¹ It is better to be poor and lead an honest life
    than to be wealthy and perverse in one’s ways.
² Zeal is useless when not accompanied by knowledge,
    and acting hastily causes one to stumble.
³ A man’s own folly leads to his ruin,
    yet it is against the Lord that his heart rages.^[b]
4 Wealth attracts many friends,
    but a poor man’s only friend will desert him.
⁵ A false witness will not escape punishment,
    neither will the one who tells lies.
⁶ Many court the favor of the great,
    and everyone is a friend to a man who bestows gifts.
⁷ The poor man is despised by all his brothers;
    how much more do his friends desert him!
He pursues them with entreaties
    but all in vain.
⁸ Whoever gains wisdom loves his own soul;
    one who cherishes understanding will prosper.
⁹ A false witness will not escape punishment,
    and the one who tells lies will perish.
¹⁰ It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
    much less for a slave to rule over princes.
¹¹ A man with good sense is slow to anger,
    and he earns glory for overlooking an offense.
¹² A king’s anger is like the roaring of a lion,
    but his favor is like dew on the grass.
¹³ A foolish son^[c] is a calamity to his father,
    and a nagging wife is like an endless dripping of water.
¹⁴ A house and wealth are inherited from parents,
    but a prudent wife is a gift from the Lord.
¹⁵ Laziness results in excessive sleep,
    and an idle man suffers hunger.^[d]
16 Whoever observes the commandments will live,
    but the one who scorns them will die.
¹⁷ Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord^[e]
    who will recompense him for his kindness.
¹⁸ Chastise your son while there is still hope for him,
    but do not allow your anger to cause his death.
¹⁹ One with a violent temper must bear the consequences;
    if you spare him, you make his evil worse.^[f]
20 Heed advice and accept instruction
    so that your wisdom may increase in the future.
²¹ Many are the plans in a human mind,
    but it is the purpose of the Lord that will prevail.^[g]
22 A man’s attraction is his kindness;
    it is far better to be poor than to be a liar.
²³ The fear of the Lord^[h] leads to life,
    enabling one to eat and sleep without fear of harm.
²⁴ The idler^[i] will dip his hand into the dish,
    but he will not so much as lift it to his mouth.
²⁵ If you strike a scoffer,^[j] the simple will learn prudence;
    if you reprove an intelligent man, he will gain understanding.
²⁶ Anyone who maltreats his father and casts out his mother^[k]
    is a shameful and despicable son.
²⁷ If a son ceases to accept correction,
    he strays from the words of knowledge.
²⁸ A lying witness makes a mockery of justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked feasts on iniquity.
²⁹ Punishments were meant for scoffers
    and flogging for the backs of fools.