1 aA false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
bbut a just weight is his delight.
2 cWhen pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with dthe humble is wisdom.
3 eThe integrity of the upright guides them,
fbut the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
4 gRiches do not profit in the day of wrath,
hbut righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless ikeeps his way straight,
but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
6 hThe righteousness of the upright delivers them,
but the treacherous jare taken captive by their lust.
7 When the wicked dies, his khope will perish,
and lthe expectation of wealth1 perishes too.
8 mThe righteous is delivered from trouble,
and the wicked walks into it instead.
9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
10 nWhen it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but oby the mouth of the wicked pit is overthrown.
12 Whoever qbelittles his neighbor lacks sense,
but a man of understanding remains silent.
13 Whoever rgoes about slandering reveals secrets,
but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
14 Where there is sno guidance, a people falls,
sbut in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
15 tWhoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm,
but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
16 uA gracious woman gets honor,
and vviolent men get riches.
17 wA man who is kind benefits himself,
but a cruel man hurts himself.
18 The wicked earns deceptive wages,
but one who xsows righteousness gets a sure reward.
19 Whoever is steadfast in righteousness ywill live,
but zhe who pursues evil will die.
20 Those of acrooked heart are ban abomination to the Lord,
but those of cblameless ways are dhis delight.
21 eBe assured, fan evil person will not go unpunished,
but gthe offspring of the righteous will be delivered.
22 Like ha gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman without discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
ithe expectation of the wicked in wrath.
24 jOne gives kfreely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
25 lWhoever brings blessing mwill be enriched,
and none who waters will himself be watered.
26 oThe people curse him who holds back grain,
but pa blessing is on the head of him who qsells it.
27 Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,2
but evil comes to rhim who searches for it.
28 Whoever strusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous will tflourish like a green leaf.
29 Whoever utroubles his own household will vinherit the wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
30 The fruit of the righteous is wa tree of life,
and whoever xcaptures souls is wise.
31 If ythe righteous is repaid on earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner!
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 aThe proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in brighteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to cthe simple,
knowledge and ddiscretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and eincrease in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
7 hThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 iHear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
9 for they are ja graceful garland for your head
and kpendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners lentice you,
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, mlet us lie in wait for blood;
nlet us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us oswallow them alive,
and whole, like pthose who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, qdo not walk in the way with them;
rhold back your foot from their paths,
16 for stheir feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
17 tFor in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men ulie in wait for their own blood;
they uset an ambush for their own lives.
19 vSuch are the ways of everyone who is wgreedy for unjust gain;
xit takes away the life of its possessors.
The Call of Wisdom
20 yWisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at zthe entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O asimple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will bscoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools chate knowledge?
23 If you turn at my reproof,1
behold, I will dpour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 eBecause I have called and fyou refused to listen,
have gstretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have hignored all my counsel
and iwould have none of my reproof,
26 I also jwill laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when kterror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like la storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 mThen they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they chated knowledge
and ndid not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 hwould have none of my counsel
and idespised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat othe fruit of their way,
and have ptheir fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by qtheir turning away,
and rthe complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but swhoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be tat ease, without dread of disaster.”