1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he yturns it wherever he will.
2 zEvery way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord aweighs the heart.
3 bTo do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 cHaughty eyes and a proud heart,
dthe lamp1 of the wicked, are sin.
5 The plans of ethe diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is fhasty comes gonly to poverty.
6 hThe getting of treasures by a lying tongue
is a ifleeting jvapor and a ksnare of death.2
7 The violence of the wicked will lsweep them away,
because they refuse to do what is just.
8 The way of the guilty mis crooked,
but the conduct of the pure is upright.
9 It is nbetter to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.
11 When oa scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;
when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
12 The Righteous One pobserves the house of the wicked;
he throws the wicked down to ruin.
13 qWhoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered.
14 rA gift in secret averts anger,
and a concealed bribe,3 strong wrath.
15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous
sbut terror to evildoers.
16 One who wanders from the way of good sense
twill rest in the assembly of the dead.
17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;
he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
18 uThe wicked is a vransom for the righteous,
and the traitor for the upright.
19 It is wbetter to live in a desert land
than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.
20 xPrecious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling,
but a foolish man ydevours it.
21 Whoever zpursues righteousness and kindness
will find alife, righteousness, and honor.
22 bA wise man scales the city of the mighty
and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 cWhoever keeps his mouth and his tongue
dkeeps himself out of etrouble.
24 f“Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man
who acts with arrogant pride.
25 The desire of gthe sluggard kills him,
for his hands refuse to labor.
26 All day long he craves and craves,
but the righteous hgives and does not hold back.
27 iThe sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
how much more jwhen he brings it with evil intent.
28 kA false witness will perish,
but the word of a man who hears will endure.
29 A wicked man puts on a bold face,
but the upright lgives thought to4 his ways.
30 mNo wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the Lord.
31 nThe horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but othe victory belongs to the Lord.
1 pA good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.
2 qThe rich and the poor meet together;
the Lord is rthe Maker of them all.
3 sThe prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
is triches and honor and life.1
5 uThorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
whoever vguards his soul will keep far from them.
6 wTrain up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
7 xThe rich rules over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
8 Whoever ysows injustice will reap calamity,
and zthe rod of his fury will fail.
9 aWhoever has a bountiful2 eye will be blessed,
for he bshares his bread with the poor.
10 cDrive out a scoffer, dand strife will go out,
and equarreling and abuse will cease.
11 He who floves purity of heart,
and whose gspeech is gracious, hwill have the king as his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he ioverthrows the words of the traitor.
13 jThe sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of kforbidden3 women is la deep pit;
mhe with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but nthe rod of discipline drives it far from him.
16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
or gives to the rich, owill only come to poverty.
