³ Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees^(J) that give way;
⁴ say^(K) to those with fearful hearts,^(L)
    “Be strong, do not fear;^(M)
your God will come,^(N)
    he will come with vengeance;^(O)
with divine retribution
    he will come to save^(P) you.”

⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened^(Q)
    and the ears of the deaf^(R) unstopped.
⁶ Then will the lame^(S) leap like a deer,^(T)
    and the mute tongue^(U) shout for joy.^(V)
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams^(W) in the desert.
⁷ The burning sand will become a pool,
    the thirsty ground^(X) bubbling springs.^(Y)
In the haunts where jackals^(Z) once lay,
    grass and reeds^(AA) and papyrus will grow.

⁸ And a highway^(AB) will be there;
    it will be called the Way of Holiness;^(AC)
    it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean^(AD) will not journey on it;
    wicked fools will not go about on it.
⁹ No lion^(AE) will be there,
    nor any ravenous beast;^(AF)
    they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed^(AG) will walk there,
¹⁰     and those the Lord has rescued^(AH) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;^(AI)
    everlasting joy^(AJ) will crown their heads.
Gladness^(AK) and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.^(AL)

19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than a fool whose lips are perverse.^(A)

² Desire without knowledge is not good—
    how much more will hasty feet miss the way!^(B)

³ A person’s own folly^(C) leads to their ruin,
    yet their heart rages against the Lord.^(D)

⁴ Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.^(E)

⁵ A false witness^(F) will not go unpunished,^(G)
    and whoever pours out lies will not go free.^(H)

⁶ Many curry favor with a ruler,^(I)
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.^(J)

⁷ The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
    how much more do their friends avoid them!^(K)
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
    they are nowhere to be found.^[a](L)

⁸ The one who gets wisdom loves life;
    the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.^(M)

⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and whoever pours out lies will perish.^(N)

¹⁰ It is not fitting for a fool^(O) to live in luxury—
    how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!^(P)

¹¹ A person’s wisdom yields patience;^(Q)
    it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

¹² A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,^(R)
    but his favor is like dew^(S) on the grass.^(T)

¹³ A foolish child is a father’s ruin,^(U)
    and a quarrelsome wife is like
    the constant dripping of a leaky roof.^(V)

¹⁴ Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,^(W)
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.^(X)

¹⁵ Laziness brings on deep sleep,
    and the shiftless go hungry.^(Y)

¹⁶ Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
    but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.^(Z)

¹⁷ Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,^(AA)
    and he will reward them for what they have done.^(AB)

¹⁸ Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
    do not be a willing party to their death.^(AC)

¹⁹ A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
    rescue them, and you will have to do it again.

²⁰ Listen to advice and accept discipline,^(AD)
    and at the end you will be counted among the wise.^(AE)

²¹ Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.^(AF)

²² What a person desires is unfailing love^[b];
    better to be poor than a liar.

²³ The fear of the Lord leads to life;
    then one rests content, untouched by trouble.^(AG)

²⁴ A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he will not even bring it back to his mouth!^(AH)

²⁵ Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
    rebuke the discerning,^(AI) and they will gain knowledge.^(AJ)

²⁶ Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother^(AK)
    is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

²⁷ Stop listening to instruction, my son,^(AL)
    and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸ A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.^(AM)

²⁹ Penalties are prepared for mockers,
    and beatings for the backs of fools.^(AN)