Beginning
24 Do not be jealous of sinful men. Do not want to be with them. 2 For their hearts make plans to hurt others and their lips talk about trouble.
3 A house is built by wisdom. It is made strong by understanding, 4 and by much learning the rooms are filled with all riches that are pleasing and of great worth.
5 A wise man is strong. A man of much learning adds to his strength. 6 For by wise leading you will make war, and the fight is won when there are many wise men to help you make the plans.
7 Wisdom is too hard for a fool to understand. He does not open his mouth in the gate. 8 He who plans to do wrong will be called a trouble maker. 9 Planning to do foolish things is sin, and the man who laughs at the truth is hated by men.
10 If you are weak in the day of trouble, your strength is small.
11 Save those who are being taken away to death. Keep them from being killed. 12 If you say, “See, we did not know this,” does not He Who knows what is in hearts see it? Does not He Who keeps watch over your soul know it? And will He not pay each man for his work?
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good. Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. 14 Know that wisdom is like this to your soul. If you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
15 O sinful man, do not lie in wait against the house of the man who is right with God. Do not destroy his resting place. 16 For a man who is right with God falls seven times, and rises again, but the sinful fall in time of trouble.
17 Do not be full of joy when the one who hates you falls. Do not let your heart be glad when he trips. 18 The Lord will see it and will not be pleased, and He will turn away His anger from him.
19 Do not worry yourself because of those who do wrong, and do not be jealous of the sinful. 20 For there will be no future for the sinful man. The lamp of the sinful will be put out.
21 My son, fear the Lord and the king. Have nothing to do with those who are given to change. 22 For their trouble will rise up all at once, and who knows how much both of them will destroy?
23 These also are sayings of the wise. It is not good to show favor in judging. 24 He who says to the sinful, “You are right and good,” will be spoken against by people and hated by nations. 25 But those who speak strong words to the sinful will find joy and good will come upon them. 26 To give the right answer is like a kiss on the lips.
27 Get your work done outside. Make your fields ready. Then after that, build your house.
28 Do not speak against your neighbor without a reason, and do not lie with your lips. 29 Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me. I will pay the man for what he has done.”
30 I passed by the field of the lazy man, by the grape-vines of the man without understanding. 31 And see, it was all grown over with thorns. The ground was covered with weeds, and its stone wall was broken down. 32 When I saw it, I thought about it. I looked and received teaching. 33 “A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands to rest,” 34 and your being poor will come as a robber, and your need like a man ready to fight.
25 These also are wise sayings of Solomon, which were written down by the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
2 It is the greatness of God to keep things hidden, but it is the greatness of kings to find things out. 3 As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the heart of kings is more than can be known. 4 Take away the waste from the silver, and a silver pot comes out for the workman. 5 Take the sinful away from the king, and his throne will stand on what is right and good. 6 Do not honor yourself in front of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men. 7 For it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put down in front of the ruler whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go out in a hurry to argue. Or what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? 9 Argue your side of the problem with your neighbor, but do not tell the secret of another. 10 Or he who hears you may put you to shame, and bad things will be said about you forever.
11 A word spoken at the right time is like fruit of gold set in silver.
12 A wise man speaking strong words to a listening ear is like a piece of gold for the ear and a beautiful object of fine gold.
13 A faithful man who carries news is like the cold of snow at gathering time to those who send him, for he makes the spirit of his owners feel new again.
14 A man who talks much of a gift he never gives is like clouds and wind without rain. 15 When one is slow to anger, a ruler may be won over. A gentle tongue will break a bone.
16 Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, or you may become filled with it and spit it up.
17 Do not let your foot be in your neighbor’s house too much, or he may become tired of you and hate you.
18 A man who tells a lie against his neighbor is like a heavy stick or a sword or a sharp arrow.
19 In time of trouble, trusting in a man who is not faithful is like a bad tooth or a foot out of joint.
20 He who sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a coat on a cold day, or like sour wine poured on soda.
21 If the one who hates you is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him water. 22 If you do that, you will be making him more ashamed of himself, and the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings rain, and a tongue that hurts people brings angry looks.
24 It is better to live in a corner of the roof than in a house shared with an arguing woman.
25 Good news from a land far away is like cold water to a tired soul.
26 A man who does what is right but gives way in front of the sinful, is like a well of mud or poisoned water.
27 It is not good to eat much honey, and looking for honor is not good.
28 A man who cannot rule his own spirit is like a city whose walls are broken down.
26 Like snow in summer and like rain at gathering time, so honor is not right for a fool.
2 Like a sparrow in its traveling, like a swallow in its flying, so bad words said against someone without reason do not come to rest.
3 A whip is for the horse, leather ropes are for the donkey, and a stick is for the back of fools.
4 Do not answer a fool by his foolish ways, or you will be like him.
5 Answer a fool in the way he has earned by his foolish acts, so he will not be wise in his own eyes.
6 He who sends a letter by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and brings trouble upon himself.
7 A wise saying in the mouth of fools is like the legs on a man who cannot walk.
8 He who gives honor to a fool is like one who ties a stone in a sling.
9 A wise saying in the mouth of fools is like a thorn that goes into the hand of a man who drinks too much.
10 He who hires a fool or hires those who pass by is like a man who uses a bow to hurt everyone.
11 A fool who does his foolish act again is like a dog that turns back to what he has thrown up.
12 Do you see a man who is 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 way! There is a lion in the streets!”
14 As a door turns, so does the lazy man on his bed.
15 The lazy man buries his hand in the dish. It makes him tired to bring it to his mouth again.
16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can give a wise answer.
17 He who passes by and has a part in someone else’s fight is like one who takes a dog by the ears.
18 Like a crazy man who throws pieces of burning wood and arrows of death, 19 so is the man who fools his neighbor with a lie, and says, “I was only joking.”
20 When there is no wood, the fire goes out. Where there is no one telling secret stories about people, arguing stops.
21 An arguing man makes fights worse. He is like coals to burning wood and wood to a fire.
22 The words of one who tells secret things about people are like good-tasting bites of food. They go down into the inside parts of the body.
23 Burning lips and a sinful heart are like a pot covered with silver waste.
24 He who hates covers it up with his lips, but stores up false ways in his heart. 25 When he speaks with kindness, do not believe him, for there are seven things that are hated in his heart. 26 Even if his hate is covered with false ways, his sin will be found out in front of the great meeting.
27 He who digs a deep hole will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it return upon him.
28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a mouth that speaks false words destroys.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.