Bible in 90 Days
22 (A)Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
(B)Hope in Yahweh, and He will save you.
23 [a](C)Differing weights are an abomination to Yahweh,
And a (D)deceitful balance is not good.
24 (E)The steps of a man are from Yahweh,
How then can man understand his way?
25 It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!”
And (F)after the vows to make inquiry.
26 A (G)wise king winnows the wicked,
And turns the (H)threshing wheel over them.
27 The [b](I)breath of man is the lamp of Yahweh,
Searching all the [c]innermost parts of his body.
28 Lovingkindness and (J)truth will guard the king,
And he upholds his throne by lovingkindness.
29 The honor of young men is their strength,
And the [d](K)majesty of old men is their gray hair.
30 (L)Stripes that wound scour away evil,
And strokes reach the [e]innermost parts of the body.
Salvation Belongs to Yahweh
21 The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of Yahweh;
He (M)turns it wherever He pleases.
2 (N)Every man’s way is right in his own eyes,
But Yahweh (O)weighs the hearts.
3 To do (P)righteousness and justice
Is chosen by Yahweh over sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
The (Q)fallow ground of the wicked—are sin.
5 The [f]thoughts of the (R)diligent lead surely to profit,
But everyone (S)who is hasty comes surely to poverty.
6 (T)Working for treasures by a lying tongue
Is a fleeting breath, by those who pursue (U)death.
7 The destruction of the wicked will drag them away,
Because they (V)refuse to do justice.
8 The way of a guilty man is (W)perverse,
But as for the pure, his work is upright.
9 It is better to live in a corner of a roof
Than [g]in a house shared with a contentious woman.
10 The soul of the wicked craves evil;
His (X)neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.
11 When the (Y)scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;
And when one considers wisdom, he receives knowledge.
12 The righteous one considers the house of the wicked,
Turning the (Z)wicked to ruin.
13 He who (AA)shuts his ear to the outcry of the poor
Will himself also call and not be (AB)answered.
14 A (AC)gift in secret subdues anger,
And a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.
15 To do justice is [h]pleasure for the righteous,
But is (AD)ruin to the workers of iniquity.
16 A man who wanders from the way of insight
Will (AE)rest in the assembly of the [i]dead.
17 He who (AF)loves [j]pleasure will become a poor man;
He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.
18 The wicked is a (AG)ransom for the righteous,
And the (AH)treacherous is in the place of the upright.
19 (AI)It is better to live in a desert land
Than with a contentious and vexing woman.
20 There is desirable (AJ)treasure and oil in the abode of the wise,
But a foolish man (AK)swallows it up.
21 He who (AL)pursues righteousness and lovingkindness
Finds life, righteousness, and glory.
22 A (AM)wise man goes up to the city of the mighty
And brings down the [k]stronghold in which they trust.
23 He who (AN)keeps his mouth and his tongue,
Keeps his soul from troubles.
24 “Arrogant,” “Haughty,” “(AO)Scoffer,” are his names,
Who acts with (AP)arrogant fury.
25 The (AQ)desire of the sluggard puts him to death,
For his hands refuse to work;
26 All day long he [l]is insatiably craving,
While the righteous (AR)gives and does not hold back.
27 The (AS)sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,
How much more when he brings it with a wicked scheme!
28 A (AT)false witness will perish,
But the man who listens will speak forever.
29 A wicked man [m](AU)displays a brazen face,
But as for the (AV)upright, he establishes his way.
30 There is (AW)no wisdom, there is no discernment
And there is no counsel against Yahweh.
31 The (AX)horse is set for the day of battle,
But (AY)salvation belongs to Yahweh.
Yahweh Is the Maker of All
22 A (AZ)good name is to be chosen over great wealth,
Favor is better than silver and gold.
2 The rich and the poor meet together in this—
Yahweh is the (BA)Maker of them all.
3 A (BB)prudent man sees evil and hides,
But the simple pass on, and are punished.
4 The reward of humility—the [n]fear of Yahweh—
Is riches, glory, and life.
5 (BC)Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
He who keeps his soul will be far from them.
6 [o](BD)Train up a child [p]according to his way,
Even when he is old he will not [q]depart from it.
7 The (BE)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is the slave of the lender.
8 He who (BF)sows unrighteousness will reap iniquity,
And the (BG)rod of his fury will end.
9 He who [r]is (BH)generous will be blessed,
For he (BI)gives from his food to the poor.
10 (BJ)Drive out the scoffer, and strife will go out,
Even contention and disgrace will cease.
11 He who loves (BK)purity of heart
And (BL)grace on his lips, the king is his friend.
12 The eyes of Yahweh guard knowledge,
But He subverts the words of the treacherous one.
13 The (BM)sluggard says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of (BN)strange women is a deep pit;
He who is (BO)cursed of Yahweh will fall [s]into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child;
The (BP)rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
16 He (BQ)who oppresses the poor to make [t]more for himself
Or who gives to the rich (BR)will only come to lack.
17 (BS)Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And set your heart on my knowledge;
18 For it will be (BT)pleasant if you keep them within you,
[u]That they may be established on your lips.
19 So that your (BU)trust may be in Yahweh,
I have made you know today, even you.
20 Have I not written to you [v](BV)excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
21 To make you (BW)know the veracity of the words of truth
That you may [w](BX)respond with the words of truth to him who sent you?
22 (BY)Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
And do not (BZ)crush the afflicted at the gate;
23 For Yahweh will (CA)plead their case
And rob the soul of those who rob them.
24 Do not befriend a man of anger;
And do not come along with a man of (CB)great wrath,
25 Lest you (CC)learn his ways
And take on a snare against your soul.
26 Do not be among those who (CD)strike [x]hands in pledge,
Among those who become guarantors for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he (CE)take your bed from under you?
28 (CF)Do not move the ancient boundary
Which your fathers made.
29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will (CG)stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure men.
The Fear of Yahweh
23 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Understand well [y]what is before you,
2 So you should put a knife to your throat
If you are a (CH)man of appetite.
3 Do not (CI)desire his delicacies,
For it is bread of falsehood.
4 (CJ)Do not weary yourself to gain wealth,
(CK)Because of your understanding, cease!
5 Do you make your eyes fly up to see it? But it is not there!
Because (CL)it certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.
6 (CM)Do not eat the bread of [z]a (CN)selfish man,
And do not desire his delicacies;
7 For as he [aa]calculates in his soul, so he is.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
But (CO)his heart is not with you.
8 You will (CP)vomit up [ab]the morsel you have eaten,
And you will corrupt your pleasant words.
10 Do not move the ancient boundary
And do not (CS)come into the fields of the orphans,
11 For their (CT)Redeemer is strong;
(CU)He will plead their case against you.
12 Bring your heart to discipline
And your ears to [ad]words of knowledge.
13 (CV)Do not withhold discipline from the child,
Although you [ae]strike him with the rod, he will not die.
14 You shall [af]strike him with the rod
And (CW)deliver his soul from Sheol.
15 My son, if your heart is (CX)wise,
My own heart also will be glad;
16 And my [ag]inmost being will exult
When your lips speak (CY)upright things.
17 (CZ)Do not let your heart be jealous of sinners,
But be zealous in the [ah](DA)fear of Yahweh [ai]always.
18 Surely there is a [aj](DB)future,
And your (DC)hope will not be cut off.
19 You, my son, listen and (DD)be wise,
And (DE)direct your heart in the way.
20 Do not be with (DF)heavy drinkers of wine,
Or with (DG)gluttonous eaters of meat;
21 For the (DH)heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And (DI)drowsiness will clothe them with rags.
22 (DJ)Listen to your father who begot you,
And (DK)do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 (DL)Buy truth, and do not sell it,
Get wisdom and discipline and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And (DM)he who begets a wise son will be glad in him.
25 Let your (DN)father and your mother be glad,
And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.
26 (DO)Give your heart to me, my son,
And let your eyes [ak](DP)delight in my ways.
27 For a harlot is a (DQ)deep pit
And [al]a (DR)foreign woman is a narrow well.
28 Surely she (DS)lies in wait as a robber,
And adds to the treacherous among men.
29 Who has (DT)woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who (DU)linger long over wine,
Those who go to search out (DV)mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it glistens red,
When it [am]sparkles in the cup,
When it (DW)goes down smoothly;
32 At the end—like a serpent it (DX)bites,
And like a (DY)viper it stings.
33 Your eyes will see strange things
And your heart will (DZ)speak perverse things.
34 And you will be like one who lies down in the heart of the sea,
Or like one who lies down on the top of a [an]mast.
35 “They (EA)struck me, but I did not become [ao]ill;
They beat me, but I did not know it.
When shall I awake?
I will (EB)seek yet another.”
My Son, Fear Yahweh
24 Do not be (EC)jealous of evil men,
And do not desire to (ED)be with them;
2 For their heart meditates on (EE)destruction,
And their lips (EF)talk of mischief.
3 (EG)By wisdom a house is built,
And by discernment it is firmly established;
4 And by knowledge the rooms are (EH)filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A (EI)wise man is [ap]strong,
And a man of knowledge strengthens his power.
6 For (EJ)by guidance you will make war,
And (EK)in abundance of counselors there is salvation.
8 One who (EN)deliberately thinks to do evil,
Men will call a [aq]schemer.
9 The (EO)scheming of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If you (EP)are slack in the day of trouble,
Your strength is in trouble.
11 (EQ)Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are stumbling to the slaughter, Oh hold them back.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
Does not He (ER)who weighs the hearts (ES)understand?
And (ET)does not He who (EU)guards your soul know?
And will not He [ar](EV)render to man according to his work?
13 Eat (EW)honey, my son, for it is good,
Indeed, the (EX)honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
14 Know that (EY)wisdom is thus for your soul;
If you find it, then there will be a [as](EZ)future,
And your hope will not be cut off.
15 (FA)Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the abode of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
16 For a (FB)righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,
But the (FC)wicked will stumble in [at]calamity.
17 When your enemy falls, (FD)do not be glad,
And when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice;
18 Lest Yahweh see it and it be evil in His eyes,
And turn His anger away from him.
19 (FE)Do not fret because of evildoers
Do not be (FF)jealous of the wicked;
20 For (FG)there will be no [au](FH)future for the evil one;
The (FI)lamp of the wicked will go out.
21 My son, [av](FJ)fear Yahweh and the king;
Do not associate with those who change,
22 For suddenly their (FK)disaster will rise,
And who knows the upheaval that comes from both of them?
23 These also are (FL)sayings of the wise.
To [aw](FM)show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 He (FN)who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
(FO)Peoples will curse him, nations will be indignant with him;
25 But (FP)to those who reprove the wicked, it will be pleasant,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He kisses the lips
Who responds with right words.
27 Establish your work outside
And (FQ)make it ready for yourself in the field;
And afterwards, you shall build your house.
28 Do not be a (FR)witness against your neighbor without cause,
Nor (FS)deceive with your lips.
29 (FT)Do not say, “As he did to me so I shall do to him;
I will [ax]render to the man according to his work.”
30 I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man (FU)lacking a heart of wisdom,
31 And behold, it was completely [ay](FV)overgrown with thistles;
[az](FW)Nettles have covered its surface,
And its stone (FX)wall has been torn down.
32 And I beheld, I set my heart upon it;
I saw, I received discipline.
33 “(FY)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
34 Then your poverty will come as [ba]a robber
And your want like [bb]an armed man.
Analogies of Wisdom
25 These also are (FZ)proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.
2 It is the glory of God to (GA)conceal a matter,
But the glory of (GB)kings is to search out a matter.
3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the (GC)dross from the silver,
And there comes out a vessel for the (GD)smith;
5 Take away the (GE)wicked before the king,
And his (GF)throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not promote your majesty in the presence of the king,
And in the place of great men do not stand;
7 For (GG)it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of a noble,
Whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go out (GH)hastily to plead your case;
Lest, what will you do in [bc]the end,
When your neighbor humiliates you?
9 (GI)Plead your case with your neighbor,
And (GJ)do not reveal the secret of another,
10 Lest he who hears it bring disgrace upon you,
And the bad report about you will not turn away.
11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver
Is a (GK)word spoken in [bd]right circumstances.
12 Like [be]an (GL)earring of gold and an (GM)ornament of (GN)fine gold
Is a wise reprover to a (GO)listening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the [bf]time of harvest
Is a (GP)faithful envoy to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like (GQ)clouds and (GR)wind without rain
Is a man who boasts [bg]of his gifts falsely.
15 (GS)When one is slow to anger, a ruler may be persuaded,
And a soft tongue breaks the bone.
16 Have you (GT)found honey? Eat only enough for you,
Lest you have more than your fill and vomit it.
17 Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,
Lest he have more than his fill of you and hate you.
18 Like a club and a (GU)sword and a sharp (GV)arrow
Is a man who bears [bh](GW)false witness against his neighbor.
19 Like [bi]an aching tooth and a slipping foot
Is trust in a (GX)treacherous man in a day of distress.
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on [bj]soda,
Is he who sings songs to [bk]an aching heart.
21 (GY)If [bl]your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will [bm]heap burning coals on his head,
And (GZ)Yahweh will repay you.
23 The north wind brings forth rain,
And a (HA)tongue of secrets, an indignant face.
24 It is (HB)better to live in a corner of the roof
Than [bn]in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is a (HC)good report from a distant land.
26 Like a (HD)muddied spring and a corrupted well
Is a righteous man shaking before the wicked.
27 To eat too much honey is not good,
Nor is it glory to (HE)search out [bo]one’s own glory.
28 Like a (HF)city that is broken into and without a wall
Is a man (HG)without restraint over his spirit.
26 Like snow in summer and like (HH)rain in harvest,
So glory is not (HI)fitting for a fool.
2 Like a (HJ)sparrow in its [bp]flitting, like a swallow in flying,
So a (HK)curse without cause does not come to pass.
3 A (HL)whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a (HM)rod for the back of fools.
4 (HN)Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you yourself also be like him.
5 (HO)Answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest he be (HP)wise in his own eyes.
6 He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence
Who sends words by the hand of a fool.
7 Like the legs which hang limp on the lame,
So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 Like [bq]one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is he who gives glory to a fool.
9 Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a drunkard,
So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 [br]Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by.
11 Like (HQ)a dog that returns to its vomit
Is a fool who (HR)repeats [bs]his folly.
12 Do you see a man (HS)wise in his own eyes?
(HT)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The (HU)sluggard says, “There is a fierce lion in the road!
A lion is [bt]among the streets!”
14 As the door turns on its hinges,
So does the (HV)sluggard on his bed.
15 The (HW)sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
He is too weary to return it to his mouth.
16 The sluggard is (HX)wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can respond with a discreet answer.
17 Like one who seizes a dog by the ears
Is he who passes by and becomes passionate about (HY)strife not belonging to him.
18 Like a madman who shoots
(HZ)Firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 So is the man who (IA)deceives his neighbor,
And says, “(IB)Am I not joking?”
20 With no wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no (IC)whisperer, (ID)strife quiets down.
21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a (IE)contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The (IF)words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the innermost parts of the stomach.
23 Like an earthen (IG)vessel overlaid with silver (IH)dross
Are fiery lips and an evil heart.
24 He who (II)hates disguises it with his lips,
But he sets up (IJ)deceit within himself.
25 When he (IK)makes his voice gracious, do not believe him,
For there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Though his hatred (IL)covers itself with guile,
His evil will be (IM)revealed in the assembly.
27 He who (IN)digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone, it will turn back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates [bu]those it crushes,
And a (IO)flattering mouth works ruin.
Instructions and Warnings
27 (IP)Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you (IQ)do not know what a day may bring forth.
2 Let a (IR)stranger praise you, and not your own mouth;
A foreigner, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
But the provocation of an ignorant fool is heavier than both of them.
4 Wrath is cruelty and anger is a flood,
But (IS)who can stand before jealousy?
5 Better is reproof that is (IT)revealed
Than love that is hidden.
6 Faithful are the (IU)wounds of a friend,
But [bv]deceitful are the (IV)kisses of an enemy.
7 A satisfied soul tramples the honeycomb,
But to a hungry soul any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a (IW)bird that wanders from her nest,
So is a man who (IX)wanders from his place.
9 (IY)Oil and incense make the heart glad,
So counsel from the [bw]soul is sweet to his friend.
10 Do not forsake your (IZ)friend or (JA)your father’s friend,
And do not come to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster;
Better is one who dwells near than a brother far away.
11 (JB)Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
That I may (JC)respond with a word to him who reproaches me.
12 A prudent man sees evil and hides,
The simple pass on and are punished.
13 (JD)Take his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger;
And for [bx]a foreign woman seize it as a pledge.
14 (JE)He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,
It will be counted as a curse to him.
15 A (JF)constant dripping on a day of steady rain
And a contentious woman are alike;
16 He who would [by]restrain her [bz]restrains the wind,
And [ca]grasps oil with his right hand.
17 Iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens another.
18 He who guards the (JG)fig tree will eat its fruit,
And he who (JH)keeps watch for his master will be honored.
19 As in water face reflects face,
So the heart of man reflects man.
20 (JI)Sheol and Abaddon are (JJ)never satisfied,
So the (JK)eyes of man are never satisfied.
21 The (JL)refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And each (JM)is tested by the mouth that praises him.
22 Though you (JN)pound an ignorant fool in a mortar with a pestle in the midst of crushed grain,
His [cb]folly will not turn aside from him.
23 (JO)Know well the [cc]condition of your flocks,
And pay attention to your herds;
24 For wealth is not forever,
Neither is a (JP)crown from generation to generation.
25 When the grass disappears and the vegetation appears,
And the herbs of the mountains are (JQ)gathered in,
26 The lambs will be for your clothing,
And the goats will bring the price of a field,
27 And there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
For the food of your household,
And sustenance for your maidens.
28 The wicked (JR)flee when there is no one pursuing,
But the righteous are [cd]secure as a lion.
2 By the transgression of a land (JS)many are its princes,
But (JT)by a man who understands, who knows, so it endures.
3 A (JU)poor man who oppresses the lowly
Is a driving rain [ce]which leaves no food.
4 Those who forsake the law (JV)praise the wicked,
But those who keep the law (JW)strive with them.
5 Evil men (JX)do not understand justice,
But those who seek Yahweh (JY)understand all things.
6 (JZ)Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than he who is crooked—[cf]double dealing—though he be rich.
7 He who observes the law is a son who understands,
But he who befriends (KA)gluttons humiliates his father.
8 He who increases his wealth by (KB)interest and usury
Gathers it (KC)for him who is gracious to the lowly.
9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law,
Even his (KD)prayer is an abomination.
10 He who leads the upright astray in an evil way
Will (KE)himself fall into his own pit,
But the (KF)blameless will inherit good.
11 The rich man is (KG)wise in his own eyes,
But the lowly who understands [cg]searches him.
12 When the (KH)righteous exult, there is great honor,
But (KI)when the wicked rise, man has to be sought out.
13 He who (KJ)conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
But he who (KK)confesses and forsakes them will receive compassion.
14 How blessed is the man who (KL)is always in dread,
But he who (KM)hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
15 Like a (KN)roaring lion and a rushing bear
Is a (KO)wicked ruler over a poor people.
16 A (KP)leader who lacks discernment abounds in oppressions,
But he who hates greedy gain will prolong his days.
17 A man (KQ)oppressed with (KR)the bloodguilt of life
Will flee until [ch]death; let no one uphold him.
18 He who walks blamelessly will be saved,
But he who is (KS)crooked—[ci]double dealing—will fall all at once.
19 (KT)He who cultivates his ground will be (KU)satisfied with food,
But he who pursues empty things will be satisfied with poverty.
20 A (KV)faithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who (KW)makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.
21 To [cj](KX)show partiality is not good,
(KY)Even for a piece of bread a man will transgress.
22 A man with an (KZ)evil eye (LA)hurries after wealth
And does not know that want will come upon him.
23 He who (LB)reproves a man will afterward find more favor
Than he who (LC)flatters with the tongue.
24 He who (LD)robs his father or his mother
And says, “It is not a transgression,”
Is the (LE)companion of a man who destroys.
25 An [ck]arrogant man (LF)stirs up strife,
But he who (LG)trusts in Yahweh (LH)will [cl]be enriched.
26 He who (LI)trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But he who walks wisely will escape.
27 He who (LJ)gives to the poor will never want,
But he who [cm]shuts his eyes will have many curses.
28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.
29 A man who hardens his neck after (LK)much reproof
Will (LL)suddenly be broken [cn]beyond healing.
2 When the (LM)righteous [co]increase, the people are glad,
But when a wicked man rules, people groan.
3 A man who (LN)loves wisdom makes his father glad,
But he who (LO)befriends harlots destroys his wealth.
4 By justice the (LP)king causes the land to stand,
But a man of bribes tears it down.
5 A man who (LQ)flatters his neighbor
Is spreading a net for his steps.
6 By transgression an evil man is (LR)ensnared,
But the righteous (LS)sings with joy and is glad.
7 The (LT)righteous knows the cause of the poor,
The wicked does not understand that knowledge.
8 Scoffers [cp](LU)set a city aflame,
But (LV)wise men turn away anger.
9 When a wise man is brought into judgment with a man who is an ignorant fool,
[cq]The ignorant fool both rages and laughs, and there is no rest.
10 Men of (LW)bloodshed hate the blameless,
But the upright seek the well-being of his soul.
11 A (LX)fool [cr]lets out all of his spirit,
But a (LY)wise man holds it back.
12 If a (LZ)ruler pays attention to a lying word,
All his ministers become wicked.
13 The (MA)poor man and the oppressor meet together in this—
Yahweh gives (MB)light to the eyes of both.
14 If a (MC)king judges the poor with truth,
His (MD)throne will be established forever.
15 The (ME)rod and reproof give wisdom,
But a child [cs]left to himself (MF)brings shame to his mother.
16 When the wicked [ct]increase, transgression increases;
But the (MG)righteous will see their fall.
17 (MH)Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
And he will (MI)give delight to your soul.
18 Where there is (MJ)no [cu]vision, the people (MK)are out of control,
But how (ML)blessed is he who keeps the law.
19 A slave will not be corrected by words alone;
For though he understands, there will be no answer.
20 Do you behold a man who is (MM)hasty in his words?
There is (MN)more hope for a fool than for him.
21 He who pampers his slave from childhood
Will in the end find him to be [cv]arrogant.
22 An (MO)angry man stirs up strife,
And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.
23 A man’s (MP)lofty pride will bring him low,
But a (MQ)lowly spirit will take hold of glory.
24 He who [cw]divides the spoil with a thief hates his own soul;
He (MR)hears the oath but declares nothing.
25 (MS)Trembling before man [cx]brings a snare,
But he who (MT)trusts in Yahweh will be set securely on high.
26 (MU)Many seek the face of a ruler,
But (MV)justice for man comes from Yahweh.
27 An (MW)unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
And he who is (MX)upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.
Every Word of God Is Tested
30 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the [cy]oracle.
The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
2 Surely I am more (MY)senseless than any man,
And I do not have the understanding of mankind.
3 Neither have I learned wisdom,
Nor do I know the (MZ)knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has (NA)ascended into heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the (NB)wind in His fists?
Who has (NC)wrapped the waters in [cz]His garment?
Who has [da](ND)established all the ends of the earth?
What is His (NE)name? And what is His (NF)Son’s name?
Surely you know!
5 Every (NG)word of God is [db]tested;
He is a (NH)shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6 (NI)Do not add to His words
Lest He reprove you, and you be proved a liar.
7 Two things I asked of You,
Do not withhold from me before I die:
8 Keep worthlessness and every false word far from me,
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the (NJ)food that is my portion,
9 Lest I be (NK)full and deny (NL)You and say, “Who is Yahweh?”
Or lest I be (NM)impoverished and steal,
And [dc](NN)profane the name of my God.
10 Do not slander a slave to his master,
Lest he (NO)curse you and you be found guilty.
11 There is a generation that (NP)curses its father
And does not bless its mother.
12 There is a generation that is (NQ)clean in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its filthiness.
13 There is a generation—oh how (NR)haughty are its eyes!
And its eyelids are lifted up.
14 There is a generation whose (NS)teeth are like swords
And its (NT)fangs like knives,
To (NU)devour the afflicted from the earth
And the needy from among men.
15 The leech has two daughters,
“Give,” “Give.”
There are three things that will not be satisfied,
Four that will not say, “Enough”:
16 (NV)Sheol, and the (NW)barren womb,
Earth that is never satisfied with water,
And fire that never says, “Enough.”
17 The eye that (NX)mocks a father
And (NY)despises obedience to a mother,
The (NZ)ravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young (OA)eagles will eat it.
18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Four which I do not understand:
19 The way of an (OB)eagle in the sky,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the heart of the sea,
And the way of a man with a virgin.
20 This is the way of an (OC)adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, “I have done no wrong.”
21 Under three things the earth quakes,
And under four, it cannot bear up:
22 Under a (OD)slave when he becomes king,
And a wicked fool when he is satisfied with food,
23 Under [dd]an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
And a servant-girl when she supplants her mistress.
24 Four things are small on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
25 The (OE)ants are not a strong people,
But they prepare their food in the summer;
26 The [de](OF)shephanim are not a mighty people,
Yet they make their houses in the cliff;
27 The locusts have no king,
Yet all of them go out in (OG)rank;
28 The lizard you may grasp with the hands,
Yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29 There are three things which are stately in their march,
Even four which are stately when they walk:
30 The lion which is (OH)mighty among the animals
And does not (OI)turn back before any,
31 The [df]strutting rooster, the male goat also,
And a king when his army is with him.
32 If you have been wickedly foolish in lifting yourself up,
Or if you have schemed evil, (OJ)put your hand on your mouth.
33 For pressing milk brings forth butter,
And pressing the nose brings forth blood;
And pressing (OK)anger brings forth strife.
A Mother’s Oracle
31 The words of King Lemuel, the [dg]oracle unto which his mother disciplined him:
2 What, O my son?
And what, O (OL)son of my womb?
And what, O son of my (OM)vows?
3 (ON)Do not give your excellence to women,
Or your ways to that which (OO)blots out kings.
4 It is not for (OP)kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to (OQ)drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,
5 Lest he drink and forget what is decreed,
And (OR)pervert the justice of all the [dh]afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to him who is (OS)perishing,
And wine to those (OT)whose soul is bitter.
7 Let him drink and forget his poverty
And he will not remember his trouble any longer.
8 (OU)Open your mouth for the mute,
For the justice of all those [di]passing away.
9 Open your mouth, (OV)judge righteously,
And render (OW)justice to the afflicted and needy.
A Woman Who Fears Yahweh
Aleph
Beth
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
Gimel
12 She deals bountifully with him for good and not evil
All the days of her life.
Daleth
He
14 She is like (OZ)merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
Vav
15 And she (PA)rises while it is still night,
And (PB)gives [dm]food to her household
And a [dn]portion to her young women.
Zayin
16 She makes plans for a field and buys it;
From the fruit of her [do]hands she plants a vineyard.
Heth
Teth
18 She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
Yodh
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her [dq]hands hold fast the spindle.
Kaph
Lamedh
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are (PE)clothed with scarlet.
Mem
Nun
23 Her husband is known (PI)in the gates,
When he sits with the elders of the land.
Samekh
Ayin
Pe
Tsadhe
Qoph
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
As for her husband, he also praises her, saying:
Resh
29 “Many daughters have done excellently,
But you have gone above them all.”
Shin
30 [dw]Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who [dx](PN)fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.
Tav
31 Give to her from the fruit of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
All Is Vanity
1 The words of the [dy](PO)Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
3 (PQ)What advantage does man have in all his labor
In which he labors under the sun?
4 A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the (PR)earth stands forever.
5 Also, (PS)the sun rises and the sun sets;
And [ec]hastening to its place it rises there again.
6 (PT)Going toward the south,
Then [ed]circling toward the north,
The wind goes [ee]circling along;
And on its circular courses the wind returns.
7 All the rivers go into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers go,
There they [ef]continually go.
8 All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to speak of it.
(PU)The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
9 (PV)That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one might say,
“See this, it is new”?
Already it has been for ages
Which were before us.
11 There is (PW)no remembrance of [eg]earlier things;
And also of the [eh]later things which will be,
There will be for them no remembrance
Among those who will come [ei]later still.
The Vanity of Wisdom
12 I, the (PX)Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I (PY)gave my heart to seek and (PZ)explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is [ej]a grievous (QA)endeavor which God has given to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. 14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is [ek](QB)vanity and striving after wind. 15 What is (QC)bent cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I spoke within my heart, saying, “Behold, I have magnified and increased (QD)wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my heart has seen an abundance of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I (QE)gave my heart to know wisdom and to (QF)know madness and simpleminded folly; I came to know that this also is (QG)striving after wind. 18 Because (QH)in much wisdom there is much vexation, and whoever increases knowledge increases pain.
The Vanity of Pleasure and Possessions
2 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with (QI)gladness, so that you shall see good things.” And behold, it too was vanity. 2 (QJ)I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of gladness, “What does it do?” 3 I explored with my heart how to [el](QK)stimulate my [em]body with wine—while my heart was guiding me wisely—and how to seize (QL)simpleminded folly, until I could see (QM)where is this good for the sons of men in what they do under heaven the few days of their lives. 4 I made my works great: I (QN)built houses for myself; I planted (QO)vineyards for myself; 5 I made for myself (QP)gardens and (QQ)parks, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6 I made for myself (QR)pools of water from which to water a forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and I had [en](QS)homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and (QT)herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. 8 Also, I collected for myself silver and (QU)gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself (QV)male and female singers and the pleasures of the sons of men—many concubines.
9 Then I became (QW)great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. 10 (QX)All that my eyes asked for I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any gladness, for my heart was glad because of all my labor, and this was my (QY)reward for all my labor. 11 Thus I turned to all my works which my hands had done and the labor which I had labored to do, and behold, all was [eo](QZ)vanity and striving after wind, and there was (RA)no advantage under the sun.
Wisdom Excels Folly
12 So I turned to (RB)see wisdom, madness, and simpleminded folly. What will the man do who will come after the king except (RC)what has already been done? 13 And I saw that there is an advantage in (RD)wisdom over simpleminded folly as light has an advantage over darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the (RE)fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that the (RF)fate of one becomes the fate of all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “(RG)As is the fate of the fool, so will my fate be also. (RH)Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said in my heart, “This too is vanity.” 16 For there is (RI)no remembrance of the wise man along with the fool forever, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And (RJ)how the wise man dies with the fool! 17 So I (RK)hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was [ep]grievous to me; because everything is vanity and striving after wind.
The Vanity of Labor
18 Thus I hated (RL)all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must (RM)leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or (RN)a man of simpleminded folly? Yet he will have [eq]power over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored and for which I have acted wisely under the sun. This too is (RO)vanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart to despair of all my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and (RP)skill, then he (RQ)gives his portion to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what does a man get in (RR)all his labor and in the striving of his heart with which he labors under the sun? 23 Because all his days his endeavor is painful and (RS)vexing; even at night his heart (RT)does not lie down. This too is vanity.
24 [er]There is (RU)nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and have his soul see good in his labor. This also I have seen that it is (RV)from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment outside of [es]Him? 26 For to a man who is good before Him, (RW)He has given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, while to the sinner He has given the endeavor of gathering and collecting so that he may (RX)give to one who is good before God. This too is (RY)vanity and striving after wind.
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