1  ^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.

1  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.⁴

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^{5 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.⁶

26  A worker’s appetite works for him;

his ^xmouth urges him on.

27  ^yA worthless man plots evil,

and his speech⁷ 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^{8 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.

1  Save me, O God!

For ^uthe waters have come up to my neck.¹

2  I sink in deep ^vmire,

where there is no foothold;

I have come into deep waters,

and the flood ^wsweeps over me.

3  ^xI am weary with my crying out;

^ymy throat is parched.

^zMy eyes grow dim

with ^awaiting for my God.

4  ^bMore in number than the hairs of my head

are ^cthose who hate me ^dwithout cause;

mighty are those who would destroy me,

^ethose who attack me with lies.

What I did not steal

must I now restore?

5  O God, you know my folly;

the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

6  Let not those who hope in you ^fbe put to shame through me,

O Lord God of hosts;

let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,

O God of Israel.

7  For it is ^gfor your sake that I have borne reproach,

that dishonor has covered my face.

8  I have become ^ha stranger to my brothers,

an alien to my mother’s sons.

9  For ⁱzeal for your house has consumed me,

and ^jthe reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

10  When I wept and humbled² my soul with fasting,

it became my reproach.

11  When I made ^ksackcloth my clothing,

I became ^la byword to them.

12  I am the talk of those who ^msit in the gate,

and the drunkards make ⁿsongs about me.

13  But as for me, my ^oprayer is to you, O Lord.

At ^pan acceptable time, O God,

in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.

14  Deliver me

from sinking in ^qthe mire;

^rlet me be delivered from my enemies

and from ^sthe deep waters.

15  Let not the flood sweep over me,

or the deep swallow me up,

or ^tthe pit close ^uits mouth over me.

16  Answer me, O Lord, for your ^vsteadfast love is good;

according to your abundant ^wmercy, ^xturn to me.

17  ^yHide not your face from your servant,

^zfor I am in distress; ^amake haste to answer me.

18  Draw near to my soul, redeem me;

ransom me because of my enemies!