11 A ^(A)false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
But a ^(B)just weight is His delight.
² When ^(C)pride comes, then comes dishonor,
But with the humble is wisdom.
³ The ^(D)integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the ^(E)crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.
^4 (F)Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But ^(G)righteousness delivers from death.
⁵ The ^(H)righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way,
But ^(I)the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
⁶ The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the treacherous will ^(J)be caught by their own greed.
⁷ When a wicked man dies, his ^(K)expectation will perish,
And the ^(L)hope of strong men perishes.
⁸ The righteous is delivered from trouble,
But the wicked ^[a]takes his place.
⁹ With his ^(M)mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the ^(N)righteous will be delivered.
¹⁰ When it ^(O)goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.
¹¹ By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.
¹² He who despises his neighbor lacks ^[b]sense,
But a man of understanding keeps silent.
¹³ He ^(P)who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is ^[c]trustworthy ^(Q)conceals a matter.
¹⁴ Where there is no ^(R)guidance the people fall,
But in abundance of counselors there is ^[d]victory.
¹⁵ He who is ^(S)guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it,
But he who hates ^[e]being a guarantor is secure.
¹⁶ A ^(T)gracious woman attains honor,
And ruthless men attain riches.
¹⁷ The ^(U)merciful man does ^[f]himself good,
But the cruel man ^[g]does himself harm.
¹⁸ The wicked earns deceptive wages,
But he who ^(V)sows righteousness gets a true reward.
¹⁹ He who is steadfast in ^(W)righteousness will attain to life,
And ^(X)he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.
²⁰ The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the ^(Y)blameless in their ^[h]walk are His ^(Z)delight.
^21 [i]Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished,
But the ^[j]descendants of the righteous will be delivered.
²² As a ^(AA)ring of gold in a swine’s snout
So is a beautiful woman who lacks ^[k]discretion.
²³ The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the ^(AB)expectation of the wicked is wrath.
²⁴ There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.
²⁵ The ^[l](AC)generous man will be ^[m]prosperous,
And he who ^(AD)waters will himself be watered.
²⁶ He who withholds grain, the ^(AE)people will curse him,
But ^(AF)blessing will be on the head of him who ^(AG)sells it.
²⁷ He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But ^(AH)he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.
²⁸ He who ^(AI)trusts in his riches will fall,
But ^(AJ)the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.
²⁹ He who ^(AK)troubles his own house will ^(AL)inherit wind,
And ^(AM)the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted.
³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is ^(AN)a tree of life,
And ^(AO)he who is wise ^[n]wins souls.
³¹ If ^(AP)the righteous will be rewarded in the earth,
How much more the wicked and the sinner!

4 Hear, O sons, the ^(A)instruction of a father,
And ^(B)give attention that you may ^[a]gain understanding,
² For I give you ^[b]sound ^(C)teaching;
^(D)Do not abandon my ^[c]instruction.
³ When I was a son to my father,
^(E)Tender and ^(F)the only son in the sight of my mother,
⁴ Then he ^(G)taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart ^(H)hold fast my words;
^(I)Keep my commandments and live;
^5 (J)Acquire wisdom! ^(K)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
⁶ “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
^(L)Love her, and she will watch over you.
⁷ “^(M)The ^[d]beginning of wisdom is: ^(N)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
⁸ “^(O)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
⁹ “She will place ^(P)on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”

28 The wicked ^(A)flee when no one is pursuing,
But the righteous are ^[a]bold as a lion.
² By the transgression of a land ^(B)many are its princes,
But ^(C)by a man of understanding and knowledge, so it endures.
³ A ^(D)poor man who oppresses the lowly
Is like a driving rain ^[b]which leaves no food.
⁴ Those who forsake the law ^(E)praise the wicked,
But those who keep the law ^(F)strive with them.
⁵ Evil men ^(G)do not understand justice,
But those who seek the Lord ^(H)understand all things.
^6 (I)Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than he who is ^[c]crooked though he be rich.
⁷ He who keeps the law is a discerning son,
But he who is a companion of ^(J)gluttons humiliates his father.
⁸ He who increases his wealth by ^(K)interest and usury
Gathers it ^(L)for him who is gracious to the poor.
⁹ He who turns away his ear from listening to the law,
Even his ^(M)prayer is an abomination.
¹⁰ He who leads the upright astray in an evil way
Will ^(N)himself fall into his own pit,
But the ^(O)blameless will inherit good.
¹¹ The rich man is ^(P)wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding ^[d]sees through him.
¹² When the ^(Q)righteous triumph, there is great glory,
But ^(R)when the wicked rise, men ^[e]hide themselves.
¹³ He who ^(S)conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
But he who ^(T)confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.
¹⁴ How blessed is the man who ^(U)fears always,
But he who ^(V)hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
¹⁵ Like a ^(W)roaring lion and a rushing bear
Is a ^(X)wicked ruler over a poor people.
¹⁶ A ^(Y)leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding,
But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
¹⁷ A man who is ^(Z)laden with the guilt of human blood
Will ^[f]be a fugitive until death; let no one support him.
¹⁸ He who walks blamelessly will be delivered,
But he who is ^[g](AA)crooked will fall all at once.
^19 (AB)He who tills his land will ^(AC)have plenty of food,
But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.
²⁰ A ^(AD)faithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who ^(AE)makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.
²¹ To ^[h](AF)show partiality is not good,
^(AG)Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.
²² A man with an ^(AH)evil eye ^(AI)hastens after wealth
And does not know that want will come upon him.
²³ He who ^(AJ)rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
Than he who ^(AK)flatters with the tongue.
²⁴ He who ^(AL)robs his father or his mother
And says, “It is not a transgression,”
Is the ^(AM)companion of a man who destroys.
²⁵ An ^[i]arrogant man ^(AN)stirs up strife,
But he who ^(AO)trusts in the Lord ^(AP)will ^[j]prosper.
²⁶ He who ^(AQ)trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But he who walks wisely will be delivered.
²⁷ He who ^(AR)gives to the poor will never want,
But he who ^[k]shuts his eyes will have many curses.
²⁸ When the wicked rise, men hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.

^6 (A)Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than he who is ^[a]crooked though he be rich.