¹ The Lord is my shepherd,^(A) I lack nothing.^(B)
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,^(C)
3     he refreshes my soul.^(D)
He guides me^(E) along the right paths^(F)
    for his name’s sake.^(G)
4 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a](H)
I will fear no evil,^(I)
    for you are with me;^(J)
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

¹ The fool^(B) says in his heart,
    “There is no God.”^(C)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
    there is no one who does good.

¹ O God, do not remain silent;^(A)
    do not turn a deaf ear,
    do not stand aloof, O God.
² See how your enemies growl,^(B)
    how your foes rear their heads.^(C)
3 With cunning they conspire^(D) against your people;
    they plot against those you cherish.^(E)
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy^(F) them as a nation,^(G)
    so that Israel’s name is remembered^(H) no more.”

¹ Praise the Lord.^[a](A)

¹ Lord, hear my prayer,^(A)
    listen to my cry for mercy;^(B)
in your faithfulness^(C) and righteousness^(D)
    come to my relief.
² Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous^(E) before you.
³ The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness^(F)
    like those long dead.^(G)
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.^(H)
5 I remember^(I) the days of long ago;
    I meditate^(J) on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
⁶ I spread out my hands^(K) to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.^[a]

23 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
    note well what^[a] is before you,
² and put a knife to your throat
    if you are given to gluttony.
³ Do not crave his delicacies,^(A)
    for that food is deceptive.

⁴ Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
    do not trust your own cleverness.
⁵ Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,^(B)
    for they will surely sprout wings
    and fly off to the sky like an eagle.^(C)

⁶ Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
    do not crave his delicacies;^(D)
7 for he is the kind of person
    who is always thinking about the cost.^[b]
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
    but his heart is not with you.
⁸ You will vomit up the little you have eaten
    and will have wasted your compliments.

⁹ Do not speak to fools,
    for they will scorn your prudent words.^(E)

¹⁰ Do not move an ancient boundary stone^(F)
    or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
¹¹ for their Defender^(G) is strong;^(H)
    he will take up their case against you.^(I)

¹² Apply your heart to instruction^(J)
    and your ears to words of knowledge.

¹³ Do not withhold discipline from a child;
    if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.
¹⁴ Punish them with the rod
    and save them from death.^(K)

¹⁵ My son, if your heart is wise,
    then my heart will be glad indeed;
¹⁶ my inmost being will rejoice
    when your lips speak what is right.^(L)

¹⁷ Do not let your heart envy^(M) sinners,
    but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.
¹⁸ There is surely a future hope for you,
    and your hope will not be cut off.^(N)

¹⁹ Listen, my son,^(O) and be wise,
    and set your heart on the right path:
²⁰ Do not join those who drink too much wine^(P)
    or gorge themselves on meat,
²¹ for drunkards and gluttons become poor,^(Q)
    and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

²² Listen to your father, who gave you life,
    and do not despise your mother when she is old.^(R)
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it—
    wisdom, instruction and insight as well.^(S)
24 The father of a righteous child has great joy;
    a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.^(T)
25 May your father and mother rejoice;
    may she who gave you birth be joyful!^(U)

²⁶ My son,^(V) give me your heart
    and let your eyes delight in my ways,^(W)
27 for an adulterous woman is a deep pit,^(X)
    and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
²⁸ Like a bandit she lies in wait^(Y)
    and multiplies the unfaithful among men.

²⁹ Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
    Who has strife? Who has complaints?
    Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
³⁰ Those who linger over wine,^(Z)
    who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
³¹ Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
    when it sparkles in the cup,
    when it goes down smoothly!
³² In the end it bites like a snake
    and poisons like a viper.
³³ Your eyes will see strange sights,
    and your mind will imagine confusing things.
³⁴ You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
    lying on top of the rigging.
³⁵ “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
    They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up
    so I can find another drink?”^(AA)