13  A wise son hears his father’s instruction,

but ^qa scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

2  From the fruit of his mouth a man ^reats what is good,

but the desire of the treacherous ^sis for violence.

3  ^tWhoever guards his mouth preserves his life;

^uhe who opens wide his lips ^vcomes to ruin.

4  ^wThe soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,

while the soul of the diligent ^xis richly supplied.

5  The righteous hates falsehood,

but the wicked brings shame¹ and disgrace.

6  ^yRighteousness guards him whose ^zway is blameless,

but sin overthrows the wicked.

7  ^aOne pretends to be rich,² yet has nothing;

^banother pretends to be poor,³ yet has great wealth.

8  The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,

but a poor man ^chears no threat.

9  ^dThe light of the righteous rejoices,

but ^ethe lamp of the wicked will be put out.

10  ^fBy insolence comes nothing but strife,

but with those who take advice is wisdom.

11  ^gWealth gained hastily⁴ will dwindle,

but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

12  Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

^hbut a desire fulfilled is ⁱa tree of life.

13  Whoever ^jdespises ^kthe word⁵ brings destruction on himself,

but he who reveres the commandment⁶ will be ^lrewarded.

14  The teaching of the wise is ^ma fountain of life,

that one may ⁿturn away from the snares of death.

15  ^oGood sense wins ^pfavor,

but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.⁷

16  ^qEvery prudent man acts with knowledge,

^rbut a fool flaunts his folly.

17  A wicked messenger falls into trouble,

but ^sa faithful envoy brings healing.

18  Poverty and disgrace come to him who ^tignores instruction,

^ubut whoever ^vheeds reproof is honored.

19  ^wA desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul,

but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.

20  Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,

but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

21  ^xDisaster⁸ pursues sinners,

^ybut the righteous are rewarded with good.

22  ^zA good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,

but ^athe sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.

23  The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food,

but it is swept away through ^binjustice.

24  ^cWhoever spares the rod hates his son,

but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.⁹

25  ^dThe righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,

but the belly of the wicked suffers want.

14  ^eThe wisest of women ^fbuilds her house,

but folly with her own hands ^gtears it down.

2  Whoever ^hwalks in uprightness fears the Lord,

but he who is ⁱdevious in his ways despises him.

3  By the mouth of a fool comes ^ja rod for his back,¹

^kbut the lips of the wise will preserve them.

4  Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,

but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.

5  ^lA faithful witness does not lie,

but ^ma false witness breathes out lies.

6  ⁿA scoffer seeks wisdom ^oin vain,

but ^pknowledge is easy for a man of understanding.

7  Leave the presence of a fool,

for there you do not meet words of knowledge.

8  The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,

but the folly of fools is deceiving.

9  ^qFools mock at the guilt offering,

but the upright enjoy acceptance.²

10  The heart knows its own ^rbitterness,

and no stranger shares its joy.

11  ^sThe house of the wicked will be destroyed,

but the tent of the upright will flourish.

12  ^tThere is a way that seems right to a man,

but ^uits end is the way to death.³

13  Even in laughter the heart may ache,

and ^vthe end of joy may be ^wgrief.

14  The backslider in heart will be ^xfilled with the fruit of his ways,

and ^ya good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

15  ^zThe simple believes everything,

but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

16  ^aOne who is wise is cautious⁴ and ^bturns away from evil,

but a fool is reckless and careless.

17  A man of ^cquick temper acts foolishly,

and a man of evil devices is hated.

18  The simple inherit folly,

but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

19  ^dThe evil bow down before the good,

the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20  ^eThe poor is disliked even by his neighbor,

^fbut the rich has many friends.

21  Whoever ^gdespises his neighbor is a sinner,

but ^hblessed is he who is generous to the poor.

22  Do they not go astray who ⁱdevise evil?

Those who devise good meet^{5 j}steadfast love and faithfulness.

23  In all toil there is profit,

but mere talk ^ktends only to poverty.

24  The crown of the wise is their wealth,

but the folly of fools brings folly.

25  A truthful witness saves lives,

but one who ^lbreathes out lies is deceitful.

26  In the fear of the Lord one has ^mstrong confidence,

and ⁿhis children will have ^oa refuge.

27  The fear of the Lord is ^pa fountain of life,

that one may ^qturn away from the snares of death.

28  In ^ra multitude of people is the glory of a king,

but without people a prince is ruined.

29  Whoever is ^sslow to anger has great understanding,

but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

30  A tranquil⁶ heart gives ^tlife to the flesh,

but ^uenvy⁷ makes ^vthe bones rot.

31  Whoever oppresses a poor man ^winsults his ^xMaker,

^ybut he who is generous to the needy honors him.

32  ^zThe wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,

but ^athe righteous finds refuge in his death.

33  Wisdom ^brests in the heart of a man of understanding,

but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.⁸

34  Righteousness exalts a nation,

but sin is a reproach to any people.

35  A servant who deals wisely has ^cthe king’s favor,

but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.

15  ^dA soft answer turns away wrath,

but ^ea harsh word stirs up anger.

2  The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,

but ^fthe mouths of fools pour out folly.

3  ^gThe eyes of the Lord are in every place,

keeping watch on the evil and the good.

4  ^hA gentle¹ tongue is ⁱa tree of life,

but ^jperverseness in it breaks the spirit.

5  ^kA fool ^ldespises his father’s instruction,

but ^mwhoever heeds reproof is prudent.

6  In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,

but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.

7  ⁿThe lips of the wise spread knowledge;

ⁿnot so the hearts of fools.²

8  ^oThe sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,

but ^pthe prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.

9  The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,

but he loves him ^qwho pursues righteousness.

10  There is ^rsevere discipline for him who forsakes the way;

^swhoever hates reproof will die.

11  Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord;

how much more ^tthe hearts of the children of man!

12  ^uA scoffer ^vdoes not like to be reproved;

he will not go to the wise.

13  ^wA glad heart makes a cheerful face,

but by ^xsorrow of heart the spirit is ^ycrushed.

14  ^zThe heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,

but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

15  All the days of the afflicted are evil,

but ^athe cheerful of heart has a continual feast.

16  ^bBetter is a little with the fear of the Lord

than great treasure and trouble with it.

17  ^cBetter is a dinner of herbs where love is

than ^da fattened ox and hatred with it.

18  ^eA hot-tempered man ^fstirs up strife,

but he who is ^gslow to anger quiets contention.

19  The way of ^ha sluggard is like a hedge of ⁱthorns,

but the path of the upright is ^ja level highway.

20  ^kA wise son makes a glad father,

but a foolish man despises his mother.

21  ^lFolly is a joy to him who lacks sense,

but a man of understanding ^mwalks straight ahead.

22  ⁿWithout counsel plans fail,

but with many advisers they succeed.

23  To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,

and ^oa word in season, how good it is!

24  The path of life leads upward ^pfor the prudent,

that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.

25  The Lord tears down the house of ^qthe proud

but ^rmaintains ^sthe widow’s boundaries.

26  ^tThe thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,

but ^ugracious words are pure.

27  Whoever is ^vgreedy for unjust gain ^wtroubles his own household,

but he who hates ^xbribes will live.

28  The heart of the righteous ^yponders how to answer,

but ^zthe mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

29  The Lord is ^afar from the wicked,

but he ^bhears the prayer of the righteous.

30  ^cThe light of the eyes rejoices the heart,

and ^dgood news refreshes³ the bones.

31  ^eThe ear that listens to ^flife-giving reproof

will dwell among the wise.

32  Whoever ^gignores instruction ^hdespises himself,

but he who listens to reproof ⁱgains intelligence.

33  ^jThe fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,

and ^khumility comes before honor.

16  The plans of the heart belong to man,

but ^lthe answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

2  ^mAll the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,

but the Lord ⁿweighs the spirit.¹

3  ^oCommit your work to the Lord,

and your plans will be established.

4  ^pThe Lord has made everything for its purpose,

even ^qthe wicked for the day of trouble.

5  Everyone who is arrogant in heart is ^ran abomination to the Lord;

^sbe assured, he will not go unpunished.

6  By ^tsteadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,

and by ^uthe fear of the Lord one ^vturns away from evil.

7  When a man’s ways please the Lord,

^whe makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

8  ^xBetter is a little with righteousness

than great revenues with injustice.

9  ^yThe heart of man plans his way,

but ^zthe Lord establishes his steps.

10  ^aAn oracle is on the lips of a king;

his mouth does not sin in judgment.

11  ^bA just balance and scales are the Lord’s;

all the weights in the bag are his work.

12  It is an abomination to kings to do evil,

for ^cthe throne is established by righteousness.

13  ^dRighteous lips are the delight of a king,

and he loves him who speaks what is right.

14  ^eA king’s wrath is a messenger of death,

and a wise man will ^fappease it.

15  ^gIn the light of a king’s face there is life,

and his ^dfavor is like ^hthe clouds that bring the spring rain.

16  ⁱHow much better to get wisdom than ^jgold!

To get understanding is to be chosen rather than ^ksilver.

17  The highway of the upright ^lturns aside from evil;

whoever guards his way preserves his life.

18  ^mPride goes before destruction,

and a haughty spirit before a fall.

19  ⁿIt is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor

than to ^odivide the spoil with the proud.

20  Whoever gives thought to the word^{2 p}will discover good,

and blessed is he ^qwho trusts in the Lord.

21  The wise of heart is called discerning,

and sweetness of speech ^rincreases persuasiveness.

22  Good sense is ^sa fountain of life to him who has it,

but the instruction of fools is folly.

23  ^tThe heart of the wise makes his speech judicious

and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

24  ^uGracious words are like ^va honeycomb,

sweetness to the soul and ^whealth to the body.

25  There is a way that seems right to a man,

but its end is the way to death.³

26  A worker’s appetite works for him;

his ^xmouth urges him on.

27  ^yA worthless man plots evil,

and his speech⁴ is like ^za scorching fire.

28  ^aA dishonest man spreads strife,

and ^ba whisperer ^cseparates close friends.

29  A man of violence ^dentices his neighbor

and leads him in a way that is not good.

30  Whoever winks his eyes plans^{5 e}dishonest things;

he who ^fpurses his lips brings evil to pass.

31  ^gGray hair is ^ha crown of glory;

it ⁱis gained in a righteous life.

32  ^jWhoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

33  ^kThe lot is cast into the lap,

but its every decision is ^lfrom the Lord.

17  ^mBetter is a dry morsel with quiet

than a house full of feasting¹ with strife.

2  A servant who deals wisely will rule over ⁿa son who acts shamefully

and ^owill share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

3  ^pThe crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

^qand the Lord tests hearts.

4  An evildoer listens to wicked lips,

and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

5  Whoever mocks the poor ^rinsults his Maker;

he who is ^sglad at calamity will not go ^tunpunished.

6  ^uGrandchildren are ^vthe crown of the aged,

and the glory of children is their fathers.

7  Fine speech is not ^wbecoming to a fool;

still less is ^xfalse speech to a prince.

8  ^yA bribe is like a magic² stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;

wherever he turns he prospers.

9  Whoever ^zcovers an offense seeks love,

but he who repeats a matter ^aseparates close friends.

10  A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding

than a hundred blows into a fool.

11  An evil man seeks only rebellion,

and ^ba cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12  Let a man meet ^ca she-bear robbed of her cubs

^drather than a fool in his folly.

13  If anyone ^ereturns evil for good,

^fevil will not depart from his house.

14  The beginning of strife is like letting out water,

so ^gquit before the quarrel breaks out.

15  He who ^hjustifies the wicked and he who ⁱcondemns the righteous

are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

16  Why should a fool have money in his hand ^jto buy wisdom

when he has no sense?

17  ^kA friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

18  One who lacks sense gives a pledge

and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.

19  Whoever loves transgression loves strife;

he who ^lmakes his door high seeks destruction.

20  ^mA man of crooked heart does not discover good,

and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.

21  He who ⁿsires a fool gets himself sorrow,

and the father of a fool has no joy.

22  ^oA joyful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit ^pdries up the bones.

23  The wicked accepts ^qa bribe in secret³

to ^rpervert the ways of justice.

24  ^sThe discerning sets his face toward wisdom,

but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

25  ⁿA foolish son is a grief to his father

^tand bitterness to ^uher who bore him.

26  ^vTo impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,

nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

27  Whoever ^wrestrains his words has knowledge,

and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

28  Even a fool ^xwho keeps silent is considered wise;

when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.