² Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,
So ^(B)a curse without cause shall not alight.

^3 (C)A whip for the horse,
A bridle for the donkey,
And a rod for the fool’s back.
⁴ Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you also be like him.
^5 (D)Answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
⁶ He who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
⁷ Like the legs of the lame that hang limp
Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
⁸ Like one who binds a stone in a sling
Is he who gives honor to a fool.
⁹ Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard
Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
^10 [a]The great God who formed everything
Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.
^11 (E)As a dog returns to his own vomit,
^(F)So a fool repeats his folly.
^12 (G)Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³ The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion is in the ^[b]streets!”
¹⁴ As a door turns on its hinges,
So does the lazy man on his bed.
¹⁵ The ^(H)lazy man buries his hand in the ^[c]bowl;
It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
¹⁶ The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can answer sensibly.

¹⁷ He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.

¹⁸ Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,
¹⁹ Is the man who deceives his neighbor,
And says, ^(I)“I was only joking!”

²⁰ Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;
And where there is no ^[d]talebearer, strife ceases.
^21 (J)As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,
So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
²² The words of a ^[e]talebearer are like ^[f]tasty trifles,
And they go down into the ^[g]inmost body.

²³ Fervent lips with a wicked heart
Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

²⁴ He who hates, disguises it with his lips,
And lays up deceit within himself;
^25 (K)When ^[h]he speaks kindly, do not believe him,
For there are seven abominations in his heart;
²⁶ Though his hatred is covered by deceit,
His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

^27 (L)Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

²⁸ A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it,
And a flattering mouth works ^(M)ruin.

^2 (O)Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.

³ A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.

⁴ Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,
But ^(P)who is able to stand before jealousy?

^5 (Q)Open rebuke is better
Than love carefully concealed.

⁶ Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But the kisses of an enemy are ^(R)deceitful.

⁷ A satisfied soul ^[i]loathes the honeycomb,
But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

⁸ Like a bird that wanders from its nest
Is a man who wanders from his place.

⁹ Ointment and perfume delight the heart,
And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by ^[j]hearty counsel.

¹⁰ Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,
Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;
^(S)Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

¹¹ My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,
^(T)That I may answer him who reproaches me.

¹² A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself;
The simple pass on and are ^(U)punished.

¹³ Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress.

¹⁴ He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,
It will be counted a curse to him.

¹⁵ A ^(V)continual dripping on a very rainy day
And a contentious woman are alike;
¹⁶ Whoever ^[k]restrains her restrains the wind,
And grasps oil with his right hand.

¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

^18 (W)Whoever ^[l]keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit;
So he who waits on his master will be honored.

¹⁹ As in water face reflects face,
So a man’s heart reveals the man.

^20 (X)Hell^[m] and ^[n]Destruction are never full;
So ^(Y)the eyes of man are never satisfied.

^21 (Z)The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And a man is valued by what others say of him.

^22 (AA)Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,
Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

²³ Be diligent to know the state of your ^(AB)flocks,
And attend to your herds;
²⁴ For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations.
^25 (AC)When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself,
And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,
²⁶ The lambs will provide your clothing,
And the goats the price of a field;
²⁷ You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food,
For the food of your household,
And the nourishment of your maidservants.

² Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes;
But by a man of understanding and knowledge
Right will be prolonged.

^3 (AE)A poor man who oppresses the poor
Is like a driving rain ^[o]which leaves no food.

^4 (AF)Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
^(AG)But such as keep the law contend with them.

^5 (AH)Evil men do not understand justice,
But ^(AI)those who seek the Lord understand all.

⁶ Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

⁷ Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son,
But a companion of gluttons shames his father.

⁸ One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion
Gathers it for him who will pity the poor.

⁹ One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
^(AJ)Even his prayer is an abomination.

^10 (AK)Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,
He himself will fall into his own pit;
^(AL)But the blameless will inherit good.

¹¹ The rich man is wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding searches him out.

¹² When the righteous rejoice, there is great ^(AM)glory;
But when the wicked arise, men ^[p]hide themselves.

^13 (AN)He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

¹⁴ Happy is the man who is always reverent,
But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

^15 (AO)Like a roaring lion and a charging bear
^(AP)Is a wicked ruler over poor people.

¹⁶ A ruler who lacks understanding is a great ^(AQ)oppressor,
But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days.

^17 (AR)A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit;
Let no one help him.

¹⁸ Whoever walks blamelessly will be ^[q]saved,
But he who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.

^19 (AS)He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!

²⁰ A faithful man will abound with blessings,
^(AT)But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

^21 (AU)To ^[r]show partiality is not good,
^(AV)Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.

²² A man with an evil eye hastens after riches,
And does not consider that ^(AW)poverty will come upon him.

^23 (AX)He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward
Than he who flatters with the tongue.

²⁴ Whoever robs his father or his mother,
And says, “It is no transgression,”
The same ^(AY)is companion to a destroyer.

^25 (AZ)He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,
^(BA)But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.

²⁶ He who ^(BB)trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

^27 (BC)He who gives to the poor will not lack,
But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

²⁸ When the wicked arise, ^(BD)men hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.