Chapter 27

Warnings and Instructions

1 aDo not boast about tomorrow,

For you bdo not know what a day may bring forth.

2 Let aanother praise you, and not your own mouth;

A stranger, and not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,

But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.

4 Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,

But awho can stand before jealousy?

5 Better is aopen rebuke

Than love that is concealed.

6 Faithful are the awounds of a friend,

But 1deceitful are the bkisses of an enemy.

7 A sated 1man 2loathes honey,

But to a famished 1man any bitter thing is sweet.

8 Like a abird that wanders from her nest,

So is a man who bwanders from his 1home.

9 aOil and perfume make the heart glad,

So a 1man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.

10 Do not forsake your own afriend or byour father’s friend,

And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;

Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.

11 aBe wise, my son, and make my heart glad,

That I may breply to him who reproaches me.

12 A prudent man sees evil and hides himself,

The 1naive proceed and pay the penalty.

13 aTake his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger;

And for an 1adulterous woman hold him in pledge.

14 aHe who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,

It will be reckoned a curse to him.

15 A aconstant dripping on a day of steady rain

And a contentious woman are alike;

16 He who would 1restrain her 1restrains the wind,

And 2grasps oil with his right hand.

17 Iron sharpens iron,

So one man sharpens another.

18 He who tends the afig tree will eat its fruit,

And he who bcares for his master will be honored.

19 As in water face reflects face,

So the heart of man reflects man.

20 1aSheol and 2Abaddon are bnever satisfied,

Nor are the ceyes of man ever satisfied.

21 The acrucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,

And each bis tested by the praise accorded him.

22 Though you apound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,

Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

23 aKnow well the 1condition of your flocks,

And pay attention to your herds;

24 For riches are not forever,

Nor does a acrown endure to all generations.

25 When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen,

And the herbs of the mountains are agathered in,

26 The lambs will be for your clothing,

And the goats will bring the price of a field,

27 And there will be goats’ milk enough for your food,

For the food of your household,

And sustenance for your maidens.

Chapter 28

Warnings and Instructions

1 The wicked aflee when no one is pursuing,

But the righteous are 1bold as a lion.

2 By the transgression of a land amany are its princes,

But bby a man of understanding and knowledge, so it endures.

3 A apoor man who oppresses the lowly

Is like a driving rain 1which leaves no food.

4 Those who forsake the law apraise the wicked,

But those who keep the law bstrive with them.

5 Evil men ado not understand justice,

But those who seek the Lord bunderstand all things.

6 aBetter is the poor who walks in his integrity

Than he who is 1crooked though he be rich.

7 He who keeps the law is a discerning son,

But he who is a companion of agluttons humiliates his father.

8 He who increases his wealth by ainterest and usury

Gathers it bfor him who is gracious to the poor.

9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law,

Even his aprayer is an abomination.

10 He who leads the upright astray in an evil way

Will ahimself fall into his own pit,

But the bblameless will inherit good.

11 The rich man is awise in his own eyes,

But the poor who has understanding 1sees through him.

12 When the arighteous triumph, there is great glory,

But bwhen the wicked rise, men 1hide themselves.

13 He who aconceals his transgressions will not prosper,

But he who bconfesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

14 How blessed is the man who afears always,

But he who bhardens his heart will fall into calamity.

15 Like a aroaring lion and a rushing bear

Is a bwicked ruler over a poor people.

16 A aleader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding,

But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.

17 A man who is aladen with the guilt of human blood

Will 1be a fugitive until death; let no one support him.

18 He who walks blamelessly will be delivered,

But he who is 1acrooked will fall all at once.

19 aHe who tills his land will bhave plenty of food,

But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.

20 A afaithful man will abound with blessings,

But he who bmakes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.

21 To 1ashow partiality is not good,

bBecause for a piece of bread a man will transgress.

22 A man with an aevil eye bhastens after wealth

And does not know that want will come upon him.

23 He who arebukes a man will afterward find more favor

Than he who bflatters with the tongue.

24 He who arobs his father or his mother

And says, “It is not a transgression,”

Is the bcompanion of a man who destroys.

25 An 1arrogant man astirs up strife,

But he who btrusts in the Lord cwill 2prosper.

26 He who atrusts in his own heart is a fool,

But he who walks wisely will be delivered.

27 He who agives to the poor will never want,

But he who 1shuts his eyes will have many curses.

28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves;

But when they perish, the righteous increase.

Chapter 29

Warnings and Instructions

1 A man who hardens his neck after amuch reproof

Will bsuddenly be broken 1beyond remedy.

2 When the arighteous 1increase, the people rejoice,

But when a wicked man rules, people groan.

3 A man who aloves wisdom makes his father glad,

But he who bkeeps company with harlots wastes his wealth.

4 The aking gives stability to the land by justice,

But a man who takes bribes overthrows it.

5 A man who aflatters his neighbor

Is spreading a net for his steps.

6 By transgression an evil man is aensnared,

But the righteous bsings and rejoices.

7 The arighteous 1is concerned for the rights of the poor,

The wicked does not understand such 2concern.

8 Scorners aset a city aflame,

But bwise men turn away anger.

9 When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man,

1The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest.

10 Men of abloodshed hate the blameless,

But the upright 1are concerned for his life.

11 A afool 1always loses his temper,

But a bwise man holds it back.

12 If a aruler pays attention to falsehood,

All his ministers become wicked.

13 The apoor man and the oppressor 1have this in common:

The Lord gives blight to the eyes of both.

14 If a aking judges the poor with truth,

His bthrone will be established forever.

15 The arod and reproof give wisdom,

But a child 1who gets his own way bbrings shame to his mother.

16 When the wicked 1increase, transgression increases;

But the arighteous will see their fall.

17 aCorrect your son, and he will give you comfort;

He will also 1bdelight your soul.

18 Where there is ano 1vision, the people bare unrestrained,

But chappy is he who keeps the law.

19 A slave will not be instructed by words alone;

For though he understands, there will be no response.

20 Do you see a man who is ahasty in his words?

There is bmore hope for a fool than for him.

21 He who pampers his slave from childhood

Will in the end find him to be a son.

22 An aangry man stirs up strife,

And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

23 A man’s apride will bring him low,

But a bhumble spirit will obtain honor.

24 He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life;

He ahears the oath but tells nothing.

25 The afear of man 1brings a snare,

But he who btrusts in the Lord will be exalted.

26 aMany seek the ruler’s 1favor,

But bjustice for man comes from the Lord.

27 An aunjust man is abominable to the righteous,

And he who is bupright in the way is abominable to the wicked.

Chapter 30

The Words of Agur

1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the 1oracle.

The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

2 Surely I am more astupid than any man,

And I do not have the understanding of a man.

3 Neither have I learned wisdom,

Nor do I have the aknowledge of the Holy One.

4 Who has aascended into heaven and descended?

Who has gathered the bwind in His fists?

Who has cwrapped the waters in 1His garment?

Who has destablished all the ends of the earth?

What is His ename or His son’s name?

Surely you know!

5 Every aword of God is tested;

He is a bshield to those who take refuge in Him.

6 aDo not add to His words

Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.

7 Two things I asked of You,

Do not refuse me before I die:

8 Keep deception and 1lies far from me,

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

Feed me with the afood that is my portion,

9 That I not be afull and deny bYou and say, “Who is the Lord?”

Or that I not be cin want and steal,

And dprofane the name of my God.

10 Do not slander a slave to his master,

Or he will acurse you and you will be found guilty.

11 There is a 1kind of man who acurses his father

And does not bless his mother.

12 There is a 1kind who is apure in his own eyes,

Yet is not washed from his filthiness.

13 There is a 1kind—oh how alofty are his eyes!

And his eyelids are raised in arrogance.

14 There is a 1kind of man whose ateeth are like swords

And his bjaw teeth like knives,

To cdevour the afflicted from the earth

And the needy from among men.

15 The leech has two daughters,

“Give,” “Give.”

There are three things that will not be satisfied,

Four that will not say, “Enough”:

16 1aSheol, and the bbarren womb,

Earth that is never satisfied with water,

And fire that never says, “Enough.”

17 The eye that amocks a father

And 1bscorns a mother,

The cravens of the valley will pick it out,

And the young ceagles will eat it.

18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me,

Four which I do not understand:

19 The way of an aeagle in the sky,

The way of a serpent on a rock,

The way of a ship in the middle of the sea,

And the way of a man with a maid.

20 This is the way of an aadulterous woman:

She eats and wipes her mouth,

And says, “I have done no wrong.”

21 Under three things the earth quakes,

And under four, it cannot bear up:

22 Under a aslave when he becomes king,

And a fool when he is satisfied with food,

23 Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband,

And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.

24 Four things are small on the earth,

But they are exceedingly wise:

25 The aants are not a strong people,

But they prepare their food in the summer;

26 The 1ashephanim are not mighty people,

Yet they make their houses in the rocks;

27 The locusts have no king,

Yet all of them go out in aranks;

28 The lizard you may grasp with the hands,

Yet it is in kings’ palaces.

29 There are three things which are stately in their march,

Even four which are stately when they walk:

30 The lion which is amighty among beasts

And does not 1bretreat before any,

31 The 1strutting rooster, the male goat also,

And a king when his army is with him.

32 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself

Or if you have plotted evil, aput your hand on your mouth.

33 For the 1churning of milk produces butter,

And pressing the nose brings forth blood;

So the 1churning of aanger produces strife.

Chapter 31

The Words of Lemuel

1 The words of King Lemuel, the 1oracle which his mother taught him:

2 What, O my son?

And what, O ason of my womb?

And what, O son of my bvows?

3 aDo not give your strength to women,

Or your ways to that which bdestroys kings.

4 It is not for akings, O Lemuel,

It is not for kings to bdrink wine,

Or for rulers to desire strong drink,

5 For they will drink and forget what is decreed,

And apervert the 1rights of all the 2afflicted.

6 Give strong drink to him who is aperishing,

And wine to him 1bwhose life is bitter.

7 Let him drink and forget his poverty

And remember his trouble no more.

8 aOpen your mouth for the mute,

For the 1rights of all the 2unfortunate.

9 Open your mouth, ajudge righteously,

And 1defend the brights of the afflicted and needy.

Description of a Worthy Woman

10 An aexcellent wife, who can find?

For her worth is far babove jewels.

11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,

And he will have no lack of gain.

12 She does him good and not evil

All the days of her life.

13 She looks for wool and flax

And works with her 1hands 2in delight.

14 She is like amerchant ships;

She brings her food from afar.

15 She arises also while it is still night

And bgives food to her household

And 1portions to her maidens.

16 She considers a field and buys it;

From 1her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She agirds 1herself with strength

And makes her arms strong.

18 She senses that her gain is good;

Her lamp does not go out at night.

19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,

And her 1hands grasp the spindle.

20 She 1aextends her hand to the poor,

And she stretches out her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,

For all her household are aclothed with scarlet.

22 She makes acoverings for herself;

Her clothing is bfine linen and cpurple.

23 Her husband is known ain the gates,

When he sits among the elders of the land.

24 She makes alinen garments and sells them,

And 1supplies belts to the 2tradesmen.

25 Strength and adignity are her clothing,

And she smiles at the 1future.

26 She aopens her mouth in wisdom,

And the 1teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

27 She looks well to the ways of her household,

And does not eat the abread of idleness.

28 Her children rise up and bless her;

Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:

29 “Many daughters have done nobly,

But you excel them all.”

30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

But a woman who 1afears the Lord, she shall be praised.

31 Give her the 1product of her hands,

And let her works praise her in the gates.