Chronological
Chapter 22
Reflections on the Human Condition[a]
1 An honorable name[b] is more to be desired than great riches,
and high esteem is preferable to silver and gold.
2 The rich and the poor have this in common:
all of them were made by the Lord.[c]
3 A prudent man perceives danger and seeks shelter,
while the simple[d] continue forward and pay for it.
4 The reward of humility and fear of the Lord[e]
is wealth, honor, and life.
5 Thorns and snares cover the path of the perverse;
whoever values his life will steer clear of them.
6 Train a child in the way he should go,
and he will not deviate from it, even in old age.
7 The wealthy man lords it over the poor,[f]
and the borrower becomes the slave of the lender.
8 Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
and the rod of his wrath will disappear.
9 One who is kindly will be blessed,[g]
for he shares his food with the poor.
10 Banish the scoffer[h] and strife will cease;
discord and abuse will come to an end.
11 The Lord loves the pure of heart;
the man of gracious speech will have the king as a friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord[i] preserve knowledge,
but he ruins the plans of the unfaithful.
13 The idler cries out, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed if I go out on the street.”[j]
14 The mouth of an adulteress[k] is a deep pit;
the man with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
15 Folly is rooted deep in the heart of a child,
but the rod of correction[l] will remove it far from him.
16 A man becomes rich by crushing the poor,
but presents to the rich will only impoverish him.[m]
The Sayings of the Wise[n]
Lend Your Ear[o]
17 These are the sayings of the wise:
Incline your ear and listen to my words,
and apply your mind to the knowledge I impart.
18 They will afford pleasure if you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips.
19 In order that your trust may be in the Lord,
I will make them known to you today.
20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings[p]
of admonition and knowledge
21 to show you what is right and true
so that you can offer sound answers to the one who sent you?
Practical Counsels[q]
22 Do not rob the poor because they are helpless
or oppress the needy at the gate.
23 For the Lord will take up their cause[r]
and rob of life those who despoiled them.
24 Never make friends with a man prone to anger,
and do not associate with anyone who is wrathful.
25 Otherwise you may learn his ways[s]
and find yourself entangled in a snare.
26 Do not be one of those who give pledges
and become surety for another’s debts.
27 For if you have no means of paying,
your bed will be taken from under you.
28 Never remove the ancient boundary stone
that your ancestors set up.
29 If you see a man who is skilled in his work,[t]
remember that he will serve kings;
he will not stand before common people.
Chapter 23
When You Sit Down To Dine with a Ruler . . .[u]
1 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
take careful note of what is before you.
2 Control yourself[v]
if you are given to overindulgence.
3 Do not yearn for the ruler’s delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.
Wealth Passes Away[w]
4 Do not wear yourself out in the pursuit of wealth,
and cease even to think about it.
5 When you fix your gaze upon it,
it is gone before you realize it.
For it suddenly sprouts wings
and flies up to the sky like an eagle.
Do Not Dine with a Stingy Man[x]
6 Do not dine with a stingy man
or hanker for his delicacies.
7 For, like a hair,
they will stick in your throat.
“Eat and drink,” he will say to you,
but he does not mean it in his heart.
8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten
and find that your compliments have been wasted.
9 Do not waste your words on a fool
who will only despise the wisdom of your comments.[y]
God Vindicates the Defenseless[z]
10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
or encroach on the lands of orphans.
11 For their redeemer is powerful,
and he will take up their cause against you.
Direct Your Heart along the Right Path[aa]
12 Apply your heart to instruction
and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
14 Rather, if you beat him with a rod,
you will save him from the netherworld.[ab]
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
then my heart will be glad.
16 Also my innermost being will rejoice
when your lips utter what is right.
17 Do not allow your heart to envy sinners,
but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord;[ac]
18 there truly is a future for you,
and your hope will not be cut short.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise
as you direct your heart along the right path.
20 Do not consort with drunkards[ad]
or be one of those who gorge themselves with meat.
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will become impoverished,
and stupor will clothe them in rags.
22 Listen to your father who begot you,
and do not despise your mother[ae] when she is old.
23 Buy truth and do not sell it;
this is wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of a good man will rejoice;
he who begets a wise son will delight in him.
25 May your father and mother be glad;
may the one who bore you exult.
The Prostitute Is a Deep Well[af]
26 My son, pay attention to me
and let your eyes delight in my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep well,
and an adulteress is a narrow pit.
28 Such a woman lies in wait like a robber,
and many are the men she deludes.
The Joys and Dangers of Wine[ag]
29 Who endures misery? Who endures remorse?
Who has strife? Who has anxiety?
Who becomes bruised without knowing the reason?
Who has blackened eyes?
30 Those who linger over their wine too long,
those who sample blended wines.
31 Do not note how red the wine is,
how it sparkles in the cup,
and how smoothly it goes down.
32 For in the end its bite is like that of a serpent
or that of a poisonous viper.
33 Then your eyes will behold strange sights,
and your heart will utter distorted words.
34 You will become like one sleeping at sea
or clinging to the top of the mast.
35 You will say, “They struck me, but I was not hurt.
They beat me, but I did not feel it.
When will I awaken,
so that I can seek another drink?”
Chapter 24
Do Not Be Envious of the Wicked[ah]
1 Do not be envious of the wicked
or desire to be in their company.
2 For their hearts scheme of violence,
and their lips speak only of mischief.
3 By wisdom a house is built;
by understanding it is made secure.
4 By knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and desirable riches of all kinds.
5 A wise man is mightier than a strong man,
and a man of knowledge prevails over one who has strength.
6 For you wage war by wise guidance,
and victory depends on a host of counselors.
7 Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;
at the city gate he does not open his mouth.[ai]
8 Anyone who plans to do evil
earns a reputation for intrigue.
9 The intrigues of fools are sinful,[aj]
and men find the scoffer abhorrent.
10 If you lose heart in time of adversity,
your strength will indeed be limited.
11 [ak]Rescue those who are being led away to death
and save those who are on their way to execution.
12 If you say, “I do not know this man,”
will he who tests the heart not perceive it?
He who is the guardian of your soul knows it,
and he will repay you as your deeds deserve.
13 Eat honey,[al] my son, for it is good,
and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to the taste.
14 In much the same manner
will wisdom be sweet to your soul.
If you find it, you will have a future,
and your hope[am] will not be cut off.
15 Do not lie in wait at the home of a righteous man;
do not raid his dwelling.
16 For a righteous man falls seven times[an] and rises again,
but the wicked stumble into calamity.
17 Do not be glad when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart exult,
18 for fear that the Lord will be displeased at the sight
and withdraw his wrath from your enemy.
19 Do not become outraged about evildoers
or be envious of the wicked.[ao]
20 For they will have no tomorrow;
the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
21 My son, fear the Lord and fear the king;[ap]
avoid those who rebel against them.
22 For disaster will strike them suddenly,
and who knows what ruin will afflict them and their friends?[aq]
Other Sayings of the Wise[ar]
23 [as]These also are sayings of the wise:
To show partiality in judgment
is an invidious act.
24 Whoever says to the wicked, “You are innocent,”
will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
25 But those who convict the evildoer will fare well,
and they will be blessed with prosperity.
26 Anyone who offers an honest answer
gives a kiss on the lips.
27 Plan what you want outside
and make everything ready on the land;
once you have done this,
you can go forth and build your house.
28 Never be a witness against your neighbor without good reason
or deceive with your lips.
29 Never say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will pay him back for what he has done.”
I Passed by the Field of a Lazy Idler . . .[at]
30 I passed by the field of a lazy idler,[au]
by the vineyard of a man without sense.
31 I saw that it was completely overgrown with thorns;
the ground was covered with weeds,
and its stone wall was broken down.
32 And as I gazed at it and reflected,
I drew this lesson from the sight:
33 a little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the arms to rest,
34 and poverty will come upon you like a thief,
and want will assail you like an armed warrior.
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