17 Better is a dry morsel with quietness than a house full of feasting [on offered sacrifices] with strife.

² A wise servant shall have rule over a son who causes shame, and shall share in the inheritance among the brothers.

³ The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tries the hearts.^(A)

⁴ An evildoer gives heed to wicked lips; and a liar listens to a mischievous tongue.

⁵ Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker, and he who is glad at calamity shall not be held innocent or go unpunished.^(B)

⁶ Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their fathers.^(C)

⁷ Fine or arrogant speech does not befit [an empty-headed] fool—much less do lying lips befit a prince.

⁸ A bribe is like a bright, precious stone that dazzles the eyes and affects the mind of him who gives it; [as if by magic] he prospers, whichever way he turns.

⁹ He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends.

¹⁰ A reproof enters deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred lashes into a [self-confident] fool.^(D)

¹¹ An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a stern and pitiless messenger shall be sent against him.

¹² Let [the brute ferocity of] a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man rather than a [self-confident] fool in his folly [when he is in a rage].^(E)

¹³ Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.^(F)

¹⁴ The beginning of strife is as when water first trickles [from a crack in a dam]; therefore stop contention before it becomes worse and quarreling breaks out.

¹⁵ He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both an abomination [exceedingly disgusting and hateful] to the Lord.^(G)

¹⁶ Of what use is money in the hand of a [self-confident] fool to buy skillful and godly Wisdom—when he has no understanding or heart for it?

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity.

¹⁸ A man void of good sense gives a pledge and becomes security for another in the presence of his neighbor.

¹⁹ He who loves strife and is quarrelsome loves transgression and involves himself in guilt; he who raises high his gateway and is boastful and arrogant invites destruction.

²⁰ He who has a wayward and crooked mind finds no good, and he who has a willful and contrary tongue will fall into calamity.^(H)

²¹ He who becomes the parent of a [self-confident] fool does it to his sorrow, and the father of [an empty-headed] fool has no joy [in him].

²² A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.^(I)

²³ A wicked man receives a bribe out of the bosom (pocket) to pervert the ways of justice.

²⁴ A man of understanding sets skillful and godly Wisdom before his face, but the eyes of a [self-confident] fool are on the ends of the earth.

²⁵ A self-confident and foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁶ Also, to punish or fine the righteous is not good, nor to smite the noble for their uprightness.

²⁷ He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding has a cool spirit.^(J)

²⁸ Even a fool when he holds his peace is considered wise; when he closes his lips he is esteemed a man of understanding.

18 He who willfully separates and estranges himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire and pretext to break out against all wise and sound judgment.

² A [self-confident] fool has no delight in understanding but only in revealing his personal opinions and himself.

³ When the wicked comes in [to the depth of evil], he becomes a contemptuous despiser [of all that is pure and good], and with inner baseness comes outer shame and reproach.

⁴ The words of a [discreet and wise] man’s mouth are like deep waters [plenteous and difficult to fathom], and the fountain of skillful and godly Wisdom is like a gushing stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving].

⁵ To respect the person of the wicked and be partial to him, so as to deprive the [consistently] righteous of justice, is not good.

⁶ A [self-confident] fool’s lips bring contention, and his mouth invites a beating.

⁷ A [self-confident] fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to himself.

⁸ The words of a whisperer or talebearer are as dainty morsels; they go down into the innermost parts of the body.

⁹ He who is loose and slack in his work is brother to him who is a destroyer and ^[a]he who does not use his endeavors to heal himself is brother to him who commits suicide.

¹⁰ The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the [consistently] righteous man [upright and in right standing with God] runs into it and is safe, high [above evil] and strong.

¹¹ The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as a high protecting wall in his own imagination and conceit.

¹² Haughtiness comes before disaster, but humility before honor.

¹³ He who answers a matter before he hears the facts—it is folly and shame to him.^(A)

¹⁴ The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble, but a weak and broken spirit who can raise up or bear?

¹⁵ The mind of the prudent is ever getting knowledge, and the ear of the wise is ever seeking (inquiring for and craving) knowledge.

¹⁶ A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.^(B)

¹⁷ He who states his case first seems right, until his rival comes and cross-examines him.

¹⁸ To cast lots puts an end to disputes and decides between powerful contenders.

¹⁹ A brother offended is harder to be won over than a strong city, and [their] contentions separate them like the bars of a castle.

²⁰ A man’s [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil].

²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].^(C)

²² He who finds a [true] wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.^(D)

²³ The poor man uses entreaties, but the rich answers roughly.

²⁴ The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

19 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is perverse in his speech and is a [self-confident] fool.

² Desire without knowledge is not good, and to be overhasty is to sin and miss the mark.

³ The foolishness of man subverts his way [ruins his affairs]; then his heart is resentful and frets against the Lord.

⁴ Wealth makes many friends, but the poor man is avoided by his neighbor.^(A)

⁵ A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes out lies shall not escape.^(B)

⁶ Many will entreat the favor of a liberal man, and every man is a friend to him who gives gifts.

⁷ All the brothers of a poor man detest him—how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone.

⁸ He who gains Wisdom loves his own life; he who keeps understanding shall prosper and find good.

⁹ A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes forth lies shall perish.

¹⁰ Luxury is not fitting for a [self-confident] fool—much less for a slave to rule over princes.

¹¹ Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offense.

¹² The king’s wrath is as terrifying as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as [refreshing as] dew upon the grass.^(C)

¹³ A self-confident and foolish son is the [multiplied] calamity of his father, and the contentions of a wife are like a continual dripping [of water through a chink in the roof].

¹⁴ House and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding, and prudent wife is from the Lord.^(D)

¹⁵ Slothfulness casts one into a deep sleep, and the idle person shall suffer hunger.

¹⁶ He who keeps the commandment [of the Lord] keeps his own life, but he who despises His ways shall die.^(E)

¹⁷ He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him.^(F)

¹⁸ Discipline your son while there is hope, but do not [indulge your angry resentments by undue chastisements and] set yourself to his ruin.

¹⁹ A man of great wrath shall suffer the penalty; for if you deliver him [from the consequences], he will [feel free to] cause you to do it again.

²⁰ Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come.

²¹ Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.^(G)

²² That which is desired in a man is loyalty and kindness [and his glory and delight are his giving], but a poor man is better than a liar.

²³ The reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it rests satisfied; he cannot be visited with [actual] evil.^(H)

²⁴ The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

²⁵ Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will increase in knowledge.

²⁶ He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.

²⁷ Cease, my son, to hear instruction only to ignore it and stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸ A worthless witness scoffs at justice, and the mouth of the wicked swallows iniquity.

²⁹ Judgments are prepared for scoffers, and stripes for the backs of [self-confident] fools.^(I)

20 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a riotous brawler; and whoever errs or reels because of it is not wise.^(A)

² The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger or angers himself against him sins against his own life.

³ It is an honor for a man to cease from strife and keep aloof from it, but every fool will quarrel.

⁴ The sluggard does not plow when winter sets in; therefore he begs in harvest and has nothing.

⁵ Counsel in the heart of man is like water in a deep well, but a man of understanding draws it out.^(B)

⁶ Many a man proclaims his own loving-kindness and goodness, but a faithful man who can find?

⁷ The righteous man walks in his integrity; blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are his children after him.

⁸ A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows out all evil [like chaff] with his eyes.

⁹ Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?^(C)

¹⁰ Diverse weights [one for buying and another for selling] and diverse measures—both of them are exceedingly offensive and abhorrent to the Lord.^(D)

¹¹ Even a child is known by his acts, whether [or not] what he does is pure and right.

¹² The hearing ear and the seeing eye—the Lord has made both of them.

¹³ Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes and you will be satisfied with bread.

¹⁴ It is worthless, it is worthless! says the buyer; but when he goes his way, then he boasts [about his bargain].

¹⁵ There is gold, and a multitude of pearls, but the lips of knowledge are a vase of preciousness [the most precious of all].^(E)

¹⁶ [The judge tells the creditor] Take the garment of one who is security for a stranger; and hold him in pledge when he is security for foreigners.

¹⁷ Food gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

¹⁸ Purposes and plans are established by counsel; and [only] with good advice make or carry on war.

¹⁹ He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore associate not with him who talks too freely.^(F)

²⁰ Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in complete darkness.

²¹ An inheritance hastily gotten [by greedy, unjust means] at the beginning, in the end it will not be blessed.^(G)

²² Do not say, I will repay evil; wait [expectantly] for the Lord, and He will rescue you.^(H)

²³ Diverse and deceitful weights are shamefully vile and abhorrent to the Lord, and false scales are not good.

²⁴ Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way?

²⁵ It is a snare to a man to utter a vow [of consecration] rashly and [not until] afterward inquire [whether he can fulfill it].

²⁶ A wise king winnows out the wicked [from among the good] and brings the threshing wheel over them [to separate the chaff from the grain].

²⁷ The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.^(I)

²⁸ Loving-kindness and mercy, truth and faithfulness, preserve the king, and his throne is upheld by [the people’s] loyalty.

²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is their gray head [suggesting wisdom and experience].

³⁰ Blows that wound cleanse away evil, and strokes [for correction] reach to the innermost parts.