Book of Proverbs

Chapter 1

1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, who reigned in Israel,

2 to know wisdom and instruction, and to understand words of prudence,

3 to receive the subtleties of words, and to understand true righteousness and to direct judgment aright,

4 that he may give shrewdness to the innocent, and to the young child perception and understanding;

5 for by hearing these things the wise man will be wiser, and the man of understanding will acquire skill in guidance,

6 and he will understand a parable and a dark saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.

7 The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and understanding is good to all who practice it; and piety toward God is the beginning of perception, but the ungodly will despise wisdom and instruction.

8 Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, and do not reject the ordinances of your mother;

9 for you shall receive a crown of graces for your head and a golden collar about your neck.

10 My son, let not ungodly men lead you astray, nor consent, if they entreat you, saying,

11 "Come with us, share in blood; let us hide the righteous man in the earth unjustly,

12 let us swallow him alive as Hades does, and take away his memory from the earth;

13 let us seize his costly possessions, and fill our houses with spoils;

14 cast in your lot with us, let us all acquire a common purse, and let there be one money-bag for us"

15 do not walk in the way with them, but turn aside your foot from their paths;

16 for their feet run to wickedness, and they are swift to shed blood;

17 for not unjustly are nets spread for winged creatures.

18 For they who partake in murder store up evils for themselves, and the overthrow of lawless men is evil.

19 These are the ways of all who accomplish lawless deeds; for by their ungodliness they take away their own life.

20 Wisdom sings in the streets, and in the broad places she speaks boldly;

21 upon the tops of the walls she is proclaimed, and at the gates of rulers she sits in attendance, and at the gates of the city she says with confidence:

22 "As long as the innocent hold fast to righteousness, they shall not be put to shame; but the fools, being lovers of insolence, having become ungodly, hated perception

23 and became liable to reproofs. Behold, I will bring forth to you the utterance of my breath, and I will teach you my word.

24 Since I called and you did not obey, and I stretched out words and you did not attend,

25 but you made my counsels void, and disobeyed my reproofs,

26 therefore I also will laugh at your destruction, and I will rejoice when ruin comes upon you,

27 and whenever tumult comes upon you suddenly, and overthrow arrives like a whirlwind, and when affliction and siege come upon you, or when ruin comes upon you.

28 For it shall come to pass, when you call upon me, that I will not hearken to you; evil men will seek me and will not find me.

29 For they hated wisdom, and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

30 nor were they willing to attend to my counsels, but mocked my reproofs.

31 Therefore they shall eat the fruits of their own way, and shall be filled with their own ungodliness;

32 for because they wronged the innocent, they shall be slain, and inquiry shall destroy the ungodly.

33 But he who hears me shall dwell in hope, and shall rest secure, without fear, from all evil."

Chapter 2

1 My son, if you receive the word of my commandment and hide it within yourself,

2 your ear will listen to wisdom, and you will apply your heart to understanding, and you will apply it as instruction for your son.

3 For if you call upon wisdom and give your voice to understanding, and seek discernment with a loud voice,

4 and if you seek her like silver and search her out like treasures,

5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his presence come knowledge and understanding;

7 and he stores up salvation for those who act rightly; he will shield their journey,

8 that they may guard the ways of his ordinances, and he will safeguard the way of those who revere him.

9 Then you will understand righteousness and judgment, and you will set straight all good courses.

10 For if wisdom comes into your mind, and discernment seems good to your soul,

11 good counsel will guard you, and holy purpose will keep you,

12 that it may rescue you from the evil way and from the man who speaks nothing trustworthy.

13 O you who forsake the straight ways to walk in the ways of darkness,

14 who rejoice over evils and delight in evil perversion,

15 whose paths are crooked and whose tracks are twisted,

16 so as to remove you far from the straight way and make you a stranger to righteous judgment.

17 My son, let not evil counsel overtake you, that which forsakes the teaching of youth and has forgotten the divine covenant;

18 for she has set her house beside death, and her courses beside Hades with the earthborn;

19 all who walk in her will not return, nor will they attain the straight paths; for they are not overtaken by the years of life.

20 For if they had walked in good paths, they would have found the smooth paths of righteousness.

21 The good will be dwellers of the earth, and the innocent will be left in it, for the upright will inhabit the earth, and the holy will be left in it;

22 the ways of the ungodly will perish from the earth, and the lawless will be driven out of it.

Chapter 3

1 My son, do not forget my ordinances, and let your heart keep my words;

2 for length of days and years of life and peace shall they add to you.

3 Let not mercy and faithfulness forsake you; bind them about your neck, and you shall find favor;

4 and provide for what is honorable in the sight of the Lord and of men.

5 Trust in God with your whole heart, and be not exalted in your own wisdom;

6 in all your ways acknowledge her, that she may make straight your paths, and your foot shall not stumble.

7 Be not wise in your own conceit, but fear God and turn away from all evil;

8 then shall there be healing for your body and care for your bones.

9 Honor the Lord with your righteous labors, and give him the firstfruits of your fruits of righteousness,

10 that your storehouses may be filled with abundance of grain, and your presses overflow with wine.

11 My son, do not despise the discipline of the Lord, nor grow faint when you are reproved by him;

12 for whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and he scourges every son whom he receives.

13 Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, and the mortal who has seen understanding;

14 for it is better to trade in her than in treasures of gold and silver.

15 She is more precious than costly stones; no evil thing shall stand against her. She is well known to all who draw near her, and no precious thing is worthy of her.

16 For length of days and years of life are in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory;

16a out of her mouth proceeds righteousness, and she bears law and mercy on her tongue.

17 Her ways are good ways, and all her paths are in peace;

18 she is a tree of life to all who lay hold of her, and safe for those who lean upon her as upon the Lord.

19 God by wisdom founded the earth, and prepared the heavens with understanding;

20 by his knowledge the depths were broken up, and the clouds dropped down dew.

21 My son, do not let them slip away, but keep my counsel and understanding,

22 that your soul may live, and grace may be about your neck.

22a And there shall be healing for your flesh and care for your bones,

23 that you may walk confidently in peace in all your ways, and your foot shall not stumble.

24 For if you sit, you shall be without fear, and if you sleep, you shall slumber sweetly;

25 and you shall not fear terror when it comes, nor the assaults of the ungodly when they come upon you;

26 for the Lord shall be over all your ways, and shall steady your foot, that you be not shaken.

27 Refrain not from doing good to the needy, whenever your hand can help;

28 say not, "Come back again, and tomorrow I will give," while you are able to do good; for you know not what the next day will bring forth.

29 Devise not evil against your friend who dwells beside you and trusts in you.

30 Do not be quarrelsome with a man without cause, lest he work some evil against you.

31 Do not acquire the reproaches of evil men, nor envy their ways;

32 for every transgressor is unclean before the Lord, and he does not sit among the righteous.

33 The curse of God is on the houses of the ungodly, but the dwellings of the righteous are blessed.

34 The Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

35 The wise shall inherit glory, but the ungodly have exalted dishonor.

Chapter 4

1 Hear, children, the instruction of a father, and pay attention to gain understanding;

2 for I give you a good gift: do not forsake my law.

3 For I too was a son, obedient to a father, and beloved in the sight of a mother,

4 who spoke and taught me: Let our word be fixed in your heart;

5 keep the commandments, do not forget, nor disregard the utterance of my mouth,

6 nor forsake it, and it will hold fast to you; love it, and it will keep you;

8 fortify it round about, and it will exalt you; honor it, that it may embrace you,

9 that it may give to your head a crown of graces, and shield you with a crown of delight.

10 Hear, son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be multiplied, so that many ways of life may be yours;

11 for I teach you the ways of wisdom, and I set you on straight paths.

12 For if you walk, your steps will not be hemmed in; and if you run, you will not grow weary.

13 Take hold of my instruction; do not let go, but keep it for yourself unto your life.

14 Do not go upon the ways of the ungodly, nor envy the ways of the lawless;

15 in whatever place they encamp, do not go there, but turn aside from them and pass by.

16 For they will not sleep unless they have done evil; their sleep is taken away, and they do not slumber;

17 for these feed on the bread of ungodliness, and are made drunk with lawless wine.

18 But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go before and give light until the day is fully come;

19 but the ways of the ungodly are dark; they do not know how they stumble.

20 Son, attend to my utterance, and incline your ear to my words,

21 so that your fountains may not fail you; keep them in your heart;

22 for they are life to those who find them, and healing to all flesh.

23 With all watchfulness guard your heart, for from these are the issues of life.

24 Put away from yourself a crooked mouth, and thrust unjust lips far from you.

25 Let your eyes look straight, and let your eyelids incline to what is just.

26 Make straight paths for your feet, and direct your ways aright.

27 Do not turn aside to the right nor to the left, but turn your foot away from an evil way;

27a for God knows the ways on the right, but those on the left are perverse;

27b and he himself will make your paths straight, and will lead your goings forward in peace.

Chapter 5

1 My son, attend to my wisdom, and incline your ear to my words,

2 that you may keep good understanding; and I command you the perception of my lips.

3 Give no heed to a worthless woman; for honey drips from the lips of a harlot woman, who for a season smooths your throat,

4 yet afterward you will find her more bitter than gall and sharpened more than a two-edged sword.

5 For the feet of folly lead those who use her down with death into Hades, and her footsteps are not firmly planted;

6 for she does not travel the ways of life, and her paths are slippery and hard to discern.

7 Now therefore, my son, hear me, and do not make my words of no effect;

8 make your way far from her; do not draw near to the doors of her houses,

9 lest you give up your life to others and your livelihood to the merciless,

10 lest strangers be filled with your strength, and your labors go into the houses of strangers,

11 and you repent at the last, when the flesh of your body is worn away,

12 and you say, "How I hated instruction, and my heart turned aside from reproofs!

13 I did not hear the voice of him who instructed and taught me, nor did I incline my ear;

14 I came within a little of being in every evil, in the midst of assembly and congregation."

15 Drink waters from your own vessels and from the springs of your own wells.

16 Let not the waters overflow for you out of your own spring, but let your waters pass into your own streets;

17 let them belong to you alone, and let no stranger share them with you;

18 let your spring of water be your own, and rejoice together with the wife of your youth.

19 Let a hind of love and a foal of your graces keep company with you; let her who is your own lead you and be with you at every season; for going about in her love you will be multiplied.

20 Do not be much with a strange woman, nor be held in the embraces of one who is not your own;

21 for the ways of a man are before the eyes of God, and he watches all his paths.

22 Transgressions ensnare a man, and each one is bound tight by the cords of his own sins;

23 such a man dies with the uninstructed, and from the abundance of his own livelihood he has been cast out and has perished through folly.

Chapter 6

1 My son, if you become surety for your friend, you will deliver your hand over to an enemy;

2 for a man's own lips are a strong snare, and he is caught by the lips of his own mouth.

3 Do, my son, what I command you, and save yourself, for you have come into the hands of evil men on account of your friend, Go, do not grow slack, but also urge on your friend for whom you became surety;

4 do not give sleep to your eyes nor slumber with your eyelids,

5 so that you may be saved like a gazelle from nooses and like a bird from a snare.

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard, and be zealous when you see his ways, and become wiser than he;

7 for though he has no farmland, nor anyone to compel him, nor is under a master,

8 he prepares his food in summer and makes his store abundant at harvest time.

8a Or go to the bee and learn what a worker she is, and how solemnly she carries out her labor,

8b whose toils kings and commoners take for their health, and she is desired by all and held in honor;

8c though weak in strength, by honoring wisdom she has been advanced.

9 How long, sluggard, will you lie down? When will you be roused from sleep?

10 You sleep a little, sit a little, doze a bit, and fold your arms a little over your chest;

11 then poverty comes upon you like an evil wayfarer, and want like a good runner.

11a But if you are diligent, your harvest will come like a spring, and want will desert like a bad runner.

12 A foolish and lawless man walks in ways that are not good;

13 the same man winks with his eye, signals with his foot, and teaches with gestures of his fingers,

14 and with a perverted heart he devises evils at every season; such a man stirs up disturbances for a city.

15 Therefore his destruction comes suddenly, a cutting off and a crushing beyond cure.

16 Because he rejoices in all the things the Lord hates, and he is crushed for the impurity of his soul:

17 the eye of an insolent man, an unjust tongue, hands that shed the blood of a righteous man,

18 and a heart devising evil schemes, and feet hastening to do evil;

19 an unjust witness kindles lies and sends forth quarrels between brothers.

20 My son, keep the laws of your father, and do not reject the ordinances of your mother;

21 but bind them upon your soul forever and encircle them around your neck.

22 Whenever you walk about, bring her along, and let her be with you; and whenever you sleep, let her guard you, so that when you wake she may speak with you;

23 for the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light, and reproof and instruction are a way of life,

24 to keep you safe from a married woman and from the slander of a strange tongue.

25 Let not desire for beauty conquer you, nor be caught by your own eyes, nor be carried away by her eyelids;

26 for the price of a harlot is only that of a single loaf, but a woman hunts the precious souls of men.

27 Will anyone bind fire in his bosom and not burn his garments?

28 Or will anyone walk upon coals of fire and not scorch his feet?

29 So he who goes in to a married woman will not go unpunished, nor any who touches her.

30 It is no wonder if someone is caught stealing, for he steals to fill his soul when he is hungry;

31 but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold, and by giving all his possessions he will deliver himself.

32 But the adulterer, through lack of sense, brings destruction upon his own soul;

33 he endures pains and dishonors, and his reproach will not be wiped out forever.

34 For the wrath of her husband is full of jealousy; he will not spare in the day of judgment,

35 he will not exchange his enmity for any ransom, nor will he be appeased by many gifts.

Chapter 7

1 My son, keep my words, and hide my commandments with yourself;

1a my son, honor the Lord, and you shall be strong, and fear no other besides him.

2 Keep my commandments, and you shall live, and my words as the pupils of your eyes;

3 bind them upon your fingers, and write them upon the tablet of your heart.

4 Say that wisdom is your sister, and gain prudence as an acquaintance for yourself,

5 that she may keep you from the strange and wicked woman, if she should assail you with flattering words.

6 For from a window she leans out of her house into the streets,

7 at whomever she may see of the foolish children, a young man lacking sense,

8 passing by the corner in the passages near her house,

9 and speaking in the evening darkness, when there is nightly stillness and gloom,

10 and the woman meets him, having the appearance of a harlot, who makes the hearts of young men flutter.

11 She is excited and dissolute, and her feet do not rest at home;

12 for at one time she roams outside, at another she lies in wait in the streets at every corner.

13 Then, having caught hold of him, she kissed him, and with a shameless face said to him:

14 "I have a peace offering; today I pay my vows;

15 therefore I came out to meet you; longing for your face, I have found you.

16 I have spread my bed with cords, and covered it with double tapestries from Egypt;

17 I have sprinkled my couch with saffron, and my house with cinnamon.

18 Come, and let us enjoy love until morning; come, and let us wallow in passion.

19 For my husband is not at home, but has gone on a long journey,

20 having taken a bag of silver in his hand; after many days he will return to his house."

21 So she led him astray with much converse, and with the snares of her lips she drove him aground.

22 And he followed her, beguiled, as an ox is led to slaughter, and as a dog to bonds,

23 or as a stag struck by an arrow in the liver; and he hastens like a bird into a snare, not knowing that he runs for his life.

24 Now then, my son, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth:

25 let not your heart turn aside to her ways;

26 for she has wounded and cast down many, and countless are those whom she has slain;

27 her house is the paths of Hades, leading down to the chambers of death.

Chapter 8

1 You shall proclaim wisdom, so that understanding may obey you;

2 for she is upon the lofty heights, and she stands in the midst of the paths;

3 for she sits beside the gates of the mighty, and at the entrances she is celebrated in song.

4 You, O men, I exhort, and I send forth my voice to the sons of men.

5 Understand shrewdness, you innocent ones; and you who are untaught, take heart.

6 Listen to me, for I will speak solemn things and will bring forth from my lips things that are right;

7 for my throat shall meditate on truth, and lying lips are abominable before me.

8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; there is nothing in them crooked or twisted;

9 all are plain to those who understand, and right to those who find knowledge.

10 Receive instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than tested gold; and choose perception above pure gold;

11 for wisdom is better than precious stones, and no valuable thing is worthy of her.

12 I, wisdom, have made counsel my dwelling, and I have called upon knowledge and understanding.

13 The fear of the Lord hates injustice, both insolence and arrogance and the ways of the wicked; and I have hated the perverted ways of evil men.

14 Mine is counsel and safety; mine is understanding, and mine is strength.

15 Through me kings reign, and the mighty write righteousness;

16 through me great men are magnified, and through me rulers hold sway over the earth.

17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me shall find me.

18 Riches and glory belong to me, and the possession of many things, and righteousness.

19 It is better to reap my fruit than gold and precious stone, and my produce is better than choice silver.

20 I walk in the ways of righteousness, and I go about in the midst of the paths of justice,

21 that I may apportion substance to those who love me and fill their treasuries with good things.

21a If I declare to you the things that happen day by day, I will remember to recount the things of old.

22 The Lord created me as the beginning of his ways for his works;

23 before the age he founded me, in the beginning,

24 before he made the earth and before he made the depths, before the springs of the waters came forth,

25 before the mountains were set fast, and before all the hills, he begets me.

26 The Lord made the lands, both uninhabited and the inhabited heights of the world under heaven.

27 When he was preparing the heaven, I was present with him, and when he was marking out his own throne upon the winds,

28 when he made strong the clouds above, and when he set fast the springs of the earth under heaven,

29 and when he made strong the foundations of the earth,

30 I was beside him, fitting things together; I was the one in whom he took delight. And daily I rejoiced before his face at every time,

31 when he rejoiced at having completed the world, and rejoiced among the sons of men.

32 Now therefore, my son, listen to me.

34 Blessed is the man who will listen to me, and the person who will keep my ways, watching at my doors daily, keeping guard at the posts of my entrances;

35 for my goings forth are goings forth of life, and favor is prepared from the Lord.

36 But those who sin against me act impiously against their own souls, and those who hate me love death.

Chapter 9

1 Wisdom has built herself a house and has set up seven pillars;

2 she has slaughtered her sacrifices, mixed her wine in a bowl, and prepared her table;

3 she has sent out her servants, summoning with a lofty proclamation to the bowl, saying,

4 "Whoever is foolish, let him turn aside to me"; and to those lacking understanding she said,

5 "Come, eat of my bread and drink the wine which I have mixed for you;

6 forsake foolishness, and you will live; and seek prudence, that you may have life, and set your understanding aright in knowledge."

7 He who instructs the wicked will receive dishonor for himself, and he who reproves the ungodly will bring blame upon himself.

8 Do not reprove the wicked, lest they hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

9 Give a wise man an opportunity, and he will be wiser; make known to a righteous man, and he will continue to receive.

10 The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the counsel of the holy ones is understanding; 10a for to know the law is the mark of a good mind;

11 for in this way you will live a long time, and years of your life will be added to you.

12 Son, if you become wise for yourself, you will be wise also for your neighbors; but if you turn out wicked, you alone will bear the evils.

12a He who leans on lies, this man will shepherd the winds, and the same will chase flying birds;

12b for he has forsaken the ways of his own vineyard and has wandered from the paths of his own field;

12c he passes through a waterless desert and a land appointed to thirst, and gathers barrenness with his hands.

13 A foolish and brazen woman comes to lack a morsel of bread, she who knows no shame;

14 she sat at the doors of her own house, on a seat openly in the streets,

15 calling to those passing by and keeping straight on their ways:

16 "Whoever among you is most foolish, let him turn aside to me"; and to those lacking prudence I urge, saying,

17 "Take hold with pleasure of secret bread and of the sweet water of theft."

18 But he does not know that the earthborn perish with her, and that he meets with the springboard of Hades.

18a But leap away, do not linger in the place, nor fix your eye upon her;

18b for thus you will cross over strange water and pass over a strange river;

18c but keep away from strange water, and do not drink from a strange spring,

18d so that you may live a long time, and years of life may be added to you.

Chapter 10

1 A wise son gladdens his father, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

2 Treasures will not profit the lawless, but righteousness will deliver from death.

3 The Lord will not starve a righteous soul, but he will overturn the life of the ungodly.

4 Poverty humbles a man, but the hands of the diligent enrich. 4a An educated son will be wise, and he will use the fool as a servant.

5 A sensible son is saved from the heat, but a lawless son becomes wind-blasted at harvest.

6 The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the righteous, but untimely grief will cover the mouth of the ungodly.

7 The memory of the righteous is with praises, but the name of the ungodly is extinguished.

8 The wise in heart will receive commandments, but the reckless one, crooked in his lips, will be tripped up.

9 He who walks in simplicity walks in confidence, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.

10 He who winks with his eyes deceitfully gathers griefs for men, but he who reproves boldly makes peace.

11 A fountain of life is in the hand of the righteous, but destruction will cover the mouth of the ungodly.

12 Hatred stirs up strife, but friendship covers all who are not contentious.

13 He who brings forth wisdom from his lips smites the senseless man with a rod.

14 The wise will conceal understanding, but the mouth of the rash draws near to ruin.

15 The possession of the rich is a fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the ungodly.

16 The works of the righteous produce life, but the fruits of the ungodly, sins.

17 Instruction guards the righteous ways of life, but instruction unchastened goes astray.

18 Righteous lips cover enmity, but those who utter slanders are most foolish.

19 From much speaking you will not escape sin, but sparing your lips you will be sensible.

20 The tongue of the righteous is refined silver, but the heart of the ungodly will fail.

21 The lips of the righteous know lofty things, but the foolish die in want.

22 The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the righteous; it enriches, and no grief in the heart shall be added to it.

23 A fool does evil in laughter, but wisdom brings forth prudence for a man.

24 The ungodly is tossed about in destruction, but the desire of the righteous is acceptable.

25 When a storm passes by, the ungodly vanishes, but the righteous, turning aside, is saved forever.

26 As an unripe grape is harmful to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is lawlessness to those who practice it.

27 The fear of the Lord adds days, but the years of the ungodly will be shortened.

28 Joy lingers with the righteous, but the hope of the ungodly perishes.

29 The fear of the Lord is a stronghold of the holy, but ruin to those who work evil.

30 The righteous shall never give way, but the ungodly shall not dwell in the land.

31 The mouth of the righteous drips wisdom, but the tongue of the unjust shall be destroyed.

32 The lips of righteous men drip graces, but the mouth of the ungodly is turned away.

Chapter 11

1 False balances are an abomination before the Lord, but a just weight is acceptable to him.

2 Wherever insolence enters, there also is dishonor; but the mouth of the humble meditates wisdom.

3 A righteous man, when he dies, leaves regret behind; but the destruction of the ungodly is swift and a cause of rejoicing.

5 Righteousness cuts straight blameless paths, but ungodliness falls into injustice.

6 The righteousness of upright men delivers them, but the lawless are caught in their own destruction.

7 When a righteous man dies, hope does not perish; but the boasting of the ungodly perishes.

8 The righteous escapes from the hunt, and in his place the ungodly is handed over.

9 In the mouth of the ungodly is a snare for citizens, but the perception of the righteous prospers.

10 In the prosperity of the righteous a city thrives,

11 but by the mouths of the ungodly it is razed to the ground.

12 A man lacking sense sneers at his fellow citizens, but a prudent man keeps quiet.

13 A double-tongued man reveals counsels in the assembly, but one faithful in spirit conceals matters.

14 Those who have no guidance fall like leaves, but salvation lies in much counsel.

15 The wicked man does harm whenever he mingles with the righteous, and he hates the sound of security.

16 A gracious wife raises up glory for her husband, but a wife who hates what is just is a throne of dishonor. The slothful come to lack wealth, but the diligent are supported by wealth.

17 A merciful man does good to his own soul, but the merciless destroys his own body.

18 The ungodly does unjust works, but the seed of the righteous is a reward of truth.

19 A righteous son is born for life, but the pursuit of the ungodly leads to death.

20 Perverse ways are an abomination to the Lord, but all who are blameless in their ways are acceptable to him.

21 He who joins hand to hand unjustly shall not go unpunished, but he who sows righteousness shall receive a sure reward.

22 As a ring in a pig's snout, so is beauty to an evil-minded woman.

23 Every desire of the righteous is good, but the hope of the ungodly shall perish.

24 There are those who, sowing their own, gain more; and there are those who, gathering, are diminished.

25 Every simple soul is blessed, but a hot-tempered man is not seemly.

26 May he who hoards grain leave it to the nations, but blessing be upon the head of him who shares.

27 He who devises good things seeks good favor; but as for him who seeks out evil, it shall overtake him.

28 He who trusts in wealth, that man shall fall; but he who upholds the righteous, that man shall rise.

29 He who does not deal kindly with his own house shall inherit the wind, and the fool shall serve the wise.

30 From the fruit of righteousness grows a tree of life, but the souls of the lawless are taken away before their time.

31 If the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Chapter 12

1 He who loves instruction loves discernment, but he who hates reproofs is a fool.

2 Better is he who finds favor with the Lord, but a lawless man shall be passed over in silence.

3 A man shall not prosper by lawlessness, but the roots of the righteous shall not be uprooted.

4 A courageous wife is a crown to her husband; but as a worm in wood, so does an evil-doing wife destroy her husband.

5 The thoughts of the righteous are judgments, but the ungodly devise deceits.

6 The words of the ungodly are deceitful, but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

7 Wherever the ungodly turns, he is destroyed, but the houses of the righteous remain.

8 The mouth of the understanding man is praised by men, but the dull of heart is mocked.

9 Better is a man in dishonor serving himself than one who wraps honor about himself and lacks bread.

10 The righteous man has compassion on the lives of his cattle, but the hearts of the ungodly are merciless.

11 He who works his own land shall be filled with bread, but those who pursue vanities are lacking in sense.

11a He who takes pleasure in the pastimes of wine shall leave dishonor in his own strongholds.

12 The desires of the ungodly are evil, but the roots of the godly are in strongholds.

13 Through the sin of his lips the sinner falls into snares, but the righteous escapes from them.

13a He whose looks are gentle shall receive mercy, but he who contends in the gates will afflict souls.

14 From the fruits of his mouth the soul of a man shall be filled with good things, and the recompense of his lips shall be given to him.

15 The ways of fools are right in their own eyes, but the wise man listens to counsel.

16 A fool declares his anger the same day, but the shrewd man conceals his own dishonor.

17 The righteous declares the faith he has shown, but the witness of the unjust is deceitful.

18 There are some who wound with the sword when they speak, but the tongues of the wise heal.

19 Truthful lips establish testimony, but a hasty witness has an unjust tongue.

20 There is deceit in the heart of him who devises evil, but those who desire peace shall rejoice.

21 Nothing unjust shall please the righteous man, but the ungodly shall be filled with evils.

22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but he who deals faithfully is acceptable with him.

23 An understanding man is a throne of discernment, but the heart of fools shall meet with curses.

24 The hand of the chosen shall prevail easily, but the deceitful shall be for plunder.

25 A fearful word troubles the heart of a righteous man, but a good message gladdens him.

26 A discerning righteous man will be a friend to himself, but the judgments of the ungodly are unreasonable. Evils shall pursue sinners, and the way of the ungodly shall lead them astray.

27 The deceitful man shall not attain his prey, but a pure man is a precious possession.

28 In the ways of righteousness is life, but the ways of those who bear grudges lead to death.

Chapter 13

1 A shrewd son is obedient to his father, but a disobedient son is headed for destruction.

2 The good man shall eat of the fruits of righteousness, but the souls of transgressors shall perish untimely.

3 He who guards his own mouth preserves his own soul, but he who is rash with his lips shall bring terror upon himself.

4 Every idle man is full of desires, but the hands of the diligent are attentive to their work.

5 A righteous man hates an unjust word, but the ungodly man is put to shame and shall have no boldness.

6 Righteousness guards the blameless, but sin makes the ungodly worthless.

7 There are those who enrich themselves though having nothing, and there are those who humble themselves amid great wealth.

8 A man's own wealth is the ransom of his soul, but the poor man does not face a threat.

9 The righteous have light at all times, but the light of the ungodly is quenched.

9a Deceitful souls wander in sins, but the righteous show pity and mercy.

10 The evil man does evil deeds with insolence, but those who know themselves are wise.

11 Wealth hastily gotten with lawlessness becomes diminished, but he who gathers for himself with godliness shall be increased; the righteous man shows pity and lends.

12 Better is one who begins to help with the heart than one who makes promises and leads to hope; for a good desire is a tree of life.

13 He who despises a matter shall be despised by it, but he who fears the commandment, this one is sound.

13a For a deceitful son there shall be nothing good, but for a wise servant his doings shall prosper, and his way shall be made straight.

14 The law of the wise man is a fountain of life, but the fool shall die by a snare.

15 Good understanding gives favor, and to know the law is the mark of a good mind, but the ways of scorners lead to destruction.

16 Every shrewd man acts with knowledge, but the fool spreads out his own wickedness.

17 A reckless king shall fall into evils, but a faithful messenger shall deliver him.

18 Discipline takes away poverty and dishonor, but he who heeds reproofs shall be honored.

19 The desires of the godly gladden the soul, but the works of the ungodly are far from knowledge.

20 He who walks with the wise shall be wise, but he who walks with fools shall be known as such.

21 Evils shall pursue sinners, but good things shall overtake the righteous.

22 A good man shall leave an inheritance to his children's children, and the wealth of the ungodly is stored up for the righteous.

23 The righteous shall spend many years in wealth, but the unjust shall perish swiftly.

24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him with care.

25 The righteous man, when he eats, fills his soul, but the souls of the ungodly are in want.

Chapter 14

1 Wise women have built houses, but the foolish woman has torn hers down with her own hands.

2 He who walks uprightly fears the Lord, but he who is crooked in his ways shall be dishonored.

3 From the mouth of fools comes a rod of insolence, but the lips of the wise guard them.

4 Where there are no oxen, the mangers are clean; but where there is abundant produce, the strength of the ox is evident.

5 A faithful witness does not lie, but an unjust witness kindles lies.

6 You will seek wisdom among the wicked and not find it, but discernment is readily found among the prudent.

7 All things are contrary to a foolish man, but wise lips are the weapons of discernment.

8 The wisdom of the shrewd will understand their ways, but the folly of fools is in error.

9 The houses of transgressors will owe purification, but the houses of the righteous are acceptable.

10 The heart of a man is perceptive, his soul is sorrowful; but when he rejoices, he does not mingle with insolence.

11 The houses of the ungodly will be destroyed, but the tents of those who act rightly will stand.

12 There is a way that seems right to men, but its end comes to the depth of Hades.

13 Grief does not mingle with rejoicing, but in the end joy comes to mourning.

14 The stouthearted man will be filled with his own ways, but a good man with his own thoughts.

15 The innocent man believes every word, but the shrewd man comes to reconsideration.

16 The wise man fears and turns away from evil, but the fool, trusting in himself, mingles with the lawless.

17 The quick-tempered man acts without counsel, but a prudent man endures many things.

18Fools will have their portion of evil, but the shrewd will grasp discernment.

19 The wicked will slip before the good, and the ungodly will attend the doors of the righteous.

20 Friends will hate poor friends, but the friends of the rich are many.

21 He who dishonors the needy sins, but he who shows mercy to the poor is most blessed.

22 Those who go astray devise evils, but the good devise mercy and truth. Devisers of evils do not know mercy and faithfulness, but acts of mercy and faithfulness are with good devisers.

23 In everyone who takes care there is abundance, but the pleasure-loving and heedless man will be in want.

24 The shrewd man is the crown of the wise, but the way of life of fools is evil.

25 A faithful witness will deliver a soul from evils, but the deceitful man kindles lies.

26 In the fear of the Lord is hope of strength, and he leaves a firm support for his children.

27 The commandment of the Lord is a fountain of life, and it makes one turn aside from the snare of death.

28 In a numerous people is the glory of a king, but in the failing of a people is the ruin of a ruler.

29 A patient man is great in prudence, but the faint-hearted man is exceedingly foolish.

30 A gentle-tempered man is a physician of the heart, but a perceptive heart is a moth to the bones.

31 He who oppresses the needy provokes his Maker, but he who honors Him shows mercy to the poor.

32 The ungodly man will be thrust away in his wickedness, but he who trusts in his own holiness is righteous.

33 In the good heart of a man is wisdom, but in the heart of fools it is not discerned.

34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sins diminish tribes.

35 An intelligent servant is acceptable to a king, and by his own adroitness he removes dishonor.

Chapter 15

1 Anger destroys even the prudent, but a submissive answer turns away wrath, and a hurtful word stirs up anger.

2 The tongue of the wise knows good things, but the mouth of fools will proclaim evils.

3 In every place are the eyes of the Lord; they watch both the evil and the good.

4 The healing of the tongue is a tree of life, and he who keeps it will be filled with spirit.

5 A fool mocks his father's instruction, but he who keeps the commandments is more shrewd.

6 In abounding righteousness there is great strength, but the ungodly shall perish root and all from the earth. In the houses of the righteous is great strength, but the fruits of the ungodly shall perish.

7 The lips of the wise are bound by understanding, but the hearts of fools are not steadfast.

8 The sacrifices of the ungodly are an abomination to the Lord, but the prayers of the upright are acceptable with him.

9 The ways of the ungodly are an abomination to the Lord, but he loves those who pursue righteousness.

10 The instruction of the innocent is known by passers-by, but those who hate reproofs die shamefully.

11 Hades and destruction are manifest before the Lord; how then not also the hearts of men?

12 An undisciplined man will not love those who reprove him, nor will he keep company with the wise.

13 When the heart rejoices, the face flourishes; but when it is in sorrows, it is downcast.

14 An upright heart seeks understanding, but the mouth of the undisciplined will know evils.

15 All the time the eyes of the wicked expect evils, but the good are at rest continually.

16 Better a small portion with the fear of the Lord than great treasures without fear.

17 Better a serving of vegetables with friendship and grace than a setting forth of fatted calves with enmity.

18 A wrathful man prepares quarrels, but a patient man calms even one that is coming.

18a A patient man will quench disputes, but the ungodly stirs them up the more.

19 The ways of the idle are strewn with thorns, but those of the diligent are well-trodden.

20 A wise son gladdens his father, but a foolish son mocks his mother.

21 The paths of the senseless are lacking in sense, but a prudent man walks straight ahead.

22 Those who do not honor councils put off their plans, but in the hearts of those who take counsel, counsel abides.

23 The wicked man will by no means obey it, nor will he say anything timely and good for the common welfare.

24 The thoughts of the intelligent are ways of life, so that turning aside from Hades he may be saved.

25 The Lord tears down the houses of the insolent, but he has established the boundary of the widow.

26 An unrighteous thought is an abomination to the Lord, but the sayings of the pure are honorable.

27 The taker of bribes destroys himself, but he who hates the taking of bribes is saved.

27a By acts of mercy and faithfulness sins are cleansed away, and by the fear of the Lord everyone turns aside from evil.

28 The hearts of the righteous meditate on faithfulness, but the mouth of the ungodly answers evils.

28a The ways of righteous men are acceptable with the Lord, and through them even enemies become friends.

29 God stays far from the ungodly, but he hearkens to the prayers of the righteous.

29a Better a small gain with righteousness than abundant produce with injustice.

29b Let the heart of a man reckon righteous things, that his steps may be set right by God.

30 The eye that beholds good things gladdens the heart, and a good report makes the bones fat.

32 He who rejects instruction hates himself, but he who keeps reproofs loves his own soul.

33 The fear of God is instruction and wisdom, and the beginning of glory will answer to it.

Chapter 16

2 All the works of the humble man are manifest before God, but the ungodly shall perish in an evil day.

5 Every proud-hearted man is unclean before God, and he who unjustly strikes hand upon hand shall not go unpunished.

7 The beginning of a good way is to do righteous things, and they are more acceptable to God than to offer sacrifices.

8 He who seeks the Lord shall find knowledge with righteousness, and those who rightly seek him shall find peace.

9 All the works of the Lord are with righteousness, but the ungodly man is kept for an evil day.

10 There is an oracle upon the lips of a king, and in judgment his mouth shall not err.

11 The turning of the balance is righteousness with the Lord, and his works are just weights.

12 He who does evil is an abomination to a king, for with righteousness is the throne of rule prepared.

13 Righteous lips are acceptable to a king, and he loves upright words.

14 The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but a wise man will appease him.

15 The son of a king is in the light of life, and those acceptable to him are like a late-coming cloud.

16 The nests of wisdom are more to be chosen than gold, and the nests of prudence more to be chosen than silver.

17 The paths of life turn aside from evils, and the ways of righteousness are length of life. He who receives instruction shall be among good things, and he who keeps reproofs shall be made wise. He who guards his own ways preserves his own soul, and he who loves his life will spare his mouth.

18 Pride goes before destruction, and folly of mind before a fall.

19 Better is a gentle-spirited man with humility than one who divides spoils with the insolent.

20 He who is intelligent in affairs is a finder of good things, and he who trusts in God is most blessed.

21 Men call the wise and intelligent worthless, but those sweet in speech shall hear more.

22 Understanding is a fountain of life to those who possess it, but the instruction of fools is evil.

23 The heart of the wise will consider the things from his own mouth, and upon his lips he will carry knowledge.

24 Good words are honeycombs, and their sweetness is a healing of the soul.

25 There are ways that seem to be right to a man, yet their ends look down to the depth of Hades.

26 A man in toils labors for himself and forces off his own destruction, yet the perverse man carries destruction upon his own mouth.

27 A foolish man digs evils for himself, and upon his own lips he stores up fire.

28 A perverse man spreads evils abroad and kindles a torch of deceit for the wicked, and separates friends.

29 A lawless man makes trial of friends and leads them along ways that are not good.

30 He who fixes his eyes devises perverse things, and marks out with his lips all evils; this man is a furnace of wickedness.

31 Old age is a crown of boasting, and it is found in the ways of righteousness.

32 Better is a patient man than a strong one, and he who controls his anger is better than one who takes a city.

33 All things come into the bosoms of the unjust, but from the Lord come all things that are righteous.

Chapter 17

1 Better is a morsel with pleasure in peace than a house full of many good things and unjust sacrifices with strife.

2 A sensible servant will rule over foolish masters, and among brothers he will divide portions.

3 As silver and gold are tested in a furnace, so are chosen hearts with the Lord.

4 An evil man listens to the tongue of the lawless, but a righteous man pays no heed to lying lips.

5 He who mocks the poor provokes his Maker, and he who rejoices over one perishing will not go unpunished; but he who shows compassion will receive mercy.

6 Children's children are the crown of old men, and their fathers are the boast of children.

6a To the faithful belongs the whole world of wealth, but to the faithless not even an obol.

7 Faithful lips do not befit a fool, nor lying lips a righteous man.

8 Instruction is a reward of graces to those who use it, and wherever it turns, it will prosper.

9 He who conceals wrongs seeks friendship, but he who hates to conceal them divides friends and kinsmen.

10 A threat crushes the heart of a prudent man, but a fool, though flogged, does not perceive it.

11 Every evil man stirs up contentions, but the Lord will send out a merciless messenger against him.

12 Care will befall a sensible man, but fools will devise evils.

13 Whoever repays evil for good, evil will not be removed from his house.

14 The beginning of righteousness gives authority to words, but strife and fighting go before poverty.

15 He who judges the unjust righteous and the righteous unjust is unclean and abominable before God.

16 Why should a fool have wealth? For a man without heart will not be able to acquire wisdom.

16a He who makes his own house high seeks destruction, and he who is crooked about learning will fall into evils.

17 Let a friend exist for you at every time, and let brothers be useful in necessities; for it is for this reason that they are born.

18 A foolish man applauds and rejoices over himself, just as he also who pledges surety for his own friend.

19 A lover of sin rejoices in fights,

20 and the hard-hearted man does not meet with good things. A man changeable in tongue will fall into evils,

21 and a fool's heart is grief to the one who possesses it. A father does not rejoice over an uninstructed son, but a prudent son gladdens his mother.

22 A glad heart makes for good health, but the bones of a sorrowful man dry up.

23 The ways of one who unjustly receives gifts in the bosom do not prosper, and an impious man turns aside from the ways of righteousness.

24 The face of a wise man is discerning, but the eyes of the fool are on the ends of the earth.

25 A foolish son is anger to his father and grief to her who bore him.

26 To fine a righteous man is not good, nor is it holy to plot against righteous rulers.

27 He who refrains from uttering a harsh word is discerning, and a patient man is prudent.

28 Wisdom will be reckoned to a fool who asks about wisdom, and anyone who keeps himself silent will seem to be prudent.

Chapter 18

1 A man who wishes to separate from friends seeks pretexts, and at every opportunity he will be liable to reproach.

2 One lacking in sense has no need of wisdom, for he is led rather by folly.

3 When an ungodly man comes into a depth of evils, he becomes contemptuous, and dishonor and reproach come upon him.

4 A word in a man's heart is deep water, and a river leaps up, even a fountain of life.

5 To admire the person of the ungodly is not good, nor is it holy to pervert what is just in judgment.

6 The lips of a fool lead him into evils, and his rash mouth calls down death.

7 A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

8 Fear casts down the slothful, and the souls of the effeminate shall hunger.

9 He who does not heal himself in his own works is brother to him who destroys himself.

10 From the greatness of strength comes the name of the Lord, and the righteous, running to him, are exalted.

11 The wealth of a rich man is a fortified city, and its glory casts a great shadow.

12 Before ruin a man's heart is exalted, and before glory it is humbled.

13 Whoever answers a word before hearing—it is folly and reproach to him.

14 A prudent servant calms a man's anger; but a faint-hearted man—who will endure him?

15 The heart of the prudent acquires perception, and the ears of the wise seek understanding.

16 A man's gift enlarges him and seats him among rulers.

17 The righteous man is his own accuser in his opening speech; but when his adversary sets upon him, he is refuted.

18 The lot puts an end to disputes, and it decides among the powerful.

19 A brother helped by a brother is like a fortified and lofty city, and is strong like a well-founded palace.

20 From the fruits of his mouth a man fills his belly, and from the fruits of his lips he shall be filled.

21 Death and life are in the hand of the tongue, and those who master it shall eat its fruits.

22 He who has found a good wife has found favors, and has received cheerfulness from God.

22a He who casts out a good wife casts out good things; and he who keeps an adulteress is foolish and ungodly.

Chapter 19

3 The folly of a man ruins his ways, and he blames God in his heart.

4 Wealth adds many friends, but the poor man is forsaken even by the friend he has.

5 A false witness shall not go unpunished, and he who accuses unjustly shall not escape.

6 Many court the favor of kings, but every evil man becomes a reproach to a man.

7 Everyone who hates a poor brother shall also be far from friendship. Good understanding will draw near to those who know it, and a prudent man will find it. He who does much evil brings wickedness to completion, and he who stirs up words shall not be saved.

8 He who acquires prudence loves himself, and he who keeps prudence will find good things.

9 A false witness shall not go unpunished, and whoever kindles wickedness shall perish by it.

10 Luxury does not benefit a fool, nor is it fitting if a servant begins to rule with insolence.

11 A merciful man is long-suffering, and his boasting comes upon the lawless.

12 The threat of a king is like the roaring of a lion, but his cheerfulness is like dew upon the grass.

13 A foolish son is a shame to his father, and vows paid from the hire of a harlot are not pure.

14 Fathers divide house and property among their children, but a wife is fitted to a man by God.

15 Cowardice takes hold of the effeminate man, and the soul of the idle shall hunger.

16 He who keeps the commandment preserves his own soul, but he who despises his own ways shall perish.

17 He who has mercy on the poor lends to God, and he will repay him according to his gift.

18 Discipline your son, for so he will be full of hope; but do not lift up your soul to insolence.

19 A malicious man shall suffer much loss; and if he acts pestilently, he shall add his very life.

20 Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, that you may become wise in your latter days.

21 Many are the thoughts in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord abides forever.

22 Mercy is a fruit to a man, and a righteous poor man is better than a rich liar.

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life for a man, but the man without fear shall lodge in places where knowledge is not observed.

24 He who hides his hands in his bosom unjustly shall by no means bring them even to his mouth.

25 When a pestilent man is scourged, a fool becomes more shrewd; but if you rebuke a prudent man, he will understand discernment.

26 He who dishonors his father and drives away his mother shall be disgraced and shall be a reproach.

27 A son who fails to keep the instruction of his father will meditate on evil sayings.

28 He who goes surety for a foolish child insults justice, and the mouth of the ungodly shall swallow up judgments.

29 Scourges are prepared for the licentious, and punishments for the shoulders of fools.

Chapter 20

1 Wine is an intemperate thing, and drunkenness insolent, and everyone who mingles with it will not be wise.

2 The threat of a king does not differ from the rage of a lion, and he who provokes him sins against his own soul.

3 It is glory for a man to turn away from reviling, but every fool becomes entangled in such things.

4 A sluggard, when reproached, is not ashamed; likewise also he who borrows grain at harvest.

5 Counsel in a man's heart is deep water, but a prudent man will draw it out.

6 A man is a great thing, and a merciful man precious; but to find a faithful man is a task.

7 He who walks blameless in righteousness will leave his children blessed.

8 When a righteous king sits upon a throne, no evil thing stands against him in his eyes.

9 Who will boast that he has a pure heart? Or who will speak boldly that he is clean from sins?

9a The lamp of him who speaks evil of father or mother shall be extinguished, and the pupils of his eyes shall see darkness.

9b A portion hastily gotten at first shall not be blessed in the end.

9c Do not say, "I will avenge myself on my enemy," but wait for the Lord, that he may help you.

10 A great weight and a small, and double measures, both alike are unclean before the Lord;

11 and he who practices them will be entangled in his pursuits. A young man in company with a holy man, even his way will be straight.

12 The ear hears and the eye sees: the works of the Lord are both alike.

13 Do not love to slander, lest you be cut off; open your eyes and be filled with bread.

23 A double weight is an abomination to the Lord, and a deceitful balance is not good before him.

24 A man's steps are directed by the Lord; and how could a mortal understand his ways?

25 It is a snare for a man hastily to consecrate anything of his own, for after vowing comes repenting.

26 A wise king is a winnower of the ungodly, and he will bring the wheel upon them.

27 The breath of men is a light of the Lord, who searches the inner chambers of the belly.

28 Mercy and truth are a guard for a king, and they will encompass his throne with righteousness.

29 Wisdom is an ornament to young men, and gray hairs are the glory of the elders.

30 Bruises and wounds befall the wicked, and blows reach the inner chambers of the belly.

Chapter 21

1 Like a rush of water, so is the heart of a king in the hand of God; wherever he wills to turn it, there he inclines it.

2 Every man seems righteous in his own eyes, but the Lord directs hearts.

3 To do righteousness and speak truth is more pleasing to God than the blood of sacrifices.

4 The bold-hearted man is arrogant in his insolence, and the lamp of the ungodly is sin.

6 He who gathers treasures with a lying tongue pursues vanities into the snares of death.

7 Destruction shall lodge with the ungodly, for they refuse to do what is just.

8 To the crooked God sends crooked ways, for his works are pure and upright.

9 It is better to dwell in a corner in the open air than in plastered rooms with unrighteousness and in a shared house.

10 The soul of the ungodly shall find mercy from no man.

11 When the undisciplined man is punished, the simple becomes shrewder, and a wise man, understanding, will receive knowledge.

12 The righteous understands the hearts of the ungodly, and despises the ungodly in their wickedness.

13 He who stops his ears so as not to hear the weak, he himself also shall call out, and there shall be none to hear.

14 A secret gift turns away anger, but he who withholds gifts stirs up strong wrath.

15 It is the joy of the righteous to do judgment, but a holy man is unclean in the eyes of evildoers.

16 A man who wanders from the way of righteousness shall rest in the assembly of the giants.

17 A needy man loves mirth, loving wine and oil unto wealth;

18 and the lawless man is the offscouring of the righteous.

19 It is better to dwell in a desert land than with a quarrelsome, sharp-tongued, and angry woman.

20 A desirable treasure shall rest upon the mouth of the wise, but foolish men will swallow it up.

21 The way of righteousness and mercy shall find life and glory.

22 A wise man has scaled fortified cities and pulled down the stronghold in which the ungodly had trusted.

23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from affliction.

24 The bold and self-willed and boastful man is called a pest; and he who bears grudges is a transgressor.

25 Desires kill the sluggard, for his hands do not choose to do anything.

26 The ungodly man desires evil desires all day long, but the righteous shows mercy and pity without stint.

27 The sacrifices of the ungodly are an abomination to the Lord, for they offer them lawlessly.

28 A false witness shall perish, but an obedient man, guarding himself, shall speak.

29 An ungodly man shamelessly withstands to the face, but the upright himself understands his own ways.

30 There is no wisdom, there is no courage, there is no counsel against the ungodly.

31 A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but help comes from the Lord.

Chapter 22

1 A good name is more to be chosen than great wealth, and good favor above silver and gold.

2 The rich and the poor meet one another; the Lord made them both.

3 A shrewd man, seeing a wicked man punished, is himself mightily instructed, but the foolish, passing by, suffer loss.

4 The offspring of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and wealth and glory and life.

5 Thistles and snares are in crooked ways, but he who guards his own soul will keep away from them.

7 The rich will rule over the poor, and servants will lend to their own masters.

8 He who sows worthless things will reap evils, and he will complete the punishment of his deeds.

8a God blesses a cheerful man and a giver, but he will bring the vanity of his works to an end.

9 He who has mercy on the poor will himself be sustained, for he gave of his own bread to the poor.

9a He who gives gifts secures victory and honor, yet he takes away the soul of those who possess them.

10 Cast out a pestilent man from the council, and strife will go out with him; for when he sits in the council, he dishonors everyone.

11 The Lord loves holy hearts, and all the blameless are acceptable to him; a king shepherds with his lips.

12 The eyes of the Lord preserve understanding, but the lawless man despises words.

13 The sluggard makes excuses and says, "There is a lion in the roads, and murderers in the streets."

14 The mouth of a lawless man is a deep pit, and he who is hated by the Lord will fall into it.

14a There are evil ways before a man, and he does not love to turn away from them; but one must turn away from a crooked and evil way.

15 Folly is fastened to the heart of a young man, but the rod and instruction are far from him.

16 He who oppresses the poor increases his own goods, yet gives to the rich at a loss.

17 Incline your ear to the words of the wise and hear my word, and apply your heart, so that you may know that they are good;

18 and if you put them into your heart, they will gladden you together upon your lips,

19 so that your hope may be in the Lord and he may make his way known to you.

20 And do you also write them down for yourself three times over, for counsel and knowledge, upon the breadth of your heart.

21 I therefore teach you a true word and good knowledge to heed, so as to answer words of truth to those who question you.

22 Do not use force against a poor man, for he is needy, and do not dishonor a weak man in the gates;

23 for the Lord will judge his cause, and you will deliver your own soul unharmed.

24 Do not be a companion to a hot-tempered man, nor lodge with a wrathful friend,

25 lest you learn his ways and take snares for your own soul.

26 Do not give yourself as surety out of respect for a person's face;

27 for if you have no means to pay, they will take the bedding from under your sides.

28 Do not remove the ancient boundaries which your fathers set.

29 A man of keen sight and quick in his works must stand before kings, and not stand before sluggish men.

Chapter 23

1 If you sit down to dine at the table of rulers, consider carefully what is set before you,

2 and put forth your hand knowing that you must prepare such things yourself.

3 But if you are too greedy, do not desire his dainties, for these belong to a false life.

4 Do not, being poor, measure yourself against a rich man, but refrain in your own thinking;

5 if you fix your eye upon him, he will nowhere appear, for wings like an eagle's have been prepared for him, and he returns to the house of his master.

6 Do not dine with an envious man, nor desire his foods;

7 for as if someone should swallow a hair, so he eats and drinks.

8 Nor bring him in to yourself and eat your morsel with him; for he will vomit it up and spoil your fine words.

9 Say nothing in the ears of a fool, lest he sneer at your wise words.

10 Do not remove ancient boundaries, and do not enter into the possession of orphans;

11 for the Lord who redeems them is mighty, and he will plead their cause with you.

12 Give your heart to instruction, and prepare your ears for words of understanding.

13 Do not refrain from disciplining a child, for if you strike him with a rod, he will not die;

14 for you will strike him with a rod, but you will deliver his soul from death.

15 My son, if your heart becomes wise, you will gladden my heart also,

16 and your lips will dwell in conversation with my lips, if they are upright.

17 Let not your heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the Lord all the day;

18 for if you keep these things, you will have descendants, and your hope will not depart.

19 Hear, my son, and become wise, and direct the thoughts of your heart;

20 do not be a wine-drinker, nor stretch yourself out at contributions and purchases of meat;

21 for every drunkard and whoremonger will become poor, and every sluggard will be clothed in torn and ragged garments.

22 Hear, my son, the father who begot you, and do not despise your mother because she has grown old.

24 A righteous father brings up his children well, and his soul rejoices over a wise son;

25 let your father and mother rejoice over you, and let her who bore you be glad.

26 Give me your heart, my son, and let your eyes keep to my ways;

27 for a strange house is a pierced jar, and a strange well is narrow;

28 for such a one will perish quickly, and every transgressor will be consumed.

29 Who has woe? Who has tumult? Who has judgment? Who has unpleasantness and gossip? Who has bruises without cause? Whose eyes are livid?

30 Is it not those who linger over wines? Is it not those who track down where drinking parties occur?

31 Do not get drunk with wine, but converse with righteous men and converse in your walks; for if you give your eyes to the bowls and the cups, afterward you will walk about more naked than a pestle,

32 and at the last he stretches out as one struck by a snake, and venom spreads through him as from a horned serpent.

33 When your eyes look on a strange woman, then your mouth will speak crooked things,

34 and you will lie as it were in the heart of the sea, and as a pilot in a great storm;

35 and you will say, "They strike me, and I felt no pain, and they mocked me, but I did not know it. When will it be dawn, that I may go and seek those with whom I shall gather?"

Chapter 24

1 My son, do not envy evil men, nor desire to be with them;

2 for their heart meditates on lies, and their lips speak of troubles.

3 With wisdom a house is built, and with understanding it is set upright;

4 with discernment the storerooms are filled with all precious and good wealth.

5 A wise man is better than a strong one, and a man who has prudence than a great farm;

6 with guidance war is waged, and help comes with a counseling heart.

7 Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise; the wise do not turn aside from the mouth of the Lord,

8 but deliberate in councils. Death meets the undisciplined,

9 and the fool dies in sins; and uncleanness will defile a pestilent man

10 in an evil day and in a day of affliction, until he perishes.

11 Rescue those being led to death, and ransom those being slain—do not hold back;

12 but if you say, "I do not know this man," know that the Lord knows the hearts of all, and he who formed breath for all himself knows all things, who repays each according to his works.

13 Eat honey, my son, for the honeycomb is good, that your throat may be sweetened;

14 thus you shall perceive wisdom for your soul; for if you find it, your end will be good, and hope will not forsake you.

15 Do not bring an ungodly man into the pasture of the righteous, nor be deceived by the filling of the belly;

16 for the righteous man will fall seven times and rise again, but the ungodly will be weak in evils.

17 If your enemy falls, do not rejoice over him, and do not exult at his stumbling;

18 for the Lord will see, and it will not please him, and he will turn his wrath away from him.

19 Do not rejoice over evildoers, nor envy sinners;

20 for there shall be no offspring of the wicked, and the lamp of the ungodly will be quenched.

21 Fear God, my son, and the king, and do not disobey either of them;

22 for suddenly they will punish the ungodly, and who will know the punishments of both?

22a A son who keeps the word will be free from destruction, and receiving it he received it fully.

22b Let no falsehood be spoken from the tongue to the king, and no falsehood shall in any way go forth from his tongue.

22c The tongue of a king is a sword and not of flesh, and whoever is delivered up will be crushed;

22d for if his wrath is sharpened, he consumes men together with their sinews,

22e and devours the bones of men and burns them up like a flame, so that they are not fit to be eaten even by the young of eagles.

23 And these things I say to you who are wise, to know: to show partiality in judgment is not good;

24 he who says of the ungodly, "He is righteous," will be cursed among peoples and hateful among nations;

25 but those who reprove will appear better, and a good blessing will come upon them;

26 and lips that answer with good words will be kissed.

27 Prepare your works for your going out, and make yourself ready for the field, and walk after me, and you shall rebuild your house.

28 Do not be a false witness against your fellow citizen, nor be expansive with your lips;

29 do not say, "As he treated me, so I will treat him; I will repay him for the wrongs he did me."

30 A foolish man is like a farm, and a man lacking sense like a vineyard;

31 if you leave him alone, he will become barren and wholly overgrown with weeds and becomes abandoned, and his stone fences are torn down.

32 Afterward I repented; I looked so as to choose instruction.

33 A little I doze, a little I sleep, a little I fold my arms across my breast;

34 but if you do this, your poverty will come marching on, and your want like a good runner.

Chapter 25

1 These are the miscellaneous instructions of Solomon, which the friends of Hezekiah king of Judea copied out.

2 The glory of God conceals a word, but the glory of a king honors matters.

3 Heaven is high, and earth is deep, but the heart of a king cannot be searched out.

4 Strike unrefined silver, and it shall all be made pure and clean;

5 slay the ungodly from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.

6 Do not boast before the king, nor stand in the places of the mighty;

7 for it is better for you that it be said, "Come up to me," than that you be humbled before a great man. What your eyes have seen, speak.

8 Do not rush hastily into a quarrel, lest you regret it in the end. Whenever your friend reproaches you,

9 retreat, do not despise him,

10 lest your friend reproach you, and your quarrel and enmity not depart, but be to you like death.

10a Favor and friendship set free; keep them for yourself, that you may not become an object of reproach, but guard your ways agreeably.

11 A golden apple in a necklace of sardius, such is it to speak a word.

12 Into a golden earring is set a precious sardius; so is a wise word to an attentive ear.

13 As a fall of snow at harvest time helps against the heat, so is a faithful messenger to those who sent him; for he benefits the souls of those who employ him.

14 As winds and clouds and rains are most conspicuous, so are those who boast of a false gift.

15 In long-suffering there is prosperity for kings, and a soft tongue breaks bones.

16 Having found honey, eat what is sufficient, lest, being filled, you vomit.

17 Bring your foot seldom to your own friend, lest, being filled with you, he hate you.

18 A club and a sword and a barbed arrow — such also is a man who bears false witness against his friend.

19 The tooth of the wicked and the foot of the transgressor shall perish in an evil day.

20 As vinegar is harmful to a sore, so an affliction falling upon the body grieves the heart.

20a As a moth in a garment and a worm in wood, so a man's grief harms the heart.

21 If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink;

22 for by doing this you will heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord will repay you with good things.

23 The north wind stirs up clouds, and a shameless face provokes the tongue.

24 It is better to dwell on a corner of the roof than with a railing woman in a shared house.

25 As cold water is pleasant to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a land far away.

26 As if one should stop up a spring and spoil an outlet of water, so is it unseemly for a righteous man to fall before the ungodly.

27 To eat much honey is not good, but one ought to honor glorious words.

28 As a city whose walls have been thrown down and which is unwalled, so is a man who does anything without counsel.

Chapter 26

1 As dew in harvest and as rain in summer, so honor is not fitting for a fool.

2 As birds fly, and sparrows, so a vain curse shall come upon no one.

3 As a whip for a horse and a goad for a donkey, so is a rod for a lawless nation.

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you become like him;

5 but answer a fool according to his folly, lest he seem wise in his own eyes.

6 He who sends a message by a foolish messenger shall drink reproach from his own feet.

7 Take away the walking of legs and a proverb from the mouth of fools.

8 He who binds a stone in a sling is like one who gives glory to a fool.

9 Thorns grow in the hand of a drunkard, and slavery in the hand of fools.

10 All the flesh of fools is greatly tempest-tossed, for their frenzy is shattered.

11 As a dog when it returns to its own vomit and becomes hateful, so is a fool who by his own wickedness returns to his own sin.

11a There is a shame that brings sin, and there is a shame that is glory and grace.

12 I have seen a man who seemed to himself to be wise, yet a fool had more hope than he.

13 The sluggard, when sent on a journey, says, "There is a lion in the roads."

14 As a door turns on its hinge, so does a sluggard on his bed.

15 The sluggard, having hidden his hand in his bosom, will not be able to bring it to his mouth.

16 A sluggard seems to himself wiser than one who in abundance brings back a message.

17 As he who grasps a dog's tail, so is he who takes charge of another's dispute.

18 As those who offer healing put forth words to men, but he who first encounters the word will be tripped up,

19 so are all who lie in wait for their own friends, and when they are caught, they say, "I did it in jest."

20 With much wood fire flourishes, but where there is no quarrelsome man, strife is quiet.

21 A hearth for coals and wood for fire, but a reviling man for the stirring up of strife.

22 The words of knaves are soft, but they strike into the chambers of the inward parts.

23 Silver given with deceit is to be reckoned as a potsherd. Smooth lips conceal a grievous heart.

24 With his lips a weeping enemy assents to everything, but in his heart he devises deceits;

25 if your enemy entreats you with a loud voice, do not be persuaded, for there are seven wickednesses in his soul.

26 He who hides enmity contrives deceit, but he uncovers his own sins, well known in assemblies.

27 He who digs a pit for his neighbor shall fall into it, and he who rolls a stone rolls it upon himself.

28 A lying tongue hates truth, and an unguarded mouth causes disorder.

Chapter 27

1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what the coming day will bring forth.

2 Let your neighbor praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy and sand hard to bear, but the anger of a fool is heavier than both.

4 Wrath is merciless and anger sharp, but jealousy no one can withstand.

5 Open rebukes are better than hidden friendship.

6 The wounds of a friend are more trustworthy than the willing kisses of an enemy.

7 A soul that is full mocks at honeycombs, but to a needy soul even bitter things seem sweet.

8 As when a bird flies away from its own nest, so a man is enslaved when he is estranged from his own place.

9 The heart delights in perfumes and wines and incense, but the soul is torn apart by misfortunes.

10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend, and do not enter your brother's house when you are in misfortune; better is a friend nearby than a brother dwelling far away.

11 Become wise, my son, that my heart may rejoice, and turn away reproachful words from yourself.

12 A shrewd man hides himself when evils are coming, but fools go on and will pay the penalty.

13 Take away his garment, for he passed by; insolent is whoever ruins what belongs to others.

14 Whoever blesses a friend in the morning with a loud voice will seem no different from one who curses.

15 Drops of rain drive a man out of his house on a wintry day; likewise also a quarrelsome wife drives him from his own house.

16 The north wind is a harsh wind, but it is called auspicious by name.

17 Iron sharpens iron, and a man sharpens the face of his companion.

18 He who plants a fig tree shall eat its fruits; and he who guards his own master shall be honored.

19 As faces are not like other faces, so neither are the hearts of men.

20 Hades and destruction are not filled; likewise also the eyes of men are insatiable. 20a An abomination to the Lord is he who fixes his eye, and the undisciplined are unrestrained in tongue.

21 Fire is the test for silver and gold, but a man is tested through the mouth of those who praise him.

21a The heart of a lawless man seeks out evils, but an upright heart seeks out knowledge.

22 Even if you flog a fool, disgracing him in the midst of the assembly, you will by no means remove his folly.

23 Know well the souls of your flock, and set your heart upon your herds;

24 for power and strength do not belong to a man forever, nor does he pass them on from generation to generation.

25 Take care of the green things in the plain, and you will cut grass; and gather the hay of the hills,

26 that you may have sheep for clothing; honor the field, that you may have lambs.

27 My son, from me you have strong sayings for your life and for the life of your servants.

Chapter 28

1 The ungodly man flees when no one pursues, but the righteous is confident as a lion.

2 Through the sins of the ungodly, disputes arise, but a shrewd man will quench them.

3 A man bold in impieties oppresses the poor with false accusations. Like a violent and profitless rain,

4 so those who forsake the law praise ungodliness, but those who love the law surround themselves with a wall.

5 Evil men will not understand judgment, but those who seek the Lord will have understanding in everything.

6 Better is a poor man who walks in truth than a rich liar.

7 A wise son keeps the law, but he who feeds on debauchery dishonors his father.

8 He who increases his wealth by interest and unjust gain gathers it for him who has mercy on the poor.

9 He who turns away his ear so as not to hear the law—even his prayer is an abomination.

10 He who leads the upright astray into an evil way will himself fall into destruction; and the lawless will pass by good things and will not enter into them.

11 A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man of understanding will condemn him.

12 Through the help of the righteous there comes great glory, but in the places of the ungodly men are caught.

13 He who covers his own ungodliness will not prosper, but he who declares reproofs will be loved.

14 Blessed is the man who fears all things through reverence, but he who is hard of heart will fall into evils.

15 A hungry lion and a thirsty wolf is he who, being poor, tyrannizes over a needy nation.

16 A king lacking revenues is a great oppressor, but he who hates injustice will live a long time.

17 He who becomes surety for a man charged with murder will be a fugitive and not in safety.

17a Instruct your son, and he will love you and give adornment to your soul; do not obey a lawless nation.

18 He who walks righteously is helped, but he who walks in crooked ways will be entangled.

19 He who works his own land will be filled with bread, but he who pursues idleness will be filled with poverty.

20 A trustworthy man will be greatly blessed, but the wicked will not go unpunished.

21 He who does not respect the persons of the righteous is not good; such a man will sell a man for a morsel of bread.

22 An envious man hastens to be rich, and does not know that the merciful will have power over him.

23 He who reproves a man's ways will find more favor than the flatterer with the tongue.

24 He who casts off father or mother and thinks he does not sin—this man is the companion of an ungodly man.

25 An insatiable man judges rashly, but he who trusts in the Lord will act with care.

26 He who trusts in a bold heart, such a man is a fool; but he who walks in wisdom will be saved.

27 He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who turns away his eye will be in great want.

28 In the places of the ungodly the righteous groan, but at their destruction the righteous will be multiplied.

Chapter 29

1 A man who reproves is better than a stiff-necked man; for when he is suddenly set aflame, there is no healing.

2 When the righteous are praised, the peoples will rejoice; but when the ungodly rule, men groan.

3 When a man loves wisdom, his father rejoices; but he who keeps company with harlots will destroy wealth.

4 A righteous king raises up a land, but a lawless man tears it down.

5 He who prepares a net before the face of his own friend entangles his own feet in it.

6 For a man who sins there is a great snare, but the righteous shall be in joy and gladness.

7 The righteous man knows how to judge for the needy, but the ungodly will not understand knowledge, and the poor man has no discerning mind.

8 Pestilent men set a city ablaze, but the wise turn away wrath.

9 A wise man judges nations, but a worthless man, when angered, is laughed at and does not cower.

10 Men who share in blood will hate a holy man, but the upright will seek out his soul.

11 A fool brings out all his anger, but a wise man dispenses it in measure.

12 When a king listens to an unjust word, all those under him are lawless.

13 When creditor and debtor meet with one another, the Lord makes inspection of them both.

14 When a king judges the poor in truth, his throne shall be established for a testimony.

15 Blows and reproofs give wisdom, but a child who goes astray shames his parents.

16 When the ungodly are many, sins become many; but the righteous, when those fall, become full of fear.

17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest and will give adornment to your soul.

18 There shall be no interpreter for a lawless nation, but he who keeps the law is most blessed.

19 A hard servant will not be disciplined by words; for even if he understands, still he will not obey.

20 If you see a man quick in words, know that a fool has more hope than he.

21 He who lives luxuriously from childhood will be a servant, and in the end will grieve over himself.

22 A wrathful man digs up strife, and an angry man digs out sins.

23 Pride humbles a man, but the Lord upholds the humble-minded with glory.

24 He who shares with a thief hates his own soul; and if, when an oath has been set forth, those who have heard do not report it,

25 fearing and being ashamed before men, they were tripped up; but he who trusts in the Lord shall rejoice. Ungodliness gives a man a fall; but he who trusts in the Master shall be saved.

26 Many court the faces of rulers, but justice comes to a man from the Lord.

27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, and a straight way is an abomination to the lawless.

Chapter 30

1 Fear my words, my son, and receiving them, repent. These things says the man to those who believe in God, and I cease:

2 For I am the most foolish of all men, and the understanding of men is not in me;

3 God has taught me wisdom, and I have known the knowledge of the holy ones.

4 Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the winds in his bosom? Who has wrapped up water in a garment? Who has grasped all the ends of the earth? What is his name, or what is the name of his children, that you may know?

5 All the words of God are tried by fire, and he himself shields those who revere him.

6 Do not add to his words, lest he reprove you and you become a liar.

7 Two things I ask of you: do not take grace from me before I die.

8 Put vain and false speech far from me, and give me neither wealth nor poverty, but appoint for me what is needful and sufficient,

9 lest, being filled, I become false and say, "Who sees me?" or, being poor, I steal and swear by the name of God.

10 Do not deliver a servant into the hands of a master, lest he curse you and you be destroyed.

11 A wicked offspring curses its father and does not bless its mother;

12 a wicked offspring judges itself righteous, but has not washed off its going out;

13 a wicked offspring has lofty eyes, and lifts itself up with its eyelids;

14 a wicked offspring has swords for teeth and cutting knives for molars, so as to consume and devour the lowly from the earth, and the poor among them from mankind.

15 The leech had three daughters, dearly beloved, and these three did not satisfy her, and the fourth was not content to say "Enough":

16 Hades, and the love of a woman, and Tartarus, and the earth not filled with water; and water and fire will never say "It is enough."

17 The eye that mocks a father and dishonors the old age of a mother, may ravens from the ravines peck it out, and may the young of eagles devour it.

18 Three things are impossible for me to understand, and the fourth I do not know:

19 the tracks of a flying eagle, and the ways of a serpent upon a rock, and the paths of a ship crossing the sea, and the ways of a man in his youth.

20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who, when she has acted, washes herself and says she has done nothing amiss.

21 By three things the earth is shaken, and the fourth it cannot bear:

22 if a servant becomes king, and a fool is filled with food,

23 and if a maidservant casts out her own mistress, and if a hateful woman obtains a good husband.

24 There are four things that are smallest on the earth, yet these are wiser than the wise:

25 the ants, who have no strength, and yet prepare their food in summer;

26 and the rock badgers, a nation not strong, who have made their homes in the rocks;

27 the locust is without a king, yet marches out in good order at a single command;

28 and the lizard, leaning on its hands and being easy to catch, dwells in the strongholds of a king.

29 There are three things that go well, and a fourth that steps handsomely:

30 a lion's whelp, stronger than beasts, who does not turn back nor cower before any beast;

31 and a rooster strutting boldly among the hens, and a he-goat leading the herd, and a king making speeches among a nation.

32 If you give yourself over to merriment and stretch out your hand with strife, you will be dishonored.

33 Milk out milk, and there will be butter; and if you squeeze the nostrils, blood will come forth; and if you draw out words, quarrels and fights will come forth.

Chapter 31

1 My words have been spoken by God, an oracle of a king, whom his mother instructed.

2 What, child, will you keep? What? The sayings of God. Firstborn, I speak to you, son. What, child of my womb? What, child of my vows?

3 Do not give your wealth to women, nor your mind and life to afterthought.

4 Do all things with counsel; drink wine with counsel. Rulers are prone to anger; let them not drink wine,

5 lest, having drunk, they forget wisdom and be unable to judge the weak rightly.

6 Give strong drink to those in sorrows, and wine to drink to those in pains,

7 that they may forget their poverty and remember their toils no more.

8 Open your mouth with the word of God, and judge all men soundly.

9 Open your mouth and judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and the weak.

10 Who will find a valiant woman? For such a one is more precious than costly stones.

11 The heart of her husband trusts in her; such a one shall not lack fine spoils.

12 For she works good things for her husband all her life.

13 Winding wool and flax, she made something useful with her hands.

14 She has become like a ship trading from afar, and she gathers her livelihood.

15 And she rises by night and has given food to her household and tasks to her maidservants.

16 Having considered a field, she bought it, and from the fruits of her hands she planted a possession.

17 Having girded her loins strongly, she set her arms to work.

18 She has tasted that working is good, and her lamp is not quenched the whole night.

19 She stretches out her forearms to profitable things, and sets her hands to the spindle.

20 She has opened her hands to the poor man, and stretched out fruit to the beggar.

21 Her husband is not anxious about those at home, whenever he tarries somewhere; for all who are with her are clothed.

22 She made double cloaks for her husband, and garments for herself from fine linen and purple.

23 And her husband becomes admired at the gates, whenever he sits in council with the elder inhabitants of the land.

24 She made fine linens and sold them, and girdles for the Canaanites.

25 She opened her mouth attentively and lawfully, and appointed order to her tongue.

26 She clothed herself with strength and dignity, and rejoiced in the last days.

27 The occupations of her household are secure, and she has not eaten the bread of idleness.

28 And she opens her mouth wisely and according to law; and her charity raised up her children, and they grew rich, and her husband praised her:

29 Many daughters have acquired wealth, many have done mighty things, but you surpass and have exceeded them all.

30 False are charms, and vain the beauty of a woman; for a prudent woman is blessed, and let her praise the fear of the Lord.

31 Give her from the fruits of her hands, and let her husband be praised at the gates.