The Proverbs of Solomon and the Beginning of Wisdom
1 The wise sayings of Solomon son of David, Israel’s king, 2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of discernment, 3 To receive instruction in good sense, righteousness, justice, and uprightness, 4 To give prudence to the simple, and knowledge and thoughtfulness to the young. 5 Let the wise man hear and increase in learning, and the discerning man will acquire guidance, 6 To understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. 7 Reverence for the Lord is the starting point of wisdom, whereas fools spurn wisdom and training.
Warning Against the Enticement of Sinners
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, and do not stray from the law of your mother, 9 For they are beauty and favor for your head and a necklace for your neck. 10 My son, if sinful men try to lure you, do not go along with them. 11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause, 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and the blameless like those who go down to the pit, 13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth, and we will fill our houses with stolen goods, 14 Cast your lot among us, and there will be one purse for us all,”
15 My son, do not walk on the road with them, and hold back your foot from their paths. 16 For their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed blood. 17 For in vain is the net spread out before any winged bird, 18 Yet it is for their own blood that they lie in ambush, hiding in wait against their own lives. 19 Such are the ways of all who practice wrongdoing, which take away the lives of their masters.
Wisdom’s Proclamation in the Streets
20 Wisdom is praised in the street, and in the squares she raises her voice. 21 From the heights of the citadels she calls aloud, and at the city gate openings she utters her words, 22 “How long will the simple love simplicity, and scoffers delight in their scoffing, and fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn back at my reproof, and I will pour out my spirit to you and make my words known to you. 24 Because I called and you did not believe, I stretched out my hands and you paid no attention, 25 And you disregarded all my counsel and did not desire my reproof, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity, and I will mock when terror comes upon you, 27 When your dread strikes without warning and your ruin sweeps in like a storm-wind, when hardship and anguish overtake you.
28 “Then they will cry out to me, yet I will give no answer. They will search for me, yet never find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of God, 30 They did not desire my counsel, and they spurned all my reproof. 31 Therefore they will eat from the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own counsels. 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the error of fools will destroy them. 33 But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety and be at rest from the dread of evil.”
The Rewards of Seeking Wisdom
1 My son, if you accept my words and treasure up my commandments within you, 2 Turning your ear toward wisdom and bending your mind toward discernment, 3 And if you call understanding your mother and lift up your voice for discernment, 4 If you seek her like silver and search for her like hidden treasures, 5 Then you will grasp what it means to revere God, and you will gain knowledge from before God. 6 For God gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and discernment. 7 He stores up glory for the upright and helps those who walk blamelessly, 8 Guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the ways of the Righteous. 9 Then you will discern rectitude, fair judgment, and integrity along every worthwhile path.
10 For wisdom will enter into your mind, and knowledge will delight your soul, 11 Good counsel will watch over you, and discernment will guard you, 12 To deliver you from the evil way and from the man who speaks perverse things, 13 From those who forsake the upright paths to walk in the ways of darkness, 14 Who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of wickedness, 15 Whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious,
Deliverance from the Strange Woman
16 To deliver you from the strange woman, from the foreign woman whose words are smooth, 17 Who forsakes the instructor of her youth and forgets the covenant of God. 18 For her house is in the depth of death, and the course of her paths leads to the mighty ones. 19 All who go in to her do not return in peace, nor do they attain the paths of life.
20 Therefore walk in the way of good men and keep to the paths of the Righteous. 21 For the upright will dwell in the land, and the blameless will remain in it, 22 Whereas the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the plunderers will be uprooted from it.
Trust in God and the Blessings of Wisdom
1 My son, do not forget my law, and let your heart keep my commandments, 2 Because they will add to you long days, years of life, and peace. 3 Let kindness and truth not forsake you. Bind them around your neck and write them upon the tablet of your heart, 4 And you will find favor and good understanding and goodness before God and before men. 5 Trust in God with all your heart, and do not rely on the understanding of your own heart. 6 Acknowledge Him in every course you take, and He Himself will straighten your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear God and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing for your body and refreshment for your bones.
9 Honor your God from your wealth and from the firstfruits of all your produce, 10 And your storehouses will be filled with plenty, and your winepresses will overflow with wine. 11 My son, do not reject the discipline of God, and do not loathe His reproof, 12 For God disciplines the one whom He loves, just as a father disciplines his son.
The Worth of Wisdom in Creation
13 Happy is the person who discovers wisdom, the mortal who pours forth discernment, 14 For trading in her is better than trading in silver, and her yield than refined gold. 15 She is more precious than costly jewels, and nothing can compare with her. 16 Long life rests in her right hand, while her left hand holds riches and honor. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18 To all who hold fast to her she is a tree of life, and fortunate are those who occupy themselves with her. 19 God by wisdom laid the foundations of the earth, and by understanding He established the heavens. 20 By His knowledge the depths were split open, and the heavens drip dew.
21 My son, let them not be lightly esteemed in your eyes. Keep sound knowledge and counsel, 22 They will bring vitality to your soul and bring favor to your neck. 23 Then you will walk securely on your way, and your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down to sleep, nothing will frighten you. You will rest on your bed and enjoy sweet slumber. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror, or of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes, 26 For God will be your support, and He will guard your foot so that you are not caught.
Upright Conduct Toward One’s Neighbor
27 Do not withhold doing good when it is in the power of your hand to do it. 28 Never tell your companion, “Go away and return tomorrow, and then I will give it,” when the means are already in your hand. 29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor while he dwells securely with you. 30 Do not contend with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm. 31 Do not be envious of a man of violence, nor take pleasure in any of his paths, 32 For the perverse man is detestable before the Lord, but His conversation is with the upright. 33 God’s curse rests upon the homes of the wicked, whereas He blesses the dwellings of the Righteous. 34 Scoffers He will overthrow, but to the humble He gives favor. 35 The wise will inherit honor, but fools will receive disgrace.
A Father’s Instruction to Acquire Wisdom
1 Hear, sons, the instruction of a father, and pay attention in order to know understanding, 2 For I have given you good teaching. Do not forsake my law. 3 For I was a son to my father, cherished and an only child before my mother, 4 And he instructed me and spoke to me, “May your mind hold fast to my words. Observe my precepts and live. 5 Gain wisdom and gain discernment, never forget and never swerve from the sayings of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard you. Love her, so that she may preserve you. 7 The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom, and with all that you possess acquire understanding. 8 Cherish her, so that she may exalt you, and embrace her, so that she may honor you, 9 And she will place upon your head a graceful ornament, a crown of splendor upon you.”
The Two Paths of the Righteous and the Wicked
10 Listen, my son, and welcome my sayings, so that the years of your life may multiply. 11 I have taught you the way of wisdom, and I have led you in upright paths. 12 As you walk, your stride will never be hemmed in, and when you run, you will not trip. 13 Hold fast to instruction and do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life. 14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not envy the way of evil men. 15 Withdraw and do not pass along with them. Turn away and pass on from them. 16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil, and their sleep is driven away unless they have made someone stumble, 17 For their food is the food of the wicked, and they drink the wine of violence. 18 But the path of the Righteous is like a shining light whose brightness increases until the day is fully established, 19 The path of the wicked is pitch-dark, and they cannot tell what makes them trip.
Guarding the Heart and Walking Straight
20 My son, give heed to my words, and bend your ear toward my utterances. 21 Never let them slip from your sight, but guard them deep within your heart, 22 Because they bring life to everyone who finds them and restore health to his whole body. 23 With all watchfulness guard your heart, for from it come the sources of life. 24 Put away from you crookedness of mouth, and keep deviousness of lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids be directed right before you. 26 Turn your foot away from evil paths, and all your ways will be established. 27 Do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Turn your foot away from evil.
The Peril of the Foreign Woman
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom, and incline your ear to my understanding, 2 So that you may guard discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. 3 For the lips of a foreign woman drip honey from the comb, and her palate is smoother than oil, 4 But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, sharper than a two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death, and her steps reach down to Sheol. 6 She does not tread the path of life. Her ways wander, and she does not know it.
7 Now therefore, sons, listen to me, and do not turn aside from the words of my mouth. 8 Steer your path far away from her, and do not approach the doorway of her house, 9 Or else you will hand over your strength to others and your years to outsiders, 10 And so that foreigners do not take their fill of your strength and your hard-earned wealth go into the house of strangers, 11 And you groan at the end of your life, when your flesh and your body are consumed, 12 And you say, “How I hated instruction, and my heart spurned reproof! 13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers, nor did I incline my ear to my instructors. 14 I was nearly in every kind of trouble in the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
Fidelity to the Wife of One’s Youth
15 Drink water drawn from your own cistern, and fresh streams flowing from your own well. 16 Let your springs flow abroad, and streams of water in the open squares, 17 Let them be for yourself alone, and let no strangers share them with you. 18 May your wellspring be blessed, and take joy in the wife of your youth, 19 She is a lovely deer and a graceful doe. And learn good conduct at all times, and in her love study continually. 20 Why should you go astray, my son, with a foreign woman? And do not embrace a stranger’s bosom.
21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of God, and all his paths are open before Him. 22 His own iniquities will trap the wicked man, and he will be held fast in the cords of his sins. 23 He will die for lack of discipline, and in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.
Warnings Against Guarantees and Laziness
1 My son, if you have guaranteed your neighbor, if you have pledged your hand for a stranger, 2 You have been snared by the words of your mouth, you have been caught by the words of your mouth. 3 Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, for you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor. Go, then, and press your neighbor. 4 Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. 5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the trap, and like a bird from the snare.
6 Turn to the ant, you lazy man, study its ways and learn wisdom. 7 Though she has no harvest, nor any officer or ruler, 8 She prepares her bread in the summer and gathers her food at the harvest. 9 How long will you lie asleep, you lazy man? When will you rise from your sleep? 10 A brief nap, a brief doze, a brief clasping of the hands to rest in bed, 11 Then your poverty and need will come and overtake you like a diligent man.
An Oppressor and the Seven Things God Hates
12 An oppressor, a wicked man, goes about with a crooked mouth, 13 Winking with his eyes, stamping with his feet, and pointing with his fingers. 14 With perversity in his heart he devises evil, and at all times he stirs up strife. 15 On that account his ruin will strike without warning, in a flash he will be shattered beyond any cure.
16 There are six things that God hates, and seven that His soul detests, 17 Arrogant eyes, a falsehood-speaking tongue, and hands that spill guiltless blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked thoughts, and feet that hurry to run to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, and one who stirs up strife among brothers.
Warning Against Adultery
20 Keep, my son, the commandment of your father, and do not stray from the law of your mother. 21 Bind them upon your heart continually, and tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk, it will accompany you, when you lie down, it will watch over you, and when you awake, it will plead on your behalf. 23 For the precept is a lamp and the law is a shining light, and correction and training mark the path of life, 24 To guard you from the evil woman, and from the smooth tongue of the foreign woman. 25 Do not covet her beauty within your mind, nor let her ensnare you with her glances, 26 For the word of a prostitute is like a loaf of bread, and an adulterous woman hunts for a precious life.
27 Can a man carry fire in his bosom without his clothes being burned? 28 Or can a man walk upon hot coals without his feet being scorched? 29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife to commit adultery with her, and no one who touches her will go unpunished. 30 One should not be amazed at a thief who steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, 31 Yet if he is caught, he must repay sevenfold, and he must give up all the wealth of his house. 32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks sense, and he who would destroy his own soul does it. 33 Wounds and disgrace will he find, and his reproach will not be forgotten. 34 For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy on the day of vengeance. 35 He will not favor anyone who gives him a gift, nor will he be appeased even if you multiply bribes.
An Adulterous Woman’s Enticement
1 My son, keep my words, and store up my commandments within you. 2 Keep my commandments and live, and my law like the pupil of your eye. 3 Bind them upon your fingers, and write them upon the tablet of your heart. 4 Tell wisdom, “You are my sister,” and name discernment your close kinswoman, 5 So that they may guard you from the strange woman, from the foreign woman whose words are smooth.
6 Peering out through the small window of my house, through the latticework of my dwelling, 7 And I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, and I was astonished at a young man lacking sense, 8 Passing along the street near her corner, and walking on the road to her house, 9 At dusk as the day faded, amid the nighttime shadows and gathering gloom. 10 And there a woman came to meet him, dressed in the attire of a prostitute, enticing the hearts of young men. 11 She is rebellious and restless, and her feet do not stay at home, 12 Now in the streets, now in the squares, and at every convenient corner she lies in wait.
13 She seized him and kissed him, and with a brazen face she said to him, 14 “Sacrificial offerings were due from me, and today I have paid my vows. 15 Therefore I came out to meet you, for I was longing for company, and I said, ‘I will lead you away.’ 16 I have spread my couch with coverings, with colored linens from Egypt. 17 I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, saffron, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning, let us delight ourselves together in pleasures. 19 For my husband is not at home, for he has gone on a distant journey. 20 He took a bag of money in his hand, and he will come home on the appointed feast day.”
21 With her many persuasive words she led him astray, and with the smoothness of her lips she seduced him. 22 Suddenly he goes after her, like an ox going to the slaughter, and like a dog to the chain, 23 Like a stag into whose liver an arrow flies, and like a bird rushing into a snare, not knowing that it will cost him his life.
Final Warning Against Her Paths
24 So now, my sons, pay heed to me, and listen closely to the sayings of my mouth. 25 Never let your heart swerve toward her ways, and do not wander onto her trails. 26 For many are the victims she has cast down, and mighty are all those slain by her. 27 Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of the grave.
The Call of Wisdom
1 Therefore Wisdom calls aloud, and understanding raises her voice. 2 On the top of the heights beside the road she stands, at the crossroads of the paths. 3 Beside the gates at the entrance of the city, at the doorway of the portals she is praised and says, 4 “To you, men, I call, and my voice goes out to the sons of men. 5 Simple ones, understand prudence, and let fools gain understanding in their hearts. 6 Listen, for I speak what is true, and the utterance of my mouth is uprightness. 7 Because my mouth meditates on truth, and my lips detest wickedness. 8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness, and there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. 9 They are all plain to him who understands, and upright to those who seek knowledge. 10 Receive instruction rather than silver, and choose knowledge rather than refined gold, 11 For wisdom is better than costly jewels, and nothing can compare with her.
The Excellence and Gifts of Wisdom
12 “I, Wisdom, have created prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. 13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, and pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. 14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine, and I have understanding and strength. 15 Through me kings reign, and rulers through me are anointed in righteousness. 16 Through me princes rule, and nobles, all the Righteous judges. 17 Those who love me I love in return, and those who rise early to seek me will find me. 18 Riches and honor are mine, wealth and prosperity and righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than refined gold and pure gold, and my yield than choice silver. 20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, 21 To bestow upon those who love me many years, and to fill their treasuries.
Wisdom Present at the Creation of the World
22 “At the very outset of His creation God brought me into being, ahead of His ancient works. 23 Before the world I was established, from the beginning, before the earth existed. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were sunk in place, before the hills I was fashioned, 26 Before He had made the earth and the rivers, or the first dust of the world. 27 When He set the heavens in place, there I stood, when He traced the vault across the face of the abyss, 28 When He made firm the clouds above, and when He made strong the fountains of the deep, 29 When He set for the sea its boundary so that the waters would not pass beyond it, when He laid the foundations of the earth. 30 Beside Him I was faithful. And while He was... day after day, I rejoiced before Him at all times, 31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was in the sons of men.
Blessing for Those Who Find Wisdom
32 “Now therefore, sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not spurn it. 34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my threshold, waiting at the posts of my doors. 35 For whoever finds me finds life, and will obtain favor from before God, 36 But whoever sins against me injures his own soul, and all who hate me love death.”
The Banquet of Wisdom
1 Wisdom has built her house, and she has set up her seven pillars in it. 2 She has slaughtered her meat, she has mixed her wine, and she has set her table. 3 She has sent out her servant girls to call from the top of the strong, fortified heights, 4 “Anyone who is naive, let him turn in here to me!” And to the one devoid of sense she declares, 5 “Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine that I have mixed. 6 Leave behind your lack of sense so that you may live, and advance along the road of discernment.”
The Wise Man and the Scoffer
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer brings disgrace upon himself, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs a blemish. 8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, but reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Teach a wise person and he will grow wiser still, impart knowledge to a righteous person and he will add to his learning. 10 Reverence for God is where wisdom begins, and understanding consists in knowing the holy ones. 11 For through her your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you. 12 If you have grown wise, the benefit of your wisdom is your own, and if you mock, you alone will carry the blame.
The Invitation of the Foolish Woman
13 The foolish and restless woman is simple and knows nothing good. 14 She sits at the door of her house, on a high and strong seat, 15 Calling out to those who pass by on the road, who are going straight on their ways, 16 “Whoever is simple, let him come to her!” And to the one lacking sense she says, 17 “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” 18 But he does not know that she has cast down the mighty ones there, and that all her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
The Proverbs of Solomon on the Righteous and the Wicked
1 The wise sayings of Solomon. A wise son brings joy to his father, whereas a foolish son causes his mother grief. 2 A wicked person’s stores bring no benefit, whereas righteousness rescues from an evil death. 3 God does not let the soul of the Righteous go hungry, but He sweeps away the wealth of the wicked. 4 Poverty brings down a lazy man, but the hand of the diligent makes them rich. 5 He who labors in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a son who brings shame. 6 Blessings will be upon the heads of the Righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. 7 Remembering the Righteous brings a blessing, whereas the name of the wicked will flicker out.
8 The wise of heart will accept commandments, but a foolish talker will be caught by his own lips. 9 Whoever walks in integrity walks with help, but he whose ways are crooked will be found out. 10 Whoever winks the eye causes grief, and the perverse of lips will be caught. 11 A spring of life is the mouth of the Righteous, whereas the mouth of the wicked harbors violence. 12 Enmity stirs up quarrels, whereas love draws a veil over every offense. 13 On the lips of the discerning man wisdom is found, but a rod is for the body of one who lacks sense. 14 Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.
15 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and the ruin of the poor is their poverty. 16 The labor of the Righteous leads to life, the income of the wicked to sin. 17 The path of life guards instruction, but he who forsakes reproof goes astray. 18 An enemy conceals lying lips, and whoever spreads a rumor is a fool. 19 Where talk is plentiful, sin never stops, whereas one who holds his lips in check shows good sense. 20 The tongue of the Righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little worth. 21 The lips of the Righteous sustain many, but fools die for lack of sense.
22 It is God’s blessing that brings riches, and no heartache is mixed in with it. 23 A fool acts while laughing, but wisdom belongs to a man of understanding. 24 What the wicked man stirs up will come back upon him, but the desire of the Righteous will be granted to them. 25 As a whirlwind passes, so the wicked man passes, but the Righteous has an everlasting foundation. 26 Just as sour wine sets the teeth on edge and smoke stings the eyes, so is an idle envoy to those who dispatch him.
27 Reverence for God lengthens one’s days, whereas the years allotted to the wicked will be cut short. 28 What the Righteous hope for ends in gladness, whereas what the wicked hope for comes to nothing. 29 The way of God is a stronghold to the blameless, but ruin will come to those who do iniquity. 30 Never will the Righteous be shaken loose, whereas the wicked will not assemble in the land. 31 Wisdom flows from the mouth of the Righteous, whereas a crooked tongue will be sliced away. 32 The lips of the Righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.
Sayings of Solomon
1 God detests dishonest scales, but a correct weight pleases Him. 2 When arrogance comes in, distress comes in too, but wisdom belongs to the modest. 3 Integrity guides upright people, while plunderers are driven away and crushed. 4 Falsehood is useless on the day of anger, but righteousness rescues from an evil death. 5 The righteousness of the blameless straightens their path, while a wicked person falls through his own wickedness.
6 Upright people are rescued by their righteousness, but plunderers are caught by the repayment of their deeds. 7 A wicked person’s hope disappears when he dies, and the hope of wrongdoers disappears too. 8 A righteous person escapes distress, and an evil person enters it in his place. 9 A deceiver ruins his neighbor with his mouth, while the Righteous escape through what they know. 10 Their city celebrates when the Righteous prosper, and there is joy when the wicked perish. 11 The blessing of the Righteous raises a city high, but the mouths of the wicked uproot it.
12 Anyone who despises his neighbor has no sense, while a discerning person remains silent. 13 A slanderer exposes a secret, but someone trustworthy in spirit conceals a matter. 14 A people falls where there is no one to guide it, but abundant consultation brings rescue. 15 An evil man harms a righteous man because he guarantees a stranger, and hates those whose hope rests in God. 16 A gracious woman receives a share of honor, while strong men run in pursuit of riches. 17 A kind man repays himself with good, but someone who destroys his own body is cruel.
18 A wicked person’s work is deceit, but truth is the payment for someone who sows righteousness. 19 Just as someone who practices righteousness is kept for life, so someone who pursues evil is kept for death. 20 God rejects crooked hearts, and takes pleasure in those who are blameless. 21 Anyone who reaches out against his neighbor is not cleared of evil, but the descendants of the Righteous are rescued. 22 A gold ring in a sow’s nostrils is like a beautiful woman whose judgment is foul. 23 The desire of the Righteous ends in good, but the expectation of the wicked ends in anger.
24 Some scatter what they have and gain still more, but whoever withholds what is right faces shortage. 25 A blessed soul grows fat, and the person who teaches also learns. 26 People who withhold grain during distress will leave it to their enemies, but a blessing comes to those who sell it. 27 Whoever is quick to do good seeks favor, but evil comes upon the person who seeks it. 28 Someone who relies on his riches will fall, but the Righteous put out growth like foliage.
29 Someone who disturbs his household inherits loss, and a fool becomes a servant to a person with a wise heart. 30 A righteous person’s fruit is a life-giving tree, and the acceptance of souls is wisdom. 31 Look, a righteous person receives an inheritance in the land, while the wicked and sinners are consumed from the land.
Sayings of Solomon
1 Loving discipline means loving knowledge, but a person who hates rebuke is ignorant. 2 Good belongs to the person who obtains God’s favor, but a wicked man’s plans are shattered. 3 Wickedness gives a person no firm footing, but the root of the Righteous does not shake. 4 A worthy wife crowns her husband, but an evil wife is like decay in timber, destroying her husband’s bones. 5 The Righteous direct their thoughts toward justice, while the wicked direct their schemes toward deceit.
6 The words of the wicked wait in ambush for blood, but upright people’s mouths rescue them. 7 The wicked are overthrown and cannot be found, but the household of the Righteous remains standing. 8 A person receives praise for speaking with understanding, but someone without sense becomes an object of contempt. 9 An insignificant person with servants is better than an honored person without bread. 10 A righteous person understands his animal’s life, but the wicked show cruelty even in their compassion. 11 People who cultivate their land have bread to satisfy them, but chasing empty things shows a lack of sense.
12 A wicked person longs for an evil snare, but the root of the Righteous stands firm. 13 The sin of his lips brings an evil man down, while a righteous person gets free of distress. 14 A person has his fill of good from what his mouth produces, and everyone is repaid according to the deeds of his hands. 15 A fool sees his own path as straight, but listening to advice is wise. 16 A fool lets his anger show that very day, but a prudent person keeps his distress concealed.
17 The person who gives trustworthy testimony declares what is right, but a false witness is deceitful. 18 Some people’s speech strikes like a sword, but wise people’s tongues bring healing. 19 Truthful lips hold firm forever, but a hurried witness is like a lying tongue. 20 Those who forge evil have deceit in their hearts, while joy awaits those who advise peace. 21 No act of wrongdoing is fitting for a righteous person, but the wicked are filled with evil. 22 God finds lying lips repulsive, but takes pleasure in those who act faithfully.
23 A prudent person keeps knowledge concealed, but fools hate knowledge in their hearts. 24 Strong hands will rule, but deceivers will be put to forced labor. 25 A frightening word in a person’s heart fills him with fear, but good words give him joy. 26 A righteous person is better than his neighbor, but the wicked are misled by their own path. 27 Game does not come to meet a deceitful man, but a person’s good fortune is valuable gold. 28 The road of righteousness leads to life, but the angry person’s road leads to death.
Sayings of Solomon
1 A wise son accepts his father’s discipline, but a mocking son will not accept an appeal. 2 A person eats good things from what his mouth produces, but the lives of plunderers are snatched away. 3 Keeping watch over your mouth protects your life, but opening your lips wide brings great ruin. 4 A lazy person longs for something that never comes to him, but vigorous people grow fat. 5 A righteous person hates a lie, but a wicked person suffers shame and humiliation.
6 Righteousness guards those whose conduct is blameless, but a wicked person is tossed about by his sins. 7 Some present themselves as rich while owning nothing, and some present themselves as poor while possessing a great fortune. 8 A man’s riches provide a ransom for his life, but a poor man receives no threat. 9 The light of the Righteous shines joyfully, but the lamp of the wicked goes out. 10 Quarreling comes only through arrogance, but those who seek advice are wise.
11 A fortune shrinks through its owner’s injustice, but someone who gathers and gives to the poor increases his money. 12 Someone who sets about helping himself is better than someone who hangs on to hope. A desire that comes true is a tree that gives life. 13 Anyone who despises a word is harmed by it, but a person who fears a command is repaid with good. 14 The law of a wise person is a source of life that turns people away from death’s trap. 15 Sound judgment brings favor, but the harsh road of plunderers ends in ruin.
16 A prudent person’s work proceeds from knowledge, but a fool spreads out his foolishness. 17 An evil messenger falls into harm, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing. 18 A poor person and someone in disgrace reject discipline, but the person attentive to rebuke receives honor. 19 A worthy desire brings pleasure to the soul, but fools’ detestable behavior is cut off from knowledge. 20 Spending your life among the wise makes you wise, but associating with fools brings you harm.
21 Evil hunts sinners down, but the Righteous are repaid with good. 22 A good person passes an inheritance to his grandchildren, and the sinner’s riches are stored up for a righteous person. 23 The poor person’s land yields plentiful food, but someone may be struck down without judgment. 24 A father who holds back his rod hates his son, but love makes him prompt to discipline him. 25 A righteous person eats until his appetite is satisfied, but the bellies of the wicked go hungry.
Sayings of Solomon
1 The wisest woman builds up her house, but a foolish woman pulls hers down with her own hands. 2 Upright conduct shows fear before God, but the person whose conduct is crooked despises Him. 3 A fool’s mouth contains a goad of pain, but wise people’s lips protect them. 4 The stalls stay clean where there is no ox, but the ox’s strength produces an abundant harvest. 5 A trustworthy witness does not tell lies, but someone who speaks falsehood is a lying witness.
6 A scoffer searches for wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to someone with understanding. 7 Take a different road away from a fool, for there is no knowledge on his lips. 8 A prudent person’s wisdom is understanding his path, but fools’ foolishness contains deceit. 9 Fools make a joke of sin, but goodwill is found among upright people. 10 The heart understands its own bitterness, and an outsider has no share in its joy.
11 The wicked person’s house is destroyed, but upright people’s dwelling puts out new growth. 12 People may think a road is straight, although it ends on death’s road. 13 A heart may hurt even during laughter, and joy can end in grief. 14 A person who lets his heart stray has his fill of his own ways, but a good person has his fill from his fear. 15 A naive person believes whatever is said, but a prudent person understands what benefits him.
16 A wise person is afraid and leaves evil behind, but a fool gets entangled in foolishness and relies on it. 17 A short-tempered person is counted a fool, and a man of patient deliberation hates him. 18 The naive inherit foolishness, but knowledge is the crown of the prudent. 19 Evil people fall before good people, and the wicked are judged at the gates of the Righteous. 20 A poor man is hated even by his neighbor, but a rich man has many friends.
21 A sinner despises his neighbor, but happiness belongs to someone who gives to the poor. 22 Do those who plot evil not go astray? But good people plan kindness and truth. 23 Whatever you work at brings some gain, but excessive talk brings shortage. 24 Wise people wear their wealth as a crown, but fools take pride in their foolishness. 25 A truthful witness rescues lives, but someone who tells lies is a deceiver.
26 Fear of God supplies a strong hope, and his children will have confidence. 27 Fear of God is a source of life for turning away from death’s trap. 28 A large population gives a king his splendor, but when the people dwindle, their leader is broken. 29 A patient person has great understanding, but an impatient person adds to his foolishness. 30 Someone who sets aside his heart’s anger heals his own body, but envy rots his bones as decay rots timber.
31 Oppressing a poor person insults his Maker, but showing mercy to the afflicted honors Him. 32 An evil person is swept away through his evil, but someone who dies with trust is righteous. 33 Wisdom lives in a discerning heart, but among fools it is foolishness that becomes known. 34 Righteousness raises a nation high, but sins bring reproach on peoples. 35 A king favors an understanding servant, but his misconduct brings them shame.
Sayings of Solomon
1 Gentle speech turns anger back, but forceful speech stirs it up. 2 Wise people’s tongues make knowledge attractive, but fools’ mouths gush foolishness. 3 In every place the Lord’s eyes look upon bad people and good people alike. 4 A healing tongue is a tree that gives life, and eating its fruit brings satisfaction. 5 A fool despises his father’s discipline, but attending to rebuke makes a person prudent.
6 The household of the Righteous holds great resources, but the income of the wicked is spoiled. 7 Wise people make knowledge known with their lips, but fools’ hearts do not do so. 8 God detests sacrifices offered by the wicked, but upright people’s prayers please Him. 9 God rejects a wicked person’s path, but the person who pursues righteousness receives love. 10 An evil person’s discipline leads his path astray, and the person who hates rebuke will die.
11 Sheol and destruction lie before God, as do human hearts. 12 A scoffer has no love for anyone who rebukes him, and does not approach the wise. 13 A happy heart makes a face beautiful, but heartache brings the spirit low. 14 A discerning heart searches for knowledge, but fools’ mouths seek foolishness. 15 A poor person’s days are all hard, but a happy heart enjoys a continuous feast.
16 A little with fear of God is better than great treasures accompanied by wrongdoing. 17 A meal of greens accompanied by love is better than fattened oxen accompanied by hatred. 18 An angry man provokes a fight, but a patient person puts out the quarrel. 19 Lazy people’s road is thorns and brambles, but upright people have a clear road. 20 A wise son brings his father joy, but a foolish son despises his mother.
21 A senseless person finds joy in foolishness, but a discerning person lives uprightly. 22 Plans fail where there is no confidential counsel, but consultation with many people makes a plan stand. 23 A person finds joy in the words of his own mouth, and a timely word is a great good. 24 For a discerning person, life’s road goes upward to turn him away from Sheol below. 25 God tears down an arrogant person’s house, but fixes the widow’s boundary in place.
26 God finds evil thoughts repulsive, but pleasant words are pure. 27 Gathering dishonest money ruins a person’s household, but someone who hates an unearned gift will live. 28 A righteous heart reflects on faithfulness, but the wicked pour evil from their mouths. 29 God remains distant from the wicked, but listens to the prayers of the Righteous. 30 Bright eyes bring joy to the heart, and good news puts fat on the bones.
31 An ear that listens to life-giving rebuke will make its home among the wise. 32 Rejecting discipline means despising oneself, but listening to life-giving rebuke brings wisdom. 33 Fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and a person who receives honor should be humble.
Sayings of Solomon
1 Planning in the heart belongs to a human being, but speech on the tongue comes from the Lord. 2 A person sees all his paths as clean, but God puts those paths in order. 3 Lay your deeds open before God, and your plans will be put in order. 4 Everything God does is for those who obey Him, while an evil day awaits the wicked person. 5 God finds every arrogant heart repulsive, and it will not be cleansed of evil.
6 Goodness and truth bring atonement for wrongdoing, and fearing God turns a person away from evil. 7 When a man’s conduct pleases God, He reconciles even that man’s enemies to him. 8 Having a little with righteousness is better than plentiful income acquired unjustly. 9 A human heart considers its road, but God puts its steps in order.
10 A king’s lips carry divination, and his mouth must not deceive when judging. 11 Honest balances and measures come from God, and every deed of His is a true weight. 12 Kings find wrongdoers repulsive, because righteousness secures a throne. 13 A king delights in righteous lips, and loves upright speech. 14 A king’s anger sends messengers of death, but a wise man can put it out. 15 The brightness of a king’s face brings life, and his favor resembles a cloud in a clear sky.
16 Possessing wisdom is better than refined gold, and possessing understanding is better than selected silver. 17 The upright person’s track turns away from evil, and whoever takes care of himself keeps his path safe. 18 Arrogance comes before a breaking, and a proud spirit before a stumble. 19 Being lowly and humble in spirit is better than dividing captured goods with arrogant people. 20 Considering a matter carefully leads to good, and happiness belongs to the person who relies on God.
21 Someone wise in heart is called discerning, and pleasant lips add to learning. 22 Good judgment supplies its owner with life, but foolishness is the discipline of fools. 23 A wise heart gives understanding to the mouth, and adds instruction through the lips. 24 Pleasant speech resembles a honeycomb, sweetness for the soul and healing for the bones. 25 A road may look straight to human eyes, although it ends in death’s roads.
26 A worker’s appetite supports his labor, for necessity comes to him from his mouth. 27 An oppressive man digs up evil, and fire casts sparks on his lips. 28 A perverse person provokes disputes, and a quarrelsome person drives his friend away. 29 A violent man draws his neighbor astray, leading him along a road that is not good. 30 With an eye signal he plots crooked deeds. His lips threaten, and he carries his evil through.
31 Old age is a splendid crown, found on the road of righteousness. 32 A patient spirit is better than a strong man, and conquering yourself is better than capturing a city. 33 The lot falls into the oppressor’s lap, but his judgment comes from God.
Sayings of Solomon
1 Dry bread with peace is better than a house filled with feasts and disputes. 2 An understanding servant rules over a son who brings shame, and shares the inheritance among the brothers. 3 A clean crucible tests silver and a furnace tests gold, but God tests hearts. 4 An evil man listens to dishonest lips, and lies and slander rest on a dishonest tongue. 5 Ridiculing a poor person provokes his Maker, and joy at a neighbor’s ruin does not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren crown the elderly, and children find their splendor in their fathers. 7 Excessive speech does not suit a foolish person, nor do lying lips suit a ruler. 8 The stone given as a bribe looks attractive to its recipient, and wherever he turns there is insight. 9 Covering an offense seeks affection, but repeating a matter breaks a friendship. 10 An appeal enters a discerning person more effectively than a hundred blows with sticks enter a fool.
11 But the rebel pursues harm, and a merciless envoy is dispatched against him. 12 A terrified bear may meet a wise man without shaking him, but a fool falls through his own foolishness. 13 Someone who repays goodness with harm will find that evil never leaves his home. 14 Spilling blood like water provokes disputes, and before disaster he leads justice astray. 15 Acquitting the wicked and condemning the Righteous are both repulsive to God.
16 Why do goods go to a fool who has neither understanding nor wisdom? 17 A friend loves at every time, and a brother is born for distress. 18 A senseless person gives his hand and guarantees a pledge for his neighbor. 19 Loving sin means loving a dispute, and raising one’s gate means seeking ruin. 20 A twisted heart will find no good, and a twisted tongue brings a person into harm.
21 The person who fathers a fool has grief for his own, and a foolish child’s father has no joy. 22 A happy heart makes the body flourish, but a weakened spirit dries the bones. 23 A wicked person takes a bribe from a hidden fold to bend the course of justice. 24 Understanding people’s faces brighten with wisdom, but a fool’s eyes are in the earth’s depths. 25 A foolish son weighs his father down and makes his mother bitter.
26 Fining a righteous person is not right, nor is striking the Righteous who speak uprightly. 27 Someone who restrains his words knows knowledge, and a humble spirit marks a discerning person. 28 Even a fool is considered wise when he remains silent, and discerning when he keeps his lips closed.
Sayings of Solomon
1 A reckless person pursues his desire, and is ridiculed in every council. 2 A fool has no wish for understanding, but his heart wanders in foolishness. 3 When a wicked person comes, he brings foolishness, distress and disgrace with him. 4 A person’s mouth is deep water, a stream pouring from a spring of wisdom. 5 Taking the wicked person’s side is not right, nor is twisting a righteous person’s judgment.
6 A fool’s lips bring him to a dispute, and his mouth leads him into a quarrel. 7 A fool’s mouth means his ruin, and his lips form a trap for his life. 8 A troublemaker’s words bring him low, carrying him down to the depths of Sheol. 9 Someone lax in his work is also a companion to a destructive man. 10 God’s name is a fortified tower, where a righteous person runs and is raised high.
11 A rich man’s fortune is his fortified city, and his dwelling rises like a wall. 12 A human heart grows proud before it breaks, but humility precedes honor. 13 Giving an answer before listening brings a person foolishness and shame. 14 A person’s spirit bears his sickness, but who can carry a spirit brought low? 15 A discerning heart acquires knowledge, and wise people’s ears search for understanding.
16 A person’s gift gives him room and places him before the great. 17 The first person in a lawsuit appears to be right, but the other party comes and defeats him. 18 Drawing a lot ends disputes and makes a distinction between powerful people. 19 A brother helped by his brother resembles a fortified city, closed like a fortress bolt. 20 A person’s belly fills from what his mouth produces, and what his lips yield satisfies him.
21 Death and life are in the tongue’s power, and the person who loves it will eat its fruit. 22 Finding a wife means finding a good thing and receiving favor from God. 23 A poor person speaks in appeals, but a rich person uses forceful speech. 24 Some companions associate together, and some friends cling more closely than a brother.
Sayings of Solomon
1 A poor person living blamelessly is better than a fool whose conduct is twisted. 2 It is not good for someone to lack self-knowledge, and someone quick to run toward evil is a sinner. 3 A person’s foolishness makes his path unsteady, and his heart complains against God. 4 Good fortune adds many companions, but a poor person’s companion leaves him. 5 A false witness does not escape punishment, and someone who utters lies will not get free.
6 Many people minister before a great man, and he gives gifts to evil people. 7 All a poor person’s friends hate him, and even his companions keep their distance. Someone troublesome in his words cannot stand firm. 8 Acquiring a good mind means loving yourself, and preserving understanding brings good. 9 A lying witness does not escape punishment, and a person who tells lies will perish. 10 Luxury does not suit a fool, nor does ruling over nobles suit a servant.
11 A person’s good judgment makes his course patient, and overlooking an offense gives him honor. 12 A king’s anger growls like a lion, but his favor is like dew upon the grass. 13 A foolish son is as harsh as sour wine to his father, and a wife’s quarrels are like a persistent drip. 14 A house and a fortune come as an inheritance from fathers, but God gives a wife to a man. 15 Laziness brings sleep, and a deceitful person will go hungry.
16 Keeping a command protects your life, but despising your course leads to death. 17 Someone who wants to lend to God shows mercy to the poor, and He will repay him with good. 18 Discipline your son because there is hope, and do not set your desire on his death. 19 An angry man receives a blow, and the more he is relieved, the more he adds to his burden. 20 Listen to advice and accept discipline, so that you become wise by your end.
21 A person’s heart makes many plans, but God’s counsel is what stands. 22 What is desired from a person is his kindness, and a poor person is better than a liar. 23 Fear of God leads to life, and the person satisfied by it spends the night without being visited by harm. 24 A lazy man hides his hand under his arm, and will not even bring it near his mouth. 25 Strike a scoffer, and a naive person learns prudence. Rebuke a discerning person so that he understands knowledge.
26 Despising your father and driving your mother away makes you a shameful, disgraceful son. 27 Hold back, my son, and listen to discipline, and do not wander away from the words of my mouth. 28 A lying witness mocks his case, and the wicked bring wrongdoing out of their mouths. 29 Judgments await the mockers, and beatings await fools’ bodies.
Sayings of Solomon
1 Wine mocks, and strong drink intoxicates, and everyone who goes astray through it fails to become wise. 2 Fear of a king roars like a lion, and anyone who angers him sins against himself. 3 Staying clear of disputes brings a person honor, but every fool makes himself ridiculous. 4 A lazy man suffers disgrace and will not be silent, and at harvest he asks for something, but there is nothing. 5 A plan in a person’s heart is deep water, and a discerning person draws it up.
6 Many people are called compassionate, but who finds someone trustworthy? 7 A person who lives with integrity is righteous, and his children after him will be happy. 8 A king seated on the judgment throne scatters every evil from before him. 9 Who can say, “My heart is pure, and I have been cleansed of my sin”? 10 Differing weights and differing measures are both repulsive before God.
11 Even a child is known through his actions, whether he is pure and whether his conduct is upright. 12 An ear that hears and an eye that sees, God created them both. 13 Do not love sleep, or you may become poor. Open your eyes and eat bread until you are satisfied. 14 One companion tells another what he has bought, and then he boasts and says, 15 “Gold exists, and precious stones in great quantities, but lips possessing knowledge are vessels of great value.”
16 Take his clothing because he guaranteed a stranger, and seize his pledge on account of a foreign woman. 17 Bread acquired by deceit tastes pleasant to a man, but afterward his mouth fills with gravel. 18 Advice puts plans in order, and leadership conducts a war. 19 Revealing a secret makes a person a slanderer, and you must not associate with anyone who entices with his lips. 20 The lamp of someone who curses his father and mother goes out, like a furnace of darkness.
21 An inheritance acquired hastily at first has no blessing at the end. 22 Do not say, “I will repay harm.” Wait for your God, and He will rescue you. 23 Differing weights are repulsive before God, and dishonest scales do not please Him. 24 A person’s steps come from the Lord, but a human being does not understand his own paths. 25 It is a trap for a man to vow to the sanctuary and afterward feel glad in his soul.
26 A wise king scatters wicked people and rolls the wheel over them. 27 Human breath is God’s lamp, searching all the innermost chambers of the belly. 28 Kindness and truth protect a king, and kindness secures his throne. 29 Young men find their glory in their strength, and old men their praise in old age. 30 Sores and bruises strike at evil, and blows reach the innermost parts of the belly.
Sayings of Solomon
1 A king’s heart is like streams of water in God’s hands, and He bends it wherever He wishes. 2 A person regards all his paths as upright, but God puts his heart in order. 3 God is more pleased with someone who practices righteousness and justice than with a sacrifice. 4 Haughty eyes and a heart that craves, with the wicked person’s lamp, bring sin. 5 Plans brought together lead to gain, but a hurried foot leads to shortage.
6 Those who gain treasure with a lying tongue are destroyed and collapse, seeking death. 7 The destruction of the wicked carries them away, because they refuse to do justice. 8 Someone who perverts a person’s road is a stranger, but a pure person’s deeds are upright. 9 Living on a corner of the roof is better than a quarrelsome wife in a palatial house. 10 A wicked person’s soul longs for evil, and he has no compassion for his neighbor.
11 A naive person grows wise through a scoffer’s punishment, and obtains knowledge through a wise person’s understanding. 12 A righteous person considers the wicked man’s household and drives the wicked into harm. 13 Someone who shuts his ears to a poor person’s cry will himself call to God without receiving an answer. 14 A concealed gift puts out anger, and a bribe in the lap puts out intense anger. 15 Doing justice brings a righteous person joy and destroys those who practice wrongdoing.
16 A person who wanders off the road of good judgment will rest with the children of the earth. 17 Someone in need who loves enjoyment, wine and perfume will not become rich. 18 A wicked person takes a righteous person’s place, and plunderers take the place of the upright. 19 Living in desert country is better than living with a quarrelsome, angry wife. 20 Desirable treasure and oil fill a wise person’s dwelling, but a foolish person swallows them up.
21 Pursuing righteousness and kindness brings life, righteousness and honor. 22 A wise man climbs up to a city of warriors and brings down its confident strength. 23 Guarding your mouth and tongue guards your life from distress. 24 The scoffer is called “arrogant tyrant,” and his arrogance causes strife. 25 A lazy man’s desire kills him, because his hands refuse to work.
26 He keeps longing all day long, but a righteous person gives without holding back. 27 The sacrifice of the wicked is repulsive because they bring it with wrongdoing. 28 A witness who lies will perish, but an attentive man speaks reliably. 29 A wicked person puts on a brazen face, but an upright person puts his path in order. 30 There is no wisdom, understanding or counsel that is like God’s. 31 The horse is made ready for battle day, but rescue belongs to God.
Sayings of Solomon
1 Choose a good name over great wealth, and favor over silver and gold. 2 Rich and poor encounter one another, and God created both of them. 3 A prudent person sees danger and hides, but naive people continue and suffer loss. 4 The consequence of humility is fear of the Lord, riches, honor and life. 5 Traps lie on the twisted road, and someone protecting his life keeps away from them.
6 Guide a child according to his road, so that he does not leave it even in old age. 7 A rich person rules over poor people, and a servant makes loans to a moneylender. 8 Someone who sows injustice reaps wrongdoing, and the rod of his strife comes to an end. 9 Someone with a generous eye is blessed, because he shares his bread with the poor. 10 Drive the scoffer away and send the troublemaker out, and disputes and distress will cease.
11 God loves someone pure in heart, and the kindness of that person’s lips brings him the king’s friendship. 12 God’s eyes guard knowledge, and He scatters the words of plunderers. 13 A lazy person makes his excuse, “There is a lion outside, and I will be killed in the streets.” 14 The mouth of a foreign woman is a deep pit, and someone who provokes God falls into it. 15 Foolishness is tied up in a child’s heart, and a rod of discipline drives it far from him. 16 Oppressing the poor increases a person’s evil, and giving to the rich leaves him short.
Words of the Wise
17 My son, turn your ear and listen to wise people’s words, and set your heart toward my knowledge. 18 They are pleasant, so keep them inside your belly, and let them be established together on your lips. 19 This is so your hope may rest in God. I have made this known to you today, to you too. 20 Look, I have written these things for you on three occasions, as counsel and knowledge. 21 This teaches you truth and upright words, so you can give a truthful reply to those who sent you.
22 Do not rob a poor person because he is poor, or crush an afflicted person at the gate. 23 For God judges their case and avenges the punishment inflicted on their lives. 24 Do not associate with a bitter person, or go in with an angry man, 25 so that you do not learn his habits and find your own life caught in a trap.
26 Do not give your hand as a pledge guaranteeing your neighbor. 27 If you have nothing with which to pay, they take your bed from under you. 28 Do not move an ancient boundary that your fathers established. 29 Have you seen someone quick at his work? He will stand before kings, not before obscure people.
Words of the Wise
1 If you sit down to eat with rulers, consider carefully what is set before you. 2 And put a knife to your throat if you are master of your appetite. 3 Do not long for his cooked dishes, for they are deceptive food.
4 Do not draw near a rich man, but use your understanding to withdraw from him. 5 If you fix your eyes on him, he will disappear from your sight, for he makes himself wings like an eagle flying in the sky.
6 Do not eat with a man whose eye is evil, or long for his dishes. 7 He raises himself in his own mind as high as a lofty gate. He says, “Eat and drink,” but his heart deceives you. 8 You vomit up the bread you ate and spoil your pleasant words. 9 Do not speak into a fool’s ears, because he despises the good judgment of your words.
10 Do not move an ancient boundary, or enter land allotted to orphans. 11 Their redeemer is strong, and He will contend with you in their case.
12 Bring your heart into discipline and your ear toward knowledgeable words. 13 Do not hold discipline back from a child, because he will not die if you strike him with a rod. 14 You strike him with a rod, and rescue his life from Sheol.
15 My son, if your heart is wise, I too have joy in my heart. 16 And my kidneys will celebrate when your lips speak uprightly. 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but remain in fear of God throughout the day. 18 Then a good future will be yours, and your hope will not come to an end.
19 Listen, my son, and become wise, and put your heart on the right road. 20 Do not join those who gorge themselves on meat, or those who get drunk with wine. 21 The drunkard and glutton become poor, and drowsiness clothes a person in rags.
22 Listen to your father, who fathered you, and do not despise your mother because she has grown old. 23 Acquire truth, and do not sell wisdom, discipline or understanding. 24 A righteous person’s father celebrates greatly, and the father of a wise child delights in him. 25 Let your father and mother have joy, and let the woman who bore you celebrate.
26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes watch my paths. 27 For the prostitute is a pit of great depth, and the foreign woman is a well of distress. 28 Like a hunter, her eye lies in ambush, and she captures naive children.
29 Who has misery? Who has sorrow? Who has quarrels? Who has complaints, needless wounds, or reddened eyes? 30 Those who linger over wine and go searching out the drinking house.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red, giving its sparkle in the cup and flowing smoothly. 32 Its ending bites like a snake, like an adder that flies. 33 Your eyes will gaze at a foreign woman, and your heart will speak perversity. 34 You will be like someone asleep in the middle of the sea, or like a sailor asleep in a ship. 35 You will say, “They struck me, but I felt no sickness, and robbed me without my knowing. When will I wake? I will go looking for it again.”
Words of the Wise
1 Do not envy people who do evil, or desire their company. 2 Their hearts think about destruction, and their lips speak injustice.
3 Wisdom builds a house, and understanding puts it on a firm footing. 4 Knowledge fills its chambers with every valuable, pleasant possession. 5 A wise man is better than a strong man, and a knowledgeable man than someone vigorous in strength. 6 Guidance enables you to wage war, and abundant counsel brings rescue.
7 A fool complains against wisdom, but does not open his mouth at the gates. 8 People call someone who plans harm a master of evil schemes. 9 A fool’s scheme is sin, and a wise person finds scoffing repulsive.
10 If you grow slack on a day of distress, your strength is hemmed in. 11 Rescue people being taken away to die, and hold back those being led to slaughter. 12 If you say, “I did not know this,” does God not search the thoughts of the heart? The One who guards your life knows, and repays each person according to his deeds.
13 My son, eat honey because it is good, and honeycomb, sweet upon your palate. 14 In the same way gain wisdom for yourself. If you find it at first, a better future comes afterward, and your hope does not end.
15 Wicked man, do not ambush a righteous person’s dwelling, or knock down his home. 16 A righteous person falls seven times and gets up, but the wicked stumble in evil. 17 Do not be glad when your enemy falls, or let your heart celebrate when he stumbles into harm. 18 Otherwise God may see it and be displeased, and turn His anger away from him.
19 Do not compete with evil people, or envy the wicked. 20 Evil people have no good future, and the lamp of the wicked goes out. 21 My son, fear God and the king, and do not associate with fools. 22 Their breaking comes suddenly, and who knows the end of their years?
Further Words for the Wise
23 I say these things also to the wise. Showing partiality when judging is not right. 24 Anyone who tells a wicked person, “You are righteous,” will be cursed by peoples and expelled by nations. 25 But those who rebuke will find pleasure, and a good blessing will come upon them. 26 People kiss the lips of those who give upright replies.
27 Arrange your work outside and make it ready in the field, and afterward build your house. 28 Do not give lying testimony against your neighbor, or entice with your lips. 29 Do not say, “I will treat him as he treated me, and repay him according to his deeds.”
30 I passed a lazy man’s field and the vineyard of a person without sense. 31 Look, it was all overgrown with brush, and nettles covered its surface, and its stone wall was torn down.
32 And I saw and took it to heart, and I looked and accepted discipline. 33 A little dozing, a little sleeping, a little placing your hands on your chest to sleep, 34 and poverty comes and overtakes you, and your need comes like a courier.
Solomon’s Sayings Recorded Under Hezekiah
1 These too are Solomon’s deep sayings, recorded by the friends of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
2 God is honored by someone who conceals a matter, and kings by someone who investigates a matter. 3 Heaven is high and the earth deep, but a king’s heart cannot be searched out. 4 Gather the dross out of the silver, so that a vessel comes from the crucible. 5 Drive the wicked person from before a king, and righteousness will secure his throne.
6 Do not boast before a king, or stand in the place of the great. 7 It is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be lowered before the ruler your eyes see. 8 Do not rush into a lawsuit, or you may end up pleading your case while your neighbor puts you to shame. 9 Argue your case with your neighbor, but do not expose another person’s secret. 10 Otherwise someone who hears may shame you, and the report about you will not be reversed.
11 Golden apples in silver dishes are like words spoken persuasively. 12 Gold earrings and emerald ornaments are like a wise person’s rebuke to an attentive ear. 13 A trustworthy envoy is like snow’s coldness during harvest to those who send him, and restores his master’s life. 14 A man boasting of a deceptive gift resembles a day of clouds and wind without rain.
15 Patience wins a ruler over, and gentle speech breaks a bone. 16 If you find honey, eat only what you need, so that you do not fill yourself and vomit it up. 17 Keep your feet from your friend’s house, so he does not grow tired of you and hate you.
18 A man testifying falsely against his neighbor is like a club, a drawn sword or a sharp arrow. 19 Like a bad tooth or a slipping foot is a plunderer’s hope on a day of distress. 20 Taking a neighbor’s ragged garment on a cold day is like pouring vinegar onto natron. It tests a pained heart as a moth tests a garment and rot tests wood. So distress irritates a person’s heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. 22 You are raking burning coals onto his head, and God will repay you. 23 The north wind carries rain in its womb, as do an angry face and a concealed tongue. 24 Living on a corner of the roof is better than remaining with a quarrelsome wife in a palatial house.
25 Good news from a distant land is like cool water for an exhausted soul. 26 A righteous person falling before the wicked is like someone stopping a spring and ruining a fountain. 27 Eating much honey is not good, nor is searching out words of honor. 28 A person who does not restrain his spirit resembles a breached city without a wall.
Solomon’s Sayings Recorded Under Hezekiah
1 Snow in summer and rain during harvest are like honor given to a fool, out of place. 2 As a small bird darts and a flying bird flies away, a groundless curse does not enter. 3 A whip belongs to a horse, a goad to a donkey, and a rod to fools’ bodies.
4 Do not answer a fool in the manner of his foolishness, so you do not become like him yourself. 5 Instead, speak with a fool using your wisdom, so he does not think himself wise. 6 Someone sending words through a fool is running on his own feet and drinking violence. 7 If you can give a lame person the ability to walk, you can receive a word from a fool’s mouth.
8 Honoring a fool is like a stone chip flying in a sling. 9 A thorn rises into a drunkard’s hand, and foolishness into a fool’s mouth. 10 A fool’s flesh suffers greatly, and a drunkard crosses the sea. 11 A fool repeating his foolishness resembles a dog returning to its vomit. 12 Have you seen someone wise in his own eyes? A fool is better than he is.
13 A lazy person says, “A lion is on the road, a lion among the streets!” 14 A door turns on its hinge, and a lazy person turns on his bed. 15 A lazy person hides his hand under his arm, too tired to return it to his mouth. 16 A lazy person considers himself wiser than seven people giving reasoned answers.
17 Quarreling over a case that is not yours is like grabbing a dog’s ears. 18 Like someone crouching down to shoot sharp, deadly arrows, 19 so is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking.”
20 When wood is absent, fire goes out, and when a troublemaker is absent, fighting stops. 21 A grill belongs over coals, and wood upon fire, and a quarrelsome man makes quarrels flare up. 22 A troublemaker’s words bring him low, and descend into the innermost belly. 23 Like rejected silver laid over clay are burning lips and an evil heart.
24 An enemy is recognized by his lips, and he stores deceit inside himself. 25 Do not trust him if he makes his voice gracious, because seven evils are in his heart. 26 The evil of someone who covers hatred with ruin will be exposed in the assembly. 27 Whoever digs a pit falls into it, and whoever rolls a stone has it roll back upon him. 28 A lying tongue hates truthful paths, and a divided mouth brings ruin.
Solomon’s Sayings Recorded Under Hezekiah
1 Do not boast about tomorrow, since you do not know what a day will bring. 2 Let an outsider praise you rather than your own mouth, a stranger rather than your own lips. 3 A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but a fool’s anger outweighs them both. 4 Rage is cruelty and anger is violence, but who can withstand jealousy?
5 Open correction is better than hidden affection. 6 A friend’s wounds are good, and an enemy’s kisses are bad. 7 A satisfied person tramples a honeycomb, but to a hungry person every bitter thing is sweet. 8 A man moving away from his place resembles a bird moving away from its nest. 9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and so does a man who cheers his friend with heartfelt counsel.
10 Do not abandon your friend or your father’s friend. Do not enter your brother’s house on the day of your disaster. A nearby neighbor is better than a distant brother. 11 Become wise, my son, and gladden my heart, so I can answer those who insult me. 12 A shrewd person sees trouble and hides, while the naive walk into it and suffer loss. 13 The clothes of someone who guarantees a stranger are taken, and they are held as security on account of strangers. 14 Someone who loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning will have it counted as a curse.
15 Like a leak dripping on a rainy day is a quarrelsome wife who keeps fighting. 16 The north wind is harsh, yet she is called the balm of the right hand. 17 Iron sharpens iron, and a man sharpens his friend’s face. 18 A person tending a fig tree eats its fruit, and a person attentive to his master receives honor. 19 Just as waters and faces differ from one another, so human hearts differ from one another.
20 Sheol and destruction never have enough, and human eyes never have enough. 21 A crucible tests silver and a furnace tests gold, and a person is tested by the mouths of those who praise him. 22 Even if you beat a fool with blows in the assembly, you cannot remove his foolishness with a pestle.
23 Whatever else you know, know the condition of your sheep, and give your attention to the flocks. 24 Property does not last forever, nor does peace last from generation to generation. 25 The grass grows thick and green shoots appear, and the mountain herbs are gathered. 26 Lambs provide your clothing, and young goats provide your trade. 27 There is enough goats’ milk to feed you and your household, and to sustain your servant girls.
Solomon’s Sayings Recorded Under Hezekiah
1 The wicked flee with no one chasing them, while the Righteous, like a lion looking for food, wait expectantly for wisdom. 2 A land’s sins multiply its rulers, but people who understand knowledge endure. 3 An impoverished man oppressing the poor is a downpour that lashes without doing any good. 4 Those abandoning the law praise a wicked person, while those keeping the Torah contend with them so they will return. 5 Evil people do not understand justice, but those seeking the Lord’s presence understand all good things.
6 A poor person whose conduct is blameless is better than a rich person whose paths are twisted. 7 A son who keeps the Torah has understanding, but someone associating with worthless people distresses his father. 8 Someone who increases his fortune through interest and usury gathers it for someone who has compassion on the poor. 9 If someone closes his ears to hearing the Torah, even his prayer is rejected. 10 Someone leading upright people along an evil path falls into a pit, while the sound and blameless inherit good things.
11 The rich man considers himself wise. An insightful poor man treats him with contempt. 12 When the Righteous rejoice, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, a search is made for a person. 13 Someone concealing his sins will not succeed, but God has compassion on someone who admits his sins and abandons them. 14 Happy is the person who always keeps his heart alert with fear, but someone who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
15 A lion roars and a bear cries out because of the wicked ruler over an impoverished people. 16 A ruler without sense commits many acts of oppression, but the days of someone who hates wrongdoing grow long. 17 Someone burdened with bloodguilt flees to the pit, and they will not capture him. 18 A person whose conduct is blameless escapes, but someone whose paths are twisted falls on one of them.
19 A person working his land has bread to satisfy him, but someone chasing empty things has poverty to satisfy him. 20 A trustworthy person has many blessings, but someone rushing into injustice to get rich is not acquitted. 21 Showing favoritism is wrong, and a man sins for a mouthful of bread. 22 A man with an evil eye hurries after a fortune, without knowing that loss is coming upon him. 23 Someone who corrects a man to his face finds favor, more than someone whose tongue flatters.
24 A person who robs his father and mother and says, “It is no sin,” is a companion to a destructive man. 25 A greedy man stirs up quarrels, but someone trusting in God grows fat. 26 Someone who relies on his own heart is a fool, but someone living wisely is protected from evil. 27 A person giving to the poor will lack nothing, but someone turning his eyes away from a poor person receives many curses. 28 When the wicked rise, people hide, and when they perish, the Righteous increase.
Solomon’s Sayings Recorded Under Hezekiah
1 A man who refuses correction and stiffens his neck will suddenly be shattered beyond healing. 2 The people rejoice as the Righteous become numerous, but they groan under the rule of the wicked. 3 A man who loves wisdom gladdens his father, but one who associates with prostitution loses his fortune. 4 A king establishes a land through justice, while an unjust man uproots it.
5 Someone flattering his neighbor is spreading a net across his footsteps. 6 An evil man is trapped by his own sin, while a righteous man celebrates with joy. 7 A righteous person recognizes the claims of the poor, but the wicked have no understanding of such knowledge. 8 Mockers tell lies, while wise people turn anger away. 9 A wise man argues a case with a fool, and he rages and laughs without being broken.
10 Men who shed blood hate integrity, while upright people seek it. 11 A fool pours out all his rage, but a wise person holds it back in his mind. 12 When a ruler listens to lies, all his attendants become wicked. 13 A poor man and a go-between meet, and God gives light to both their eyes. 14 A king who judges the poor truthfully has his throne established forever.
15 A rod and correction give wisdom, but a child who refuses an appeal shames his mother. 16 Sin increases as the wicked become numerous, but the Righteous will see their downfall. 17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest and bring delight to your soul. 18 The people are broken as wrongdoers become numerous, but happy is the person who keeps the Torah. 19 Words will not discipline a servant, because he knows he will not be beaten.
20 Have you seen a man whose words tumble out hastily? There is better hope for a fool than for him. 21 Someone who pampers himself from childhood will become a servant, and in the end he will be driven away. 22 An angry man stirs up fighting, and a furious man’s sins are many. 23 A person’s arrogance brings him low, but someone humble in spirit receives a share of honor.
24 A person sharing with a thief hates his own life. They impose an oath on him, but he does not confess. 25 A person’s injustice sets a trap for him, but someone trusting in God becomes strong. 26 Many seek a ruler’s favor, but a person’s judgment comes from God. 27 The Righteous find an unjust person repulsive, and the wicked find a person with upright paths repulsive.
The Words of Agur
1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh, who received prophecy. The man spoke to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal, 2 “For I am the most ignorant of people, without human understanding. 3 I have not learned wisdom, nor do I know the knowledge of the holy ones. 4 Who has ascended to heaven and descended? Who has caught the wind in his hands? Who has bound water in a cloak? Who has established the earth’s creation? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know? 5 All God’s words are refined, and He helps those who rely on Him. 6 Do not add to His words, so He does not correct you and show you to be a liar.
7 “Two requests I make of You. Do not deny me them before I die. 8 Keep deceit and lying speech far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me the bread I need, 9 so I do not grow full and deny You, saying, ‘Who is God?’ And so I do not become poor and steal and profane God’s name.
10 “Do not slander a servant to his master, so he does not curse you and bring guilt upon you.
11 “There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother. 12 There is a generation that considers itself clean, but has not been washed of its filth. 13 There is a generation with haughty eyes and raised eyebrows. 14 There is a generation with swords for teeth and sharpened fangs, devouring the poor from the earth and the oppressed from humanity.
15 “The leech has two daughters, ‘Give! Give!’ Three things never have enough, and four never say, ‘Enough’: 16 Sheol, a closed womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough.’ 17 Ravens of the stream will pluck out an eye that mocks a father and despises a mother’s old age, and young eagles will eat it.
18 “Three things are hidden from me, and four I do not understand: 19 an eagle’s path in the sky, a snake’s path on a smooth rock, a ship’s path in the heart of the sea, and a man’s path with a young woman. 20 Such is the path of an adulterous woman: she eats, wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
21 “Three things make the earth shake, and there are four beneath which it cannot stand: 22 under a servant who becomes king, and a stupid person with bread to satisfy him, 23 under a hated woman who marries a man, and a servant girl who inherits from her mistress.
24 “Four things on earth are small, yet they are wise and display wisdom: 25 ants, whose people are not mighty, yet they prepare their food in summer, 26 rock rabbits, whose people are not strong, yet they build their home in rocky clefts, 27 locusts, which have no king, yet they all gather together, 28 and the lizard, which clings with its hands and lives in kings’ houses.
29 “Three things have a fine stride, and four move well: 30 the lion, mighty among the beasts, which turns away from nothing, 31 the rooster, strutting among the hens, the male goat entering a stranger’s house, and the king standing to speak among his people.
32 “Do not exalt yourself and become foolish, and do not stretch your hand toward your mouth. 33 Pressing milk produces butter, pressing anger produces blood, and heated anger produces a dispute.”
The Words of King Lemuel
1 The words of King Lemuel: prophecy and the discipline his mother taught him when she said, 2 “Woe, my son! Woe, son of my womb! Woe, son of my vows! 3 Do not give your strength to women, or your paths to kings’ daughters. 4 Take care, Lemuel, around kings, kings drinking wine, and around rulers drinking strong drink. 5 Do not drink and lose your judgment, and alter the rights of all the poor.
6 “Give strong drink to mourners, and wine to those whose souls are bitter. 7 They should drink and put their poverty out of mind, never again remembering their hardship. 8 Speak for those who do not pervert justice, and judge for all those suffering injustice. 9 Speak and judge righteously, and judge for the poor and oppressed.”
A Worthy Wife
10 Who can find a worthy wife? Her value exceeds precious stones. 11 Her husband’s heart relies on her, and he suffers neither robbery nor loss. 12 She repays him with good instead of harm throughout her life. 13 Wool and flax are what she seeks, and she works according to her hands’ desire. 14 She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing food from far away.
15 She rises during the night and gives her household food and her servant girls work. 16 She thinks it over and acquires a field, and plants a vineyard from the yield of her hands. 17 She fastens strength around her waist and makes her arms strong. 18 She tastes the goodness of her trade, and her lamp does not go out at night. 19 Her hands reach for the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to a poor person and extends her arms to the oppressed. 21 Her household does not fear snow, because everyone in her household wears scarlet. 22 She makes coverings for herself. Her clothes are fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the city when he sits with the land’s elders. 24 She makes linen cloth and sells it, and supplies a belt to the merchant.
25 Strength and splendor are her clothing, and she laughs on the final day. 26 Wisdom accompanies the opening of her mouth, and her tongue bears the law of kindness. 27 Her household’s ways are open to her, and she does not eat the bread of laziness.
28 Her children rise and call her happy, and her husband praises her, 29 “Many daughters have acquired wealth, but you have surpassed them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is empty. A woman who fears God receives praise. 31 Give her some of the yield of her hands, and let her deeds praise her at the gates.
Intertextual Commentary on Targum Proverbs
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