Prov. 1:1‑31:30• 1Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2To know wisdom and instruction:{HR}To discern the words of understanding;
3To receive instruction in intelligence,{HR}Righteousness, judgment and equity;
4To give prudence to the simple,{HR}To the young man knowledge and discretion.
5He that is wise will hear and increase learning,{HR}And the intelligent will attain to sound counsels:
6To understand a proverb and an allegory,{HR}The words of the wise and their enigmas.
7The fear of Jehovah (is) the beginning of knowledge:{HR}Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8My son, hear the instruction of thy father,{HR}And forsake not the law of thy mother;
9For they (shall be) a garland of grace for thy head,{HR}And chains about thy neck.
10My son, if sinners entice thee, consent not.
11If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood,{HR}Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;
12Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol,{HR}And whole as those that go down into the pit.
13We shall find all precious substance,{HR}We shall fill our houses with spoil:
14Cast in thy lot among us;{HR}We will have all one purse.
15My son, walk not in the way with them,{HR}Keep back thy foot from their path.
16For their feet run to evil,{HR}And they make haste to shed blood.
17For in vain is the net spread in the eyes of a bird;
18And they lay wait for their own blood;{HR}They lurk privily for their own lives.
19So (are) the paths of every one that is greedy of gain:{HR}It taketh away the life of its owners.
20Wisdom crieth without,{HR}She raiseth her voice in the broadways;
21She calleth at the head of the noisy (streets),{HR}At the entry of the gates;{HR}In the city she uttereth her words,
22How long, simple ones, will ye love simpleness,{HR}And scorners delight them in scorning,{HR}And fools hate wisdom?
23Turn you at my reproof:{HR}Behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you,{HR}I will make known my words unto you.
24Because I have called, and ye refused;{HR}I have stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;
25And ye have rejected all my counsel,{HR}And would none of my reproof:
26I also will laugh at your calamity.{HR}I will mock when your fear cometh;
27When your fear cometh as sudden destruction,{HR}And your calamity cometh as a whirlwind;{HR}When distress and anguish come upon you.
28Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer;{HR}They will seek me diligently but shall not find me.
29Because they hated knowledge{HR}And chose not the fear of Jehovah;
30They would none of my counsel,{HR}They despised all my reproof;
31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way,{HR}And be filled with their own devices.
32For the turning back of the simple shall slay them,{HR}And the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely{HR}And be at rest from fear of evil.
1My son, if thou wilt receive my words,{HR}And lay up my commandments with thee;
2So that thou wilt incline thine ear to wisdom,{HR}And apply thy heart to understanding;
3Yea if thou cry after discernment,{HR}[And] lift up thy voice for understanding;
4If thou seek her as silver{HR}And search for her as for hid treasures;
5Then shalt thou apprehend the fear of Jehovah,{HR}And find the knowledge of God.
6For Jehovah giveth wisdom;{HR}Out of his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright,{HR}A shield to those that walk in integrity;
8Guarding the paths of just judgment{HR}And keeping the way of his saints.
9Then thou shalt understand righteousness{HR}And judgment and equity—every good path.
10For wisdom shall enter into thy heart{HR}And knowledge be pleasant unto thy soul,
11Discretion shall watch over thee,{HR}Understanding shall keep thee:—
12To deliver thee from the way of evil,{HR}From the man that speaketh froward things;
13[From those] who forsake the paths of uprightness,{HR}To walk in the ways of darkness;
14Who rejoice to do evil-delight in the frowardness of evil;
15Who in their paths are crooked, and pervert in their course—
16To deliver thee from the strange woman,{HR}From the stranger who flattereth with her words;
17Who forsaketh the friend of her youth{HR}And forgetteth the covenant of her God.
18For her house inclineth unto death,{HR}And her paths unto the dead;
19None that go unto her return again,{HR}Nor attain unto the paths of life; —
20That thou mayest walk in the way of the good{HR}And keep the paths of the righteous.
21For the upright shall dwell in the land,{HR}And the perfect shall remain in it.
22But the wicked shall be cut off from the land,{HR}And the treacherous shall be plucked out of it.
1My son, forget not my teaching,{HR}But let thy heart keep my commandments:
2For length of days and years of life{HR}And peace shall they add to thee.
3Let not mercy and truth forsake thee:{HR}Bind them about thy neck;{HR}Write them upon the tablet of thy heart;
4And thou shalt find favour{HR}And good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart,{HR}And lean not unto thine own discernment;
6In all thy ways acknowledge him,{HR}And he shall make straight thy paths.
7Be not wise in thine own eyes;{HR}Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil;
8It shall be health for thy navel,{HR}And moisture for thy bones.
9Honour Jehovah with thy substance,{HR}And with the first-fruits of all thine increase;
10So shall thy barns be filled with plenty,{HR}And thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
11My son, despise not the instruction of Jehovah,{HR}Neither be weary of his chastisement;
12For whom Jehovah loveth he chasteneth,{HR}Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13Blessed [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom,{HR}And the man [that] getteth understanding.
14For the gain thereof [is] better than the gain of silver,{HR}And her revenue than fine gold.
15She [is] more precious than rubies,{HR}And all the things thou canst desire are not equal to her.
16Length of days [is] in her right hand,{HR}In her left hand riches and honour.
17Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness,{HR}And all her paths [are] peace.
18She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold on her;{HR}And blessed [is] he that retaineth her.
19Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth;{HR}By understanding he established the heavens.
20By his knowledge the depths were broken up,{HR}And the skies drop down the dew.
21My son, let them not depart from thine eyes;{HR}Keep true counsel and discretion:
22So shall they be life to thy soul,{HR}And grace to thy neck.
23Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely,{HR}And thy foot shall not stumble.
24When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid,{HR}But thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25Be not afraid of sudden fear,{HR}Nor of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh;
26For Jehovah shall be thy confidence,{HR}And shall keep thy foot from being taken.
27Withhold not good from those to whom it is due,{HR}When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.
28Say not unto thy neighbour, Go and come again,{HR}And tomorrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.
29Devise not evil against thy neighbour,{HR}Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30Strive not with a man without cause,{HR}If he have done thee no harm.
31Envy not the man of violence,{HR}And choose none of his ways.
32For the perverse [is] an abomination to Jehovah;{HR}But his secret [is] with the upright.
33The curse of Jehovah [is] in the house of the wicked;{HR}But he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.
34He indeed scorneth the scorners;{HR}But he giveth grace to the lowly.
35The wise shall inherit glory;{HR}But shame shall be the promotion of fools.
1Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father,{HR}And attend to know understanding;
2For I give you good doctrine:{HR}Forsake ye not my law.
3For I was a son to my father,{HR}Tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
4And he taught me and said to me—{HR}Let thy heart retain my words;{HR}Keep my commandments and live.
5Get wisdom, get understanding;{HR}Forget not neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee;{HR}Love her, and she shall preserve thee.
7The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom;{HR}And with all thy getting get understanding.
8Exalt her, and she shall promote thee;{HR}She shall bring thee to honour,{HR}When thou dost embrace her.
9She shall give to thy head a garland of grace;{HR}A crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
10Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,{HR}And the years of thy life shall be multiplied.
11I will teach thee in the way of wisdom;{HR}I will lead thee in the paths of uprightness.
12When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened;{HR}And when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go;{HR}Keep her, for she is thy life.
14Enter not into the path of the wicked,{HR}And go not into the way of evil [men];
15Avoid it, pass not by it,{HR}Turn from it, and pass away.
16For they sleep not, except they have done mischief;{HR}And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause [some] to fall.
17For they eat the bread of wickedness{HR}And drink the wine of violence.
18But the path of the righteous is as the shining light{HR}Going on and brightening to the perfect day.
19The way of the wicked [is] as darkness:{HR}They know not at what they stumble.
20My son, attend to my words; {sup}{HR}{/sup}Incline thine ear to my sayings.
21Let them not depart from thine eyes;{HR}Keep them in the midst of thy heart.
22For they are life to those that find them,{HR}And health to all their flesh.
23Keep thy heart more than all thou guardest;{HR}For out of it are the issues of life.
24Put away from thee perverseness of mouth,{HR}And corruption of lips put far from thee.
25Let thine eyes look right on,{HR}And thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26Ponder the path of thy feet,{HR}And be all thy ways well-ordered.
27Turn not to the right hand nor to the left;{HR}Remove thy foot from evil.
1My son, attend to my wisdom,{HR}Incline thine ear to mine understanding,
2That thou mayest keep reflection,{HR}And thy lips may preserve knowledge.
3For the lips of a strange woman drop honey,{HR}And her mouth [is] smoother than oil:
4But her end is bitter as wormwood,{HR}Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5Her feet go down to death;{HR}Her steps take hold on Sheol.
6Lest she should ponder the path of life,{HR}Her ways are unstable, she knoweth [it] not.
7And now, children, hearken to me,{HR}And depart not from the words of my mouth.
8Remove thy way far from her,{HR}And come not nigh the door of her house;
9Lest thou give thine honour to others,{HR}And thy years to the cruel;
10Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth,{HR}And thy labours [go] to the house of an alien;
11And thou mourn in thine end,{HR}When thy flesh and thy body are consumed;
12And thou say, How have I hated instruction,{HR}And my heart despised reproof;
13And I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,{HR}Nor inclined mine ear to those that instructed me!
14I was well nigh in all evil{HR}In the midst of the congregation and assembly.
15Drink waters out of thine own cistern,{HR}And running waters out of thine own well.
16Should thy fountains be dispersed abroad,{HR}And rivers of water in the broadways?
17Let them be only thine own,{HR}And not for strangers with thee.
18Let thy fountain be blessed;{HR}Rejoice in the wife of thy youth.
19A lovely hind and a, graceful doe, {sup}{HR}{/sup}Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times;{HR}With her love be ravished continually.
20And why shouldest thou, my son,{HR}Be ravished with a strange woman,{HR}And embrace the bosom of a stranger?
21For the ways of man are before Jehovah's eyes,{HR}And he pondereth all his paths.
22His own iniquities shall take the wicked,{HR}And he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.
23He shall die for lack of discipline;{HR}And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
1My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour —{HR}Hast stricken thy hand for a stranger,
2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth,{HR}Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
3Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself,{HR}Since thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour;{HR}Go, humble thyself, and importune thy neighbour.
4Give not sleep to thine eyes nor slumber to thine eyelids;
5Deliver thyself from the [hunter's] hand,{HR}And as a bird from the fowler's hand.
6Go to the ant, thou sluggard;{HR}Consider her ways, and be wise:
7Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8Provideth her bread in the summer,{HR}[And] gathereth her food in the harvest.
9How long, sluggard, wilt thou lie down?{HR}When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10A little sleep, a little slumber,{HR}A little folding of the hands to lie down!
11So shall thy poverty come as a rover,{HR}And thy want as an armed man.
12A man of Belial, a wicked person,{HR}Walketh with a perverse mouth.
13He winketh with his eyes;{HR}He speaketh with his feet;{HR}He teacheth with his fingers.
14Deceits [are] in his heart;{HR}He deviseth mischief at all times;{HR}He sendeth out discords.
15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly;{HR}In a moment shall he be broken, and without remedy.
16Six [things] Jehovah hateth,{HR}Yea, seven [are] an abomination of his soul:
17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,{HR}And hands that shed innocent blood,
18A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,{HR}Feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19A false witness breathing out lies,{HR}And he that sendeth out discords among brethren.
20My son, observe thy father's commandment,{HR}and forsake not thy mother's law.
21Bind them continually on thy heart,{HR}Tie them about thy neck:
22When thou walkest, it shall lead thee;{HR}When thou sleepest, it shall keep thee;{HR}And [when] thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23For the commandment [is] a lamp,{HR}And the law a light,{HR}And reproofs of instruction the way of life:
24To keep thee from the evil woman,{HR}From the smoothness of the tongue of a strange woman.
25Lust not after her beauty in thy heart,{HR}Nor let her take thee with her eyelids;
26For by means of a whorish woman [one cometh] to a piece of bread,{HR}And another's wife doth hunt for the precious soul.
27Can a man take fire in his bosom,{HR}And his garments not be burned?
28Can one go upon hot coals,{HR}And his feet not be scorched?
29So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife:{HR}Whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30They do not despise a thief,{HR}If he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31And [if] he be found, he shall restore sevenfold;{HR}He shall give all the substance of his house.
32Whoso committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding;{HR}He [that] doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33A wound and contempt shall he get;{HR}And his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34For jealousy [is] the rage of a man,{HR}And he will not spare in the day of vengeance;
35He will not regard any ransom,{HR}Neither will he rest content though thou multipliest gifts.
1My son, keep my words,{HR}And lay up my commandments with thee.
2Keep my commandments and live;{HR}And my teaching as the apple of thine eye.
3Bind them upon thy fingers;{HR}Write them upon the tables of thy heart.
4Say to wisdom, thou [art] my sister,{HR}And call intelligence kinswoman;
5That they may keep thee from the strange woman,{HR}From the stranger that flattereth with her words.
6For at the window of my house I looked forth from my lattice;{HR}And I beheld among the simple ones,
7I discerned among the sons,{HR}A young man void of understanding,
8Passing through the street near her corner;{HR}And he went the way to her house,
9In the twilight, in the evening of the day,{HR}In the blackness of night and the darkness.
10And, behold, there met him a woman{HR}[In] the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart.
11She [is] clamorous and ungovernable;{HR}Her feet abide not in her house;
12Now [she is] in the streets,{HR}Now in the broadways,{HR}And lieth in wait at every corner.
13And she caught him and kissed him;{HR}With an impudent face she said to him,
14I have peace-offerings;{HR}This day have I paid my vows.
15Therefore came I forth to meet thee,{HR}Diligently to seek thy face;{HR}And I have found thee.
16My bed I have decked with tapestry coverings,{HR}With variegated cloths of yarn from Egypt.
17I have perfumed my couch with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18Come, let us revel in love until the morning;{HR}Let us delight ourselves with loves.
19For the husband [is] not at home{HR}And he is gone a long journey;
20He hath taken the money-bag with him;{HR}He will come home at the day of full moon.
21With her much fair speech she beguiled him;{HR}With the flattery of her lips she constrained him.
22He goeth after suddenly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter,{HR}And as in fetters to his correction the fool;
23Till an arrow strike through his liver,{HR}As a bird hasteth to the snare,{HR}And knoweth not that [it is] for its life.
24And now, sons, hearken to me,{HR}And attend to the words of my mouth.
25Let not thy heart decline to her ways;{HR}Go not astray in her paths:
26For she hath cast down many wounded;{HR}And all slain by her are strong.
27Her house [is] the way to Sheol,{HR}Going down to the chambers of death.
1Doth not wisdom cry,{HR}And understanding put forth her voice?
2On the top of high places by the way,{HR}Where paths meet, she standeth;
3Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,{HR}At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud.
4To you, O men, I call,{HR}And my voice [is] to the sons of man.
5O ye simple, understand prudence;{HR}And, ye foolish, be of understanding heart.
6Hear, for I will speak excellent things,{HR}And the opening of my lips [shall be] right things.
7For my palate shall meditate truth,{HR}And wickedness [is] an abomination to my lips.
8All the words of my mouth [are] in righteousness;{HR}[There is] nothing crooked or perverse in them.
9They [are] all plain to him that understandeth,{HR}And right to them that find knowledge.
10Receive my instruction, and not silver,{HR}And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11For wisdom [is] better than rubies,{HR}And all the things that may be desired are not comparable to her.
12I wisdom dwell in prudence,{HR}And find out knowledge of reflection.
13The fear of Jehovah [is] to hate evil:{HR}Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way,{HR}And the froward mouth do I hate.
14Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom:{HR}I [am] intelligence; I have strength.
15By me kings reign, and rulers make just decrees;
16By me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.
17I love those that love me;{HR}And they that seek me early shall find me.
18Riches and honour [are] with me;{HR}Durable wealth and righteousness.
19My fruit [is] better than gold, yea than pure gold;{HR}And my revenue than choice silver.
20I walk in the way of righteousness,{HR}In the midst of the paths of judgment;
21That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance,{HR}And fill their treasuries.
22Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way,{HR}Before his works of old.
23I was set up from everlasting,{HR}From the beginning, before the earth was.
24When no depths were, I was brought forth,{HR}When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25Before the mountains were settled,{HR}Before the hills was I brought forth;
26While as yet he had not made the earth,{HR}Nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
27When he prepared the heavens, I [was] there;{HR}When he set the circle upon the face of the deep;
28When he established the skies above;{HR}When the fountains of the deep became strong;
29When he imposed on the sea his decree,{HR}That the waters should not pass his commandment;{HR}When he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30Then I was by him, a nursling ,{HR}And I was daily his delight,{HR}Rejoicing always before him;
31Rejoicing in the habitable world of his earth,{HR}And my delights [were] with the sons of men.
32And now, sons, hearken to me;{HR}And blessed are [those that] keep my ways:
33Hear instruction and be wise,{HR}And refuse it not.
34Blessed [is] the man that heareth me,{HR}Watching daily at my gates,{HR}Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35For whoso findeth me findeth life,{HR}And shall obtain favour of Jehovah.
36But he that sinneth against me{HR}Doeth violence to his own soul:{HR}All that hate me love death.
1Wisdom hath built her house;{HR}She hath hewn out her seven pillars;
2She hath slaughtered her slaughtering ,{HR}She hath mingled her wine,{HR}She hath also furnished her table.
3She hath sent forth her maidens;{HR}She crieth upon the summits of the high places of the city,
4Whoso [is] simple, let him turn in hither.{HR}To him that is void of understanding she saith,
5Come, eat ye of my bread,{HR}And drink of the wine I have mingled.
6Forsake follies and live,{HR}And go in the way of understanding.
7He that correcteth a scorner getteth to himself shame;{HR}And he that reproveth a wicked [man], a blot to himself.
8Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee;{HR}Reprove a wise [man], and he will love thee.
9Impart to a wise [man], and he will become yet wiser;{HR}Teach a righteous [man], and he will increase learning.
10The fear of Jehovah [is] the beginning of wisdom,{HR}And the knowledge of the Holy [is] understanding.
11For by me thy days shall be multiplied,{HR}And years of life shall be added to thee.
12If thou art wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself;{HR}And [if] thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear [it].
13The foolish woman [is] clamorous;{HR}Senseless, and knoweth nothing.
14And she sitteth at the door of her house,{HR}On a seat in the high places of the city,
15To call those that pass by who go right on their ways.
16Whoso [is] simple, let him turn in hither.{HR}And to him that is void of understanding she saith,
17Stolen waters are sweet,{HR}And the bread of secrecy is pleasant.
18But he knoweth not that the dead [are] there,{HR}[That] her guests [are] in the depths of Sheol.
1The proverbs of Solomon.{HR}A wise son maketh a glad father;{HR}But a foolish son [is] the grief of his mother.
2Treasures of wickedness profit nothing;{HR}But righteousness delivereth from death.
3Jehovah suffereth not the soul of the righteous to famish;{HR}But he repelleth the craving of the wicked.
4He cometh to want that dealeth [with] a slack hand;{HR}But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
5He that gathereth in summer [is] a wise son;{HR}He that sleepeth in harvest [is] a son that causeth shame.
6Blessings [are] on the head of the righteous;{HR}But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
7The memory of the righteous [is] blessed;{HR}But the name of the wicked shall rot.
8The wise in heart receiveth commandments;{HR}But the foolish of lips shall fall.
9He that walketh in integrity walketh securely;{HR}But he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
10He that winketh with the eye causeth grief;{HR}But the foolish of lips shall fall.
11The mouth of a righteous one [is] a fountain of life;{HR}But the mouth of the wicked covereth violence.
12Hatred stirreth up strifes;{HR}But love covereth all transgressions.
13In the lips of one intelligent wisdom is found;{HR}But a rod [is] for the back of him that is void of understanding.
14The wise lay up knowledge;{HR}But the mouth of the fool [is] near destruction.
15The rich one's wealth [is] his strong city;{HR}The poor's destruction [is] their poverty.
16The labour of righteousness [tendeth] to life,{HR}The revenue of wickedness to sin.
17Keeping instruction [is] life's path;{HR}But he that forsaketh reproof erreth.
18He that covereth hatred hath lying lips;{HR}And he that uttereth slander [is] a fool.
19In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression;{HR}But he that restraineth his lips doeth wisely.
20The tongue of the righteous [is as] choice silver;{HR}The heart of a wicked one [is] little worth.
21The lips of the righteous feed many;{HR}But fools die for want of understanding.
22The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich,{HR}And he addeth no sorrow to it.
23[It is] as sport to a fool to do wickedness;{HR}But a man of understanding hath wisdom.
24The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him;{HR}But the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
25As a whirlwind passeth, so [is] the wicked no [more];{HR}But the righteous [is] an everlasting foundation.
26As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes,{HR}So [is] the sluggard to those that send him.
27The fear of Jehovah prolongeth days;{HR}But the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
28The hope of the righteous [is] joy;{HR}But the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
29The way of Jehovah [is] strength to the upright one;{HR}But destruction to the workers of iniquity.
30The righteous one shall never be removed;{HR}But the wicked shall not dwell in the earth.
31The mouth of the righteous one putteth forth wisdom;{HR}But the froward tongue shall be cut off.
32The lips of a righteous one know what is acceptable;{HR}But the mouth of the wicked [is] frowardness.
1A false balance [is] abomination to Jehovah,{HR}But a just weight his delight.
2Pride cometh, then cometh shame;{HR}But with the lowly [is] wisdom.
3The integrity of the upright guideth them;{HR}But the crookedness of the treacherous destroyeth them.
4Wealth profiteth not in the day of wrath;{HR}But righteousness delivereth from death.
5The righteousness of the perfect maketh plain his way;{HR}But the wicked falleth by his own wickedness.
6The righteousness of the upright delivereth them;{HR}But the treacherous are taken in their own craving.
7When a wicked man dieth, expectation shall perish;{HR}And the hope of evil ones perisheth.
8The righteous is delivered out of trouble,{HR}And the wicked cometh in his stead.
9With the mouth a hypocrite destroyeth his neighbour;{HR}But through knowledge are the righteous delivered.
10When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth;{HR}And when the wicked perish, [there is] shouting.
11By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted;{HR}But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
12He that despiseth his neighbour is void of heart;{HR}But a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
13He that goeth about tale-bearing revealeth secrets;{HR}But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
14Where no advice [is] the people fall;{HR}But in the multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.
15It goeth ill with him that is surety for a stranger;{HR}But he that hateth suretyship is secure.
16A gracious woman retaineth honour,{HR}And the violent retain riches.
17The merciful man doeth good to his own soul,{HR}But the cruel troubleth his own flesh.
18The wicked earneth deceitful wages,{HR}But he that soweth righteousness a sure reward.
19As righteousness [tendeth] to life,{HR}So to death he that pursueth evil.
20The perverse in heart [are] abomination to Jehovah,{HR}But the upright in way [are] his delight.
21Hand in hand, evil man shall not be unpunished;{HR}But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
22As a gold ring in a swine's snout{HR}[Is] a woman fair and indiscreet.
23The desire of the righteous [is] only good;{HR}The wicked's expectation [is] wrath .
24There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth;{HR}And there is that withholdeth more than is right,{HR}But only to want.
25The blessing soul shall be made fat;{HR}And he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
26He that withholdeth corn, the people curse him;{HR}But blessing [shall be] upon the head of him that selleth [it].
27He that is earnest after good seeketh favour;{HR}But he that searcheth after mischief,{HR}It shall come upon him.
28He that trusteth in his riches shall fall;{HR}But the righteous shall flourish as a green leaf.
29He that troubleth his own house shall inherit wind;{HR}And the fool [shall be] servant to the wise of heart.
30The fruit of the righteous [is] as a tree of life;{HR}And the wise winneth souls.
31Behold, the righteous shall be requited on the earth:{HR}How much more the wicked and the sinner!
1Whoso loveth correction loveth knowledge,{HR}But he that hateth reproof [is] brutish.
2A good [man] obtaineth favour of Jehovah,{HR}But a man of mischievous devices will he condemn.
3A man shall not be established by wickedness,{HR}But the root of the righteous shall never be moved.
4A woman of worth [is] a crown to her husband,{HR}But she that maketh ashamed [is] as rottenness in his bones.
5The thoughts of the righteous [are] judgment,{HR}The counsels of the wicked deceit.
6The words of the wicked [are] a lying-in-wait for blood,{HR}But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.
7Overthrow the wicked, and they [are] no more;{HR}But the house of the righteous shall stand
8A man shall be commended according to his judgment;{HR}But he that is perverse of heart shall be despised.
9Better [is] he that is lightly esteemed, and hath a servant,{HR}Than he that aimeth after honour and lacketh bread.
10A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast;{HR}But the tender mercies of the wicked [are] cruelty.
11He that tilleth his ground shall be satisfied with bread;{HR}But he that followeth worthless [persons] is void of sense.
12The wicked desireth the net of evil [men];{HR}But the root of the righteous yieldeth [fruit].
13In the transgression of the lips is an evil snare;{HR}But a righteous [man] shall come out of trouble.
14A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of the mouth;{HR}And the doings of a man's hands shall be rendered to him.
15The way of a fool [is] right in his own eyes;{HR}But he that is wise hearkeneth to counsel.
16The vexation of the fool is known presently (in that day);{HR}But he that concealeth shame is prudent.
17One uttering truth showeth forth righteousness,{HR}But a false witness deceit.
18There is that babbleth like the piercings of a sword;{HR}But the tongue of the wise [is] health.
19The lip of truth shall be established forever;{HR}But a lying tongue [is] but for a moment.
20Deceit [is] in the heart of those that devise evil;{HR}But to the counsellors of peace [is] joy.
21No evil shall happen to the righteous;{HR}But the wicked shall be filled with mischief.
22Lying lips [are] an abomination to Jehovah;{HR}But those that deal truly are his delight.
23A prudent man concealeth knowledge;{HR}But the heart of the foolish proclaimeth folly.
24The hand of the diligent shall bear rule;{HR}But the slothful [hand] shall be under tribute.
25Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop;{HR}But a good word maketh it glad.
26The righteous guideth his neighbour;{HR}But the way of the wicked misleadeth them.
27The slothful roasteth not what he took in hunting;{HR}But man's precious substance [is] diligence.
28In the path of righteousness [is] life;{HR}And in its pathway is no death.
1A wise son [hath] his father's instruction;{HR}But a scorner heareth not rebuke.
2A man shall eat good by the mouth's fruit;{HR}But the soul of the treacherous [is for] violence.
3He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his soul;{HR}He that openeth wide his lips [shall have] destruction.
4A sluggard's soul desireth, and hath nothing;{HR}But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
5A righteous one hateth lying;{HR}But the wicked maketh himself odious{HR}And cometh to shame.
6Righteousness guardeth him that is upright in the way;{HR}But wickedness overthroweth the sinner.
7There is that feigneth himself rich,{HR}And [hath] nothing;{HR}[There is] that feigneth himself poor,{HR}And [hath] great wealth.
8The ransom of a man's life [is] his riches;{HR}But the poor heareth no threatening.
9The light of the righteous rejoiceth;{HR}But the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
10By pride cometh only contention;{HR}But with the well-advised [is] wisdom.
11Wealth [gotten] by vanity diminisheth;{HR}But he that gathereth with the hand shall have increase.
12Hope deferred maketh the heart sick;{HR}But a desire [that] cometh to pass [is] a tree of life.
13Whoso despiseth the word destroyeth himself;{HR}But he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
14The teaching of the wise [is] a fountain of life,{HR}To turn away from the snares of death.
15Good understanding procureth favour;{HR}But the way of the treacherous [is] rugged.
16Every prudent one acteth with knowledge;{HR}But the foolish layeth open folly.
17A wicked messenger falleth into evil;{HR}But a faithful ambassador [is] health.
18Poverty and shame [shall be to] him that refuseth instruction;{HR}But he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.
19The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul;{HR}But [it is] abomination to the foolish to depart from evil.
20He that walketh with wise [men] becometh wise;{HR}But a companion of the foolish will be destroyed.
21Evil pursueth sinners;{HR}But to the righteous good shall be repaid.
22A good [man] leaveth an inheritance to his children's children;{HR}But the sinner's wealth [is] laid up for the righteous.
23Much food [is in] the tillage of the poor;{HR}But there is [that is] lost through injustice.
24He that spareth his rod hateth his son;{HR}But he that loveth him seeketh him early with discipline.
25The righteous eateth to satisfy his desire;{HR}But the belly of the wicked shall want.
1The wisdom of women buildeth the house;{HR}But folly plucketh it down with her hands.
2He that walketh in his uprightness feareth Jehovah;{HR}But the perverted in his ways despiseth him.
3In the fool's mouth [is] a rod of pride;{HR}But the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
4Where no oxen [are], the crib [is] clean;{HR}But much increase [is] by the strength of the ox.
5A faithful witness will not lie;{HR}But a false witness breatheth out lies.
6A scorner seeketh wisdom;{HR}And [there is] none for him;{HR}But knowledge [is] easy to the intelligent.
7Go away from a foolish man,{HR}In whom thou perceivest not the lips of knowledge.
8The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way;{HR}But the folly of fools [is] deceit.
9Fools make a mock at trespass;{HR}But among the upright [is] favour.
10The heart knoweth its own bitterness,{HR}And a stranger intermeddleth not with its joy.
11The house of the wicked shall be overthrown,{HR}But the tent of the upright shall flourish.
12There is a way that seemeth right to a man,{HR}But the end thereof [is] the ways of death.
13Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful,{HR}And the end of mirth [is] sadness.
14The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways,{HR}And the good man from himself.
15The simple believeth every word,{HR}But the prudent heedeth his going.
16The wise one feareth and departeth from evil;{HR}But the foolish is overbearing and confident.
17One soon angry dealeth foolishly,{HR}And a man of mischievous devices is hated.
18The simple inherit folly;{HR}But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19The evil bow before the good,{HR}And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20The poor is hated even of his own neighbour;{HR}But the rich have many lovers.
21He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth;{HR}But he that is gracious to the afflicted, happy [is] he.
22Do they not err that devise evil?{HR}But mercy and truth [are] for those that devise good.
23In all labour there is profit;{HR}But the talk of the lips [is] only to want.
24The crown of the wise [is] their riches;{HR}The folly of the fools [is] folly.
25A true witness delivereth souls;{HR}But deceit uttereth lies.
26In the fear of Jehovah [is] strong confidence;{HR}And his children shall have a place of refuge.
27The fear of Jehovah [is] a fountain of life,{HR}To turn away from the snares of death.
28In the multitude of people [is] the King's glory;{HR}But in the lack of people [is] the ruler's downfall.
29One slow to anger [is] of great understanding;{HR}But the hasty of spirit holdeth up folly.
30A sound heart [is] the life of the flesh,{HR}But envy the rottenness of the bones.
31He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker;{HR}But he that honoureth Him is merciful to the needy.
32The wicked is thrust down by his evil doings;{HR}But in his death the righteous trusteth.
33Wisdom resteth in the heart of the intelligent;{HR}But [what is] in the inwards of fools is made known.
34Righteousness exalteth a nation;{HR}But sin [is] a reproach to peoples.
35The King's favour [is] toward a wise servant,{HR}But His wrath to him that causeth shame.
1A soft answer turneth away fury;{HR}But a grievous word stirreth up anger.
2The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright;{HR}But the mouth of fools sputtereth out folly.
3In every place [are] the eyes of Jehovah,{HR}Keeping watch upon the evil and the good.
4The healing of the tongue [is] a tree of life;{HR}But perverseness therein [is] a breaking of the spirit.
5A fool despiseth his father's correction;{HR}But he that regardeth reproof becometh prudent.
6In the house of a righteous one [is] much treasure;{HR}But in the revenues of a wicked one is trouble.
7The lips of the wise disperse knowledge,{HR}But not so the heart of the foolish.
8The sacrifice of the wicked [is] an abomination to Jehovah;{HR}But the prayer of the upright [is] His delight.
9The way of the wicked [is] an abomination to Jehovah;{HR}But him that pursueth righteousness he loveth.
10Grievous correction [is] for him that forsaketh the path;{HR}He that hateth reproof shall die.
11Sheol and destruction [are] before Jehovah;{HR}How much more then, the hearts of the children of men!
12A scorner loveth not that one reprove him;{HR}Unto the wise he will not go.
13A joyful heart maketh a cheerful countenance;{HR}But by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
14The heart of the intelligent [one] seeketh knowledge;{HR}But the mouth of the foolish feedeth on folly.
15All the days of the afflicted [are] evil;{HR}But a cheerful heart [hath] a continual feast.
16Better [is] little with the fear of Jehovah{HR}Than great treasure and disquiet therewith.
17Better [is] a meal of herbs where love is,{HR}Than a fatted ox and hatred therewith.
18A furious man stirreth up contention;{HR}But one slow to anger appeaseth strife.
19The way of the sluggard is as a hedge of thorns;{HR}But the path of the upright is made a causeway.
20A wise son maketh a glad father:{HR}But a foolish man depiseth his mother.
21Folly is joy to him that is void of heart;{HR}But a man of understanding maketh his walk straight.
22Without counsel purposes are disappointed;{HR}But in the multitude of counsellors they are established.
23A man hath joy in the answer of his mouth,{HR}And a word in season, how good it is!
24The path of life [is] upward for the wise,{HR}That he may depart from Sheol beneath.
25Jehovah plucketh up the house of the proud,{HR}But He establisheth the border of the widow.
26Evil thoughts [are] an abomination to Jehovah;{HR}But pure words [are] pleasant.
27He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house;{HR}But he that hateth gifts shall live.
28The heart of the righteous studieth to answer;{HR}But the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
29Jehovah [is] far from the wicked;{HR}But he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
30That which enlighteneth the eyes rejoiceth the heart;{HR}Good tidings make the bones fat.
31The ear that heareth the reproof of life{HR}Shall abide among the wise.
32He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul;{HR}But he that heareth reproof getteth heart.
33The fear of Jehovah [is] the instruction of wisdom;{HR}And before honour [goeth] humility.
1The preparations of the heart [are] of man,{HR}But the answer of the tongue [is] from Jehovah.
2All the ways of a man [are] clean in his own eyes;{HR}But Jehovah weigheth the spirits.
3Commit thy works to Jehovah,{HR}And thy thoughts shall be established.
4Jehovah hath wrought everything for his own end;{HR}Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
5Every proud heart [is] an abomination to Jehovah;{HR}Hand in hand he shall not be held innocent.
6By mercy and truth iniquity is purged;{HR}And by the fear of Jehovah they depart from evil.
7When a man's ways please Jehovah,{HR}He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8Better [is] a little with righteousness{HR}Than great revenues without righteousness.
9The heart of man deviseth his way,{HR}But Jehovah directeth his steps.
10An oracle is on the lips of the king;{HR}His mouth will not err in judgment.
11The just balance and scales [are] of Jehovah;{HR}All the weights of the bag [are] his work.
12[It is] an abomination to kings to commit wickedness;{HR}For the throne is established by righteousness.
13Righteous lips [are] the delight of kings;{HR}And they love him that speaketh aright.
14The fury of a king [is as] messengers of death;{HR}But a wise man will pacify it.
15In the light of the king's countenance [is] life,{HR}And his favour [is] as a cloud of the latter rain.
16How much better is it to get wisdom than fine gold,{HR}And the getting of intelligence to be preferred to silver!
17The highway of the upright [is] to depart from evil:{HR}He that taketh heed to his way keepeth his soul.
18Pride [goeth] before destruction;{HR}And a haughty spirit before a fall.
19Better [is it to be] a humble spirit with the poor,{HR}Than to divide the spoil with the strong.
20He that giveth heed to the word shall find good;{HR}And whoso confideth in Jehovah, happy [is] he.
21The wise in heart is called intelligent,{HR}And the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.
22Wisdom [is] a fountain of life for him that hath it;{HR}But the instruction of fools [is] folly.
23The heart of the wise instructeth his mouth,{HR}And addeth learning to his lips.
24Pleasant words [are as] a honey-comb,{HR}Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
25There is a way that seemeth right to a man,{HR}But the end thereof [is] the ways of death.
26The appetite of the labouring man laboureth for him,{HR}For his mouth urgeth him on.
27A man of Belial diggeth evil,{HR}And on his lips [is] as a scorching fire.
28A froward man soweth contention:{HR}And a talebearer separateth chief friends.
29A violent man enticeth his neighbour,{HR}And leadeth him a way [that is] not good.
30He that shutteth his eyes, [it is] to devise froward things;{HR}He that biteth his lips bringeth evil to pass.
31The hoary head [is] a crown of glory;{HR}It is found in the way of righteousness.
32The slow to anger [is] better than the mighty;{HR}And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
33The lot is cast into the lap,{HR}But the decision [is] of Jehovah.
1Better [is] a piece of dry bread and quietness therewith{HR}Than a house full of the sacrifices of strife.
2A servant that dealeth wisely shall have rule over a son that causeth shame,{HR}And shall have part in the inheritance among the brethren.
3The crucible [is] for silver and the furnace for gold;{HR}But Jehovah trieth the hearts.
4An evil-doer heedeth iniquitous lips;{HR}Falsehood listeneth to a mischievous tongue.
5Whoso mocketh a poor [man] reproacheth his Maker;{HR}He that is glad at calamity shall not be held innocent.
6Children's children [are] the crown of old men;{HR}And the glory of children [are] their fathers.
7Excellent speech becometh not a fool:{HR}Much less do lying lips a prince!
8A gift [is] a precious stone in the eyes of the possessor;{HR}Whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
9He that covereth a transgression seeketh love;{HR}But he that bringeth a matter up again separateth chief friends.
10A reproof entereth more deeply into him that hath understanding{HR}Than a hundred stripes into a fool.
11The evil seeketh only rebellion;{HR}But a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
12Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man{HR}Rather than a fool in his folly.
13Whoso rewardeth evil for good,{HR}Evil shall not depart from his house.
14The beginning of contention is [as] when one letteth out water;{HR}Therefore leave off strife before it become vehement.
15He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the righteous,{HR}Even they both are abomination to Jehovah,
16Wherefore [is there] a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom,{HR}Seeing [he is] void of sense?
17The friend loveth at all times{HR}And is a brother born for adversity.
18A man void of sense striketh hands,{HR}Becoming surety for his friend.
19He loveth transgression that loveth a quarrel:{HR}He that raiseth high his gate seeketh destruction.
20He that hath a perverse heart findeth no good;{HR}And he that shifteth about with his tongue falleth into evil.
21He that begetteth a fool [doeth it] to his sorrow;{HR}And the father of a vile [man] hath no joy.
22A joyful heart causeth good healing;{HR}But a broken spirit drieth up the bones.
23A wicked [person] taketh a gift out of the bosom{HR}To pervert the ways of judgment.
24Wisdom [is] before the face of him that hath understanding;{HR}But the eyes of a fool [are] in the ends of the earth.
25A foolish son [is] a grief to his father,{HR}And bitterness to her that bore him.
26Also to punish the righteous [is] not good;{HR}[Nor] to strike nobles for uprightness.
27He that hath knowledge spareth his words;{HR}A man of understanding [is] of a cool spirit.
28Even a fool when he holdeth his peace is reckoned wise,{HR}He that shutteth his lips is prudent.
1He that separateth himself seeketh pleasure,{HR}He rageth against all wisdom.
2A fool hath no delight in understanding,{HR}But only that his heart may reveal itself.
3When the wicked cometh, there cometh also contempt,{HR}And with ignominy reproach.
4The words of a man's mouth [are] deep waters,{HR}The fountain of wisdom [is] a gushing brook.
5To accept the person of the wicked is not good, —{HR}To wrong the righteous in judgment.
6A fool's lips enter into contention,{HR}And his mouth calleth for blows.
7A fool's mouth [is] his destruction,{HR}And his lips [are] a snare to his soul.
8The words of a tale-bearer [are] as dainty morsels,{HR}And they go down to the chambers of the belly.
9He also that is slack in his work{HR}Is brother to him that is a destroyer.
10The name of Jehovah [is] a strong tower:{HR}The righteous runneth into it, and is set in a high retreat.
11The rich man's wealth [is] his strong city,{HR}And as a high wall in his own imagination.
12Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,{HR}and before honour [is] humility.
13He that giveth answer before he heareth,{HR}It [is] folly and shame to him.
14The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity;{HR}But a wounded spirit who can bear?
15The heart of the intelligent getteth knowledge,{HR}And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
16A man's gift maketh room for him,{HR}And bringeth him before great men.
17He that pleadeth first in his own cause [seemeth] just;{HR}But his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.
18The lot causeth contentions to cease,{HR}And parteth between the mighty.
19A brother offended is [harder to be won] than a strong city;{HR}And contentions [are] as the bars of a castle.
20A man's belly is satisfied with the fruit of his mouth;{HR}With the increase of his lips is he satisfied.
21Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue;{HR}And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
22[Whoso] findeth a wife findeth a good thing,{HR}And obtaineth favour from Jehovah.
23The poor speaketh supplications,{HR}But the rich answereth roughly.
24A man of friends cometh to ruin;{HR}But there is a lover sticking closer than a brother.
1Better [is] the poor that walketh in his integrity{HR}Than one perverse in his lips (and) who is a fool.
2Also a soul (person) without knowledge [is] not good;{HR}And he that hasteth with [his] feet maketh false steps.
3The folly of a man perverteth his way;{HR}And his heart fretteth against Jehovah.
4Wealth bringeth many friends;{HR}But the poor is separated from his friend.
5A false witness shall not be unpunished,{HR}And an utterer of lies shall not escape.
6Many court the favour of a prince;{HR}And every one [is] a friend to him that giveth.
7All the brothers of the poor hate him;{HR}How much more do his friends go far from him?{HR}He pursueth [with] words: they are not.
8He that getteth sense loveth his own soul;{HR}He that keepeth understanding shall find good.
9A false witness shall not be held innocent,{HR}And one uttering lies shall perish.
10Luxury is not seemly for a fool;{HR}Much less for a servant to have rule over princes.
11The discretion of a man maketh him slow to anger;{HR}And [it is] his glory to pass over a transgression.
12The king's wrath [is] as a lion's roaring;{HR}But his favour [is] as dew upon the grass.
13A foolish son [is] the calamity of his father;{HR}And the contentions of a wife [are] a continual dropping.
14House and riches [are] an inheritance from fathers;{HR}But a prudent wife [is] from Jehovah.
15Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep;{HR}And the idle soul shall suffer hunger.
16He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul;{HR}He that despiseth his ways shall die.
17He that hath pity on the poor lendeth to Jehovah;{HR}And his bestowal will he pay him again.
18Chasten thy son, seeing there is hope;{HR}And let not thy heart cause him to die.
19A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment;{HR}For if thou deliver [him], thou must do it yet again.
20Hear counsel and receive instruction,{HR}That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
21Many thoughts [are] in a man's heart,{HR}But the counsel of Jehovah, that shall stand.
22The charm of a man [is] his kindness,{HR}And a poor man [is] better than a liar.
23The fear of Jehovah [tendeth] to life;{HR}And he shall abide satisfied;{HR}He shall not be visited with evil.
24A sluggard burieth his hand in the dish,{HR}And will not even bring it to his mouth again.
25Smite a scorner, and the simple will become prudent;{HR}And reprove the intelligent, he will understand knowledge.
26He that ruineth a father [and] chaseth away a mother{HR}Is a son that causeth shame and bringeth reproach.
27Cease, my son, to hear instruction [causing] to err{HR}From the words of knowledge.
28A witness of Belial scorneth judgment,{HR}And the mouth of the wicked swalloweth iniquity.
29Judgments are prepared for scorners,{HR}And stripes for the back of the foolish.
1Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler:{HR}And whoso erreth thereby is not wise.
2The terror of a king is as a lion's roaring;{HR}He that provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
3It is for a man's honour to keep aloof from strife;{HR}But every fool will rush in.
4The slothful will not plow by reason of the winter:{HR}In harvest shall he beg and have nothing.
5Counsel in man's heart [is] deep water;{HR}And a man of understanding draweth it out.
6Most men will proclaim every one his own kindness;{HR}But a faithful man who can find?
7A righteous one walketh in his integrity:{HR}Blessed [are] his children after him.
8A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment{HR}Scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
9Who can say, I have cleansed my heart,{HR}I am pure from my sin?
10Divers weights, divers measures,{HR}Both of them [are] alike abomination to Jehovah.
11Even a child is known by his doings,{HR}Whether his work [be] pure, and whether right.
12The hearing ear, and the seeing eye,{HR}Jehovah made even both of them.
13Love not sleep lest thou come to poverty;{HR}Open thine eyes—thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
14Naught, naught, saith the buyer;{HR}But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
15There is gold, and a multitude of rubies;{HR}But the lips of knowledge [are] a precious jewel.
16Take his garment that is become surety [for] another,{HR}And hold him in pledge for a strange woman.
17Bread of falsehood [is] sweet to man,{HR}But afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
18Purpose is established by counsel,{HR}And with wise guidance make war.
19He that goeth about tale-bearing revealeth secrets:{HR}Therefore meddle not with him that openeth (enticeth with) his lips.
20Whoso curseth his father or his mother,{HR}His lamp shall be put out in the blackest darkness.
21An inheritance hastily gotten at the beginning{HR}Will not be blessed at the end.
22Say not, I will recompense evil:{HR}Wait on Jehovah, and he will save thee.
23Divers weights [are] an abomination to Jehovah;{HR}And a false balance [is] not good.
24The steps of a man [are] from Jehovah;{HR}And how can a man understand his own way?
25[It is] a snare to a man rashly to say,{HR}[It is] holy, and after vows to make inquiry.
26A wise king scattereth the wicked,{HR}And bringeth the wheel over them.
27Man's spirit [is] Jehovah's lamp,{HR}Searching all the chambers of the belly.
28Mercy and truth preserve the king,{HR}And his throne is upholden by mercy.
29The glory of young men [is] their strength;{HR}And the beauty of old men the hoary head.
30Wounding stripes purge away evil,{HR}And strokes [purge] the chambers of the belly.
1The king's heart in Jehovah's hand [is] brooks of water:{HR}He turneth it whithersoever he will.
2Every way of a man [is] straight in his own eyes;{HR}But Jehovah weigheth the hearts.
3To exercise justice and judgment{HR}[Is] more acceptable to Jehovah than sacrifice.
4A high look and a proud heart,{HR}The lamp of the wicked [is] sin.
5The thoughts of the diligent [tend] only to plenteousness;{HR}But every hasty one only to want.
6The getting of treasures by a lying tongue{HR}[Is] a fleeting breath of them that seek death.
7The robbery of the wicked sweepeth them away,{HR}Because they refuse to do judgment.
8Very crooked [is] a guilty man's way;{HR}But [as for] the pure, his work [is] right.
9Better to dwell in a corner of the housetop{HR}Than with a contentious woman in a wide house.
10The soul of the wicked desireth evil;{HR}His neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.
11When the scorner is punished, the simple becometh wise;{HR}And when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.
12The righteous considereth the house of the wicked:{HR}The wicked are overthrown to ruin.
13Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor,{HR}He also shall cry, and not be heard.
14A gift in secret pacifieth anger;{HR}And a present in the bosom, vehement wrath.
15[It is] joy to the righteous to do justice,{HR}But destruction to the doers of iniquity.
16The man that wandereth out of the way of intelligence{HR}Shall rest in the congregation of the departed.
17He that loveth pleasure [shall be] a poor man;{HR}He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
18The wicked [is] a ransom for the righteous,{HR}And the treacherous in the stead of the upright.
19[It is] better to dwell in a desert land,{HR}Than with a contentious and irritable woman.
20[There is] a desirable store and oil in the dwelling of the wise one;{HR}But a foolish man swalloweth it up.
21He that followeth after righteousness and mercy{HR}Findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
22A wise one scaleth the city of the mighty,{HR}And casteth down the strength of its confidence.
23Whoso guardeth his mouth and his tongue{HR}Guardeth his soul from troubles.
24A proud [and] arrogant one, scorner [is] his name,{HR}Dealeth in haughtiness of pride.
25The longing of the sluggard killeth him;{HR}For his hands refuse to work.
26He longeth greedily all the day;{HR}But the righteous giveth and withholdeth not.
27The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;{HR}How much more [when] he bringeth it with a wicked purpose!
28A false witness shall perish;{HR}But the man that heareth shall speak enduringly.
29A wicked man hardeneth his face;{HR}But the upright, he ordereth his way.
30[There is] no wisdom nor understanding{HR}Nor counsel against Jehovah.
31The horse [is] prepared for the day of battle,{HR}But deliverance [is] of Jehovah.
1A name [is] rather to be chosen than great riches,{HR}Loving favour rather than silver and gold.
2Rich and poor meet together:{HR}Jehovah [is] the maker of them all.
3A prudent one seeth the evil and hideth himself;{HR}But the simple pass on and are punished.
4The reward of humility, the fear of Jehovah,{HR}[Is] riches and honour, and life.
5Thorns, snares, are in the way of a perverse one;{HR}He that guardeth his soul keepeth far from them.
6Train up the child in accordance with his course;{HR}And when he is old, he will not depart from it.
7The rich ruleth over the poor,{HR}And the borrower [is] servant of the lender.
8He that soweth unrighteousness shall reap vanity;{HR}And the rod of his wrath shall have an end.
9He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed,{HR}For he giveth of his bread to the poor.
10Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out,{HR}And strife and ignominy shall cease.
11He that loveth pureness of heart [with] grace of his lips,{HR}The king [shall be] his friend.
12The eyes of Jehovah preserve knowledge,{HR}But he overthroweth the words of the treacherous.
13The sluggard saith, A lion without,{HR}I shall be killed in the streets!
14The mouth of strange women [is] a deep ditch;{HR}He with whom Jehovah is indignant shall fall therein.
15Folly [is] bound in the heart of a child:{HR}The rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
16He that oppresseth the poor to increase his [wealth],{HR}He that giveth to the rich, surely [cometh] only to want.
17Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise,{HR}And apply thy heart unto my knowledge.
18For [it is] a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee:{HR}They shall be together fitted to thy lips.
19That thy trust may be in Jehovah,{HR}I have made [them] known to thee this day, even to thee.
20Have not I written to thee excellent things{HR}In counsels and knowledge,
21That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth;{HR}That thou mightest report words of truth to them that send thee?
22Rob not the poor, because he [is] poor,{HR}Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate;
23For Jehovah will plead their cause,{HR}And despoil the soul of those that despoil them.
24Make no friendship with an angry man,{HR}And go not with a furious man;
25Lest thou learn his paths,{HR}And get a snare to thy soul.
26Be not of those that strike hands,{HR}Of those that are sureties for debts;
27If thou hast nothing to pay,{HR}Why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
28Remove not the ancient landmark{HR}Which thy fathers have set.
29Hast thou seen a man diligent in his work?{HR}He shall stand before kings,{HR}He shall not stand before the obscure.
1When thou sittest to eat with a ruler,{HR}Consider well who is before thee,
2And put a knife to thy throat,{HR}If thou [be] a man given to appetite.
3Be not desirous of his dainties;{HR}For they [are] deceitful food.
4Weary not thyself to become rich;{HR}Cease from thine own intelligence.
5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon what is not?{HR}For indeed it maketh itself wings, and it flieth away,{HR}As an eagle toward the heavens.
6Eat thou not the meat of [him that hath] an evil eye,{HR}Nor desire his dainties.
7For as he thinketh in his soul, so [is] he.{HR}Eat and drink, saith he to thee;{HR}But his heart [is] not with thee.
8The morsel thou hast eaten thou shalt vomit up,{HR}And waste thy sweet words.
9Speak not in the ears of a fool,{HR}For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10Remove not the ancient landmark,{HR}And enter not into the fields of the fatherless;
11For their redeemer [is] strong;{HR}He will plead their cause against thee.
12Apply thy heart unto instruction,{HR}And thy ears to the words of knowledge.
13Withhold not correction from the child:{HR}If thou beat him with the rod, he shall not die;
14Thou shalt beat him with the rod,{HR}And shalt deliver his soul from Sheol.
15My son, if thy heart be wise,{HR}My heart shall rejoice, even mine;
16And my reins shall exult,{HR}When thy lips speak right things.
17Let not thy heart envy sinners;{HR}But [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day;
18For surely there is a [latter] end,{HR}And thy hope shall not be cut off.
19Thou, my son, hear and be wise,{HR}And direct thy heart in the way.
20Be not among wine-bibbers,{HR}Among gluttonous eaters of flesh.
21For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty,{HR}And drowsiness shall clothe with rags.
22Hearken unto thy father that begot thee,{HR}And despise not thy mother when she is old.
23Buy the truth, and sell [it] not—{HR}Wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24The father of the righteous one shall greatly rejoice,{HR}And he that begetteth a wise [child] shall have joy of him.
25Let thy father and thy mother be glad,{HR}And let her that bore thee rejoice.
26My son give me thy heart,{HR}And let thine eyes observe my ways.
27For a whore [is] a deep ditch;{HR}And a strange woman [is] a narrow pit;
28She also lieth in wait as a robber,{HR}And increaseth the treacherous among men.
29Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow?{HR}Who hath contentions? Who hath complaining?{HR}Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?
30They that tarry long at the wine;{HR}They that go to try mixed wine.
31Look not thou upon the wine when it is red,{HR}When it sparkleth in the cup,{HR}When it goeth down smoothly.
32At the last it biteth like a serpent,{HR}And stingeth like an adder.
33Thine eyes shall behold strange women,{HR}And thy heart shall utter froward things.
34Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea,{HR}And as he that lieth down on the top of a mast.
35They have smitten me [thou wilt say], I am not sore;{HR}They have beaten me, I felt not:{HR}When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
1Be not thou envious of evil men,{HR}Neither desire to be with them;
2For their heart studieth destruction,{HR}And their lips talk of mischief.
3Through wisdom is a house built,{HR}And by understanding it is established;
4And by knowledge are the chambers filled{HR}With all precious and pleasant wealth.
5A wise man [is] in strength,{HR}And a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
6For with wise counsels thou shalt make thy war;{HR}And in the multitude of counsellors [is] safety .
7Wisdom [is] too high for a fool:{HR}He will not open his mouth in a gate.
8He that deviseth to do evil{HR}Shall be called a master of intrigues.
9The thought of foolishness [is] sin,{HR}And the scorner [is] an abomination to men.
10[If] thou losest courage in the day of trouble,{HR}Thy strength [is] small.
11Deliver those taken forth to death,{HR}And withdraw not from them that stagger to slaughter.
12If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not,{HR}Will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it?{HR}And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth [it];{HR}And he rendereth to man according to his work.
13Eat honey, my son, for [it is] good;{HR}And a honeycomb [is] sweet to thy taste,
14So consider wisdom for thy soul;{HR}If thou hast found [it], there shall be a result,{HR}And thine expectation shall not be cut off.
15Lay not wait, wicked [man],{HR}Against the dwelling of the righteous;{HR}Lay not waste his resting-place.
16For a righteous one falleth seven times,{HR}And riseth up again;{HR}But the wicked stumble into disaster.
17Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth,{HR}And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
18Lest Jehovah see [it], and it be evil in his sight,{HR}And he turn away his anger from him.
19Fret not thyself because of evil-doers,{HR}Be not envious of the wicked;
20For there shall be no future to the evil [man];{HR}The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21My son, fear Jehovah and the king;{HR}Meddle not with those that are given to change;
22For their calamity shall rise suddenly;{HR}And who knoweth the destruction of them both?
23These [things] also [are] of the wise.{HR}To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
24He that saith to the wicked, Thou [art] righteous,{HR}Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;
25But to those that rebuke [him] shall be delight,{HR}And a good blessing cometh upon them.
26He kisseth the lips{HR}Who giveth a right answer.
27Prepare thy work without,{HR}And make it ready for thee in the field;{HR}And afterward build thy house.
28Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause,{HR}Neither deceive with thy lips.
29Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me;{HR}I will render to the man according to his work.
30I went by the field of the slothful,{HR}And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31And, behold, it was all grown over with thorns:{HR}Nettles had covered its face,{HR}And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32Then I beheld with set heart;{HR}I saw [and] received instruction:
33A little sleep, a little slumber,{HR}A little folding of the hands to sleep;
34So shall thy poverty come, [as] a robber;{HR}And thy want as a man in armour.
1There also [are] proverbs of Solomon{HR}Which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
2[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing;{HR}But the glory of kings [is] to search out a matter.
3The heaven for height, and the earth for depth,{HR}And the heart of kings [is] unsearchable.
4Take away dross from the silver,{HR}And there cometh forth a vessel for the finer.
5Take away the wicked [from] before the king,{HR}And his throne shall be established in righteousness.
6Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king,{HR}And stand not in the place of great [men].
7For better [is it] that it be said to thee,{HR}Come up hither, than that thou shouldest be put lower{HR}In the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
8Go not forth hastily to strive,{HR}Lest [thou know not] what to do in the end thereof,{HR}When thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
9Debate thy cause with thy neighbour,{HR}But reveal not the secret of another;
10Lest he that heareth disgrace thee,{HR}And thine ill-report turn not away.
11Apples of gold in baskets of silver{HR}[Is] a word spoken in season.
12An ear-ring of gold and an ornament of fine gold{HR}[Is] a wise reprover on an attentive ear.
13As the cold of snow in the time of harvest{HR}[Is] a faithful messenger to those that send him;{HR}For he refresheth the soul of his masters.
14Clouds and wind without rain{HR}Is whoso boasteth of a false gift.
15By long forbearing is a ruler persuaded,{HR}And a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
16Hast thou found honey?{HR}Eat so much as is sufficient for thee,{HR}Lest thou be surfeited therewith, and vomit it.
17Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbour's house,{HR}Lest he be full of thee and hate thee.
18A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour{HR}[Is] a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
19Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble{HR}Is a broken tooth and a foot out of joint.
20One that taketh off a garment in cold weather,{HR}Vinegar on niter,{HR}So is he that singeth songs to a sad heart.
21If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat;{HR}And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;
22For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head;{HR}And Jehovah shall reward thee.
23The north wind bringeth forth rain;{HR}And an angry countenance a secret tongue.
24Better to dwell in a corner of the house-top,{HR}Than with a contentious woman and a house in common.
25Cold waters to a thirsty soul—{HR}So good news from a far country.
26A troubled fountain and a defiled well{HR}[Is] a righteous one that tottereth before the wicked.
27To eat much honey [is] not good;{HR}And to search weighty things [is] a weight.
28He that [hath] no rule over his own spirit{HR}[Is] a city broken down, without wall.
1As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest,{HR}So honour is not seemly for a fool.
2As the sparrow in wandering,{HR}As the swallow in flying,{HR}So a curse causeless cometh not.
3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass,{HR}And a rod for the back of fools.
4Answer not a fool according to his folly,{HR}Lest thou also be like him.
5Answer a fool according to his folly,{HR}Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
6He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool{HR}Cutteth off [his own] feet [and] drinketh damage.
7The legs of the lame hang loose:{HR}So [is] a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8As a bag of gems in a stone-heap,{HR}So is he that giveth honour to a fool.
9A thorn that goeth up into the hand of a drunkard,{HR}So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10An archer that woundeth all,{HR}So is he that hireth the fool,{HR}And he that hireth them that pass by.
11As a dog that returneth to his vomit,{HR}Fool returneth to his folly.
12Hast thou seen a man wise in his own eyes?{HR}More hope of a fool than of him.
13The sluggard saith, A lion in the way;{HR}A lion in the streets
14The door turneth on its hinges,{HR}So the sluggard on his bed.
15The sluggard burieth his hand in [a] dish;{HR}It wearieth him to bring it again to his mouth.
16The sluggard [is] wiser in his own eyes{HR}Than seven that answer discreetly.
17He that passingly vexes himself with strife not [belonging] to him{HR}Is one that taketh a dog by the ears.
18As a madman who casteth fire-brands, arrows and death;
19So the man [that] deceiveth his neighbour and saith,{HR}Am not I in sport?
20Where no wood is, the fire goeth out,{HR}And where no whisperer, the strife ceaseth.
21[As] coals to hot embers, and wood to fire,{HR}So a contentious man to kindle strife.
22A whisperer's words [are] as dainty morsels,{HR}And they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
23Ardent lips, and a wicked heart{HR}[Are] an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.
24He that hateth dissembleth with his lips,{HR}But he layeth up deceit within him
25When his voice is gracious, believe him not,{HR}For [there are] seven abominations in his heart.
26Though hatred is covered by dissimulation,{HR}His wickedness shall be made manifest in the congregation.
27Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein;{HR}And he that rolleth a stone, it shall return upon him.
28A lying tongue hateth the injured by it,{HR}And a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
1Boast not thyself of tomorrow,{HR}For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2Let another praise thee and not thine own mouth,{HR}A stranger and not thine own lips.
3A stone [is] heavy and the sand weighty;{HR}But a fool's vexation [is] heavier than them both.
4Wrath [is] cruel, and anger outrageous;{HR}But who [is] able to stand before jealousy?
5Open rebuke [is] better than hidden love.
6Faithful [are] a friend's wounds;{HR}But an enemy's kisses are profuse.
7The full soul trampleth on a honeycomb;{HR}But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8As a bird that wandereth from her nest,{HR}So [is] a man that wandereth from his place.
9Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart;{HR}So the sweetness of a man's friend from hearty counsel.
10Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not;{HR}And go not to thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity:{HR}Better [is] a neighbour near than a brother far off.
11My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,{HR}That I may answer him that reproacheth me.
12A prudent [man] seeth the evil [and] hideth himself;{HR}The simple pass on [and] suffer for it.
13Take his garment that is surety for a stranger,{HR}And hold him in pledge [that is surety] for a strange woman.
14He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice,{HR}Rising early in the morning,{HR}It shall be reckoned a curse to him.
15A continual dropping on a very rainy day{HR}And a contentious woman are alike:
16Whosoever will restrain her restraineth the wind,{HR}And his right hand encountereth oil.
17Iron is sharpened by iron;{HR}So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
18Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof;{HR}And he that guardeth his master shall be honoured.
19As [in] water face [answereth] to face,{HR}So the heart of man to man.
20Sheol and destruction are insatiable;{HR}So the eyes of man are never satisfied.
21The fining-pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold;{HR}So let a man be to the mouth that praiseth him.
22If thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle,{HR}Yet will not his folly depart from him.
23Be well acquainted with the appearance of thy flocks;{HR}Look well to thy herds:{HR}
24For wealth is not for ever;{HR}And doth the crown [endure] from generation to generation?{HR}
25The hay is removed, and the tender grass showeth itself,{HR}And herbs of the mountains are gathered in.{HR}
26The lambs are for thy clothing,{HR}And the goats are the price of a field;{HR}
27And there is goats' milk enough for thy food,{HR}For the food of thy household,{HR}And sustenance for thy maidens.
1The wicked flee when no man pursueth;{HR}But the righteous are bold as a lion.
2By the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof;{HR}But by a man of understanding [and] of knowledge,{HR}[Its] stability is prolonged.
3A poor man who oppresseth the helpless{HR}Is a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.
4They that forsake the law praise the wicked;{HR}But such as keep the law contend with them.
5Evil men understand not judgment;{HR}But they that seek Jehovah understand everything.
6Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity,{HR}Than he that is perverse, double in ways,{HR}Though he be rich.
7Whoso observeth the law is a son that hath understanding;{HR}But he that is a companion of profligates bringeth shame to his father.
8He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance{HR}Gathereth it for him that is gracious to the poor.
9He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law,{HR}Even his prayer is an abomination.
10Whoso causeth the upright to go astray in an evil way,{HR}Shall himself fall into his own pit;{HR}But the perfect shall inherit good.
11A rich man is wise in his own eyes;{HR}But the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.
12When the righteous triumph, there is great glory;{HR}But when the wicked rise, men conceal themselves.
13He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper;{HR}But whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall obtain mercy.
14Happy is the man that feareth always;{HR}But he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into evil.
15A roaring lion, and a ranging bear,{HR}Is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16The prince void of intelligence is also a great oppressor:{HR}He that hateth covetousness shall prolong [his] days.
17A man laden with the blood of [any] person,{HR}Fleeth to the pit:{HR}Let no man stay him.
18Whoso walketh in integrity shall be saved;{HR}But he that is perverted in [his] double ways,{HR}Shall fall in one [of them].
19He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread;{HR}But he that followeth the worthless shall have poverty enough.
20A faithful man aboundeth with blessings;{HR}But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
21To have respect of persons is not good;{HR}But for a piece of bread will a man transgress.
22He that hath an evil eye hasteth after wealth,{HR}And knoweth not that poverty shall come upon him.
23He that rebuketh a man shall afterwards find more favour{HR}Than he that flattereth with the tongue.
24Whoso robbeth his father and his mother, and saith,{HR}It is no transgression,{HR}The same is the companion of a destroyer.
25He that is puffed up in soul exciteth contention;{HR}But he that relieth upon Jehovah shall be made fat.
26He that confideth in his own heart is a fool;{HR}But whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
27He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack;{HR}But he that withdraweth his eyes shall have many a curse.
28When the wicked rise, men hide themselves;{HR}But when they perish, the righteous increase.
1He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck,{HR}Shall suddenly be destroyed, and without remedy.
2When the righteous increase, the people rejoice;{HR}But when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
3Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father;{HR}But he that is a companion of harlots destroyeth [his] substance.
4A king by just judgment establisheth the land;{HR}But he that taketh gifts overthroweth it.
5A man that flattereth his neighbour{HR}Spreadeth a net for his steps.
6In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare;{HR}But the righteous shall sing and rejoice.
7The righteous taketh knowledge of the cause of the poor;{HR}The wicked understandeth not knowledge.
8Scornful men set the city in a flame;{HR}But the wise turn away anger.
9If a wise man contendeth with a fool,{HR}Whether he rage or laugh, [he] hath no rest.
10The bloodthirsty hate the perfect,{HR}But the upright care for his soul.
11A fool uttereth all his mind;{HR}But a wise [man] keepeth it back.
12If a ruler hearken to lying words,{HR}All his servants are wicked.
13The indigent and the oppressor meet together;{HR}Jehovah lighteneth the eyes of them both.
14A king that faithfully judgeth the poor,{HR}His throne shall be established for ever.
15The rod and reproof give wisdom;{HR}But a child left [to himself]{HR}Bringeth his mother to shame.
16When the wicked increase, transgression increaseth;{HR}But the righteous shall see their fall.
17Chasten thy son, and he shall give thee rest,{HR}And shall give delight unto thy soul.
18Where there is no vision the people cast off restraint;{HR}But happy is he that keepeth the law.
19A servant is not corrected by words:{HR}He understandeth indeed, but he will not answer.
20Hast thou seen a man hasty in his words?{HR}There is more hope of a fool than of him.
21He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child,{HR}Shall in the end have him as a son.
22An angry man exciteth contention;{HR}And a furious man aboundeth in transgression.
23A man's pride bringeth him low;{HR}But the humble in spirit shall obtain honour.
24Whoso shareth with a thief hateth his own soul:{HR}He heareth the adjuration, and declareth not.
25The fear of man bringeth a snare;{HR}But whoso putteth his confidence in Jehovah is protected.
26Many seek the ruler's face;{HR}But a man's right judgment is from Jehovah.
27An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous;{HR}And he that is of upright way is an abomination to the wicked [man] .
1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh;{HR}The prophecy uttered by the man unto Ithiel,{HR}[Even] unto Ithiel and Ucal:
2Truly I am more stupid than any one;{HR}And I have not a man's intelligence.{HR}
3I have neither learned wisdom,{HR}Nor have I the knowledge of the Holy.
4Who hath ascended up into the heavens, and descended?{HR}Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?{HR}Who hath bound the waters in a mantle?{HR}Who hath established all the ends of the earth?{HR}What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?
5Every word of God is pure:{HR}He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6Add thou not unto his words,{HR}Lest he reprove thee,{HR}And thou be found a liar.
7Two things do I ask of thee;{HR}Deny me [them] not before I die:{HR}
8Remove far from me vanity and lies;{HR}Give me neither poverty nor riches;{HR}Feed me with the bread of my daily need:{HR}
9Lest I be full and deny [thee],{HR}And say, Who is Jehovah?{HR}Or lest I be poor and steal,{HR}And outrage the name of my God.
10Speak not too much about a servant to his master,{HR}Lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.
11There is a generation that curseth their father,{HR}And doth not bless their mother;{HR}
12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes,{HR}Yet are not washed from their filthiness;{HR}
13There is a generation, —how lofty are their eyes,{HR}How their eyelids are lifted up!{HR}
14—A generation whose teeth are swords,{HR}And their jaw-teeth knives,{HR}To devour the afflicted from off the earth,{HR}And the needy from [among] men.
15The leech hath two daughters: Give, give.{HR}There are three [things] never satisfied;{HR}Four which say not, It is enough:{HR}
16—Sheol, and the barren womb;{HR}The earth which is not filled with water,{HR}And the fire which saith not, It is enough.
17The eye that mocketh at a father,{HR}And despiseth to obey a mother,{HR}The ravens of the valley shall pick it out,{HR}And the young eagles shall eat it.
18There are three [things] too wonderful for me,{HR}And four that I know not:{HR}
19The way of an eagle in the heavens,{HR}The way of a serpent upon a rock,{HR}The way of a ship in the midst of the sea,{HR}And the way of a man with a maid.{HR}
20Such is the way of an adulterous woman:{HR}She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith,{HR}I have done no wickedness.
21Under three [things] the earth is disquieted,{HR}And under four it cannot bear up:{HR}
22Under a servant when he reigneth,{HR}And a churl when he is filled with meat;{HR}
23Under an odious [woman] when she is married,{HR}And a handmaid when she is heir to her mistress.
24There are four [things] little upon the earth,{HR}And they are exceeding wise:{HR}
25The ants, a people not strong,{HR}Yet they provide their food in the summer;{HR}
26The rock-badgers are but a feeble folk,{HR}Yet they make their house in the cliff;{HR}
27The locusts have no king,{HR}Yet they go forth all of them by bands;{HR}
28Thou takest hold of the lizard with the hands,{HR}Yet is she in kings' palaces.
29There are three [things] which have a stately step,{HR}And four are comely in going:{HR}
30The lion, mighty among beasts,{HR}Which turneth not away for any;{HR}
31A [horse] girt in the loins; or the he-goat;{HR}And a king, against whom none can rise up.
32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself,{HR}Or if thou hast thought evil, [lay] the hand upon thy mouth.
33For the pressing of milk bringeth forth butter,{HR}And the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood;{HR}And the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.
1The words of king Lemuel,{HR}The prophecy that his mother taught him:
2What, my son? and what, O son of my womb?{HR}And what, O son of my vows?{HR}
3Give not thy strength unto women,{HR}Nor thy ways to them that destroy kings.
4It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine,{HR}Nor for rulers [to say], Where is the strong drink?{HR}
5—Lest they drink and forget the law,{HR}And pervert the judgment of any of the children of affliction.
6Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,{HR}And wine unto the bitter of soul:{HR}
7Let him drink, and forget his poverty,{HR}And remember his misery no more.
8Open thy mouth for the dumb,{HR}For the cause of all those that are left desolate.
9Open thy mouth, judge righteously,{HR}And minister justice to the afflicted and needy.
10Who can find a woman of worth?{HR}For her price is far above rubies.
11The heart of her husband confideth in her,{HR}And he shall have no lack of spoil.
12She doeth him good, and not evil,{HR}All the days of her life.
13She seeketh wool and flax,{HR}And worketh willingly with her hands.
14She is like the merchants' ships:{HR}She bringeth her food from afar;
15And she riseth while it is yet night,{HR}And giveth meat to her household,{HR}And the day's work to her maidens.
16She considereth a field, and acquireth it;{HR}Of the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17She girdeth her loins with strength,{HR}And maketh strong her arms.
18She perceiveth that her earning is good;{HR}Her lamp goeth not out by night.
19She putteth her hands to the distaff,{HR}And her hands hold the spindle.
20She stretcheth out her hand to the afflicted,{HR}And she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21She is not afraid of the snow for her household;{HR}For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22She maketh herself coverlets;{HR}Her clothing is byssus and purple.
23Her husband is known in the gates,{HR}When he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24She maketh body linen and selleth it,{HR}And delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25Strength and dignity are her clothing,{HR}And she laugheth [at] the coming day.
26She openeth her mouth with wisdom;{HR}And upon her tongue is the law of kindness.
27She surveyeth the ways of her household,{HR}And eateth not the bread of idleness.
28Her children rise up and call her blessed;{HR}Her husband [also] , and he praiseth her:
29Many daughters have done worthily,{HR}But thou excellest them all.
30Gracefulness is deceitful and beauty is vain;{HR}A woman [that] feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised. (Prov. 1:1‑31:30)