your own mouth;

a stranger and not your own lips.

³Consider the heaviness of a stone and the weight of sand—

the provocation of a fool is heavier than both.

⁴There is the cruelty of rage and the flood of anger,

but who is able to stand before jealousy?

⁵Better is a rebuke that is clearly seen

than hidden love.

⁶Faithful are the wounds caused by a friend,

but many are the kisses of an enemy.

⁷A person who has eaten to the full rejects even a honeycomb,

but to the hungry person, every bitter thing is sweet.

⁸Like a bird that wanders from its nest

is a man who strays from where he lives.

⁹Perfume and incense make the heart rejoice,

but the sweetness of a friend comes from his sincere counsel. ¹

¹⁰Do not abandon your friend and your friend's father,

and do not go to your brother's house on the day of your calamity.

Better is a neighbor who is nearby

than a brother who is far away.

¹¹Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice;

then I will give back an answer to the one who mocks me.

¹²The prudent sees trouble and hides himself,

but the naive go on and suffer for it.

¹³Take a garment of one who has put up security for a stranger,

and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an immoral woman.

¹⁴Whoever gives his neighbor a blessing with a loud voice early in the morning,

that blessing will be considered to be a curse!

¹⁵A quarreling wife is like

the constant dripping on a rainy day;

¹⁶restraining her is like restraining the wind,

or trying to catch oil in your right hand.

¹⁷Iron sharpens iron;

in the same way, a man sharpens his friend.

¹⁸The one who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

and the one who protects his master will be honored.

¹⁹Just as water reflects a person's face,

so a person's heart reflects the person.

²⁰Just as Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

so a man's eyes are never satisfied.

²¹A crucible is for silver and a furnace is for gold;

and a person is tested when he is praised.

²²Even if you crush a fool

with the pestle—along with the grain—

yet his foolishness will not leave him.

²³Be sure you know the condition of your flocks

and be concerned about your herds,

²⁴for wealth is not forever.

Does a crown endure for all generations?

²⁵You should know when the hay is gone and the new growth appears,

and the time when the grass from the hills is gathered in.

²⁶Those lambs will provide your clothing

and the goats will provide the price of the field.

²⁷There will be goats' milk for your food

—the food for your household—

and nourishment for your servant girls.

¹Many modern translations have different interpretations of this difficult verse.

¹The wicked people run away when no one chases them,

but righteous people are as bold as a young lion.

²Because of the transgression of a land, it has many rulers,

but with a man of understanding and knowledge, it will last a long time.

³A poor person who oppresses other poor people

is like a beating rain that leaves no food.

⁴Those who abandon the law praise wicked people,

but those who keep the law fight against them.

⁵Evil men do not understand justice,

but those who seek Yahweh understand everything.

⁶It is better for a poor person who walks in his integrity

than for a rich person who is crooked in his ways.

⁷He who keeps the law is a son who has understanding,

but one who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.

⁸The one who makes his fortune by usury and interest

gathers his wealth for another who will be gracious to the poor.

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

even his prayer is an abomination.

¹⁰Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way

will fall into his own pit,

but the blameless will have a good inheritance.

¹¹The rich person may be wise in his own eyes,

but a poor person who has understanding will find him out.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great glory;

but when the wicked arise, people are sought out.

¹³The one who hides his sins will not prosper,

but the one who confesses them and abandons them will be shown mercy.

¹⁴The one who always lives with reverence is blessed,

but whoever hardens his heart will fall into trouble.

¹⁵Like a roaring lion or a charging bear

is a wicked ruler over poor people.

¹⁶The ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,

but the one who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.

¹⁷If a man is burdened with a person's blood,

he will be a fugitive until death

and no one will help him.

¹⁸Whoever walks with integrity will be kept safe,

but the one whose way is crooked will suddenly fall.

¹⁹The one who works his land will have plenty of food,

but whoever follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

²⁰A faithful man will have great blessings,

but the one who gets rich quickly will not go unpunished.

²¹It is not good to show partiality,

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

²²A stingy man hurries after riches,

but he does not know that poverty will come upon him.

²³Whoever disciplines someone, afterward will find more favor from him

than from the one who flatters him with his tongue.

²⁴Whoever robs his father and his mother and says, "That is no sin,"

he is the companion of the one who destroys.

²⁵A greedy man stirs up conflict,

but the one who trusts in Yahweh will prosper.

²⁶One who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

but whoever walks in wisdom will be delivered.

²⁷The one who gives to the poor will lack nothing,

but whoever closes his eyes to them will receive many curses.

²⁸When the wicked arise, people hide themselves;

but when they perish, the righteous increase.

¹A person who has received many rebukes but who stiffens his neck

will be broken in a moment beyond healing.

²When righteous people increase, the people rejoice,

but when a wicked person is the ruler, the people sigh.

³Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice,

but he who keeps company with prostitutes destroys his wealth.

⁴The king establishes the land by justice,

but the one who demands bribes throws it down.

⁵A man who flatters his neighbor

is spreading a net for his feet.

⁶In the sin of an evil person is a trap,

but the righteous person sings and rejoices.

⁷The righteous person knows the rights of the poor;

the wicked person does not understand such knowledge.

⁸Mockers set a city on fire,

but those who are wise turn away wrath.

⁹When a wise person has a legal dispute with a fool,

he rages and laughs, and there will be no rest.

¹⁰Men of bloodshed hate the one who is blameless

and seek the life of the upright.

¹¹A fool brings forth all his spirit,

but a wise man soothes it back.

¹²If a ruler pays attention to lies,

all his officials will be wicked.

¹³The poor person and the oppressor are similar,

for Yahweh gives light to the eyes of them both.

¹⁴If a king judges the poor by the truth,

his throne will be established forever.

¹⁵The rod and correction give wisdom,

but a child freed from discipline puts his mother to shame.

¹⁶When wicked people are in power, transgression increases,

but righteous people will see the downfall of those wicked people.

¹⁷Discipline your son and he will give you rest;

he will bring delight into your life.

¹⁸Where there is no prophetic vision the people run wild,

but the one who keeps the law is blessed.

¹⁹A slave will not be corrected by words,

for though he understands, there will be no response.

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

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²¹One who pampers his slave from youth,

at the end of it there will be trouble.

²²An angry person stirs up strife

and a master of rage commits many sins.

²³A person's pride brings him low,

but one who has a humble spirit will be given honor.

²⁴One who shares with a thief hates his own life;

he hears the curse and says nothing.

²⁵The fear of man makes a snare,

but the one who trusts in Yahweh will be protected.

²⁶Many are those who seek the face of the ruler,

but from Yahweh is justice for a person.

²⁷An unjust man is an abomination to righteous people,

but the one whose way is upright is an abomination to the wicked person.

¹The words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden.

This man declares to Ithiel,

to Ithiel and Ucal: ¹

²Surely I am more like an animal than any human,

and I do not have the understanding of a human being.

³I have not learned wisdom,

nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One.

⁴Who has gone up to heaven and come down?

Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands?

Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?

Who has established all the ends of the earth?

What is his name, and what is the name of his son?

Surely you know!

⁵Every word of God is tested;

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

⁶Do not add to his words,

or he will discipline you,

and you will be proved to be a liar.

⁷Two things I ask of you;

do not withhold them from me before I die:

⁸Put vanity and lies far away from me.

Give me neither poverty nor riches,

just let me eat the food that is my portion.

⁹For if I have too much, I might deny you

and say, "Who is Yahweh?"

Or if I become poor, I might steal

and profane the name of my God.

¹⁰Do not slander a slave before his master,

or he will curse you and you will be held guilty.

¹¹There is a generation that curses their father

and does not bless their mother.

¹²There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes,

and yet they are not washed of their filth.

¹³There is a generation whose eyes are raised up,

and how high are their eyelids lifted up!

¹⁴There is a generation whose teeth are swords

and whose jawbones are knives,

so they may devour the poor from the earth

and the needy from among humanity.

¹⁵The leech has two daughters:

"Give and give," they cry.

There are three things that are never satisfied,

four that never say, "Enough":

¹⁶Sheol; the barren womb;

land that is never satisfied with water;

and the fire that never says, "Enough!"

¹⁷The eye that mocks a father

and scorns obedience to a mother

will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley

and will be eaten by the vultures.

¹⁸There are three things that are too wonderful for me,

four that I do not understand:

¹⁹the way of an eagle in the sky;

the way of a snake on a rock;

the way of a ship in the heart of the sea;

and the way of a man with a young woman.

²⁰This is the way of an adulteress:

she eats and she wipes her mouth

and says, "I have not behaved wickedly."

²¹Under three things the earth trembles,

and under four it cannot bear up:

²²a slave when he becomes king;

a fool when he is filled with food;

²³a hated woman when she marries;

and a slave girl when she takes the place of her mistress.

²⁴Four things on earth are small

and yet they are very wise:

²⁵the ants are creatures that are not strong,

but they prepare their food in the summer;

²⁶the rock badgers are not mighty creatures,

but they make their homes in the rocks.

²⁷Locusts have no king,

but all of them march in rank.

²⁸As for the lizard, you can hold it in your two hands,

yet it is found in kings' palaces.

²⁹There are three things that are stately in their stride

and four that are stately in how they walk:

³⁰a lion, strongest among wild animals—

it does not turn away from anything;

³¹a strutting rooster; a goat;

and a king whose soldiers are beside him.

³²If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,

or if you have been devising evil—

put your hand over your mouth.

³³As churning milk makes butter

and as one's nose will produce blood if it is twisted,

so deeds done in anger produce conflict.

¹The second line of some ancient Greek translations of the ancient Hebrew reads This man declares: I am weary. I am weary and helpless. They appear to have translated the Hebrew names Ithiel and Ucal into the Greek as weary and helpless .

¹The words of King Lemuel—a burden his mother taught him.

²What, my son? What is it, son of my womb?

What do you want, son of my vows?

³Do not give your strength to women,

or your ways to those who destroy kings.

⁴It is not for kings, Lemuel,

it is not for kings to drink wine,

or for rulers to crave strong drink,

⁵because when they drink they forget what has been decreed,

and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

⁶Give strong drink to a person who is perishing

and wine to those in bitter distress.

⁷He will drink and he will forget his poverty

and he will not remember his trouble.

⁸Speak for those who cannot speak,

for the causes of all who are perishing.

⁹Speak out and judge by the measure of what is right

and plead the cause of poor and needy people.

¹⁰Who can find a capable wife?

Her value is far more than jewels.

¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her,

and he will never be poor.

¹²She does good things for him and not evil

all the days of her life.

¹³She searches for wool and flax

and works with the delight of her hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchant ships;

she brings her food from far away.

¹⁵She rises while it is night

and gives food to her household,

and she distributes portions to her female servants.

¹⁶She considers a field and buys it;

with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷She girds herself with strength

and makes her arms strong.

¹⁸She knows what will make a good profit for her;

all night long her lamp is not extinguished.

¹⁹She puts her hands on the spindle,

and her hands grasp the twisting thread.

²⁰She reaches out with her hand to poor people;

she reaches out with her hands to needy people.

²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household,

for all her household are clothed in scarlet.

²²She makes coverings for her bed,

and she wears clothes of fine purple linen.

²³Her husband is known at the gates,

when he sits with the elders of the land.

²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them,

and she supplies sashes to the merchants.

²⁵She is clothed with strength and honor,

and she laughs at the future.

²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom

and the law of kindness is on her tongue.

²⁷She watches over the ways of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed,

and her husband praises her, saying,

²⁹"Many women have done well,

but you surpassed them all."

³⁰Elegance is deceptive, beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears Yahweh, she will be praised.

³¹Give her the fruit of her hands

and let her works praise her in the gates.

English: Unlocked Literal Bible for Proverbs

Formatted for Translators

Proverbs