The Book of Proverbs

Chapter 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and admonition, To comprehend sayings of understanding,
3 To procure discipline, to gain intelligence, Righteousness and right judgment and equities,
4 To give to the simple, prudence, To youth, knowledge and foresight
5 The wise one may also hear and add to his education, And the one of understanding may acquire skills
6 To understand proverb and puzzle, The words of the wise and their enigmas:
7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; Wisdom and admonition the foolish ones despise.
8 Hearken, my son, to the admonition of your father, And do not abandon the law of your mother.
9 For they are a wreath of grace for your head, And necklaces for your throat.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not comply with them;
11 If they say, Do walk with us; Let us wait in ambush for blood; Let us lurk gratuitously for the innocent;
12 Like the unseen, we shall swallow them up alive And robust, like those descending to a crypt;
13 All precious wealth shall we find; We shall fill our houses with loot;
14 Your lot, let it be cast in our midst; One purse, it shall be for us all
15 My son, do not walk in the way with them; Withhold your foot from their track.
16 For their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed blood.
17 For gratuitously is the net tossed Before the eyes of all the possessors of wings.
18 Yet they themselves wait in ambush for their own blood; They lurk for their own souls.
19 Such is the end of all who are greedy for gain; It takes away the soul of its possessors.
20 Wisdom, she is jubilant in the street; In the squares she is raising her voice.
21 At the top of the walls she is calling; At the portals of the gates in the city she is speaking her sayings:
22 How long, simple ones, shall you love simplicity, And mockers covet their mocking, And stupid ones hate knowledge?
23 May you turn back at my reproof; Behold, let me utter what is in my spirit to you; Let me make known my words to you.
24 Because I called, and you refused, I stretched out my hand, and no one attended,
25 And you renounced all my counsel, And my reproof you would not heed,
26 Indeed, I myself shall ridicule in your calamity; I shall deride when alarm comes upon you,
27 When alarm comes upon you like a thunderstorm, And calamity, it arrives upon you like a sweeping whirlwind, When distress and constraint come upon you.
28 Then they shall call me, yet I shall not answer; They shall seek me early, yet they shall not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge, And the fear of Yahweh they would not choose,
30 They would not heed my counsel, They spurned all my reproof,
31 Thus they shall eat of the fruit of their way, And with their counsels they shall be surfeited.
32 For the instability of the simple, it shall kill them, And the carelessness of the stupid, it shall destroy them.
33 Yet whoever is hearkening to me, he shall tabernacle in serenity, And he will be tranquil, away from alarm of evil.

Chapter 2
1 My son, if you take my sayings, And my instructions you store up within you,
2 Attending with your ear to wisdom, And you stretch out your heart to comprehension,
3 Indeed if you call out for understanding, And you raise your voice for comprehension,
4 If you seek it like silver And search for it like buried treasures,
5 Then you shall understand the fear of Yahweh, And the knowledge of Elohim you shall find.
6 For Yahweh Himself gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and comprehension;
7 He stores up sagacity for the upright, A shield for those walking with integrity,
8 So as to preserve the paths of right judgment, And so He may guard the way of His benign ones.
9 Then you shall understand righteousness and right judgment, And you shall be upright in every good route;
10 For wisdom shall come into your heart, And knowledge, it shall be pleasant to your soul.
11 Foresight, it shall guard over you; Comprehension, it shall preserve you,
12 So as to rescue you from the way of evil, From the man who is speaking duplicity,
13 From those who forsake the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness,
14 Who rejoice in doing evil, Who exult in the duplicity of evil,
15 Whose paths are perverse, And who are devious in their routes.
16 This will also rescue you from the alien woman, From the foreign woman who makes her sayings slick,
17 Who forsakes the mentor of her youth, And the covenant of her Elohim she forgets.
18 For her house slips down to death And her routes to the Rephaim;
19 All who enter it shall not return, Nor shall they overtake the paths of life.
20 Heed this that you may walk in the way of good men And keep to the paths of the righteous;
21 For the upright, they shall tabernacle in the land, And those of integrity, they shall be left in it,
22 Yet the wicked, they shall be cut off from the land, And the treacherous, they shall be torn out from it.

Chapter 3
1 My son, do not forget my law, And my instructions your heart shall preserve;
2 For length of days and years of life And well-being shall they add to you.
3 Benignity and truth, let them not forsake you; Tie them about your throat, And write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Thus find grace and good intelligence In the eyes of Elohim and humanity.
5 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, And do not lean to your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He Himself shall straighten your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear Yahweh, and withdraw from evil;
8 It shall mean health to your flesh And refreshing drink to your bones.
9 Glorify Yahweh with your wealth And with the firstfruit of all your income;
10 Then your granaries shall be filled with plenty, And grape juice shall breach your winevats.
11 The admonition of Yahweh, my son, do not reject, And do not be irritated by His reproof,
12 For whom Yahweh loves He corrects, And He gives pain to the son He holds dear.
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains hold of comprehension,
14 For her merchandise is better than merchandise of silver, And her income than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies, So that all your desires are not equal to her.
16 Length of days are in her right hand, And in her left hand are riches and glory.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her tracks are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those holding fast to her, And those upholding her will be made happy.
19 Yahweh, by wisdom, He founded the earth; He established the heavens by comprehension.
20 By His knowledge the abysses broke forth, And the skies drip down the night mist.
21 My son, let them not steal away from your eyes: Preserve sagacity and foresight,
22 So that they become life to your soul And grace to your throat.
23 Then you shall go your way in serenity, And your foot, it shall not trip.
24 Whenever you lie down you shall not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be congenial.
25 You shall certainly not fear sudden alarm Or the ruination of the wicked that is coming;
26 For Yahweh, He shall be your confidence, And He will keep your foot from seizure.
27 Do not withhold good from one petitioning it, When it is at the disposal of your hand to act.
28 Do not say to your associate, Go now and return, And tomorrow I shall give it, when it is already with you.
29 Do not machinate evil against your associate, When he is dwelling in serenity with you.
30 Do not contend against a man gratuitously, When he has not dealt you evil.
31 Do not be jealous of the violent man, And do not choose any of his ways.
32 For an abhorrence to Yahweh is the devious man, Yet with the upright is His intimacy.
33 The curse of Yahweh is on the house of the wicked one, Yet the homestead of the righteous He blesses.
34 If as to mockers, He Himself mocks, So as to the humble, He gives grace.
35 The wise are allotted glory, Yet the stupid are raised up to dishonor.

Chapter 4
1 Hearken, sons, to a father’s admonition, And attend in order to know understanding.
2 For I give you good monition; Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was a young son before my father, Tender, and an only child before my mother,
4 He directed me and said to me: May your heart uphold my words; Keep my instructions and live;
5 Acquire wisdom; acquire understanding; Do not forget, and do not turn aside from the sayings of my mouth;
6 Do not forsake her, and she shall guard you; Love her, and she shall preserve you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom, And with all your acquisition, acquire understanding;
8 Highly regard her, and she shall raise you up; She shall bring you glory as you embrace her;
9 She shall bestow a wreath of grace on your head; A crown of beauty shall she award to you.
10 Hearken, my son, and take in my sayings, That they may increase the years of your life.
11 For in the way of wisdom I direct you; I cause you to tread in routes of uprightness.
12 When you walk, your step shall not be constricted, And when you run, you shall not stumble.
13 Hold fast to admonition; do not relax your hold; Preserve her, for she is your life.
14 In the path of the wicked, do not enter, And do not progress along the way of evil men.
15 Renounce it; do not pass within it; Swerve from it, and pass on.
16 For they cannot sleep until they assuredly do evil, And their sleep is snatched away if they have not caused someone to stumble.
17 Indeed they dine on the bread of wickedness, And the wine of violent acts they drink.
18 While the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn’s brightness, Advancing and becoming resplendent until the day is established,
19 The way of the wicked is like gloom; They do not know over what they stumble.
20 My son, do attend to my words; To my sayings stretch out your ear;
21 Let them not steal away from before your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those finding them, And to one’s entire flesh, they are health.
23 More than any guarding, preserve your heart, For from it spring the outflowings of life.
24 Put away from you a perverse mouth, And devious lips keep far from you.
25 Let your eyes look ahead, And your eyelids be straight in front of you.
26 Balance the route of your foot, And all your ways, let them be established.
27 Do not turn aside to the right or left; Take away your foot from evil.

Chapter 5
1 My son, do attend to my wisdom; To my comprehension, stretch out your ear,
2 In order to guard foresight, That your lips may preserve knowledge.
3 For the lips of an alien woman drip with honeycomb, And the words of her palate are slicker than oil.
4 Yet the aftereffect from her is bitter as absinth, Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet are descending to death; To the unseen her steps hold firm.
6 Lest she should balance the path of life, Her routes rove about, yet she knows not where.
7 So now, my sons, hearken to me, And do not withdraw from the sayings of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her; Do not go near to the portal of her house,
9 Lest you should give your splendor to others And your years to the cruel one,
10 Lest aliens should surfeit themselves on your vigor And on your grievous labors in the house of a foreigner,
11 And you have anguish in your latter days When your flesh and your brawn are exhausted,
12 And you say, How I have hated admonition, And reproof my heart has spurned!
13 I have not hearkened to the voice of those directing me, And to those teaching me I have not stretched out my ear;
14 Soon I came to be in all sorts of evil In the midst of the assembly and the congregation.
15 Drink water from your own cistern, And the flowings from the midst of your own well;
16 Should your springs scatter forth in the streets, Your rillets of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be yours, for you alone, And not for aliens along with you.
18 May your fountain become blessed; Rejoice in the wife of your youth,
19 A loving hind and a graceful ibex; May her affections satiate you in every season; May you be inebriated by her love continually.
20 Why should you be inebriated, my son, by an alien woman And embrace the bosom of a foreign woman?
21 For before the eyes of Yahweh are a man’s ways, And all his routes He is balancing.
22 Concerning the wicked one, his depravities, they shall seize him, And by the cables of his sin shall he be held firm.
23 He himself shall die in his lack of discipline, And in his great folly he shall breathe his last.

Chapter 6
1 My son, if you have become surety for your associate, And you have clasped your palms in pledge for an alien,
2 If you have been trapped by words of your mouth, Have been seized by sayings of your mouth,
3 Do this, indeed, my son, and rescue yourself Since you have come into the clutch of your associate: Go, debase yourself and beset your associate;
4 Do not grant sleep to your eyes Or slumber to your eyelids;
5 Rescue yourself like a gazelle from the hunter, And like a bird from the hand of the trapper.
6 Go to the ant, slothful one; Consider its ways and be wise;
7 Note that there is no captain for it, Superintendent or ruler;
8 Yet it is preparing its bread in summer; It hoards its food at harvest.
9 How long shall you lie down, slothful one? When shall you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands, to lie at rest,
11 And your destitution will come like a wayfarer, And your want like a man with a shield.
12 A decadent human, a lawless man Is one who goes about with a perverse mouth,
13 Who winks with his eyes, who declares with his feet, Who signals with his fingers;
14 Duplicity is in his heart; It is engrossed with evil in every season; It is instigating quarrels.
15 Therefore calamity for him shall come suddenly; He shall be broken instantly, and there will be no healing.
16 These are six things Yahweh hates, Even seven that are an abhorrence to His soul:
17 Exalted eyes, a false tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood;
18 A heart engrossed with lawless devisings, Feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 A false witness who breathes out lies, And one who instigates quarrels among brothers.
20 My son, preserve the instruction of your father, And do not abandon the law of your mother.
21 Tie them upon your heart continually; Wind them about your throat.
22 When you walk about, it shall give you guidance, When you lie down, it shall guard over you, And when you awake, it shall importune you.
23 For instruction is a lamp, and law is a light, And the reproofs of admonition are the way to life,
24 To keep you from the evil woman, From the slick tongue of the foreign woman.
25 Do not covet after her loveliness in your heart, And do not let her captivate you with her eyelids.
26 For a woman of prostitution hunts for a loaf of bread, Yet the adulterous wife of a man hunts a precious soul.
27 Can a man bank a fire in his bosom And his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can a man walk on burning embers And his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who comes to the wife of his associate; Anyone who touches her shall not be held innocent.
30 Men do not despise a thief when he steals In order to fill his soul’s needs when he is famishing,
31 Yet when he is found, he shall repay sevenfold Though he must give up all the wealth of his house.
32 But he who commits adultery with another’s wife has lack of heart wisdom; He is bringing his soul to ruin who does it.
33 Contagion and dishonor shall he find, And his reproach, it cannot be wiped out;
34 For jealousy is fury in a master, And he shall not spare in the day of vengeance;
35 He shall not respect any sheltering gift And shall not be compliant though you increase the bribe.

Chapter 7
1 My son, keep my sayings, And store up my instructions within you.
2 Keep my instructions and live, And guard my law as the pupil of your eyes.
3 Tie them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, You are my sister, And call understanding your near relative,
5 In order to keep you from the alien woman, From the foreign woman who makes her sayings slick.
6 For at the window of my house I gazed out through my latticed oriel,
7 And I saw among the simple, I detected among the young ones, A youth who had lack of heart wisdom.
8 He was passing along the roadway beside her corner, And he stepped the way to her house,
9 In the twilight at the evening of the day, In the tranquil night and the gloom;
10 And behold, a woman met him In the burnoose of a prostitute and wily of heart.
11 She is clamorous and stubborn; Her feet never tabernacle at her home;
12 At times in the street, at times in the squares, And beside every corner she waits in ambush.
13 She held him fast and kissed him; She set her face with impudence and said to him:
14 The sacrifices of peace offerings were due from me; Today I paid my vows.
15 Therefore, I came forth to meet you, To seek your face early, and I am finding you.
16 I have decorated my divan with decorative covers, With bedspreads of Egyptian yarn.
17 I have wafted my bed with myrrh, Aloes and cinnamon.
18 Do come, let us satiate ourselves with affection until the morning; Let us make ourselves joyous with love expressions.
19 For the husband is not in his home; He has gone on his way afar.
20 He took a pouch of silver in his hand, And he shall come back to his home only with the day of full moon.
21 She turned him aside with her great influence; With slick words on her lips she induced him.
22 Suddenly he was going after her, Like a bull that comes to the slaughter, Like a calf to the bonds of foolish creatures,
23 Until an arrow thrusts through his liver, As through a bird that hastened to the snare When it did not know that it was set for its soul.
24 Now then, my sons, hearken to me, And attend to the sayings of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart swerve to her ways; Do not stray into her tracks.
26 For many are the slain she has cast down, And plentiful are all those killed by her.
27 In her house are ways to the unseen, Descending to the chambers of death.

Chapter 8
1 Is not wisdom calling And comprehension giving forth her voice?
2 At the summit of the heights upon the way, The meeting house of the tracks, there she is stationed.
3 At the side of the gates, at the edge of the town, The entry of the portals, there she makes her appeal.
4 To you, men, I am calling And raising my voice to the sons of humanity;
5 To the simple: Understand prudence; And to the stupid: Understand heart wisdom.
6 Hearken, for I am speaking correct words, And the opening of my lips reveals uprightness.
7 For my palate is uttering truth, While wickedness is an abhorrence to my lips.
8 In righteousness are all the sayings of my mouth; There is nothing twisted or perverse in them.
9 All of them are correct to the understanding one, And upright to those who find knowledge.
10 Take in my admonition, and do not prefer silver, And take knowledge rather than choice, fine gold.
11 For wisdom is better than rubies, And all delights are not equal to her.
12 I, wisdom, I tabernacle with prudence, And I keep hold of knowledge and foresight.
13 The fear of Yahweh means to hate evil; Pride and pomp and the way of evil And a mouth of duplicity I hate.
14 Counsel and sagacity are mine; I have understanding; mastery is mine.
15 By me kings reign, And chancellors make statutes of righteousness.
16 By me chief men control affairs, And patrons, all who are judging on the earth.
17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me early, they find me.
18 Riches and glory are with me, Boundless wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold, even more than glittering gold, And my yield is more than choice silver.
20 In the path of righteousness I walk, In the midst of the tracks of right judgment,
21 To allot prosperity to those loving me, So that I fill their treasuries.
22 Yahweh Himself acquired me as the beginning of His way; Preceding His deeds of yore.
23 From the eon was I inaugurated, From the beginning, preceding the earth;
24 When there were no abysses I was travailed in birth, When there were no springs teeming with water.
25 Ere the mountains were sunk in place, Before the hills, I was travailed in birth,
26 When He had not yet made the earth and its open places, Or the beginning of soil for the habitance.
27 When He established the heavens I was there, When He delineated the horizon on the face of the abyss,
28 When He made the skies firm above, When He set the springs of the abyss with strength,
29 When He established for the sea its statutory limit, So that the waters, they may not pass beyond His bidding, When He delineated the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was beside Him as His foster child, And I was filled with bliss day by day, Gamboling before Him in every season,
31 Gamboling in the habitance of His earth, And my bliss was in the sons of humanity.
32 Now then, my sons, hearken to me; Happy are those who keep my ways.
33 Hearken to admonition, and be wise; Do not renounce it.
34 Happy is the man who hearkens to me, Being alert at my doors day by day, Keeping watch at the jambs of my portals.
35 For whoever finds me will find life And shall gain hold of benevolence from Yahweh.
36 Yet whoever misses me wrongs his soul; All who hate me love death.

Chapter 9
1 Wisdom, she has built her house; She has hewn out her seven columns.
2 She has slaughtered her slaughter; She has blended her wine; Indeed, she has arranged her table.
3 She has sent forth her maidens; She is calling from the peaks of the town heights:
4 Whoever is simple, let him withdraw hither, She says to him who has lack of heart wisdom.
5 Come, dine on my bread, And drink of the wine I have blended.
6 Forsake your simple ways and live, And progress in the way of understanding.
7 He who admonishes a mocker is procuring an affront to himself, And he who reproves a wicked man gets himself a blemish.
8 Do not reprove a mocker lest he should hate you; Reprove a wise man, and he shall love you.
9 Teach a wise man, and he shall be wiser still; Inform a righteous man, and he shall add to his education.
10 The starting point of wisdom is the fear of Yahweh, And the knowledge of the Grand Holy One is understanding.
11 For by me your days shall increase, And years of life shall be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise to your gain, And if you mock, you shall bear the results by yourself alone.
13 The woman, stupidity, is clamorous and simple, And she does not know anything at all.
14 She sits at the portal of her house, On a covered seat at the heights of the town,
15 Calling to those passing on the way, Those going straight along their paths:
16 Let whoever is simple withdraw hither, And whoever has lack of heart wisdom; And she says to him:
17 Stolen water, it is sweet, And bread eaten in concealments, it is pleasant.
18 But he does not know that the Rephaim are there, That those she has called are in the depths of the unseen.

Chapter 10
1 Proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes his father rejoice, Yet a stupid son is affliction to his mother.
2 Treasures gained by wickedness shall not benefit, Yet righteousness, it shall rescue from death.
3 Yahweh shall not allow the soul of the righteous to hunger, Yet He shall thrust away the avarice of the wicked.
4 A deceitful palm makes destitute, Yet an industrious hand, it shall enrich.
5 He who hoards food in the summer is a son of intelligence; He who is in a stupor in the harvest is a son of shame.
6 Blessings wreathe the head of the righteous one, Yet violence is covering over the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the righteous one is a blessing, Yet the name of the wicked shall rot away.
8 The one wise of heart is taking in instruction, Yet the one foolish of lips shall flounder.
9 He who walks with integrity walks in trust, Yet he who perverts his ways shall be imperiled.
10 He who winks the eye is making grief, And the one foolish of lips shall flounder.
11 A fountain of life is the mouth of the righteous one, Yet violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred, it rouses up quarrels, Yet love covers over all transgressions.
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the understanding, Yet a club is for the back of him who has lack of heart wisdom.
14 Wise men, they store up knowledge, Yet the mouth of a foolish man brings his undoing near.
15 The wealth of a rich man is his strong town; Their destitution is the undoing of the poor.
16 The wage of the righteous one leads to life; The income of the wicked one leads to sin.
17 He who keeps admonition is on the path to life, Yet he who forsakes reproof goes astray.
18 He who covers up hatred has false lips, And he who brings forth gossip, he is stupid.
19 In the multiplying of words, transgression does not halt, Yet he who keeps back his lips is intelligent.
20 Choice silver is the tongue of the righteous one; The heart wisdom of the wicked is of little value.
21 The lips of the righteous one, they shepherd many, Yet the foolish die from lack of heart wisdom.
22 The blessing of Yahweh, it enriches, And He shall not add grief to it.
23 To the stupid one it is like sport to commit crime, Yet it is like venom to a man of comprehension.
24 What the wicked one shrinks from, it shall come to him, And what the righteous yearn for shall be given.
25 Like the passing sweeping whirlwind, the wicked one is not remaining, Yet the righteous one is founded for the eon.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes, So is the slothful one to those who send him.
27 The fear of Yahweh, it shall add days, Yet the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous brings rejoicing, Yet the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
29 A stronghold for the flawless one is the way of Yahweh, Yet their undoing to the contrivers of lawlessness.
30 By no means shall the righteous one slip for the eon, Yet the wicked shall not tabernacle in the land.
31 The mouth of the righteous one is producing wisdom, Yet the tongue of duplicity shall be cut off.
32 The lips of the righteous one know what is acceptable, Yet the mouth of the wicked is duplicity.

Chapter 11
1 Deceitful scales are an abhorrence to Yahweh, Yet an equitable standard weight is dear to Him.
2 When arrogance comes, then dishonor shall also come, Yet with the meek is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them, Yet the subversion of the treacherous shall devastate them.
4 Wealth brings no benefit in the day of rage, Yet righteousness shall rescue from death.
5 The righteousness of the man of integrity shall make his way straight, Yet by his wickedness shall the wicked one fall.
6 The righteousness of the upright shall rescue them, Yet by their own avarice the treacherous shall be seized.
7 With the death of a wicked man his expectation shall perish, And the hope of lawless men perishes;
8 The righteous one is extricated from distress, And the wicked one shall come in his stead.
9 With his mouth the polluted man would bring ruin on his associate, Yet by knowledge the righteous shall be extricated.
10 In the bounty of the righteous the town is glad, And in the destruction of the wicked there is jubilant song.
11 By the blessing of the upright the town shall be exalted, Yet by the mouth of the wicked it shall be demolished.
12 One who despises his associate has lack of heart wisdom, But the man of comprehension keeps silence.
13 He who goes about as a defamer reveals secret deliberation, Yet one faithful of spirit covers a confidential matter.
14 When there are no strategies a people shall fall, Yet in many counselors there is safety.
15 He shall be imperiled with evil when one is surety for an alien, Yet he who hates clasping hands in pledge dwells in trust.
16 A gracious woman, she takes firm hold on glory, Yet terrifying men, they take firm hold on riches.
17 A man of kindness enlarges his soul, Yet a cruel man brings trouble on his own brawn.
18 The wicked one makes false reward, Yet he who sows righteousness reaps faithful hire.
19 To acquire righteousness leads to life, Yet he who pursues evil goes to his death.
20 An abhorrence to Yahweh are those who are perverse of heart, Yet dear to Him are those flawless of way.
21 A hand upon hand: the evil person shall not be held innocent, Yet the seed of the righteous will be left undisturbed.
22 A pendant of gold in a swine’s snout, Such is a lovely woman who withdraws from discretion.
23 The yearning of the righteous ends only in good, The expectation of the wicked in rage.
24 There is one who disperses yet is enhanced more, And another who keeps back more than what is upright yet ends only with a lack.
25 The soul who gives blessing is conferred with richness, And he who waters, he himself shall be watered also.
26 The folk shall revile him who withholds cereal grain, Yet blessing is on the head of him who retails it.
27 He who seeks early for good shall discover benevolence, And he who seeks after evil, it shall come to him.
28 He who trusts in his riches, he himself shall fall, Yet the righteous shall bud like a leaf.
29 He who brings trouble on his own house shall be allotted wind, And the foolish one shall be servant to the wise of heart.
30 The fruit of a righteous man is a tree of life, And he who procures souls is wise.
31 If the righteous one receives repayment on earth, How much more indeed the wicked one and the sinner.

Chapter 12
1 He who loves admonition loves knowledge, Yet he who hates reproof is irrational.
2 A good man shall gain hold of benevolence from Yahweh, Yet He shall condemn a scheming man.
3 A man cannot be established by wickedness, Yet the root of the righteous is immovable.
4 An able wife is her spouse’s crown, Yet she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.
5 The designs of the righteous are duly just; The strategies of the wicked are deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked wait in ambush for blood, Yet the mouth of the upright shall rescue them.
7 The wicked are overturned, and they become nothing, Yet the house of the righteous shall stand.
8 A man is praised corresponding to his intelligence, Yet he who is depraved of heart becomes despised.
9 Better he who is slighted yet who has a servant Than he who glorifies himself yet has lack of bread.
10 The just man knows the soul’s needs of even his domestic beast, Yet even the compassions of the wicked are cruel.
11 He who cultivates his ground shall be satisfied with bread, Yet he who pursues empty dreams has lack of heart wisdom.
12 The wicked one covets the weir trap of evils, Yet the root of the righteous shall produce fruit.
13 By the transgression of his lips the evil one is entrapped, Yet the righteous one shall come forth from distress.
14 From the fruit of a man’s mouth he shall be satisfied with good As surely as the requital of a man’s hands shall return to him.
15 The way of a fool seems upright in his own eyes, Yet a wise man hearkens to counsel.
16 A fool makes his vexation known right away, Yet a prudent man covers up an affront.
17 He who breathes out truth shall tell what is just, Yet a false witness will speak deceit.
18 There is talk that is like stabbings of a sword, Yet the tongue of the wise is healing.
19 The lip of truth is established into the future, Yet the false tongue lasts only for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those engrossed with evil, Yet rejoicing is for those who counsel peace.
21 Any sorrow shall not be the fate of the righteous one, Yet the wicked, they are filled with evils.
22 False lips are an abhorrence to Yahweh, Yet those who hold to truth are dear to Him.
23 A prudent man covers his knowledge, Yet the heart of the stupid proclaims its folly.
24 The hand of the industrious shall rule, Yet an indolent man shall become tributary.
25 Anxiety in a man’s heart shall bow it down, Yet a good word shall make it rejoice.
26 The righteous man explores more than his associate, Yet the way of the wicked shall lead them astray.
27 The indolent hunter does not singe his game, Yet the wealth of an industrious man is precious.
28 In the path of righteousness is life, Yet the way of abhorrence leads to death.

Chapter 13
1 A wise son heeds his father’s admonition, Yet a mocker does not hearken to rebuke.
2 From the fruit of righteousness the mouth of a man shall eat good, Yet the soul of the treacherous will eat violence.
3 He who constricts his mouth guards his soul; He who distends his lips, it is his undoing.
4 The slothful man yearns for a thing, and his soul finds it not, Yet the soul of the industrious is conferred with richness.
5 The righteous man hates a false word, Yet the wicked one, he brings bad odor and abashment.
6 Righteousness, it shall preserve one whose way is flawless, Yet wickedness, it shall overthrow the sinner.
7 There is one who feigns himself rich yet has nothing at all; Another feigns himself destitute, yet his wealth is great.
8 His riches can be a ransoming shelter for a man’s soul, While one who is destitute need not hearken to threat.
9 The light of the righteous is radiant, Yet the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
10 Surely arrogance produces strife, Yet wisdom is found with those taking counsel.
11 Wealth gained from vanity decreases, Yet one who gets it together by his hands increases it.
12 Hope protracted makes the heart ill, Yet yearning that comes to pass is a tree of life.
13 He who despises the word is held pledged to its terms, Yet he who fears the law’s instruction, he shall fare well.
14 The law of the wise man is a fountain of life, To keep one away from the traps of death.
15 Goodness of intelligence produces grace, Yet the way of the treacherous brings calamity.
16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, Yet the stupid one spreads folly.
17 A wicked messenger casts one into evils, Yet a faithful agent brings healing.
18 Destitution and dishonor come to one who renounces admonition, Yet he who observes reproof shall be glorified.
19 Yearning that comes to pass is congenial to the soul, Yet it is an abhorrence to the stupid to withdraw from evil.
20 He who walks with the wise, he becomes wise, Yet he who associates with the stupid is imperiled.
21 Evil pursues sinners, Yet good is the repayment of the righteous.
22 The good man leaves an allotment to his sons’ sons, Yet the estate of the sinner is stored up for the righteous one.
23 The fallow ground of the destitute may yield much food, Yet it is swept away when there is no right judgment.
24 He who keeps back his club hates his son, Yet he who loves him is early to discipline him.
25 The righteous one is eating to his soul’s satisfaction, Yet the belly of the wicked shall have lack.

Chapter 14
1 A woman’s wisdom builds her house, Yet folly pulls it down with her hands.
2 He who walks in uprightness fears Yahweh, Yet he who deviates in his ways despises Him.
3 In the mouth of the foolish man is a switch for his pride, Yet the lips of the wise shall guard them.
4 When there are no domestic animals the crib is neat, Yet much harvest yield depends on the vigor of the ox.
5 A faithful witness will not lie, Yet a false witness breathes out lies.
6 A mocker seeks wisdom and finds it not, Yet knowledge comes easily to one of understanding.
7 Walk aloof from a stupid man, For you will never become acquainted with lips of knowledge there.
8 The wisdom of the prudent man is to give consideration to his way, Yet the folly of the stupid is self-deceit.
9 Every fool mocks at a guilt offering, Yet among the upright it is dear.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness of soul, And in its rejoicing no alien can partake.
11 The house of the wicked, it shall be exterminated, Yet the tent of the upright, it shall burst into bud.
12 There is a way that seems upright before a man, Yet its end becomes the ways of death.
13 Even in mirth the heart may be in pain, And in its end, rejoicing may become affliction.
14 He whose heart turns away shall be fully repaid for his ways, And the good man for his actions.
15 A simple person believes every word, Yet a prudent man gives consideration to his movement.
16 A wise man is fearing and withdrawing from evil, Yet the stupid one is congenial and trusting to it.
17 One who is impatient in anger does folly, And a man of evil scheming is hated.
18 The simple are allotted folly, Yet the prudent are tenants of knowledge.
19 Evil men bow down before the good And the wicked at the gates of a righteous people.
20 The destitute one is hated even by his associate, And those in friendship with the rich man are many;
21 He who despises his associate is sinning, Yet happy is he who is gracious to the humble.
22 Do they not stray who are engrossed with evil? Yet those engrossed with good show benignity and faithfulness.
23 In all grievous labor there is advantage, Yet mere speech of the lips leads only to want.
24 The crown of the wise is their riches; The folly of the stupid is but folly.
25 A faithful witness rescues souls, Yet he who breathes out lies is lost in deceit.
26 In the fear of Yahweh lies a stronghold of trust, And it shall become a refuge for his sons.
27 The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life To keep one away from the traps of death.
28 In a multitude of people is a king’s honor, Yet in a limit of folk is a chancellor’s undoing.
29 He who is slow to anger shows great comprehension, Yet he who is impatient of spirit heightens folly.
30 A healing heart is life to the flesh, Yet jealousy is rottenness to the bones.
31 He who exploits the poor person shows reproach to his Maker, Yet he glorifies Him who is gracious to the needy.
32 The wicked man is tripped up by his evil, Yet the righteous one finds refuge in his integrity.
33 Wisdom finds rest in the heart of the one with understanding, Yet within the stupid it is not known.
34 Righteousness, it exalts a nation, Yet sin is the base thing of a folk.
35 A king’s benevolence is for an intelligent servant, Yet his rage is bestowed on the one causing shame.

Chapter 15
1 A tender-hearted response turns away fury, Yet grievous speech kindles anger.
2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge well, Yet the mouth of the stupid utters folly.
3 The eyes of Yahweh are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good ones.
4 A healing tongue is a tree of life, Yet words of subversion in it are a breaking of the spirit.
5 A fool spurns his father’s admonition, Yet he who observes reproof shall become prudent.
6 The house of the righteous man contains great assets, Yet the income of the wicked person brings on trouble.
7 The lips of the wise disseminate knowledge, Yet not so the heart of the stupid.
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abhorrence to Yahweh, Yet the prayer of the upright is dear to Him.
9 An abhorrence to Yahweh is the way of the wicked one, Yet the one pursuing righteousness He loves.
10 Admonition is evil to one who forsakes the path; He who hates reproof, he shall die.
11 The unseen and Abaddon lie open in front of Yahweh; How much more so the hearts of the sons of humanity!
12 A mocker does not love any reproof of himself; He does not go to the wise.
13 A rejoicing heart makes the countenance cheerful, Yet by grief of heart the spirit becomes despondent.
14 The heart of one who has understanding seeks knowledge, Yet the mouth of the stupid grazes on folly.
15 All the days of a humbled man seem evil, Yet one cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
16 Better is a little with the fear of Yahweh Than much treasure and discomfiture along with it;
17 Better a ration of greens when love is there Than a fattened ox when hatred is with it.
18 A venomous man stirs up a quarrel, Yet one slow to anger quietens a dispute.
19 The way of a slothful man is like a hedge of prickly nightshade, Yet the path of the upright is a highway.
20 A wise son rejoices his father, Yet a stupid man despises his mother.
21 Folly is amusement to one who has lack of heart wisdom, Yet a man of comprehension keeps to a straight walk.
22 Designs are quashed when there is no deliberation, Yet with many counselors they shall stand firm.
23 Rejoicing comes to a man in the apt response of his mouth, And a word in its season, how good!
24 The path of life leads upward for the intelligent one, That he may keep away from the unseen below.
25 Yahweh shall tear away the house of the proud, Yet He shall keep the widow’s boundaries intact.
26 Evil devisings are an abhorrence to Yahweh, Yet the sayings of pleasantness are pure.
27 He who is greedy for dishonest gain brings trouble on his house, Yet he who hates bribes shall live.
28 The heart of the righteous man cogitates on its answers, Yet the mouth of the wicked utters evil things.
29 Yahweh is far from the wicked, Yet He hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 The luminosity of the eyes rejoices the heart; A good report confers richness on the bones.
31 The ear that is hearkening to life-giving reproof, It shall lodge among the wise.
32 He who renounces admonition rejects his own soul, Yet he who hearkens to reproof acquires heart wisdom.
33 The fear of Yahweh is the discipline of wisdom, And humility goes before glory.

Chapter 16
1 To humanity belong the arrangements of the heart, Yet from Yahweh comes the response of the tongue.
2 All the ways of a man seem spotless in his own eyes, Yet it is Yahweh Who weighs out the spirits.
3 Hand over your doings to Yahweh, And your designs shall be established.
4 Yahweh has made everything for its own outcome, Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
5 An abhorrence to Yahweh is everyone haughty of heart; A hand upon hand, he shall not be held innocent.
6 By benignity and faithfulness a propitiatory shelter shall be made for depravity, And by the fear of Yahweh one will withdraw from evil.
7 When a man’s ways please Yahweh He makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness Than much income with injustice.
9 A man’s heart, it devises his way, Yet Yahweh, He establishes his steps.
10 Divination belongs on the lips of a king; In judgment he should not offend with his mouth.
11 Balance and duly just scales are Yahweh’s; All the standard weights of the purse are His work.
12 The doing of wickedness is an abhorrence to kings, For by righteousness is a throne established.
13 Lips of righteousness are dear to a grand king, And he loves the one who speaks upright words.
14 The fury of a king is like many messengers of death, Yet a wise man shall appease it.
15 In the light of a king’s countenance is life, And his benevolence is like a thick cloud of latter rain.
16 To acquire wisdom, how much better than fine gold, And to acquire understanding, more to be chosen than silver!
17 The highway of the upright goes away from evil; He guards his soul who preserves his way.
18 Pride goes before a breaking down, And a haughty spirit before a stumbling.
19 It is better to be lowly of spirit with the humble Than to split up loot with the proud.
20 He who contemplates on the word shall find good, And who trusts in Yahweh, happy is he.
21 The one wise of heart shall be called an understanding man, And sweetness of lips shall add to his influence.
22 Intelligence is a fountain of life to its possessors, And folly is the flogging of the foolish.
23 The heart of a wise man gives his mouth intelligence, And to his lips it adds influence.
24 Pleasant sayings are honey of the comb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
25 There is a way that seems upright before a man, Yet its end becomes the ways of death.
26 The toiler’s soul toils for him, For his mouth prods him on.
27 A decadent man digs a pit of evil, And on his lips is speech like searing fire.
28 A man of duplicity sends forth a quarrel, And a babbler breaks apart comradeship.
29 A malicious man entices his associate And leads him into a way that is not good;
30 He who fixes his eyes in devising duplicity, Who twitches his lips, he determines evil.
31 Grey hair is a crown of beauty; It is found in the way of righteousness.
32 He who is slow to anger is better than a masterful man, And he who rules over his spirit than one who seizes a city.
33 It is the lot that is cast forth in the bosom; Yet from Yahweh is its every judgment.

Chapter 17
1 Better is a dried-up morsel when ease is with it Than a house full of feastings, with contention.
2 A servant who acts intelligently shall rule over a son who causes shame, And in the midst of the brothers he is apportioned an allotment.
3 The smelter for silver and the crucible for gold, Yet Yahweh is testing hearts.
4 The evildoer attends to lawless lips; The false man gives ear to the woe-scheming tongue.
5 He who derides the destitute one reproaches his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity shall not be held innocent.
6 Sons of sons are the crown of the old, And their fathers are the beauty of sons.
7 Excelling eloquence is not befitting for the decadent person; How much less indeed false eloquence in the patron.
8 A bribe is like a stone for favor in the eyes of its possessors; Wherever it is present it proceeds effectively.
9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, Yet he who repeats a matter breaks apart comradeship.
10 A rebuke settles deeper into one of understanding Than a hundred smitings into a stupid man.
11 An evil man is seeking only rebellion, And a cruel messenger is sent against him.
12 Let a bereaved bear encounter a man, But certainly not a stupid person in his folly.
13 If one returns evil for good, Evil shall not remove itself from his house.
14 The beginning of a quarrel is like opening up a dam of water, So before the dispute rails, abandon it.
15 He who justifies the wicked person and he who condemns the righteous man, Even both of them are an abhorrence to Yahweh.
16 Why then should the price be in the hand of a stupid man To acquire wisdom, since he has no heart understanding?
17 The close associate keeps friendship in every season, And a brother is born to share distress.
18 A man who has lack of heart wisdom will clasp his palm in pledge, Becoming hostage as surety in the presence of his associate.
19 He who loves transgression loves strife; He who makes his portal lofty seeks its breaking down.
20 A perverse heart does not find good, And he who is warped in his tongue falls into evil.
21 One who begets a stupid child has affliction for himself, And a father of a decadent son cannot rejoice.
22 A rejoicing heart does good as a cure, Yet a despondent spirit dries up the ribs.
23 A wicked man takes a bribe from the bosom To turn aside the paths of right judgment.
24 Wisdom lies before the face of the one of understanding, Yet the eyes of the stupid one roam to the ends of the earth.
25 A stupid son is vexation to his father And bitterness to her who bore him.
26 To fine also the righteous one is not good, Or to smite patrons for their uprightness.
27 One who knows knowledge keeps back on his sayings, And the man of comprehension is reticent of spirit.
28 Even a fool who keeps silence is reckoned wise; He who closes up his lips has understanding.

Chapter 18
1 From a complainer one is seeking to be parted; Against all sagacity is he railing.
2 The stupid man does not delight in comprehension, But rather in confiding his heart to others.
3 When wickedness comes, so also comes contempt, And with dishonor comes reproach.
4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The fountain of wisdom is a watercourse bubbling forth.
5 To show partiality to the wicked is not good, Or to turn aside the righteous one in judgment.
6 The lips of a stupid man bring him into controversy, And his mouth calls for beatings.
7 The mouth of a stupid man is his undoing, And his lips are a trap for his soul.
8 The words of a babbler are like tidbits; They descend to the chambers of the belly.
9 One who is slack in his work, He is brother to a ruinous person.
10 The Name of Yahweh is a strong tower; The righteous one runs to it and is made impregnable.
11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong town, And in his fancy it is like an impregnable wall.
12 The heart of a man is haughty before a breaking, Yet humility comes before glory.
13 He who replies with speech ere he has heard, It is folly to him and mortification.
14 A man’s spirit sustains him in his illness, Yet a despondent spirit, who can bear it?
15 The heart of one who has understanding acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A man’s gift widens the way for him, And guides him before the great.
17 The first one to make his contention seems right Until his associate comes and investigates him.
18 Casting the lot causes quarrels to cease, And keeps staunch foes apart.
19 A brother transgressed against is more unyielding than a strong town, And quarrels are like bars of a citadel.
20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth, his belly is satisfied; He must be satisfied with the yield from his lips.
21 Death and life lie in the grip of the tongue, And they who love it shall eat its fruit.
22 If one finds a wife he finds good, And he gains hold of benevolence from Yahweh.
23 One who is destitute speaks with supplications, Yet the rich man responds with roughness.
24 There are associates disposed to be evildoers, Yet there is a friendship more loyal than a brother’s.

Chapter 19
1 Better one who is destitute who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse with his lips, who also is stupid.
2 Indeed any soul without knowledge is not good, And he who rushes with his feet misses his goal.
3 A man’s folly subverts his way, And his heart is irate against Yahweh.
4 Wealth adds many associates, Yet the poor man is parted from his associate.
5 A false witness shall not be held innocent, And he who breathes out lies shall not escape.
6 Many beseech a patron to his face, And everyone is the associate of a man with gifts.
7 All the brothers of a destitute man hate him; How much more do his associates keep far from him. To pursue sayings does not gain them;
8 He who acquires heart wisdom loves his soul; He who guards comprehension will find good.
9 A false witness shall not be held innocent, And he who breathes out lies shall perish.
10 Rich delights are not comely for the stupid person; How much less for a servant to rule over chiefs.
11 It is intelligence for a man when he postpones his anger, And it is his beauty to pass over a transgression.
12 The ire of a king is a growling like that of a sheltered lion, Yet his benevolence is like night mist on the herbage.
13 A stupid son is woe to his father, And a quarrelsome wife like persistent dripping of water.
14 A house and wealth are an allotment from fathers, Yet from Yahweh comes an intelligent wife.
15 Slothfulness casts one down into stupor, So that the soul of the indolent man shall famish.
16 He who observes instruction guards his soul; He who despises his ways shall die.
17 He who is gracious to a poor man lends to Yahweh, And He shall pay him his requital.
18 Discipline your son while there is expectation, And let not your soul assist in letting him die.
19 A man of great fury incurs a fine, For if you try to reclaim him, you must do it again and again.
20 Hearken to counsel and receive admonition That you may be wise in your latter days.
21 Many are the designs in a man’s heart, Yet the counsel of Yahweh, it shall stand firm.
22 The comeliness of a man is his kindness, And a destitute friend is better than a man of lies.
23 The fear of Yahweh leads to life; Then one shall lodge satisfied, no more being visited by evil.
24 The slothful man buries his hand into the dinner-bowl, And he does not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 You smite a mocker, and a simple man shall become prudent; You reprove one of understanding, and he shall understand more knowledge.
26 He who devastates his father and drives away his mother Is a son causing shame and abashment.
27 My son, shun the hearing of admonition That causes to err, away from the sayings of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness mocks at right judgment, And the mouth of the wicked swallows down lawlessness.
29 Judgments are prepared for mockers And beatings for the backs of the stupid.

Chapter 20
1 Wine is a mocker, an intoxicant a discomfiter; And anyone inebriated by it, he is not wise.
2 Dread inspired by a king is a growling like that of a sheltered lion; He who enrages him sins against his own soul.
3 It is glory to a man to cease from disputing, Yet every fool, he rails on.
4 In autumn the slothful man does not plow; In harvest time he shall be begging, but there will be nothing.
5 The counsel in a man’s heart is like deep waters, Yet a man of comprehension shall draw it out.
6 Many a man proclaims, each one, his kindness, Yet a faithful man who can find?
7 A righteous man who is walking in his integrity Happy are his sons after him.
8 A king sitting on the throne of adjudication Winnows out all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, I have made my heart spotless; I am cleansed from my sin?
10 Standard weight differing with standard weight, ephah with ephah, An abhorrence to Yahweh are they both.
11 Even a youth is recognized by his actions, Whether his deeds are spotless and upright.
12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye Yahweh has made them both.
13 Do not love sleep lest you should become destitute; Unclose your eyes so as to be surfeited with bread.
14 Bad, Bad! says the buyer, Yet after his departing, then he boasts.
15 Gold there is and many rubies, Yet a most precious jewel is lips speaking knowledge.
16 Take his cloak, for he has become surety for an alien, And since it is in behalf of a foreign woman, hold it in pledge.
17 Congenial to a man is bread gained by falsehood, Yet afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
18 Designs should be established by counsel; Execute war according to strategies.
19 He who goes about as a defamer reveals secret deliberation, And so you should not mix with one who entices with his lips.
20 He who maledicts his father and his mother, His lamp shall be extinguished at the approach of darkness.
21 An allotment rashly gained at first, It shall not be blessed at last.
22 Do not say, I shall indeed repay for evil; Be expectant toward Yahweh, and He shall save you.
23 An abhorrence to Yahweh is a standard weight differing with standard weight, And deceitful scales are not good.
24 A master’s steps are directed by Yahweh; How then can a man understand his way?
25 It is a trap when a man impetuously pledges a holy donation, And only after making his vows makes a quest into it.
26 A wise king winnows the wicked And turns about the wheel over them.
27 The lamp of Yahweh is the lifebreath of mankind, Searching all the chambers of the inner being.
28 Benignity and faithfulness, they preserve the king, And by benignity his throne is braced.
29 The beauty of those in their prime is their vigor, And the honor of those who are old is grey hair.
30 Welts and injury are the scouring agents against evil, And blows purge the chambers of the inner being.

Chapter 21
1 Like rillets of water is the king’s heart in the hand of Yahweh; Wherever He desires, He redirects it.
2 Every way of a man seems upright in his own eyes, Yet it is Yahweh Who gauges the hearts.
3 To do righteousness and right judgment Is more choice to Yahweh than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a pretentious heart, The lamp of the wicked, are sin.
5 The designs of the industrious lead surely to advantage, Yet all who rush come surely to want.
6 The contriving together of treasures by a false tongue Is a vanity whisked away, a seeking of death.
7 The devastation of the wicked, it shall turn against them, For they refuse to execute right judgment.
8 Oblique is the way of a man laden with guilt, Yet spotless is the upright man in his deeds.
9 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop Than share with a quarrelsome wife a house of partnership.
10 The soul of the wicked man lusts after evil; His associate shall not be shown grace in his eyes.
11 When a mocker is fined, the simple person shall become wise, And when a wise man gains intelligence, he procures knowledge.
12 The Righteous One is intelligent as to the heart of the wicked man Overthrowing the wicked into evil.
13 Whoever closes up his ear to the outcry of the poor one When he himself also calls out, he shall not be answered.
14 A gift in concealment mollifies anger, And a bribe in the bosom, strong fury.
15 A rejoicing to the righteous one is the execution of right judgment, Yet an undoing to those who contrive lawlessness.
16 The man who strays from the way of intelligence Comes to rest in the assembly of the Rephaim.
17 A man of want is he who loves amusement; He who loves wine and oil shall never be rich.
18 The wicked man is a ransoming shelter for the righteous one, And the treacherous person for the upright.
19 It is better to dwell in a wilderness land Than with a quarrelsome and vexatious wife.
20 Coveted treasure and oil are in the homestead of the wise man, Yet the stupid man swallows it all up.
21 He who pursues righteousness and benignity, He shall find life, righteousness and glory.
22 A wise man ascends against a city of the masterful And brings down the stronghold of its trust.
23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue, He keeps his soul from distresses.
24 The arrogant and ostentatious man mocker is his name, The one who acts with arrogant rage.
25 The yearning of the slothful man puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work;
26 All the day he yearns with yearning, Yet the righteous one gives and does not keep back.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abhorrence; How much more so when such a one brings it with scheming.
28 The witness of lies, he shall perish, Yet the man who hearkens carefully, he shall speak with permanent force.
29 A wicked man sets his face with impudence, Yet an upright man, he considers his way.
30 There is no wisdom, there is no comprehension, And there is no counsel in confronting Yahweh.
31 A horse is prepared for the day of battle, Yet the victory belongs to Yahweh.

Chapter 22
1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches; Grace is better than silver and gold.
2 The rich man and the destitute one encounter in this: Yahweh is the Maker of them all.
3 A prudent man, he sees evil ahead and conceals himself, Yet the simple pass along, and they are mulcted.
4 The consequence of humility is fear of Yahweh, Riches and glory and life.
5 Pricking thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse man; He who guards his soul shall keep far from them.
6 Train up a youth in accordance with his proper way; Even when he is old he shall not withdraw from it.
7 The rich man rules over the destitute, And the borrower is slave to the man who lends.
8 He who sows iniquity shall reap sorrow, And the club of his rage shall fail.
9 He who has a bountiful eye shall be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor person.
10 Drive out the mocker, and quarreling shall go forth, And suing and dishonor shall cease.
11 He who loves a clean heart, on whose lips is grace, The king shall be his associate.
12 The eyes of Yahweh, they preserve knowledge, Yet He overthrows the words of the treacherous one.
13 The slothful man says: There is a lion outdoors; I shall be murdered in the midst of the square.
14 The mouth of the alien woman is a deep pit; He with whom Yahweh is indignant shall fall thereinto.
15 Folly is tied to the heart of a youth; The club of discipline shall put it far from him.
16 He who exploits the poor one to increase his gain And he who gives to the rich will surely come to want.
17 Stretch out your ear and hear the words of the wise, And let your heart be set on my knowledge.
18 For it will be pleasant when you keep them in your inner being, When they are established together on your lips.
19 That your trust may come to be in Yahweh, I make them known to you today, indeed you.
20 Have I not written for you threefold With counsels and knowledge,
21 To cause you to know verity, sayings of truth, To reply with sayings, truth for those sending you?
22 Do not pillage the poor person, for he is weak, And do not crush the humble one in the gate.
23 For Yahweh, He shall contend their cause, And He will defraud their defrauders of their soul.
24 Do not associate with an angry person, And do not set out with a furious man,
25 Lest you should become trained in his paths, And you get into a trap for your soul.
26 Do not be among those who clasp the palm in pledge, Among those who are surety for loans;
27 If you have nothing to make a repayment, Why have your bed taken from under you?
28 Do not move away the eonian boundary marker Which your fathers have made.
29 Do you perceive a man who is swift in his errand? He shall station himself before kings; By no means shall he station himself before the commonplace.

Chapter 23
1 In case you sit to dine with a ruler, You should understand, yea understand who is before you,
2 And place a knife-point to your gullet If you are a person of gluttony.
3 Do not yearn for his tasty dishes, For that is bread of lies.
4 Do not labor to become rich; In your understanding, forbear.
5 While your eyes are on it, does it fly away and is no more? Indeed riches make wings for themselves And fly away to the heavens like a vulture.
6 Do not dine on the bread of one having a stingy eye, And do not yearn for his tasty dishes,
7 For like one who calculates within his soul, so is he; Eat and drink, he says to you, Yet his heart is by no means with you.
8 Your morsel you have eaten, you shall vomit it up, And ruin your pleasant words.
9 Into the ears of the stupid man do not speak, For he shall despise the intelligence of your declarations.
10 Do not move away the boundary marker of the widow, And into the fields of the orphans do not enter,
11 For their Redeemer is steadfast; He Himself shall contend their cause against you.
12 Do bring your heart to admonition And your ear to the sayings of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold discipline from the youth, For should you smite him with the club he shall not die;
14 You shall smite him with the club And so rescue his soul from the unseen.
15 My son, if your heart is wise, My heart shall rejoice, even I;
16 My innermost being shall be joyous When your lips speak upright words.
17 Let not your heart be jealous of sinners, But rather be zealous for the fear of Yahweh all the day,
18 For then you have a hereafter, And your expectation, it shall not be cut off.
19 Hearken now, my son, and be wise, And make your heart progress in the way.
20 Do not be among wine carousers, Among those who are gluttonous on flesh for themselves;
21 For the carouser and the gluttonous man shall become destitute, And slumber shall clothe one in tatters.
22 Hearken to your father, this one who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Wisdom and admonition and understanding.
24 The father of a righteous son shall exult, yea unto exultation; He who begets a wise son shall rejoice in him;
25 Your father and your mother shall rejoice; She who bore you shall exult.
26 My son, do give your heart to me, And let your eyes hold my ways dear.
27 For the prostitute is a deep pit, And the foreign woman is a narrow well.
28 Indeed she waits in ambush like an abductor, And she adds to the treacherous ones among mankind.
29 Who has woe? who has uneasiness? who has quarrels? Who has deep concerns? who has gratuitous injuries? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 They have who delay over wine, Who come to investigate a blend.
31 Do not stare at wine when it is red, When it casts its sparkle in the cup and goes down evenly.
32 Its aftereffect shall bite like a serpent And spread pain like a viper.
33 Your eyes shall see alien things, And your heart shall speak wayward thoughts.
34 You will become like one who lies down on the heart of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of the rigging.
35 They smite me, yet I am not at all wounded; They beat me, yet I have no knowledge of it. When shall I awake? I shall again seek it once more.

Chapter 24
1 Do not be jealous of evil men, And do not yearn to be with them.
2 For their heart cogitates on devastation, And their lips plan misery.
3 By wisdom a house is built, And by comprehension it is established.
4 By knowledge its chambers are filled With all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 A wise master is one with strength, And a man of knowledge is resolute with vigor;
6 For you wage war for yourself according to strategy, And in many counselors there is safety.
7 Wisdom is too high for the fool; In the gateway he does not open his mouth.
8 He who designs to do evil, They shall call him a scheming person.
9 The scheming of folly is sin, And a mocker is an abhorrence to humanity.
10 If you slacken in a day of distress, How constricted is your vigor!
11 Rescue those being taken away to death, And you should keep back those who are slipping away to the kill.
12 If you say, Behold, we know nothing about this, Does not He Who gauges hearts detect it, And He Who preserves your soul know it, Who will render to a man according to his deed?
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, And honeycomb is sweet on your palate;
14 Do know that wisdom is so to your soul when you find it, And it has a future so that your expectation shall not be cut off.
15 Do not wait in ambush as a wicked man against the homestead of a righteous one; Do not devastate his reclining place;
16 For the righteous one shall fall seven times and still rise, Yet the wicked shall be stumbled by evil plight.
17 At the fall of your enemy do not rejoice, And at his stumbling do not let your heart exult,
18 Lest Yahweh should see, and it be evil in His eyes, So that He turns away His anger from him.
19 Do not grow hot over evildoers; Do not be jealous over the wicked;
20 For there shall be no good end for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked, it shall be extinguished.
21 Fear Yahweh, my son, and the king; With both of them do not be enraged;
22 For suddenly calamity from them shall rise, And misfortune from them both, who can know it?
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To be biased in judgment is never good.
24 He who says to the wicked man, You are righteous The peoples shall revile him; the folk shall be indignant toward him.
25 Yet for those who reprove, it shall be pleasant, And on them shall come the blessing of good.
26 He kisses the lips Who replies with corrective words.
27 Prepare your work outside, and equip it for yourself in the field; Afterward you may then build up your household.
28 Do not become a gratuitous witness against your associate, Or would you dupe with your lips?
29 Do not say, Just as he did to me, so shall I do to him; I shall render to the man according to his deed.
30 I passed by the field of the slothful man, And by the vineyard of the man who has lack of heart wisdom,
31 And behold, all of it came up with stinging nettles, Prickly acanthus covered its surface, And its barrier-wall of stones was pulled down.
32 Then I myself perceived and set my heart on it; I saw and took admonition:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands, to lie at rest,
34 And your destitution will come like a wayfarer, And your want like a man with a shield.

Chapter 25
1 These also are proverbs of Solomon Which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed:
2 It is the glory of Elohim to conceal a matter, And the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
3 The heavens for height and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings is fathomless.
4 Remove away the dross from silver, And a vessel shall come forth for the refiner;
5 Remove away the wicked one from before the king, And his throne shall be established in righteousness.
6 Do not honor yourself before the king, And do not install yourself in the place of the great;
7 For it is better that it be said to you, Come up here, Than for you to be abased before the patron. What your eyes have seen,
8 Do not speak forth hastily in contending your case; For what shall you do in its end, When your associate mortifies you?
9 Contend your cause privately with your associate, And do not expose another’s deliberation,
10 Lest he who hears should embarrass you When you cannot retract your gossip.
11 Apricots of gold in pictures of silver Is a word aptly spoken.
12 A pendant of gold and an eardrop of certified gold Is the reproof of a wise man upon a hearkening ear.
13 Like the chill of snow in the day of harvest Is a faithful agent to those who send him; He restores the soul of his lords.
14 Like vapors and wind when there is no downpour Is a man who boasts in a gift of falsity.
15 By slowness of anger a captain can be enticed, And a tender tongue can break the rib.
16 When you find honey eat only what is sufficient for you, Lest you should be so surfeited with it that you vomit it up;
17 Let your foot be seldom in your associate’s house, Lest he should be so surfeited with you that he will hate you.
18 A maul, a sword and a whetted arrow, Such is a man who asserts against his associate with false testimony.
19 A bad tooth and a tottering foot, Such is trust placed in a treacherous one in a day of distress.
20 Like one disrobing a cloak on a cold day, like vinegar on soda, So is one singing songs to a troubled heart.
21 If one hating you is hungry, give him bread to eat, And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
22 For you will be banking burning embers on his head, And Yahweh Himself shall repay you.
23 A north wind travails forth a downpour, And a clandestine tongue makes a menacing face.
24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop Than share with a quarrelsome wife a house of partnership.
25 Alike are cold water to a fainting soul And a good report from a far off land.
26 A fouled spring and a corrupted fountain, Such is a righteous man who is movable before the wicked person.
27 To eat much honey is not good, Nor is investigation of their own glory a glory for men.
28 A breached city where there is no wall, Such is a man to whose spirit there is no restraint.

Chapter 26
1 Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, So glory is not befitting for the stupid one.
2 Like the sparrow in its flitting, like the swallow in its flying, So a gratuitous malediction does not come to rest.
3 A whip for the horse, a bit for the donkey, And a club for the back of the stupid.
4 Do not answer a stupid man according to his folly, Lest you should become equal to him, even you.
5 Answer a stupid man according to his folly, Lest he should become wise in his own eyes.
6 He cuts away his feet, drinking violence, Who sends words by the hand of a stupid person.
7 The legs of a lame man are impoverished; So is a proverb in the mouth of the stupid.
8 Like one who ties up a stone in a slingshot, So is he who gives glory to the stupid one.
9 A thistle taken up in the hand of a drunkard, So is a proverb in the mouth of the stupid.
10 Much travails forth all the more, Yet the hire of the stupid person and his hirer shall pass away.
11 Like a cur that returns to its vomit, So is a stupid man who repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more expectation for a stupid man than for him.
13 The slothful man says, There is a black lion in the road, A lion in the square!
14 The door turns about on its hinges, And the slothful one on his couch.
15 The slothful man buries his hand into the dinner-bowl; He is too tired to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The slothful man is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who reply with discretion.
17 Holding a cur fast by its ears: So is a passerby who trespasses upon a dispute not belonging to him.
18 Like a frantic man who shoots firebrands, arrows and death,
19 So is the man who deceives his associate And then says, Did I not make good sport?
20 When the wood reaches its limit, a fire is quenched, And when there is no babbler, a quarrel calms down.
21 Charcoal for embers and wood for fire, And a quarrelsome man to heat a contention.
22 The words of a babbler are like tidbits; They descend to the chambers of one’s belly.
23 Silver dross overlaying earthenware, Such are slick lips when the heart is evil.
24 With his lips, one who hates dissembles, Yet within him he firmly sets deceit;
25 When his voice sounds generous, do not believe him, For seven abhorrences are in his heart.
26 One’s hatred can be covered by guile, But his evil shall be revealed in the assembly.
27 He who digs a pit, he shall fall into it, And he who rolls a stone, it shall turn back upon him.
28 A false tongue hates those crushed by it, And a slick mouth works havoc.

Chapter 27
1 Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may generate.
2 Let an alien praise you, and not your own mouth, A foreigner, and certainly not your own lips.
3 Heavy is stone, and weighty is sand, Yet vexation from a fool is heavier than them both.
4 Fury is cruel, and anger overwhelming, Yet who can stand before jealousy?
5 Better is exposed reproof Than love that is concealed.
6 Faithful are the injuries of one in friendship, Yet shifty are the kisses of one who hates.
7 The soul that is surfeited tramples on honeycomb, Yet to the famished soul, any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest, So is a man who wanders from his place.
9 Oil and incense rejoice the heart, And the sweetness of one’s associate stems from the counsel of his soul.
10 Do not forsake your associate or your father’s associate; Do not set out to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.
11 Be wise, my son, and rejoice my heart, So that I can return a good word to him who challenges me.
12 A prudent man sees evil ahead and conceals himself; The simple pass along and are mulcted.
13 Take his cloak, for he has become surety for an alien, And since it is in behalf of a foreign woman, hold it in pledge.
14 He who blesses his associate with a loud voice rising early in the morning It shall be reckoned to him as a malediction.
15 A persistent dripping of water on a blustery day And a quarrelsome wife it is equal;
16 He who stifles her can stifle the wind And can dictate to oil in his right hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the acumen of his associate.
18 He who nurtures a fig tree shall eat its fruit, And he who guards his lord shall be glorified.
19 As water reflects face to face, So is the heart of a human to a human.
20 The unseen and Abaddon are never satisfied, And the eyes of humanity are also never satisfied.
21 The smelter for silver and the crucible for gold, Yet a man is tested corresponding to his praise.
22 Though you bray the fool in a mortar, In the midst of the grist with a pestle, His folly shall not go away from him.
23 You should know, yea know, the condition of your flock; Set your heart upon your droves;
24 For assets do not last for an eon, Nor a treasure for generation after generation.
25 When the grass is carried away and new verdure is seen, And the herbage of the mountains is gathered in,
26 The he-lambs will supply your clothing, And the he-goats the price of a field;
27 There will be sufficient goat milk for your nourishment and for your household’s nourishment, And the means of life for your maidens.

Chapter 28
1 The wicked man flees when there is no one pursuing, Yet the righteous trust confidently like a sheltered lion.
2 With transgression in a land, its chiefs are many, Yet with a man of understanding who knows properly, it shall be prolonged.
3 A wicked master, who exploits the poor, Is a flattening rain that makes no nourishment.
4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, Yet those who keep the law struggle against them.
5 Evil men do not understand right judgment, Yet those who seek Yahweh understand it all.
6 Better is a destitute man who walks in his integrity Than one whose ways are perverse, though he be rich.
7 He who preserves the law is an understanding son, Yet he who associates with prodigals mortifies his father.
8 He who increases his wealth by advance interest and by accrued interest, He is getting it together for him who is gracious to the poor.
9 He who keeps his ear away from hearing the law Even his prayer is an abhorrence.
10 He who causes the upright to err into an evil way He himself shall fall into his own pit, Yet those of integrity shall have a good allotment.
11 A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, Yet an understanding poor man shall investigate him.
12 When the righteous are glad there is great felicity everywhere, Yet when the wicked rise humanity must lie low.
13 He who covers his transgressions shall not prosper, Yet he who confesses and forsakes them shall receive compassion.
14 Happy is the man who is in awe continually, Yet he whose heart is obstinate shall fall into evils.
15 A growling lion and a prowling bear Such is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16 A governor attempting many extortions has lack of comprehension, But one who hates greed shall prolong his days.
17 A man threatened for shedding the blood of a soul shall flee until descending to the crypt. Let them not uphold him.
18 He who walks flawlessly shall be kept in safety, Yet he whose ways are perverse shall fall into a pit.
19 He who serves his ground shall be fully repaid with bread, Yet he who pursues empty dreams shall be fully repaid with destitution.
20 A faithful man shall have many blessings, Yet he who rushes to be rich shall not be held innocent.
21 To be biased is not good, Yet for a morsel of bread a master may transgress.
22 A man who is stingy of eye hustles after wealth, Yet he does not know that want shall come to him.
23 He who reproves a man shall find more grace afterward Than he who is slick of tongue.
24 He who pillages his father and his mother And says, This is not transgression, He is partner to the corrupt man.
25 A pretentious soul stirs up a quarrel, Yet he who trusts in Yahweh shall be conferred with richness.
26 He who trusts in his own heart is stupid, Yet he who walks in wisdom shall escape from harm.
27 He who gives to the destitute person shall have no lack, Yet for him who obscures his eyes from such are many curses.
28 When the wicked rise, humanity must get concealed, Yet when they perish, the righteous increase.

Chapter 29
1 The man receiving reproofs who is still stiff-necked, He shall be broken in an instant, and there will be no healing.
2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, Yet when the wicked man rules, the people sigh.
3 A man who loves wisdom rejoices his father, Yet he who associates with prostitutes destroys his wealth.
4 A king by right judgment makes a land stand firm, Yet a man of deceit pulls it down.
5 A master who is slick of tongue toward his associate Is one who spreads a net for his footsteps.
6 In the transgression of an evil man is a trap, Yet the righteous one may run and rejoice.
7 The righteous man knows adjudication for the poor; The wicked one does not understand such knowledge.
8 Mocking men breathe out trouble in a town, Yet wise men turn away anger.
9 If a wise man seeks judgment with a foolish man, Then the fool rants and ridicules, and there is no rest.
10 Bloodthirsty men hate the man of integrity, And the wicked seek his soul.
11 A stupid man speaks forth all his spirit of anger, Yet a wise one becalms it back.
12 If a ruler attends to the word of falsehood, All his ministers will be wicked.
13 The destitute one and the fraudulent man encounter in this: Yahweh gives light to the eyes of them both.
14 If a king judges the poor with truth, His throne shall be established for the future.
15 The club of correction gives wisdom, Yet a youth left alone puts his mother to shame.
16 When the wicked increase transgression increases, Yet the righteous shall see their downfall.
17 Discipline your son, and he shall give you rest And give contentment to your soul.
18 When there is no vision a people becomes unbridled, Yet keeping the law makes it happy.
19 A servant is not disciplined by mere words; Though he understands, yet there is no response.
20 Do you perceive a man who rushes with his words? There is more expectation for a stupid man than for him.
21 If a man pampers his servant from youth, Then in his end he shall become refractory.
22 An angry man stirs up a quarrel, And a furious person works much transgression.
23 A man’s pride abases him, Yet he who is lowly of spirit shall take firm hold of glory.
24 The accomplice of a thief is hating his own soul; He hears the imprecation yet does not tell.
25 A man’s overanxiety becomes a trap for him, Yet he who trusts in Yahweh shall be made impregnable.
26 Many seek the presence of a ruler, Yet, from Yahweh a man gets right judgment.
27 The abhorrence of righteous men is the man of iniquity, Yet the abhorrence of a wicked man is the one upright of way.

Chapter 30
1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh the oracle: The averring of this master: I am tired, O El; I am tired, O El, and finished.
2 Indeed I am brutish, less than a man, And human understanding is not in me.
3 I have not learned wisdom That I may know of the knowledge of the grand Holy One.
4 Who has ascended the heavens and descended? Who has gathered the wind in both His hands? Who has tied up the waters in a piece of raiment? Who has confirmed all the limits of the earth? What is His Name, and what is His Son’s Name, in case you know?
5 Every saying of Eloah is refined; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6 Do not add to His words, Lest He should correct you, and you be proved a liar.
7 Two things I ask from You; Do not withhold them from me ere I die:
8 Put hypocrisy and the lying word far from me; Destitution or riches do not give to me; Only provide me a meal of my daily dole of bread,
9 Lest I should be surfeited So that I disavow You and say, Who is Yahweh? Or lest I be destitute and steal, So that I denigrate the Name of my Elohim.
10 Do not slander a servant to his lord, Lest he should maledict you, and you be held guilty.
11 There is a generation that maledicts its father And does not bless even its mother,
12 A generation that is clean in its own eyes Yet is not washed from its filth;
13 A generation how exalted are its eyes And lifted up are its eyelids!
14 A generation whose teeth are swords, And whose canines are knives, To devour the humble from the earth And the needy from mankind.
15 The leech has two daughters, crying: Grant to us, grant to us! They are three that are never satisfied, Four that never say, Enough wealth!:
16 The unseen and the restrained womb, The earth when it is not satisfied with water, And fire that never says: Enough wealth!
17 The eye that derides a father And despises the homage due a mother The ravens of the watercourse shall pick it out, And the young vultures shall eat it.
18 These three things are too marvelous for me, Even four I cannot explain them:
19 The way of the vulture in the heavens; The way of a serpent over a rock; The way of a ship in the heart of the sea; And the way of a master with a damsel.
20 So also is the way of an adulterous woman; She eats and wipes off her mouth, And she says, I have not contrived lawlessness.
21 Under three things the earth is disturbed, And under four it is not able to bear up:
22 Under a slave who becomes king; And a decadent man who is surfeited with bread;
23 Under a hated woman who finds a spouse; And a maid who dispossesses her mistress.
24 These four things are small in the earth, Yet they are wisest of the wise:
25 Ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their bread in summer;
26 Coneys are a people not staunch, Yet they make their home in the crags;
27 There is no king for the locust, Yet its entire force goes forth in divisions;
28 The salamander you may grasp with your hands, Yet it is found in palaces of a king.
29 These three things are goodly of step, Even four, well pleasing in walk:
30 The long-maned lion is masterful among the beasts And does not turn back from the face of anyone;
31 A greyhound, a buck goat, And a king, irresistible before his people.
32 If you have disgraced yourself by lifting yourself up, Or if you have schemed evil, put your hand to your mouth.
33 For as the squeezing of milk brings forth clotted cream, And the squeezing of the nose brings forth blood, So the squeezing of anger brings forth a dispute.

Chapter 31
1 The words of Lemuel, a king: The oracle with which his mother admonished him:
2 What, my son, and what, son of my inner being! What, son of my vows!
3 Do not give your potency to women, And your efforts to those who wipe out kings.
4 It must not be for kings, Lemuel, It must not be for kings to drink wine, Or for chancellors to yearn for intoxicant,
5 Lest such a one should drink and forget the statute, And should alter the adjudication of all the sons of humiliation.
6 Give intoxicant to him who is perishing, And wine to those bitter of soul.
7 Let him drink and forget his destitution, And let him remember his misery no further.
8 Open your mouth for the mute, For the adjudication of all the sons of insecurity;
9 Open your mouth; judge righteously; And adjudicate the humble and needy one.
10 A wife of ability, who can find? Far more than rubies is her worth.
11 Her spouse’s heart understanding puts trust in her, So that he lacks no proceeds.
12 She requites him with good and not evil All the days of her life.
13 She seeks after wool and flax And works them according to the delight of her palms.
14 She is like the ships of a merchant; She brings her bread from afar.
15 She rises while it is still night And provides viands for her household And dole for her maidens.
16 She plans for a field and procures it; From the fruit of her palms she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds her waist with strength, And she makes her arms resolute.
18 She inspects to see that her merchandise is good; Her lamp is not quenched at night.
19 She puts forth her hands on the distaff, And her palms hold firm to the spindle.
20 She spreads out her palm to the humble one And puts forth her hands to the needy one.
21 She does not fear the snow for her household, For all in her household are clothed with double garments.
22 She makes decorative covers for herself; Her clothing is cambric and purple.
23 Her spouse is acknowledged in the gateways, When he sits with the elders of the land.
24 She makes shirts and sells them, And she produces girdles for the trafficker.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing, And she can make sport of the days hereafter.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And the law of benignity is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household And does not eat the bread of slothfulness.
28 Her sons arise and call her happy; Her spouse also praises her, saying:
29 Many daughters do ably, Yet you ascend over them all.
30 Grace may be false and loveliness transitory, But the woman fearful of Yahweh, she shall be praised.
31 Give honor to her for the fruit of her hands, And let them praise her in the gateways for her deeds.