Jubilee2000 - Proverbs

Chapter 1

1:1  The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel;

1:2  to know wisdom and chastening; to understand prudent words;

1:3  to receive the chastening of prudence, justice, judgment, and equity;

1:4  to give prudence to the simple, and to the young men knowledge and council.

1:5  If the wise will hear [them], doctrine shall increase, and the man of understanding shall acquire wise counsel:

1:6  To understand [a] parable and [the] interpretation; the words of the wise and their enigmas.

1:7  The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge, [but] fools despise wisdom and chastening.

1:8  My son, hearken unto the chastening of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

1:9  For they [shall be] an increase of grace unto thy head and protection about thy neck.

1:10  My son, if sinners entice thee, do not consent.

1:11  If they say, Come with us, let us lay [in] wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without cause.

1:12  Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol and whole as those that go down into the pit;

1:13  We shall find all kinds of riches, we shall fill our houses with spoil.

1:14  Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

1:15  My son, do not walk in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

1:16  For their feet shall run to evil and make haste to shed blood.

1:17  Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

1:18  And they lay [in]wait for their [own] blood; they ambush their [own] souls.

1:19  So [are] the ways of every one that is greedy of gain [which] takes away the life of those who possess it.

1:20  Wisdom cries without; she utters her voice in the streets:

1:21  She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the entrance to the gates of the city she utters her words, [saying,]

1:22  How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and the fools hate knowledge?

1:23  Return at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

1:24  Because I have called and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one responded;

1:25  [for because] ye have disregarded all my counsel and rejected my reproof:

1:26  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear comes upon [you];

1:27  when what you have feared comes as destruction, and your calamity comes as a whirlwind; when tribulation and anguish come upon you.

1:28  Then they shall call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

1:29  Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

1:30  They rejected my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

1:31  Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own counsel.

1:32  For the rest of the ignorant shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

1:33  But whosoever hearkens unto me shall dwell safely and shall rest from [the] fear of evil.:

Chapter 2

2:1  My son, if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments within thee

2:2  so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom [and] apply thine heart to intelligence,

2:3  [yea], if thou criest for understanding [and] givest thy voice unto intelligence,

2:4  if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures,

2:5  then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

2:6  For the LORD gives wisdom; out of his mouth [comes] knowledge and intelligence.

2:7  He keeps the person of the upright; [he is] a buckler to those that walk perfectly,

2:8  keeping the paths of judgment and the way of his merciful ones.

2:9  Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity, [yea], every good path.

2:10  When wisdom enters into thine heart and knowledge is sweet unto thy soul,

2:11  discretion shall preserve thee, intelligence shall keep thee

2:12  to deliver thee from the evil way, from the man that speaks perversion,

2:13  who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness

2:14  who rejoice to do evil [and] delight in wicked perversion,

2:15  whose ways [are] crooked, and [they are] crooked in their paths;

2:16  to deliver thee from the strange woman, [even] from the stranger [who] flatters with her words,

2:17  who forsakes the prince of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.

2:18  Therefore her house inclines unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

2:19  None that go unto her return again, neither do they take hold of the paths of life.

2:20  That thou may walk in the way of good [men] and keep the paths of the righteous.

2:21  For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

2:22  But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.:

Chapter 3

3:1  My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments:

3:2  For they shall add length of days and long life and peace unto thee.

3:3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; write them upon the tablet of thine heart:

3:4  So shalt thou find grace and good favour in the sight of God and man.

3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.

3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.

3:8  It shall be medicine to thy navel and marrow to thy bones.

3:9  Honour the LORD with thy substance and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

3:10  So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

3:11  My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

3:12  For the LORD chastens whom he loves and delights in, even as a father to his son.

3:13  Blessed [is] the man [that] has found wisdom and who brings [to light] intelligence,

3:14  for the merchandise of it [is] better than the merchandise of silver and the fruits thereof more than fine gold.

3:15  She [is] more precious than precious stones, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

3:16  Length of days [is] in her right hand [and] in her left hand riches and honour.

3:17  Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, and all her paths [are] peace.

3:18  She [is a] tree of life to those that lay hold upon her, and blessed [is every one] that retains her.

3:19  The LORD by wisdom has founded the earth; by intelligence has he established the heavens.

3:20  By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the heavens drop down the dew.

3:21  My son, do not let them depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion,

3:22  so shall they be life unto thy soul and grace to thy neck.

3:23  Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

3:24  When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: [yea], thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

3:25  Thou shall not be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when it comes.

3:26  For the LORD shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

3:27  Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do [it].

3:28  Do not say unto thy neighbour, Go and come again and tomorrow I will give when thou hast it by thee.

3:29  Do not devise evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwells securely by thee.

3:30  Do not sue a man without cause, if he has done thee no harm.

3:31  Envy thou not the oppressor and choose none of his ways.

3:32  For the perverse [is an] abomination to the LORD; but his secret [is] with the righteous.

3:33  The curse of the LORD [is] in the house of the wicked, but he shall bless the habitation of the just.

3:34  Surely he scorns the scorners; but he gives grace unto the humble.

3:35  The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of fools.:

Chapter 4

4:1  Hearken, ye sons, [unto] the chastening of the father, and pay attention that ye might know understanding.

4:2  For I give you good doctrine; do not forsake my law.

4:3  For I was my father's son, tender and unique in the sight of my mother.

4:4  He taught me and said unto me, Sustain thine heart with my words; keep my commandments, and live.

4:5  Get wisdom, get understanding; forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

4:6  Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee; love her, and she shall keep thee.

4:7  Wisdom [is] the principal thing, [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

4:8  Grow in [wisdom], and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou hast embraced her.

4:9  She shall give to thine head an increase of grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

4:10  Hear, O my son, and receive my words, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.

4:11  I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have caused thee to walk in right paths.

4:12  When thou goest [in these paths], thy steps shall not be hindered; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

4:13  Take fast hold of chastening; do not let go; keep this; for it [is] thy life.

4:14  Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men].

4:15  Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

4:16  For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause [someone] to fall.

4:17  For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

4:18  But the path of the just [is] as the light of the [morning] star, that shines more and more until the day is perfect.

4:19  The way of the wicked [is] as darkness; they do not know in what they stumble.

4:20  My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my words.

4:21  Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

4:22  For they [are] life unto those that find them and medicine to all their flesh.

4:23  Above all else, guard thy heart; for out of it flows the [issues of] life.

4:24  Put away from thee the perversion of the mouth, and the deviation of the lips put far from thee.

4:25  Let thine eyes look upon that which is right, and let thine eyelids straighten [thy path] before thee.

4:26  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

4:27  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.:

Chapter 5

5:1  My son, attend unto my wisdom, [and] bow thine ear to my intelligence;

5:2  that thou may keep council and [that] thy lips may conserve knowledge.

5:3  For the lips of the strange [woman] drop [as] a honeycomb, and her mouth [is] smoother than oil,

5:4  But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.

5:5  Her feet go down to death, her steps uphold Sheol,

5:6  lest thou should ponder the path of life, her ways are unstable; thou shalt not know them.

5:7  Hear me now therefore, O ye sons, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.

5:8  Remove thy way far from her, and do not come near the door of her house,

5:9  lest thou give thine honour unto others and thy years unto the cruel,

5:10  lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and thy labours [be] in the house of a stranger,

5:11  and thou mourn at the last when thy flesh and thy body are consumed

5:12  and say, How have I hated chastening and my heart despised reproof

5:13  and have not obeyed the voice of those who chastened me, nor inclined my ear to those that instructed me!

5:14  I have been in almost every [kind of] evil, in the midst of society and of the congregation.

5:15  Drink waters out of thine own cistern and running waters out of thine own well.

5:16  Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, [and] rivers of [thy] waters in the streets.

5:17  Let them be only thine own and not for strangers with thee.

5:18  Thy fountain shall be blessed; and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

5:19  [Let her be as] the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love, [without eyes for anyone else].

5:20  And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a woman belonging to someone else, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

5:21  For the ways of man [are] before the eyes of the LORD, and he weighs all his goings.

5:22  His [own] iniquities shall take hold of the wicked, and he shall be imprisoned with the cords of his sins.

5:23  He shall die because he did not submit to chastening; and due to the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.:

Chapter 6

6:1  My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, [if] thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

6:2  thou art snared with the words of thy mouth; thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

6:3  Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, for thou hast fallen into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

6:4  Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

6:5  Escape as a roe from the hand [of the hunter] and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6:6  Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise,

6:7  Who having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

6:8  provides her food in the summer [and] gathers her food in the harvest.

6:9  How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

6:10  [Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

6:11  So shall thy poverty come as one that travels and thy want as an armed man.

6:12  A wicked man of Belial walks with a perverse mouth.

6:13  He winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers;

6:14  there is perversion in his heart; he devises evil continually; he sows discord.

6:15  Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.

6:16  These six [things] does the LORD hate: [yea], seven [are] an abomination unto him:

6:17  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

6:18  a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to evil,

6:19  a false witness [that] speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.

6:20  My son, keep thy father's commandment and forsake not the law of thy mother:

6:21  Bind them continually upon thine heart [and] tie them about thy neck.

6:22  When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and [when] thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

6:23  For the commandment [is] fire, and the law [is] light; and reproofs of chastening [are] the way of life,

6:24  to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

6:25  Lust not after her beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eyes.

6:26  For by means of a whorish woman [a man is reduced] to a piece of bread, and the woman will hunt the precious soul of the man.

6:27  Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned?

6:28  Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

6:29  So [is] he that goes in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever touches her shall not be innocent.

6:30  [Men] do not take a thief lightly, [even] if he steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

6:31  and once he is taken, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

6:32  [But] whosoever commits adultery with a woman [has a] fault in [his] heart; he [that] does it corrupts his own soul.

6:33  A wound and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall never be wiped away.

6:34  For the jealous rage of a man will not spare in the day of vengeance.

6:35  He will not regard any ransom; neither will he want to forgive, though thou givest many bribes.:

Chapter 7

7:1  My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

7:2  Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

7:3  Bind them upon thy fingers; write them upon the tablet of thine heart.

7:4  Say unto wisdom, Thou [art] my sister, and call understanding [thy] kinswoman:

7:5  That they may keep thee from the woman belonging to someone else, from the stranger [who] flatters with her words.

7:6  For at the window of my house I looked through my casement

7:7  and beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

7:8  passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

7:9  in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night;

7:10  and, behold, a woman met him [with] the attire of a harlot, and subtil of heart.

7:11  (She [is] loud and stubborn; her feet do not abide in her house:

7:12  Now without, now in the streets, [she] lies in wait at every corner.)

7:13  So she caught him and kissed him [and] with an impudent face said unto him,

7:14  I had promised sacrifices of peace; today I have payed my vows.

7:15  Therefore I came forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

7:16  I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved [works], with fine linen of Egypt.

7:17  I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

7:18  Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves.

7:19  For the husband [is] not at home; he is gone a long journey:

7:20  He has taken a bag of money with him [and] will come home at the [appointed] feast day.

7:21  With her much fair speech she caused him to yield; with the flattering of her lips she persuaded him.

7:22  He went after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,

7:23  until the arrow pierces through his liver. [He is] as a bird struggling in the snare and not knowing that it [is] against his own life.

7:24  Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye sons, and attend to the words of my mouth.

7:25  Let not thine heart decline to her ways; do not go astray in her paths.

7:26  For she has caused many to fall down dead; [yea], all the strong [men] have been slain by her.

7:27  Her house [is] the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.:

Chapter 8

8:1  Doth not wisdom cry, and give her voice to intelligence?

8:2  She stands in the top of high places, by the way at the crossroads of the paths.

8:3  She cries at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.

8:4  Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice [is] to the sons of men.

8:5  O ye simple, understand prudence; and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

8:6  Hear, for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips [shall be] right things.

8:7  For my mouth shall speak truth, and wickedness [is] an abomination to my lips.

8:8  All the words of my mouth [are] in righteousness; [there is] nothing perverse or twisted in them.

8:9  They [are] all plain to him that understands and right to those that have found wisdom.

8:10  Receive my chastening and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold.

8:11  For wisdom [is] better than precious stones; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

8:12  I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and [I] invent the knowledge of [giving] counsel.

8:13  The fear of the LORD [is] to hate evil; pride, arrogancy, the evil way, and the perverse mouth, do I hate.

8:14  With me is counsel, and existence; I [am] understanding; strength belongs to me.

8:15  By me the kings reign, and the princes decree justice.

8:16  By me the princes rule, and all of the governors judge the earth.

8:17  I love those that love me, and those that seek me [early] shall find me.

8:18  Riches and honour [are] with me, [yea], durable riches and righteousness.

8:19  My fruit [is] better than gold, [yea], than precious stones, and my revenue than choice silver.

8:20  I [shall] lead in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of judgment,

8:21  that I may cause my friends to inherit existence and I will fill their treasures.

8:22  The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

8:23  I was [set up] with eternal dominion, from the beginning, before the earth [was].

8:24  I was begotten before the depths, before the existence of the fountains of many waters.

8:25  Before the mountains were founded, before the hills was I begotten.

8:26  While as yet [he] had not made the earth nor the fields nor the beginning of the dust of the world,

8:27  when [he] composed the heavens, I [was] there. When he set a compass upon the face of the depth,

8:28  when [he] established the clouds above, when [he] strengthened the fountains of the deep,

8:29  when he gave to the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth,

8:30  I was with him ordering everything; I was his delight every day, being content before him at all times;

8:31  I am content in the circumference of his earth, and my contentment is with the sons of men.

8:32  Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye sons; for blessed [are those that] keep my ways.

8:33  Hearken unto chastening, and be wise; refuse it not.

8:34  Blessed [is] the man that hears me, keeping vigil at my gates, waiting at the threshold of my doors.

8:35  For whosoever finds me shall find life and shall obtain the will of the LORD.

8:36  But he that sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those that hate me love death.:

Chapter 9

9:1  Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out her seven pillars:

9:2  She has killed her sacrifice; she has mingled her wine; and she has furnished her table.

9:3  She has sent forth her maidens; she cries upon the highest places of the city,

9:4  whosoever [is] simple, let him turn in here; [as for] those that lack understanding, she saith unto him,

9:5  Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine [which] I have mingled.

9:6  Forsake that which is foolish and live and go in the way of understanding.

9:7  He that chastens a scorner brings shame unto himself, and he that chastens a wicked [man brings] himself a blot.

9:8  Chasten not a scorner lest he hate thee; chasten a wise man, and he will love thee.

9:9  Give [instruction] to a wise [man], and he will be yet wiser; teach a just [man], and he will increase in learning.

9:10  The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding.

9:11  For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

9:12  If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself; but [if] thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear [it].

9:13  A foolish woman [is] clamorous: [she is] simple and knows nothing.

9:14  For she sits at the door of her house on a seat in the high places of the city

9:15  to call to those who pass by the way, to those who straighten their ways;

9:16  Whosoever [is] simple, let him turn in here; and [as for] him that lacks understanding, she saith unto him:

9:17  Stolen waters are sweet, and bread [eaten] in secret is pleasant.

9:18  But he does not know that the dead [are] there [and that] her guests [are] in the depths of Sheol.:

Chapter 10

10:1  (The parables of Solomon.) A wise son makes a glad father; but a foolish son [is] sadness unto his mother.

10:2  Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.

10:3  The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish, but wickedness shall cast out the wicked.

10:4  He that deals [with] a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

10:5  He that gathers in summer [is] a wise son, [but] he that sleeps in harvest [is] a son that causes shame.

10:6  Blessings [are] upon the head of the just, but the mouth of the wicked covers violence.

10:7  The memory of the just [is] blessed, but the name of the wicked shall stink.

10:8  The wise in heart will receive the commandments, but he who speaks foolishness shall fall.

10:9  He that walks in integrity walks securely, but he that perverts his ways shall be broken.

10:10  He that winks with the eye causes sorrow, and he that speaks foolishness shall fall.

10:11  The mouth of a righteous [man is] a well of life, but the mouth of the wicked covers violence.

10:12  Hatred stirs up strifes, but love covers all sins.

10:13  In the lips of the prudent wisdom is found and [is] a rod unto the back of him that is void of understanding.

10:14  Wise [men] keep knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish [is] near [unto] calamity.

10:15  The rich man's wealth [is] his strong city; the weakness of the poor [is] their poverty.

10:16  The work of the righteous [is] unto life, but the fruit of the wicked is for sin.

10:17  He [is in] the way of life that gives heed to chastening, but he that refuses reproof errs.

10:18  He that hides hatred [has] lying lips, and he that utters a slander, [is] a fool.

10:19  In the multitude of words there [is] no lack [of] rebellion, but he that refrains his lips [is] wise.

10:20  The tongue of the just [is as] choice silver, but the understanding of the wicked [is worth] little.

10:21  The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.

10:22  The blessing of the LORD is that which makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

10:23  To make an abomination [is] as sport to the fool, but wisdom is recreation to the man of intelligence.

10:24  The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him, but [God] shall grant the desire of the righteous.

10:25  When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no [more], but the righteous [is] founded for ever.

10:26  As vinegar to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes, so [is] the sluggard to those that send him.

10:27  The fear of the LORD shall prolong days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

10:28  The hope of the righteous [is] joy, but the hope of the wicked shall perish.

10:29  The way of the LORD [is] strength to the perfect, but [it is] terror to the workers of iniquity.

10:30  The righteous eternally shall never be removed, but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.

10:31  The mouth of the just shall bring forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue shall be cut out.

10:32  The lips of the righteous shall know the will [of God], but the mouth of the wicked speaks perversion.:

Chapter 11

11:1  A false balance [is] abomination to the LORD, but a just weight [is] his delight.

11:2  [When] pride comes, then comes shame, but with the humble [is] wisdom.

11:3  The perfection of the upright shall guide them in the way, but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

11:4  Riches shall not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness shall deliver from death.

11:5  The righteousness of the perfect shall straighten his way, but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

11:6  The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but transgressors shall be imprisoned in [their own] sin.

11:7  When the wicked man dies, [his] hope perishes, and the hope of unjust [men] shall perish.

11:8  The righteous is delivered out of the tribulation, and the wicked takes his place.

11:9  The hypocrite with [his] mouth destroys his neighbour, but the just are delivered with wisdom.

11:10  When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, [there are] feasts.

11:11  By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

11:12  He that is void of understanding despises his neighbour, but the intelligent man remains silent.

11:13  A talebearer reveals secrets, but he that is of a faithful spirit conceals the matter.

11:14  When intelligence is lacking, the people shall fall, but in the multitude of counsellors [there is] salvation.

11:15  With anxiety shall he that is surety for a stranger be afflicted, and he that hates suretyship shall live securely.

11:16  The gracious woman retains honour, and strong [men] retain riches.

11:17  The merciful man does good to his own soul, but the cruel [man] troubles his own flesh.

11:18  The wicked works a deceitful work, but to him that sows righteousness [shall be] a sure reward.

11:19  As righteousness [is] unto life, so he that pursues evil [pursues it] unto his own death.

11:20  They that are of a perverse heart [are an] abomination to the LORD, but [such as are] perfect in [their] way [are] his delight.

11:21  No matter how many covenants he has made with death, the wicked shall not be absolved, but the seed of the righteous shall escape.

11:22  [As] a gold ring in a swine's snout, [so is] a fair woman which is without discretion.

11:23  The desire of the righteous [is] only good, [but] the hope of the wicked [is] wrath.

11:24  There are [those who] scatter, and more is added unto [them]; and [there are those who] withhold more than is just, but [come] to poverty.

11:25  The soul who is a blessing [unto others] shall be made fat, and he that fills shall be filled also himself.

11:26  He that withholds the grain, the people shall curse him, but blessing [shall be] upon the head of him that sells [it].

11:27  He that seeks good early shall find favour, but unto him that seeks evil, [it] shall come upon him.

11:28  He that trusts in his riches shall fall, but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

11:29  He that troubles his own house shall inherit the wind, and the fool [shall be] servant to the wise of heart.

11:30  The fruit of the righteous [is a] tree of life, and he that wins souls [is] wise.

11:31  The righteous shall certainly be recompensed in the earth; how much more the wicked and the sinner!:

Chapter 12

12:1  Whosoever loves chastening loves knowledge, but he that hates reproof [is] carnal.

12:2  The good [man] shall attain the favour of the LORD, but the man of wicked thoughts he will condemn.

12:3  Man shall not be established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

12:4  The virtuous woman [is] a crown to her husband, but she that makes ashamed [is] as rottenness in his bones.

12:5  The thoughts of the righteous [are] upright, [but] the astuteness of the wicked [is] deceit.

12:6  The words of the wicked [are] to lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

12:7  God shall overthrow the wicked, and they shall not be any longer, but the house of the righteous shall remain.

12:8  A man shall be commended according to his wisdom, but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.

12:9  He that despises himself and becomes a servant [is] better than he that honours himself and lacks bread.

12:10  The righteous is merciful [even] unto his beast, but the piety of the wicked [is] cruel.

12:11  He that tills his land shall be satisfied with bread, but he that follows vain [persons is] void of understanding.

12:12  The wicked desires the net of evil [men], but the root of the righteous shall yield fruit.

12:13  The wicked is snared by the transgression of [his] lips, but the just shall come out of the tribulation.

12:14  Man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of [his] mouth, and the recompense of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him.

12:15  The way of the fool [is] right in his own eyes, but he that hears counsel [is] wise.

12:16  A fool's wrath is presently known, but he who covers the injury [is] sane.

12:17  [He that] speaks truth shows forth righteousness, but a false witness, deceit.

12:18  There are [those] that speak like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise [is] medicine.

12:19  The lip of truth shall be established for ever, but a lying tongue [is] but for a moment.

12:20  Deceit [is] in the heart of those whose thoughts are evil, but joy in that of those whose thoughts are good.

12:21  No iniquity shall overtake the righteous: but the wicked shall be filled with evil.

12:22  Lying lips [are] abomination to the LORD: but the workers of the truth [are] his delight.

12:23  The sane man conceals his wisdom: but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.

12:24  The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the negligent shall be under tribute.

12:25  Heaviness in the heart of man makes it stoop: but a good word makes it glad.

12:26  The righteous causes his neighbour to consider: but the way of the wicked causes them to err.

12:27  The deceitful [man] does not [even] roast that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man [is] precious.

12:28  In the way of righteousness [is] life; and [in] the pathway [thereof there is] no death.:

Chapter 13

13:1  A wise son [takes] his father's chastening: but a scorner does not hear rebuke.

13:2  Of the fruit of his mouth man shall eat well: but the soul of the transgressors [shall] starve.

13:3  He that keeps his mouth keeps his life: [but] he that opens his lips often shall have calamity.

13:4  The soul of the sluggard desires, and attains nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

13:5  The righteous [man] hates lying: but the wicked [man] makes himself loathsome, and abominable.

13:6  Righteousness keeps the one of [the] perfect way: but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

13:7  There are [those] that make themselves rich, yet [have] nothing: [there are those] that make themselves poor, yet [have] great riches.

13:8  The redemption of a man's life [is] his riches: but the poor does not hear rebuke.

13:9  The light of the righteous shall rejoice: but the fire of the wicked shall be put out.

13:10  Pride shall certainly give birth to contention: but with the well advised [is] wisdom.

13:11  The riches of vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathers by labour shall increase.

13:12  Hope deferred makes the heart sick: but [when] the desire [is] fulfilled, [it is] a tree of life.

13:13  Whosoever despises the word shall perish by it: but he that fears the commandment shall be rewarded.

13:14  The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

13:15  Good understanding brings forth grace: but the way of transgressors [is] hard.

13:16  Every sane [man] works according to wisdom: but the fool shall manifest [his] folly.

13:17  A bad messenger shall fall into evil: but a faithful ambassador [is] medicine.

13:18  Poverty and shame [shall be to] him that refuses chastening: but he that regards reproof shall be honoured.

13:19  The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but [it is] abomination to fools to depart from evil.

13:20  He that walks with wise [men] shall be wise, but the companion of fools shall be destroyed.

13:21  Evil pursues sinners, but to the righteous good shall be repaid.

13:22  A good [man] shall leave an inheritance to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner [is] laid up for the just.

13:23  In the fallow ground of the poor there [is] much bread, but it is lost for lack of judgment.

13:24  He that cuts short chastening hates his son, but he that loves him chastens him early.

13:25  The righteous eats until his soul is satisfied, but the belly of the wicked shall lack.:

Chapter 14

14:1  Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish plucks it down with her hands.

14:2  He that walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, but [he that is] perverse in his ways despises him.

14:3  In the mouth of the foolish [is] a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.

14:4  Without oxen, the storehouse [is] clean, but by the strength of the ox there is abundance of bread.

14:5  The true witness will not lie, but the false witness will utter lies.

14:6  The scorner sought wisdom and [found it] not, but wisdom [comes] easy unto him that understands.

14:7  Go from the presence of the foolish man when thou dost not perceive [in him] the lips of knowledge.

14:8  The wisdom of the sane [is] to understand his way, but the folly of fools [is] deceit.

14:9  Fools speak sin unto themselves, but among the righteous [there is] love.

14:10  The heart knows the bitterness of his soul, and a stranger shall not intermeddle with his joy.

14:11  The house of the wicked shall be made desolate, but the tent of the upright shall flourish.

14:12  There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.

14:13  Even in laughter, [the scorner] has pain in his heart, and the end of that mirth [is] heaviness.

14:14  The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways, and the good man [shall be separated] from him.

14:15  The simple believes every word, but the prudent [man] understands his steps.

14:16  The wise [man] fears and departs from evil, but the fool rages and is confident.

14:17  [He that is] soon angry shall deal foolishly, and the man of wicked devices shall be hated.

14:18  The simple shall inherit folly, but the prudent shall be crowned with wisdom.

14:19  Those [who are] evil shall bow before those [who are] good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

14:20  The poor is hated even of his own neighbour, but many are those who love the rich.

14:21  The sinner despises his neighbour, but he that has mercy on the poor is blessed.

14:22  Do they not err that meditate upon evil? but those that meditate upon good shall attain mercy and truth.

14:23  In all labour there is fruit, but to talk and not do, brings poverty.

14:24  The crown of the wise [is] their wisdom, [but] that which distinguishes fools [is their] folly.

14:25  The true witness delivers souls, but the deceitful [one] speaks lies.

14:26  In the fear of the LORD [is] strong confidence, and [there] his sons shall have hope.

14:27  The fear of the LORD [is a] fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

14:28  In the multitude of the people [is] the king's glory, but in the failure of the people [is] the weakness of the prince.

14:29  He [that is] slow to wrath [is] of great intelligence, but [he that is] short of spirit exalts folly.

14:30  A sound heart [is] life to the flesh, but envy [is] rottenness of the bones.

14:31  He that oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he that has mercy on the poor, honours him.

14:32  For his wickedness shall the wicked be cast out, but the righteous in his death has hope.

14:33  Wisdom shall rest in the heart of him that is sane and is made known in the midst of the fools.

14:34  Righteousness exalts a people, but sin [is] a reproach to the nations.

14:35  The king's favour [is] toward the wise servant, but his wrath is [against] him that causes shame.:

Chapter 15

15:1  A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.

15:2  The tongue of the wise shall adorn wisdom, but the mouth of fools shall speak foolishness.

15:3  The eyes of the LORD [are] in every place, beholding those [who are] evil and those [who are] good.

15:4  The wholesome tongue [is a] tree of life, but perverseness therein [is] a breach in the spirit.

15:5  The fool despises his father's chastening, but he that regards reproof shall become prudent.

15:6  In the house of the righteous [is] much provision, but in the fruit of the wicked is trouble.

15:7  The lips of the wise disperse wisdom, but the heart of the foolish [does] not so.

15:8  The sacrifice of the wicked [is] an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright [is] his delight.

15:9  The way of the wicked [is] an abomination unto the LORD, but he loves him that follows after righteousness.

15:10  Chastening [is] grievous unto him that forsakes the way, but he that hates reproof shall die.

15:11  Sheol and hell [are] before the LORD; how much more then the hearts of men?

15:12  The scorner does not love [the] one that reproves him, neither will he go unto the wise.

15:13  A joyful heart makes a beautiful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is abated.

15:14  The heart of him that has understanding seeks wisdom, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.

15:15  All the days of the poor [are] difficult, but he that is of a good heart [has] a continual feast.

15:16  Better [is] little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.

15:17  Better [is] a dinner of vegetables where love is than a fatted calf and hatred therewith.

15:18  A wrathful man stirs up strife, but [he that is] slow to anger appeases strife.

15:19  The way of the slothful [man is] as a hedge of thorns, but the path of the righteous [is] made plain.

15:20  The wise son makes a glad father, but the foolish man despises his mother.

15:21  Folly [is] joy to [him that is] destitute of understanding, but the man who is intelligent walks uprightly.

15:22  Without counsel purposes are disappointed, but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

15:23  A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word [spoken] in due season, how good [it is]!

15:24  The way of life [is] uphill to the wise, that he may separate himself from Sheol below.

15:25  The LORD will destroy the house of the proud, but he will establish the inheritance of the widow.

15:26  The thoughts of the wicked [are] an abomination to the LORD, but the speech of the pure is pure.

15:27  He that is greedy of gain troubles his own house, but he that hates gifts shall live.

15:28  The heart of the righteous studies to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

15:29  The LORD [is] far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

15:30  The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, [and] a good report makes the bones fat.

15:31  The ear that hears the reproof of life shall abide among the wise.

15:32  He that refuses chastening despises his own soul, but he that hears reproof has an [understanding] heart.

15:33  The fear of the LORD [is] the instruction of wisdom, and before honour [is] humility.:

Chapter 16

16:1  Of man [are] the preparations of the heart, but the answer of the tongue [is] from the LORD.

16:2  All the ways of a man [are] clean in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirits.

16:3  Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

16:4  The LORD has made all things by himself, [yea], even the wicked for the day of evil.

16:5  Every one [that is] proud in heart [is] an abomination to the LORD; the covenant that he makes, shall not be without chastening.

16:6  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged, and by the fear of the LORD [men] depart from evil.

16:7  When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

16:8  Better [is] a little with righteousness than a great number of fruits with injustice.

16:9  The heart of man devises his way, but the LORD directs his steps.

16:10  A divine sentence [is] in the lips of the king; his mouth does not transgress in judgment.

16:11  A just weight and balance [are] the LORD'S; all the weights of the bag [are] his work.

16:12  [It is] an abomination to kings to commit wickedness, for the throne is to be established with righteousness.

16:13  Righteous lips [are] the delight of kings, and they love him that speaks that which is right.

16:14  The wrath of the king [is as a] messenger of death, but the wise man will avoid it.

16:15  In the light of the king's countenance [is] life, and his favour [is] as [a] cloud of the latter rain.

16:16  How much better [is it] to acquire wisdom than gold! and to acquire understanding is worth more than silver!

16:17  The highway of the upright [is] to separate himself from evil; he that keeps his way preserves his soul.

16:18  Pride [goes] before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

16:19  It is better to humble [your] spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.

16:20  He who has understanding in the word shall find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

16:21  The wise in heart is called [a man] of understanding; and the sweetness of the lips shall increase doctrine.

16:22  Understanding [is] a wellspring of life unto him that has it, but the instruction of fools [is] folly.

16:23  The heart of the wise causes his mouth [to be] prudent, and with his lips [he] shall increase doctrine.

16:24  Pleasant words [are as] a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and medicine to the bones.

16:25  There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.

16:26  The soul of him that labours, labours for himself; for his mouth craves it of him.

16:27  The man of Belial digs [in search of] evil, and in his lips [there is] as a burning fire.

16:28  The perverse man sows strife, and the tale bearer separates princes.

16:29  The evil man flatters his neighbour and leads him into the way [that is] not good.

16:30  He shuts his eyes to devise perverse things; moving his lips he brings evil to pass.

16:31  Old age [is] a crown of glory [if] it is found in the way of righteousness.

16:32  [He that is] slow to anger [is] better than the mighty, and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city.

16:33  The lot is cast into the lap, but the judgment thereof [is] of the LORD.:

Chapter 17

17:1  Better [is] a dry morsel in peace than the house of contention full of sacrifices [for a feast].

17:2  A prudent servant shall have rule over a son that causes shame and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

17:3  The fining pot [is] for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tries the hearts.

17:4  An evil doer gives heed to false lips, [and] a liar gives ear to the tongue which curses.

17:5  Whosoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker, [and] he that is glad regarding the calamity [of someone else] shall not go unpunished.

17:6  Children's children [are] the crown of old men, and the honour of the children [are] their fathers.

17:7  Excellent speech is not suitable for a fool: much less lying lips for a prince!

17:8  A bribe [is as] a precious stone in the eyes of him that has it; wherever it turns, it prospers.

17:9  He that covers a transgression seeks love, but he that repeats a matter separates [very] friends.

17:10  Reproof is of more benefit to a wise man than a hundred stripes to a fool.

17:11  The rebellious [man] seeks only evil; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

17:12  It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.

17:13  Whosoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

17:14  To release the [waters (to speak rashly)] is the beginning of contention; therefore, leave off strife before it gets started.

17:15  He that justifies the wicked and he that condemns the just, even they both [are] abomination to the LORD.

17:16  Of what good is the price to buy wisdom in the hand of the fool, seeing [he has] no heart [to understand]?

17:17  A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

17:18  A man void of understanding strikes hands [and] becomes surety in the presence of his friend.

17:19  Transgression loves him that loves strife, [and] he that exaltes his gate seeks destruction.

17:20  He that has a perverse heart shall never find good, and he that stirs up [trouble] with his tongue shall fall into evil.

17:21  He that begets a fool [does it] to his sorrow, and the father of a fool shall have no joy.

17:22  A joyful heart shall do good [like] a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.

17:23  A wicked [man] takes a gift in secret to pervert the paths of judgment.

17:24  Wisdom [appears] upon the countenance of him that has understanding, but the eyes of a fool [manifest his folly] unto the ends of the earth.

17:25  The foolish son [is] a grief to his father and bitterness to her that bore him.

17:26  It is certainly not good to condemn the just, nor to smite princes for doing that which is upright.

17:27  He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

17:28  Even a fool, when he is silent is counted wise, and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.:

Chapter 18

18:1  Whosoever goes astray seeks according to his own lust and shall meddle with every doctrine.

18:2  A fool has no delight in understanding, but in that which his own heart discovers.

18:3  When the wicked comes, then comes also contempt, and with him who dishonours, reproach.

18:4  The words of a man's mouth [are as] deep waters, [and] the wellspring of wisdom [as] a flowing brook.

18:5  To respect the person of the wicked so that the righteous loses that which is rightfully his is not good.

18:6  A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for strokes.

18:7  A fool's mouth [is] his destruction, and his lips [are] the snare of his soul.

18:8  The words of a talebearer seem smooth, but they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

18:9  He also that is negligent in his work is brother to him that is the great spendthrift.

18:10  The name of the LORD [is] a strong tower: the righteous shall run into it, and be raised up.

18:11  The rich man's wealth [is] his strong city and as a high wall in his imagination.

18:12  Before being broken, the heart of man is haughty, and before coming into honour, [comes] being brought to humility.

18:13  [For] him that answers a word before he hears, it [is] folly and reproach unto him.

18:14  The spirit of man will bear his infirmity, but a broken spirit who can bear?

18:15  The heart of the man of understanding acquires wisdom, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

18:16  A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.

18:17  The [one who is] just is first in his cause, his adversary comes and seeks him out.

18:18  The lot causes contentions to cease and decides between the mighty.

18:19  A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city, and [their] contentions [are] like the bars of a castle.

18:20  A man's belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth, [and] with the product of his lips shall he be filled.

18:21  Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, and those that love it shall eat its fruit.

18:22  [Whosoever] found a wife found a good [thing] and has attained the favour of the LORD.

18:23  The poor uses intreaties, but the rich answer roughly.

18:24  The man [that has] friends must show himself to be a friend, and there is a friend [that] sticks closer than a brother.:

Chapter 19

19:1  Better [is] the poor that walks in his integrity than [he that is] perverse in his lips and is a fool.

19:2  [That] the soul [be] without wisdom [is] not good, and he that hastens with [his] feet sins.

19:3  The foolishness of man perverts his way, and his heart is wroth against the LORD.

19:4  Wealth makes many friends, but the poor is separated from his neighbour.

19:5  A false witness shall not go unpunished, and [he that] speaks lies shall not escape.

19:6  Many will intreat the favour of the prince, but every man [is] a friend to him that gives.

19:7  All the brethren of the poor hate him; how much more shall his friends separate themselves from him? He shall seek their friendship and not find it.

19:8  He that gets wisdom loves his own soul; he keeps intelligence that he might find that which is good.

19:9  The false witness shall not go unpunished, and [he that] speaks lies shall perish.

19:10  Delight is not suitable for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

19:11  The discretion of a man defers his anger, and [it is] his glory to pass over a transgression.

19:12  The king's wrath [is] as the roaring of a lion, but his favour [is] as dew upon the grass.

19:13  A foolish son [is] a pain unto his father, and the contentions of a wife [are] a continual dripping.

19:14  House and riches [are] the inheritance from fathers, but the prudent wife [is] from the LORD.

19:15  Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and the negligent soul shall suffer hunger.

19:16  He that keeps the commandment keeps his own soul, [but] he that despises his ways shall die.

19:17  He that gives unto the poor lends unto the LORD, and he will give him his reward.

19:18  Chasten thy son while there is hope, but do not stir up thy soul to destroy him.

19:19  A man of great wrath shall suffer the consequences, for [even] if thou deliver [him], yet thou must do it again.

19:20  Hear counsel, and receive chastening that thou may be wise in thy old age.

19:21  [There are] many thoughts in the heart of man; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD shall stand.

19:22  Contentment is unto men to show mercy, but [it is] better [to do it] unto the poor than to the liar.

19:23  The fear of the LORD [is] unto life, and [he that has it] shall live satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

19:24  The slothful [man] hides his hand in [his] bosom and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

19:25  Smite a scorner, and the simple will become prudent, and reproving one that has understanding, he will understand knowledge.

19:26  He that steals from his father [and] chases away [his] mother [is] a son that causes shame and brings reproach.

19:27  Cease, my son, to hear the teaching [that] induces one to deviate from the reasons of wisdom.

19:28  A witness of Belial shall scorn judgment, and the mouth of the wicked shall cover iniquity.

19:29  Judgments are prepared for scorners and stripes for the back of fools.:

Chapter 20

20:1  Wine [makes] a mocker, and beer a reveler, and whoever errs concerning them shall never be wise.

20:2  The fear of the king [is] as the roaring of a lion; [whoever] provokes him to anger sins [against] his own soul.

20:3  [It is] an honour for a man to cease from strife, but every fool will be meddling.

20:4  The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; [therefore] he shall beg in harvest and [have] nothing.

20:5  Counsel in the heart of man [is like] deep water, but a man of intelligence will draw it out.

20:6  Most men will proclaim each one his own mercy, but who can find a man of truth?

20:7  The just [man] who walks in his integrity, blessed [shall be] his sons after him.

20:8  A king that sits in the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.

20:9  Who shall be able to say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

20:10  Double weights [and] double measures, both of them [are] alike abomination to the LORD.

20:11  Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work [is] pure and whether [it is] right.

20:12  The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made both of them.

20:13  Do not love sleep lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, [and] thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

20:14  [It is] bad, [it is[ bad, the buyer says; but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.

20:15  There is gold and a multitude of precious stones, but the lips of wisdom [are] a precious vessel.

20:16  Take his garment that is surety [for] a stranger, and take a pledge of him that is surety for a strange woman.

20:17  Bread of deceit [is] sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

20:18  [Every] thought must be ordered by counsel, and with intelligence war is made.

20:19  He that goes about [as] a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore meddle not with him that flatters with his lips.

20:20  Whosoever curses his father or his mother, his fire shall be put out in obscure darkness.

20:21  An inheritance [may be] gotten hastily at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

20:22  Say not thou, I will take vengeance, [but] wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

20:23  Double weights [are] an abomination unto the LORD, and a false balance [is] not good.

20:24  Man's steps [are] of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

20:25  [It is] a snare unto man [to] devour [that which is] holy and afterward to reconsider his vows.

20:26  A wise king scatters the wicked and brings the wheel over them.

20:27  The spirit of man [is] the fire of the LORD, which searches the secrets of the inward parts.

20:28  Mercy and truth preserve the king, and his throne is upheld by mercy.

20:29  The glory of young men [is] their strength, and the beauty of old men [is] the gray head.

20:30  The scars of [past] wounds [are] medicine for evil, and living reproof reaches the most secret [places] in the inward parts.:

Chapter 21

21:1  The king's heart [is] in the hand of the LORD, [as] the rivers of water, he turns it wherever he will.

21:2  Every way of a man [is] right in his own eyes: but the LORD weighs the hearts.

21:3  To do righteousness and judgment [is] more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

21:4  A high look and a proud heart [which is] the fire of the wicked, [is] sin.

21:5  The thoughts of the diligent [tend] only to plenteousness, but of every one [that is] too hasty, only to want.

21:6  The getting of treasures by a lying tongue [is] a vanity tossed to and fro of those that seek death.

21:7  The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them because they refuse to do judgment.

21:8  The way of the perverse man [is] crooked and strange, but [as for] the pure, his work [is] right.

21:9  [It is] better to dwell in a corner of the housetop than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

21:10  The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbour finds no favour in his eyes.

21:11  When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise, and [by] instructing the wise, he receives wisdom.

21:12  The righteous [man] wisely considers the house of the wicked, [how God] overthrows the wicked for [their] evil.

21:13  Whosoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself but shall not be heard.

21:14  A gift in secret pacifies anger, and a bribe in the bosom strong wrath.

21:15  [It is] joy to the just to do judgment, but [it shall be] destruction to the workers of iniquity.

21:16  The man that wanders out of the way of wisdom shall end up in the congregation of the dead.

21:17  He that loves pleasure [shall be] a poor man; he that loves wine and oil shall not be rich.

21:18  The wicked [shall be] a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.

21:19  [It is] better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and an angry woman.

21:20  [There is] treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spends it up.

21:21  He that follows after righteousness and mercy shall find life, righteousness, and honour.

21:22  The wise [man] took the city of the mighty and cast down its strength in which it trusted.

21:23  Whosoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

21:24  Proud [and] haughty scorner [is] his name, who deals in proud wrath.

21:25  The desire of the slothful kills him; for his hands refuse to labour.

21:26  There is [one] who covets greedily all day long, but the righteous gives and keeps on giving.

21:27  The sacrifice of the wicked [is] abomination; how much more, [when] he brings it with lewdness?

21:28  The false witness shall perish, but the man that hears shall stand fast in his word.

21:29  The wicked man hardens his face, but [as for] the upright, he orders his ways.

21:30  [There is] no wisdom nor intelligence nor counsel against the LORD.

21:31  The horse [is] prepared against the day of battle, but salvation [is] of the LORD.:

Chapter 22

22:1  A [good] reputation [is] rather to be chosen than great riches [and] good grace rather than silver and gold.

22:2  The rich and poor meet together; the LORD [is] the maker of them all.

22:3  A prudent [man] foresees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and receive hurt.

22:4  Riches and honour and life [are] the remuneration of humility and of the fear of the LORD.

22:5  Thorns [and] snares [are] in the way of the perverse; he that keeps his soul shall be far from them.

22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.

22:7  The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower [is] servant to the lender.

22:8  He that sows iniquity shall reap iniquity, and the rod of his anger shall fail.

22:9  He that has a merciful eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the destitute.

22:10  Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; strife and reproach shall cease.

22:11  He that loves pureness of heart, [for] the grace of his lips the king [shall be] his friend.

22:12  The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthrows the words of the transgressor.

22:13  The slothful [man] says, [There is] a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

22:14  The mouth of strange women [is] a deep pit; he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

22:15  Foolishness [is] bound in the heart of a child, [but] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

22:16  He that oppresses the poor to increase his [riches] [and] who gives to the rich [shall] surely [come] to want.

22:17  Bow down thine ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my wisdom.

22:18  For [it is] a delightful thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall be ordered together in thy lips.

22:19  That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

22:20  Have I not written unto thee three times in counsels and knowledge,

22:21  that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mightest answer the words of truth to those that send unto thee?

22:22  Rob not the poor, because he [is] poor: neither destroy the destitute in judgment:

22:23  For the LORD will judge their cause and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

22:24  Do not meddle with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go:

22:25  Lest thou learn his ways and get a snare to thy soul.

22:26  Be not thou [one]of them that strike hands [or] of them that are sureties for debts.

22:27  If thou hast nothing to pay, why should they take away thy bed from under thee?

22:28  Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

22:29  Seest thou a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before obscure [men].:

Chapter 23

23:1  When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what [is] before thee;

23:2  and put a knife to thy throat if thou [art] a man given to appetite.

23:3  Do not be desirous of his dainties; for they [are] deceitful food.

23:4  Do not labour to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.

23:5  Wilt thou set thine eyes upon riches which are not? For they shall certainly make themselves wings; they shall fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

23:6  Do not eat the bread of [anyone who has] an evil eye, neither desire his dainty foods;

23:7  for as he thinks in his soul, so [is] he; Eat and drink, he shall say unto thee, but his heart [is] not with thee.

23:8  Didst thou eat thy part? Thou shalt vomit it up and lose thy sweet words.

23:9  Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the prudence of thy words.

23:10  Do not remove the old landmark, and do not enter into the inheritance of the fatherless:

23:11  For their redeemer [is] mighty; he shall judge their cause against thee.

23:12  Apply thine heart unto chastening and thine ears to the words of wisdom.

23:13  Do not withhold correction from the child; for [if] thou shall beat him with the rod, he shall not die.

23:14  Thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol.

23:15  My son, if thy heart is wise, my heart shall also rejoice;

23:16  my kidneys shall also rejoice when thy lips speak right things.

23:17  Let not thy heart envy sinners, but [persevere] in the fear of the LORD all day long.

23:18  For surely there is an end, and thy hope shall not be cut off.

23:19  Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and straighten thy heart in the way.

23:20  Do not be among those who are drunk with wine; nor among gluttonous eaters of food;

23:21  for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall cause them to wear rags.

23:22  Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

23:23  Buy the truth and sell [it] not, [also] wisdom and instruction and understanding.

23:24  The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he that begets a wise [child] shall have joy with him.

23:25  Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice.

23:26  My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

23:27  For a whore [is] a deep ditch and a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.

23:28  She also lies in wait as [for] a prey and increases the transgressors among men.

23:29  For who [shall be] the woe? for who [shall be] the woe? for who contention? for who quarrels? for who the wounds without cause? who shall have redness of eyes?

23:30  For those that tarry long at the wine; those that go to seek mixed wine.

23:31  Do not look upon the wine when it is red, when it gives its colour in the cup, it goes down smoothly.

23:32  At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

23:33  Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

23:34  [Yea], thou shalt be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea or as he that sleeps at the rudder.

23:35  They have stricken me, [thou shalt say], [and] I was not sick; they have beaten me, [and] I felt [it] not; when I shall awake, I will seek it yet again.:

Chapter 24

24:1  Do not be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them.

24:2  For their heart studies robbery, and their lips speak evil.

24:3  Through wisdom the house shall be built, and with intelligence it shall be established:

24:4  And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and beautiful riches.

24:5  The wise man is strong; and the man of understanding is a mighty man of valour.

24:6  For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war, and in the multitude of counsellors there is saving health.

24:7  Wisdom, is too high for a fool; he shall not open his mouth in the gate.

24:8  He that devises to do evil shall be called a man of evil designs.

24:9  The thought of the foolish is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.

24:10  If thou art slack in the day of tribulation, thy strength shall be reduced.

24:11  If thou forbear to deliver [those that are] drawn unto death and [those that are] ready to be slain,

24:12  if thou should say, Behold, we knew it not; shall not he that weighs the hearts understand [it]? and he that keeps thy soul, does he [not] know [it]? and shall he [not] render to [every] man according to his works?

24:13  My son, eat of the honey, because [it is] good, and of the honeycomb, [which is] sweet to thy taste:

24:14  So [shall] the knowledge of wisdom [be] unto thy soul: if thou shalt find [it], and in the end thy hope shall not be cut off.

24:15  Do not lay [in] wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; do not spoil his resting place.

24:16  For a just [man] falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked shall fall into evil.

24:17  Do not rejoice when thy enemy falls, and do not let thy heart be glad when he stumbles

24:18  lest the LORD see [it] and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

24:19  Do not meddle with those who are evil, neither be envious of the wicked;

24:20  for the evil [man] shall not come to a good end; the fire of the wicked shall be put out.

24:21  My son, fear the LORD and the king, [and] do not meddle with those that are given to change,

24:22  for their calamity shall rise suddenly; and the ruin of them both, who shall know it?

24:23  These [things] also [belong] to the wise. [It is] not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

24:24  He that saith unto the wicked, Thou [art] righteous; him shall the peoples curse, nations shall abhor him:

24:25  But unto those that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a blessing of good shall come upon them.

24:26  The lips of the one that gives a right answer shall be kissed.

24:27  Prepare thy work without and make it fit for thyself in thine inheritance, and afterwards thou shalt build thine house.

24:28  Do not be a false witness against thy neighbour, and do not flatter with thy lips.

24:29  Do not say, I will do unto him as he has done unto me; I will render to the man according to his work.

24:30  I went by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding,

24:31  and, behold, it was all grown over with thorns, [and] nettles had covered its face, and its stone wall was broken down.

24:32  Then I saw, [and] considered [it] well: I looked upon [it] [and] received chastening.

24:33  [Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

24:34  So shall thy poverty come [as] one that travels and thy want as an armed man.:

Chapter 25

25:1  These [are] also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

25:2  [It is] the glory of God to conceal the word, but the honour of kings [is] to search out the word.

25:3  For the height of the heavens and depth of the earth and for the heart of kings, there is no investigation.

25:4  Take away the dross from the silver, and a vessel shall come forth for the finer.

25:5  Take away the wicked [from] before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.

25:6  Do not praise thyself in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great [men];

25:7  for [it is] better that it be said unto thee, Come up here than that thou should be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

25:8  Do not go forth hastily to strive lest [thou know not] what to do in the end thereof when thy neighbour has put thee to shame.

25:9  Debate thy cause with thy neighbour [himself] and do not uncover the secret to another

25:10  lest he that hears [it] put thee to shame and thine infamy not turn away.

25:11  A word fitly spoken [is like] apples of gold inscribed with silver.

25:12  [As] an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold, [so is] he who reproves a wise man who has a docile ear.

25:13  As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, [so is] a faithful messenger to those that send him, for he refreshes the soul of his master.

25:14  Whosoever boasts in a gift of falsehood [is like] clouds and wind without rain.

25:15  By long forbearing a prince is persuaded, and a soft tongue breaks the bones.

25:16  Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.

25:17  Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house lest he be weary of thee and [so] hate thee.

25:18  A man that bears false witness against his neighbour [is] a maul and a sword and a sharp arrow.

25:19  Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble [is like] a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.

25:20  As he that takes away a garment in cold weather [and as] vinegar upon soap, so [is] he that sings songs to a heavy heart.

25:21  If thy enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

25:22  for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.

25:23  The north wind drives away rain, so [does] an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

25:24  [It is] better to dwell in the corner of the housetop than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.

25:25  As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so [is] good news from a far country.

25:26  A righteous man falling down before the wicked [is as] a troubled fountain and a corrupt spring.

25:27  [It is] not good to eat much honey, so [for men] to search their own glory [is not] glory.

25:28  The man whose spirit has no restraint [is like] a city [that is] broken down [and] without walls.:

Chapter 26

26:1  As snow in summer and as rain in harvest, so honour is not suited for a fool.

26:2  As the sparrow in its wandering, as the swallow in its flight, so the curse causeless shall never come.

26:3  A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.

26:4  Never answer a fool according to his folly lest thou also be like unto him.

26:5  Answer the fool showing him his folly lest he be wise in his own conceit.

26:6  He that gives responsibility to one who is not able to carry it out [is like] him that sends a message by the hand of a fool, and he shall drink the damage.

26:7  Like unto the way that the [one who is] lame walks, so [is] a proverb in the mouth of the fool.

26:8  As he that binds the stone in the sling, so [is] he that gives honour to a fool.

26:9  [As] thorns sunk into the hand of one who is drunk, so [is] a proverb in the mouth of fools.

26:10  The great [God]that formed all [things] rewards both the fool and transgressors.

26:11  As a dog returns to his vomit, [so] the fool returns to his folly.

26:12  Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? [there is] more hope of a fool than of him.

26:13  The slothful [man] saith, [There is] a lion in the way; a lion [is] in the streets.

26:14  [As] the door turns upon his hinges, so [does] the slothful upon his bed.

26:15  The slothful hides his hand in [his] bosom; it grieves him to bring it again to his mouth.

26:16  The sluggard [is] wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can give [him] counsel.

26:17  He that passes by [and] meddles with strife not [belonging] to him [is like] one that takes a dog by the ears.

26:18  As a mad [man] who casts firebrands, arrows, and death,

26:19  so [is] the man [that] destroys his friend and says, Am I not in sport?

26:20  Where there is no wood, the fire goes out, so where [there is] no talebearer, the strife ceases.

26:21  Charcoal for burning coals and wood for fire, and a contentious man to kindle strife.

26:22  The words of a talebearer seem smooth, but they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

26:23  Burning lips and a wicked heart [are like] a potsherd covered with silver dross.

26:24  He that hates dissembles with his lips and lays up deceit within him;

26:25  when he speaks fair, do not believe him, for [there are] seven abominations in his heart.

26:26  Even though his hatred is covered up in the desert, his wickedness shall be showed before the [whole] congregation.

26:27  Whosoever digs a pit shall fall therein, and he that rolls a stone, it will return upon him.

26:28  A lying tongue hates [those that are] afflicted by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin.:

Chapter 27

27:1  Boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

27:2  Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

27:3  A stone [is] heavy and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath [is] heavier than them both.

27:4  Wrath [is] cruel, and anger [is] impetuous, but who [is] able to stand before envy?

27:5  Open rebuke [is] better than secret love.

27:6  Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy [are] deceitful.

27:7  The full soul loathes a honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

27:8  As a bird that wanders from her nest, so [is] a man that wanders from his place.

27:9  Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, so [does] the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

27:10  Do not forsake thine own friend and thy father's friend, neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity, [for] better [is] a neighbour [that is] near than a brother far off.

27:11  My son, be wise and make my heart glad that I may answer him that reproaches me.

27:12  A prudent [man] foresees the evil [and] hides himself, [but] the simple pass on [and] are hurt by it.

27:13  Take his garment that is surety for a stranger and take a pledge of him that is surety for a strange woman.

27:14  He that blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

27:15  A continual dripping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.

27:16  Whosoever hides her hides the wind, because the oil in his right hand cries [out].

27:17  Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

27:18  Whosoever keeps the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof, so he that waits on his master shall be honoured.

27:19  As in water face [corresponds] to face, so the heart of man to man.

27:20  Sheol and hell are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

27:21  As the fining pot tries the silver and the furnace the gold; so the man is tried by the mouth of whoever praises him.

27:22  Though thou should bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, [yet] his foolishness will not depart from him.

27:23  Be thou diligent to know the countenance of thy sheep, [and] put thy heart into thy herds.

27:24  For riches [are] not for ever, and does the crown [endure] to every generation?

27:25  The tender grass shows itself, and the hay appears, and the herbs of the mountains are reaped.

27:26  The lambs [are] for thy clothing, and the goats [are] for the price of the field.

27:27  And [thou shalt have] goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and [for] the maintenance of thy maidens.:

Chapter 28

28:1  The wicked flee when no man pursues, but the righteous are bold as [a] young lion.

28:2  By the rebellion of the land, many [are] its princes, but by the man of understanding [and] wisdom the [land] shall remain stable.

28:3  A poor man that oppresses the poor [is like] a sweeping rain which leaves no food.

28:4  Those that forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them.

28:5  Evil men do not understand judgment, but those that seek the LORD understand all [things].

28:6  Better [is] the poor that walks in his perfection than [he that is] perverse [in his] ways, though he [is] rich.

28:7  Whosoever keeps the law [is] a wise son, but he that is a companion of gluttons shames his father.

28:8  He that by usury and unjust gain increases his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

28:9  He that turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer [shall be] abomination.

28:10  Whosoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit, but the perfect shall inherit [every] good [thing].

28:11  The rich man [is] wise in his own conceit, but the poor that has understanding is wiser than he.

28:12  When the righteous rejoice, [there is] great glory, but when the wicked rise, the sane man hides himself.

28:13  He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whosoever confesses and forsakes [them] shall attain mercy.

28:14  Blessed [is] the man that fears [God] always, but he that hardens his heart shall fall into evil.

28:15  As a roaring lion and a hungry bear, [so is] a wicked ruler over the poor people.

28:16  The prince void of intelligence [is] also a great oppressor, [but] he that hates covetousness shall prolong [his] days.

28:17  A man that does violence to the blood of [any] person shall flee all the way to the grave, and no one shall sustain him.

28:18  Whosoever walks in integrity shall be saved, but [he that is] perverse [in his] ways shall fall into one of them.

28:19  He that tills his land shall be filled with bread, but he that follows after vain [persons] shall be filled with poverty.

28:20  The man of truth shall abound with blessings, but he that makes haste to be rich shall not be absolved.

28:21  To have respect of persons [in judgment] is not good; even for a piece of bread, man will transgress.

28:22  He that hastens to be rich [has] an evil eye and does not consider that poverty shall come upon him.

28:23  He that rebukes a man, afterwards shall find more favour than he that flatters with the tongue.

28:24  Whosoever robs his father or his mother and says, [It is] no transgression; the same [is] the companion of the destroyer.

28:25  He that is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he that puts his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.

28:26  He that trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whosoever walks in wisdom, he shall be saved.

28:27  He that gives unto the poor shall never lack, but he that hides his eyes [from the poor] shall have many a curse.

28:28  When the wicked rise, sane men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous multiply.:

Chapter 29

29:1  He that being often reproved hardens [his] neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.

29:2  When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn.

29:3  Whosoever loves wisdom causes his father to rejoice, but he that maintains harlots shall lose [his] inheritance.

29:4  The king by judgment establishes the land, but he that receives gifts shall overthrow it.

29:5  The man that flatters his neighbour spreads a net for his feet.

29:6  In the transgression of an evil man [there is] a snare, but the righteous shall sing and rejoice.

29:7  The righteous considers the cause of the poor, [but] the wicked does not understand wisdom.

29:8  Scornful men bring a city into a snare, but wise [men] turn away wrath.

29:9  [If] a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether he rages or laughs, [there is] no rest.

29:10  The bloodthirsty hate the perfect, but the just seek his soul.

29:11  The fool gives full rein to his spirit, but the wise [man] in the end will bring it into rest.

29:12  Of the ruler who hearkens unto the lying word, all his ministers [are] evil.

29:13  The poor and the usurer meet together; the LORD lightens both their eyes.

29:14  The king that judges the poor with truth, his throne shall be established for ever.

29:15  The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left [to himself] shall bring his mother to shame.

29:16  When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases, but the righteous shall see their fall.

29:17  Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; he shall give delight unto thy soul.

29:18  Without [prophetic] vision, the people shall perish, but he that keeps the law is blessed.

29:19  A servant will not be corrected by words, for though he understands he will not obey.

29:20  Seest thou a man [that is] hasty in his words? [there is] more hope of a fool than of him.

29:21  He that gives freely unto his servant from a child shall have him become [his] son in the end.

29:22  The angry man stirs up strife, and the furious man abounds in transgression.

29:23  A man's pride shall bring him low, but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

29:24  Whosoever is partner with a thief hates his own soul; he hears cursing, and does not disclose [it].

29:25  The fear of man brings a snare, but whosoever puts his trust in the LORD shall be lifted up.

29:26  Many seek the ruler's favour, but [each] man's judgment [comes] from the LORD.

29:27  An unjust man [is] an abomination to the just, and [he that is] upright in the way [is] abomination to the wicked.:

Chapter 30

30:1  The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, [even] the prophecy: the man spoke unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

30:2  Surely I [am] more carnal than [any] man and have not the understanding of a man.

30:3  I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledge of the holy.

30:4  Who has ascended up into heaven, or descended? who has gathered the wind in his fists? who has bound the waters in a garment? who has established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, and what [is] his son's name, if thou canst tell?

30:5  Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto those that put their trust in him.

30:6  Do not add unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

30:7  Two [things] have I required of thee; do not deny me [them] before I die:

30:8  Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my judgment:

30:9  Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who [is] the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and blaspheme the name of my God.

30:10  Do not accuse a servant in the presence of his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

30:11  [There is] a generation [that] curses their father, and does not bless their mother.

30:12  [There is] a generation [that are] pure in their own eyes, and [yet] is not washed from their filthiness.

30:13  [There is] a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

30:14  [There is] a generation, whose teeth [are as] swords, and their molars [as] knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the destitute from [among] men.

30:15  The horseleach has two daughters, [which are called], Give, give. There are three [things that] are never satisfied, [yea], four [things] say not, [It is] enough:

30:16  Sheol; and the barren womb; the earth [that] is not filled with water; and the fire [that] never says, [It is] enough.

30:17  The eye [that] mocks at [his] father, and despises the teaching of [his] mother, the ravens shall pluck it out of the river, and the young eagles shall eat it.

30:18  There are three [things which] are hidden from me, [yea], four which I know not:

30:19  The track of the eagle in the air; the track of the serpent upon the rock; the track of the ship in the midst of the sea; and the track of the man in the maid.

30:20  Such [is] the track of an adulterous woman; she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, I have done no wickedness.

30:21  For three [things] the earth is disquieted, and the fourth it cannot bear:

30:22  For a servant when he reigns; and a fool when he is filled with bread;

30:23  for a rejected [woman] when she is married; and a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

30:24  There are four [things which are] little upon the earth, but they [are] wiser than the wise men:

30:25  The ants [are] a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer;

30:26  the conies [are but] a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks;

30:27  the locusts have no king, yet all of them go forth by bands;

30:28  the spider takes hold with her hands and is in kings' palaces.

30:29  There are three [things] which have a magnificent walk; [yea], the fourth is stately in going:

30:30  The lion [which is] strongest among beasts and does not turn away for any;

30:31  [the greyhound] who is girded up of loins; a he goat also, and the king, against whom no one rises up.

30:32  If thou hast fallen, it is because thou hast lifted thyself up; and if thou hast thought evil, [lay] thine hand upon thy mouth.

30:33  Surely the churning of milk brings forth butter and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood; so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife.:

Chapter 31

31:1  The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy with which his mother taught him.

31:2  What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?

31:3  Do not give thy strength nor thy ways unto the women who destroy kings.

31:4  [It is] not for kings, O Lemuel, [it is] not for kings to drink wine; nor is beer for princes

31:5  lest they drink and forget the law and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

31:6  Give beer unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that have heavy hearts.

31:7  They drink and forget their need and remember their misery no more.

31:8  Open thy mouth for those who cannot speak in the judgment of all the sons of death.

31:9  Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and destitute.

31:10  [Aleph] Who can find a valiant woman? for her price [is] far above precious stones.

31:11  [Beth] The heart of her husband safely trusts in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

31:12  [Gimel] She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

31:13  [Daleth] She sought wool and flax and worked willingly with her hands.

31:14  [He] She was like the merchants' ships; she brings her food from afar.

31:15  [Vau] She rose up even at night and gave food to her family and a portion to her maidens.

31:16  [Zain] She considered the inheritance and bought it; with the fruit of her hands she planted a vineyard.

31:17  [Cheth] She girded her loins with strength and strengthened her arms.

31:18  [Teth] She perceived that her merchandise [was] good; her fire did not go out by night.

31:19  [Jod] She laid her hands to the spindle, and her hands held the distaff.

31:20  [Caph] She stretched out her hand to the poor; [yea], she reached forth her hands to the destitute.

31:21  [Lamed] She shall not be afraid of the snow for her family, for all her family [is] clothed with double garments.

31:22  [Mem] She makes herself tapestries; her clothing [is] of fine linen and purple.

31:23  [Nun] Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.

31:24  [Samech] She made fine linen and sold [it] and delivered girdles unto the merchant.

31:25  [Ain] Strength and glory [is] her clothing, and she shall laugh in the last day.

31:26  [Pe] She opened her mouth with wisdom, and the law of mercy [is] upon her tongue.

31:27  [Tzaddi] She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat bread in idleness.

31:28  [Koph] Her sons rose up and called her blessed; her husband [also], and he praised her.

31:29  [Resh] Many daughters have done valiantly, but thou dost excel them all.

31:30  [Schin] Grace [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain, [but] the woman that fears the LORD shall be praised.

31:31  [Tau] Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.: