Chapter 20

On Life and Conduct

1 aWine is a mocker, bstrong drink a brawler,

And whoever 1is intoxicated by it is not wise.

2 The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion;

He who provokes him to anger 1aforfeits his own life.

3 1aKeeping away from strife is an honor for a man,

But any fool will 2quarrel.

4 The asluggard does not plow after the autumn,

So he 1begs during the harvest and has nothing.

5 A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water,

But a man of understanding draws it out.

6 Many a man aproclaims his own loyalty,

But who can find a btrustworthy man?

7 A righteous man who awalks in his integrity—

bHow blessed are his sons after him.

8 aA king who sits on the throne of justice

1Disperses all evil with his eyes.

9 aWho can say, “I have cleansed my heart,

I am pure from my sin”?

10 1aDiffering weights and differing measures,

Both of them are abominable to the Lord.

11 It is by his deeds that a lad 1adistinguishes himself

If his conduct is pure and right.

12 The hearing aear and the seeing eye,

The Lord has made both of them.

13 aDo not love sleep, or you will become poor;

Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with 1food.

14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,

But when he goes his way, then he boasts.

15 There is gold, and an abundance of 1jewels;

But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing.

16 Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger;

And for foreigners, hold him in pledge.

17 aBread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man,

But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

18 Prepare aplans by consultation,

And bmake war by wise guidance.

19 He who agoes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,

Therefore do not associate with 1ba gossip.

20 He who acurses his father or his mother,

His blamp will go out in 1time of darkness.

21 An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning

Will not be blessed in the end.

22 aDo not say, “I will repay evil”;

bWait for the Lord, and He will save you.

23 1aDiffering weights are an abomination to the Lord,

And a 2bfalse scale is not good.

24 aMan’s steps are ordained by the Lord,

How then can man understand his way?

25 It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!”

And aafter the vows to make inquiry.

26 A awise king winnows the wicked,

And 1drives the bthreshing wheel over them.

27 The 1aspirit of man is the lamp of the Lord,

Searching all the 2innermost parts of his being.

28 1Loyalty and atruth preserve the king,

And he upholds his throne by 1righteousness.

29 The glory of young men is their strength,

And the 1ahonor of old men is their gray hair.

30 aStripes that wound scour away evil,

And strokes reach the 1innermost parts.

Chapter 21

On Life and Conduct

1 The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;

He aturns it wherever He wishes.

2 aEvery man’s way is right in his own eyes,

But the Lord bweighs the hearts.

3 To do arighteousness and justice

Is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice.

4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,

The alamp of the wicked, is sin.

5 The plans of the adiligent lead surely to advantage,

But everyone bwho is hasty comes surely to poverty.

6 The aacquisition of treasures by a lying tongue

Is a fleeting vapor, the 1pursuit of bdeath.

7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,

Because they arefuse to act with justice.

8 The way of a guilty man is acrooked,

But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.

9 It is better to live in a corner of a roof

Than 1in a house shared with a contentious woman.

10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;

His aneighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

11 When the ascoffer is punished, the 1naive becomes wise;

But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.

12 The righteous one considers the house of the wicked,

Turning the awicked to ruin.

13 He who ashuts his ear to the cry of the poor

Will also cry himself and not be banswered.

14 A agift in secret subdues anger,

And a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.

15 The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous,

But is aterror to the workers of iniquity.

16 A man who wanders from the way of understanding

Will arest in the assembly of the 1dead.

17 He who aloves pleasure will become a poor man;

He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.

18 The wicked is a aransom for the righteous,

And the btreacherous is in the place of the upright.

19 aIt is better to live in a desert land

Than with a contentious and vexing woman.

20 There is precious atreasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise,

But a foolish man bswallows it up.

21 He who apursues righteousness and loyalty

Finds life, righteousness and honor.

22 A awise man scales the city of the mighty

And brings down the 1stronghold in which they trust.

23 He who aguards his mouth and his tongue,

Guards his soul from troubles.

24 “Proud,” “Haughty,” “aScoffer,” are his names,

Who acts with binsolent pride.

25 The adesire of the sluggard puts him to death,

For his hands refuse to work;

26 All day long he 1is craving,

While the righteous agives and does not hold back.

27 The asacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,

How much more when he brings it with evil intent!

28 A afalse witness will perish,

But the man who listens to the truth will speak forever.

29 A wicked man 1adisplays a bold face,

But as for the bupright, he makes his way sure.

30 There is ano wisdom and no understanding

And no counsel against the Lord.

31 The ahorse is prepared for the day of battle,

But bvictory belongs to the Lord.

Chapter 22

On Life and Conduct

1 A agood name is to be more desired than great wealth,

Favor is better than silver and gold.

2 The rich and the poor 1have a common bond,

The Lord is the amaker of them all.

3 The aprudent sees the evil and hides himself,

But the 1naive go on, and are punished for it.

4 The reward of humility and the 1fear of the Lord

Are riches, honor and life.

5 aThorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;

He who guards himself will be far from them.

6 aTrain up a child 1in the way he should go,

Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

7 The arich rules over the poor,

And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

8 He who asows iniquity will reap vanity,

And the brod of his fury will perish.

9 He who 1is agenerous will be blessed,

For he bgives some of his food to the poor.

10 aDrive out the scoffer, and contention will go out,

Even strife and dishonor will cease.

11 He who loves apurity of heart

And 1whose speech is bgracious, the king is his friend.

12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,

But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.

13 The asluggard says, “There is a lion outside;

I will be killed in the streets!”

14 The mouth of 1aan adulteress is a deep pit;

He who is bcursed of the Lord will fall 2into it.

15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;

The arod of discipline will remove it far from him.

16 He awho oppresses the poor to make 1more for himself

Or who gives to the rich, bwill only come to poverty.

17 aIncline your ear and hear the words of the wise,

And apply your mind to my knowledge;

18 For it will be apleasant if you keep them within you,

1That they may be ready on your lips.

19 So that your atrust may be in the Lord,

I have 1taught you today, even you.

20 Have I not written to you 1aexcellent things

Of counsels and knowledge,

21 To make you aknow the 1certainty of the words of truth

That you may 2bcorrectly answer him who sent you?

22 aDo not rob the poor because he is poor,

Or bcrush the afflicted at the gate;

23 For the Lord will aplead their case

And 1take the life of those who rob them.

24 Do not associate with a man given to anger;

Or go with a ahot-tempered man,

25 Or you will alearn his ways

And 1find a snare for yourself.

26 Do not be among those who agive 1pledges,

Among those who become guarantors for debts.

27 If you have nothing with which to pay,

Why should he atake your bed from under you?

28 aDo not move the ancient boundary

Which your fathers have set.

29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?

He will astand before kings;

He will not stand before obscure men.