Beginning

22 It is better to be respected than to be rich. A good name is worth more than silver or gold.

² The rich and the poor are the same. The Lord made them all.

³ Wise people see trouble coming and get out of its way, but fools go straight to it and suffer for it.

⁴ Respect the Lord and be humble. Then you will have wealth, honor, and true life.

⁵ Evil people are trapped by many troubles, but those who want to live avoid them.

⁶ Teach children in a way that fits their needs, and even when they are old, they will not leave the right path.

⁷ The rich rule over the poor. The one who borrows is a slave to the one who lends.

⁸ Those who spread trouble will harvest trouble. In the end, they will be destroyed for the trouble they caused.

⁹ Generous people will be blessed, because they share their food with the poor.

¹⁰ Get rid of the proud who laugh at what is right, and trouble will leave with them. All arguments and insults will end.

¹¹ Love a pure heart and kind words, and the king will be your friend.

¹² The Lord watches over true knowledge, and he opposes those who try to deceive others.

¹³ A person who is lazy and wants to stay home says, “There is a lion outside, and I might be killed in the streets!”

¹⁴ The sin of adultery is a trap, and the Lord gets very angry with those who fall into it.

¹⁵ Children do foolish things, but if you punish them, they will learn not to do them.

¹⁶ These two things will make you poor: hurting the poor to make yourself rich and giving gifts to the rich.

Thirty Wise Sayings

¹⁷ Listen carefully to these words from the wise. Pay attention to what I have learned. ¹⁸ It will be good for you to remember these words and have them ready when they are needed. ¹⁹ I will teach you these things now. I want you to trust the Lord. ²⁰ I have written 30 sayings for you.^[a] These are words of advice and wisdom. ²¹ They will teach you things that you can know for sure to be true. Then you can give good answers to the one who sent you.

— 1 —

²² It is easy to steal from the poor, but don’t do it. And don’t take advantage of them in court. ²³ The Lord is on their side. He supports the poor, and he will take from those who take from them.

— 2 —

²⁴ Don’t be friends with people who become angry easily. Don’t stay around quick-tempered people. ²⁵ If you do, you may learn to be like them. Then you will have the same problems they do.

— 3 —

²⁶ Don’t promise to pay someone else’s debt. ²⁷ If you cannot pay, you will lose everything you have. So why should you lose the bed you sleep on?

— 4 —

²⁸ Never move an old property line that was marked long ago by your ancestors.

— 5 —

²⁹ Skilled workers will always serve kings. They will never have to work for less important people.

— 6 —

23 When you sit and eat with an important person, remember who you are with. ² Never eat too much, even if you are very hungry. ³ Don’t eat too much of his fine food. It might be a trick.

— 7 —

⁴ Don’t ruin your health trying to get rich. If you are smart, you will give it up. ⁵ In the blink of an eye, money can disappear, as if it grew wings and flew away like a bird.

— 8 —

⁶ Don’t eat with selfish people. Control any desire you have for their finest foods. ⁷ They might tell you to eat and drink all you want, but they don’t really mean it. They are the kind of people who are only thinking about the cost. ⁸ And if you eat their food, you will get sick and be embarrassed.

— 9 —

⁹ Don’t try to teach fools. They will make fun of your wise words.

— 10 —

¹⁰ Never move an old property line, and don’t take land that belongs to orphans. ¹¹ The Lord will be against you. He is powerful and protects orphans.

— 11 —

¹² Listen to your teacher and learn all you can.

— 12 —

¹³ Always correct children when they need it. If you spank them, it will not kill them. ¹⁴ In fact, you might save their lives.

— 13 —

¹⁵ My son, it makes me happy when you make a wise decision. ¹⁶ It makes me feel good inside when you say the right things.

— 14 —

¹⁷ Never envy evil people, but always respect the Lord. ¹⁸ This will give you something to hope for that will not disappoint you.

— 15 —

¹⁹ So listen, my son, and be wise. Always be careful to follow the right path. ²⁰ Don’t make friends with people who drink too much wine and eat too much food. ²¹ Those who eat and drink too much become poor. They sleep too much and end up wearing rags.

— 16 —

²² Listen to your father. Without him, you would never have been born. Respect your mother, even when she is old. ²³ Truth, wisdom, learning, and understanding are worth paying money for. They are worth far too much to ever sell. ²⁴ The father of a good person is very happy. A wise child brings him joy. ²⁵ Make both of your parents happy. Give your mother that same joy.

— 17 —

²⁶ My son, listen closely to what I am saying. Let my life be your example. ²⁷ Prostitutes and bad women are a trap. They are like a deep well that you cannot escape. ²⁸ A bad woman waits for you like a thief, and she causes many men to be unfaithful to their wives.

— 18 —

^29-30 Who gets into fights and arguments? Who gets hurt for no reason and has red, bloodshot eyes? People who stay out too late drinking wine, staring into their strong drinks.

³¹ So be careful with wine. It is pretty and red as it sparkles in the cup. And it goes down so smoothly when you drink it. ³² But in the end, it will bite like a snake.

³³ Wine will cause you to see strange things and to say things that make no sense. ³⁴ When you lie down, you will think you are on a rough sea and feel like you are at the top of the mast. ³⁵ You will say, “They hit me, but I never felt it. They beat me, but I don’t remember it. Now I can’t wake up. I need another drink.”