¹The fool says in his heart,

‘There is no God.’

They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;

there is no-one who does good.

²The Lord looks down from heaven

on all mankind

to see if there are any who understand,

any who seek God.

³All have turned away, all have become corrupt;

there is no-one who does good,

not even one.

⁴Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;

they never call on the Lord.

⁵But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,

for God is present in the company of the righteous.

⁶You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,

but the Lord is their refuge.

⁷Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When the Lord restores his people,

let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

¹Do not boast about tomorrow,

for you do not know what a day may bring.

²Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;

an outsider, and not your own lips.

³Stone is heavy and sand a burden,

but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

⁴Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,

but who can stand before jealousy?

⁵Better is open rebuke

than hidden love.

⁶Wounds from a friend can be trusted,

but an enemy multiplies kisses.

⁷One who is full loathes honey from the comb,

but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

⁸Like a bird that flees its nest

is anyone who flees from home.

⁹Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,

and the pleasantness of a friend

springs from their heartfelt advice.

¹⁰Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,

and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you –

better a neighbour nearby than a relative far away.

¹¹Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;

then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

¹²The prudent see danger and take refuge,

but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

¹³Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;

hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.

¹⁴If anyone loudly blesses their neighbour early in the morning,

it will be taken as a curse.

¹⁵A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping

of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;

¹⁶restraining her is like restraining the wind

or grasping oil with the hand.

¹⁷As iron sharpens iron,

so one person sharpens another.

¹⁸The one who guards a fig-tree will eat its fruit,

and whoever protects their master will be honoured.

¹⁹As water reflects the face,

so one’s life reflects the heart.

²⁰Death and Destruction are never satisfied,

and neither are human eyes.

²¹The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,

but people are tested by their praise.

²²Though you grind a fool in a mortar,

grinding them like grain with a pestle,

you will not remove their folly from them.

²³Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,

give careful attention to your herds;

²⁴for riches do not endure for ever,

and a crown is not secure for all generations.

²⁵When the hay is removed and new growth appears

and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

²⁶the lambs will provide you with clothing,

and the goats with the price of a field.

²⁷You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family

and to nourish your female servants.