14 The wise woman builds her house,^(A)
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

² Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
    but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

³ A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,^(B)
    but the lips of the wise protect them.^(C)

⁴ Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
    but from the strength of an ox^(D) come abundant harvests.

⁵ An honest witness does not deceive,
    but a false witness pours out lies.^(E)

⁶ The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
    but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.^(F)

⁷ Stay away from a fool,
    for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

⁸ The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,^(G)
    but the folly of fools is deception.^(H)

⁹ Fools mock at making amends for sin,
    but goodwill is found among the upright.

¹⁰ Each heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no one else can share its joy.

¹¹ The house of the wicked will be destroyed,^(I)
    but the tent of the upright will flourish.^(J)

¹² There is a way that appears to be right,^(K)
    but in the end it leads to death.^(L)

¹³ Even in laughter^(M) the heart may ache,
    and rejoicing may end in grief.

¹⁴ The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,^(N)
    and the good rewarded for theirs.^(O)

¹⁵ The simple believe anything,
    but the prudent give thought to their steps.^(P)

¹⁶ The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,^(Q)
    but a fool^(R) is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

¹⁷ A quick-tempered person^(S) does foolish things,^(T)
    and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.^(U)

¹⁸ The simple inherit folly,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹ Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good,
    and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.^(V)

²⁰ The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
    but the rich have many friends.^(W)

²¹ It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,^(X)
    but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.^(Y)

²² Do not those who plot evil go astray?^(Z)
    But those who plan what is good find^[a] love and faithfulness.

²³ All hard work brings a profit,
    but mere talk leads only to poverty.

²⁴ The wealth of the wise is their crown,
    but the folly of fools yields folly.^(AA)

²⁵ A truthful witness saves lives,
    but a false witness is deceitful.^(AB)

²⁶ Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,^(AC)
    and for their children it will be a refuge.^(AD)

²⁷ The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,^(AE)
    turning a person from the snares of death.^(AF)

²⁸ A large population is a king’s glory,
    but without subjects a prince is ruined.^(AG)

²⁹ Whoever is patient has great understanding,^(AH)
    but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.^(AI)

³⁰ A heart at peace gives life to the body,
    but envy rots the bones.^(AJ)

³¹ Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,^(AK)
    but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.^(AL)

³² When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,^(AM)
    but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.^(AN)

³³ Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning^(AO)
    and even among fools she lets herself be known.^[b]

³⁴ Righteousness exalts a nation,^(AP)
    but sin condemns any people.

³⁵ A king delights in a wise servant,
    but a shameful servant arouses his fury.^(AQ)

This man’s utterance to Ithiel:

“I am weary, God,
    but I can prevail.^[a]
2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
    I do not have human understanding.
³ I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.^(B)
4 Who has gone up^(C) to heaven and come down?
    Whose hands^(D) have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters^(E) in a cloak?^(F)
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name,^(G) and what is the name of his son?
    Surely you know!

⁵ “Every word of God is flawless;^(H)
    he is a shield^(I) to those who take refuge in him.
⁶ Do not add^(J) to his words,
    or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

⁷ “Two things I ask of you, Lord;
    do not refuse me before I die:
⁸ Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
    give me neither poverty nor riches,
    but give me only my daily bread.^(K)
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown^(L) you
    and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’^(M)
Or I may become poor and steal,
    and so dishonor the name of my God.^(N)

¹⁰ “Do not slander a servant to their master,
    or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.

¹¹ “There are those who curse their fathers
    and do not bless their mothers;^(O)
12 those who are pure in their own eyes^(P)
    and yet are not cleansed of their filth;^(Q)
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty,^(R)
    whose glances are so disdainful;
¹⁴ those whose teeth^(S) are swords
    and whose jaws are set with knives^(T)
to devour^(U) the poor^(V) from the earth
    and the needy from among mankind.^(W)

¹⁵ “The leech has two daughters.
    ‘Give! Give!’ they cry.

“There are three things that are never satisfied,^(X)
    four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
¹⁶ the grave,^(Y) the barren womb,
    land, which is never satisfied with water,
    and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’

¹⁷ “The eye that mocks^(Z) a father,
    that scorns an aged mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
    will be eaten by the vultures.^(AA)

¹⁸ “There are three things that are too amazing for me,
    four that I do not understand:
¹⁹ the way of an eagle in the sky,
    the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
    and the way of a man with a young woman.

²⁰ “This is the way of an adulterous woman:
    She eats and wipes her mouth
    and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’^(AB)

²¹ “Under three things the earth trembles,
    under four it cannot bear up:
²² a servant who becomes king,^(AC)
    a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
²³ a contemptible woman who gets married,
    and a servant who displaces her mistress.

²⁴ “Four things on earth are small,
    yet they are extremely wise:
²⁵ Ants are creatures of little strength,
    yet they store up their food in the summer;^(AD)
26 hyraxes^(AE) are creatures of little power,
    yet they make their home in the crags;
²⁷ locusts^(AF) have no king,
    yet they advance together in ranks;
²⁸ a lizard can be caught with the hand,
    yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

²⁹ “There are three things that are stately in their stride,
    four that move with stately bearing:
³⁰ a lion, mighty among beasts,
    who retreats before nothing;
³¹ a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
    and a king secure against revolt.^[b]

³² “If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
    or if you plan evil,
    clap your hand over your mouth!^(AG)
33 For as churning cream produces butter,
    and as twisting the nose produces blood,
    so stirring up anger produces strife.”