¹ Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?

Who may live on your holy mountain?

²The one whose way of life is blameless,

who does what is righteous,

who speaks the truth from their heart;

³whose tongue utters no slander,

who does no wrong to a neighbour,

and casts no slur on others;

⁴who despises a vile person

but honours those who fear the Lord;

who keeps an oath even when it hurts,

and does not change their mind;

⁵who lends money to the poor without interest;

who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things

will never be shaken.

¹Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes

will suddenly be destroyed – without remedy.

²When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;

when the wicked rule, the people groan.

³A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,

but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

⁴By justice a king gives a country stability,

but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down.

⁵Those who flatter their neighbours

are spreading nets for their feet.

⁶Evildoers are snared by their own sin,

but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.

⁷The righteous care about justice for the poor,

but the wicked have no such concern.

⁸Mockers stir up a city,

but the wise turn away anger.

⁹If a wise person goes to court with a fool,

the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity

and seek to kill the upright.

¹¹Fools give full vent to their rage,

but the wise bring calm in the end.

¹²If a ruler listens to lies,

all his officials become wicked.

¹³The poor and the oppressor have this in common:

the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴If a king judges the poor with fairness,

his throne will be established for ever.

¹⁵A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,

but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.

¹⁶When the wicked thrive, so does sin,

but the righteous will see their downfall.

¹⁷Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;

they will bring you the delights you desire.

¹⁸Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;

but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.

¹⁹Servants cannot be corrected by mere words;

though they understand, they will not respond.

²⁰Do you see someone who speaks in haste?

There is more hope for a fool than for them.

²¹A servant pampered from youth

will turn out to be insolent.

²²An angry person stirs up conflict,

and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.

²³Pride brings a person low,

but the lowly in spirit gain honour.

²⁴The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;

they are put under oath and dare not testify.

²⁵Fear of man will prove to be a snare,

but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

²⁶Many seek an audience with a ruler,

but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.

²⁷The righteous detest the dishonest;

the wicked detest the upright.

¹The wicked flee though no-one pursues,

but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

²When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,

but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.

³A ruler who oppresses the poor

is like driving rain that leaves no crops.

⁴Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,

but those who heed it resist them.

⁵Evildoers do not understand what is right,

but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

⁶Better the poor whose way of life is blameless

than the rich whose ways are perverse.

⁷A discerning son heeds instruction,

but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

⁸Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor

amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.

⁹If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,

even their prayers are detestable.

¹⁰Whoever leads the upright along an evil path

will fall into their own trap,

but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

¹¹The rich are wise in their own eyes;

one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;

but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.

¹³Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,

but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

¹⁴Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,

but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵Like a roaring lion or a charging bear

is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.

¹⁶A tyrannical ruler practises extortion,

but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.

¹⁷Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder

will seek refuge in the grave;

let no-one hold them back.

¹⁸The one whose way of life is blameless is kept safe,

but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit.

¹⁹Those who work their land will have abundant food,

but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.

²⁰A faithful person will be richly blessed,

but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

²¹To show partiality is not good –

yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.

²²The stingy are eager to get rich

and are unaware that poverty awaits them.

²³Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favour

rather than one who has a flattering tongue.

²⁴Whoever robs their father or mother

and says, ‘It’s not wrong,’

is partner to one who destroys.

²⁵The greedy stir up conflict,

but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.

²⁶Those who trust in themselves are fools,

but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.

²⁷Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,

but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

²⁸When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;

but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

More proverbs of Solomon

¹These are more proverbs of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;

to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

³As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,

so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

⁴Remove the dross from the silver,

and a silversmith can produce a vessel;

⁵remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,

and his throne will be established through righteousness.

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,

and do not claim a place among his great men;

⁷it is better for him to say to you, ‘Come up here,’

than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.

What you have seen with your eyes

⁸do not bring hastily to court,

for what will you do in the end

if your neighbour puts you to shame?

⁹If you take your neighbour to court,

do not betray another’s confidence,

¹⁰or the one who hears it may shame you

and the charge against you will stand.

¹¹Like apples of gold in settings of silver

is a ruling rightly given.

¹²Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold

is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.

¹³Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time

is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;

he refreshes the spirit of his master.

¹⁴Like clouds and wind without rain

is one who boasts of gifts never given.

¹⁵Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,

and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

¹⁶If you find honey, eat just enough –

too much of it, and you will vomit.

¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbour’s house –

too much of you, and they will hate you.

¹⁸Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow

is one who gives false testimony against a neighbour.

¹⁹Like a broken tooth or a lame foot

is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.

²⁰Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,

or like vinegar poured on a wound,

is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;

if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

²²In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,

and the Lord will reward you.

²³Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain

is a sly tongue – which provokes a horrified look.

²⁴Better to live on a corner of the roof

than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

²⁵Like cold water to a weary soul

is good news from a distant land.

²⁶Like a muddied spring or a polluted well

are the righteous who give way to the wicked.

²⁷It is not good to eat too much honey,

nor is it honourable to search out matters that are too deep.

²⁸Like a city whose walls are broken through

is a person who lacks self-control.

Saying 20

¹Do not envy the wicked,

do not desire their company;

²for their hearts plot violence,

and their lips talk about making trouble.

Saying 21

³By wisdom a house is built,

and through understanding it is established;

⁴through knowledge its rooms are filled

with rare and beautiful treasures.

Saying 22

⁵The wise prevail through great power,

and those who have knowledge muster their strength.

⁶Surely you need guidance to wage war,

and victory is won through many advisors.

Saying 23

⁷Wisdom is too high for fools;

in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.

Saying 24

⁸Whoever plots evil

will be known as a schemer.

⁹The schemes of folly are sin,

and people detest a mocker.

Saying 25

¹⁰If you falter in a time of trouble,

how small is your strength!

¹¹Rescue those being led away to death;

hold back those staggering towards slaughter.

¹²If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’

does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who guards your life know it?

Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

Saying 26

¹³Eat honey, my son, for it is good;

honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.

¹⁴Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:

if you find it, there is a future hope for you,

and your hope will not be cut off.

Saying 27

¹⁵Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous,

do not plunder their dwelling-place;

¹⁶for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,

but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.

Saying 28

¹⁷Do not gloat when your enemy falls;

when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,

¹⁸or the Lord will see and disapprove

and turn his wrath away from them.

Saying 29

¹⁹Do not fret because of evildoers

or be envious of the wicked,

²⁰for the evildoer has no future hope,

and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

Saying 30

²¹Fear the Lord and the king, my son,

and do not join with rebellious officials,

²²for those two will send sudden destruction on them,

and who knows what calamities they can bring?

Further sayings of the wise

²³These also are sayings of the wise:

To show partiality in judging is not good:

²⁴whoever says to the guilty, ‘You are innocent,’

will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.

²⁵But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,

and rich blessing will come on them.

²⁶An honest answer

is like a kiss on the lips.

²⁷Put your outdoor work in order

and get your fields ready;

after that, build your house.

²⁸Do not testify against your neighbour without cause –

would you use your lips to mislead?

²⁹Do not say, ‘I’ll do to them as they have done to me;

I’ll pay them back for what they did.’

³⁰I went past the field of a sluggard,

past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;

³¹thorns had come up everywhere,

the ground was covered with weeds,

and the stone wall was in ruins.

³²I applied my heart to what I observed

and learned a lesson from what I saw:

³³a little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest –

³⁴and poverty will come on you like a thief

and scarcity like an armed man.

¹A good name is more desirable than great riches;

to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

²Rich and poor have this in common:

The Lord is the Maker of them all.

³The prudent see danger and take refuge,

but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

⁴Humility is the fear of the Lord;

its wages are riches and honour and life.

⁵In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,

but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.

⁶Start children off on the way they should go,

and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

⁷The rich rule over the poor,

and the borrower is slave to the lender.

⁸Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,

and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.

⁹The generous will themselves be blessed,

for they share their food with the poor.

¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;

quarrels and insults are ended.

¹¹One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace

will have the king for a friend.

¹²The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,

but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

¹³The sluggard says, ‘There’s a lion outside!

I’ll be killed in the public square!’

¹⁴The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;

a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.

¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

¹⁶One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth

and one who gives gifts to the rich – both come to poverty.

Thirty sayings of the wise

Saying 1

¹⁷Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise;

apply your heart to what I teach,

¹⁸for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart

and have all of them ready on your lips.

¹⁹So that your trust may be in the Lord,

I teach you today, even you.

²⁰Have I not written thirty sayings for you,

sayings of counsel and knowledge,

²¹teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth,

so that you bring back truthful reports

to those you serve?

Saying 2

²²Do not exploit the poor because they are poor

and do not crush the needy in court,

²³for the Lord will take up their case

and will exact life for life.

Saying 3

²⁴Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,

do not associate with one easily angered,

²⁵or you may learn their ways

and get yourself ensnared.

Saying 4

²⁶Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge

or puts up security for debts;

²⁷if you lack the means to pay,

your very bed will be snatched from under you.

Saying 5

²⁸Do not move an ancient boundary stone

set up by your ancestors.

Saying 6

²⁹Do you see someone skilled in their work?

They will serve before kings;

they will not serve before officials of low rank.

¹A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,

but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.

²From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things,

but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence.

³Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,

but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

⁴A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,

but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

⁵The righteous hate what is false,

but the wicked make themselves obnoxious

and bring shame on themselves.

⁶Righteousness guards the person of integrity,

but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

⁷One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;

another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

⁸A person’s riches may ransom their life,

but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes.

⁹The light of the righteous shines brightly,

but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

¹⁰Where there is strife, there is pride,

but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

¹¹Dishonest money dwindles away,

but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

¹²Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

¹³Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it,

but whoever respects a command is rewarded.

¹⁴The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,

turning a person from the snares of death.

¹⁵Good judgment wins favour,

but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction.

¹⁶All who are prudent act with knowledge,

but fools expose their folly.

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into trouble,

but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.

¹⁸Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,

but whoever heeds correction is honoured.

¹⁹A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,

but fools detest turning from evil.

²⁰Walk with the wise and become wise,

for a companion of fools suffers harm.

²¹Trouble pursues the sinner,

but the righteous are rewarded with good things.

²²A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children,

but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

²³An unploughed field produces food for the poor,

but injustice sweeps it away.

²⁴Whoever spares the rod hates their children,

but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

²⁵The righteous eat to their hearts’ content,

but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.

¹The Lord detests dishonest scales,

but accurate weights find favour with him.

²When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with humility comes wisdom.

³The integrity of the upright guides them,

but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

⁴Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,

but righteousness delivers from death.

⁵The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,

but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

⁶The righteousness of the upright delivers them,

but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.

⁷Hopes placed in mortals die with them;

all the promise of their power comes to nothing.

⁸The righteous person is rescued from trouble,

and it falls on the wicked instead.

⁹With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbours,

but through knowledge the righteous escape.

¹⁰When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;

when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

¹¹Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,

but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

¹²Whoever derides their neighbour has no sense,

but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.

¹³A gossip betrays a confidence,

but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.

¹⁴For lack of guidance a nation falls,

but victory is won through many advisors.

¹⁵Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer,

but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.

¹⁶A kind-hearted woman gains honour,

but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷Those who are kind benefit themselves,

but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

¹⁸A wicked person earns deceptive wages,

but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

¹⁹Truly the righteous attain life,

but whoever pursues evil finds death.

²⁰The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse,

but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.

²¹Be sure of this: the wicked will not go unpunished,

but those who are righteous will go free.

²²Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout

is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

²³The desire of the righteous ends only in good,

but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

²⁴One person gives freely, yet gains even more;

another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

²⁵A generous person will prosper;

whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

²⁶People curse the one who hoards grain,

but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.

²⁷Whoever seeks good finds favour,

but evil comes to one who searches for it.

²⁸Those who trust in their riches will fall,

but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

²⁹Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,

and the fool will be servant to the wise.

³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

and the one who is wise saves lives.

³¹If the righteous receive their due on earth,

how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

¹Does not wisdom call out?

Does not understanding raise her voice?

²At the highest point along the way,

where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

³beside the gate leading into the city,

at the entrance, she cries aloud:

⁴‘To you, O people, I call out;

I raise my voice to all humanity.

⁵You who are simple, gain prudence;

you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.

⁶Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;

I open my lips to speak what is right.

⁷My mouth speaks what is true,

for my lips detest wickedness.

⁸All the words of my mouth are just;

none of them is crooked or perverse.

⁹To the discerning all of them are right;

they are upright to those who have found knowledge.

¹⁰Choose my instruction instead of silver,

knowledge rather than choice gold,

¹¹for wisdom is more precious than rubies,

and nothing you desire can compare with her.

¹²‘I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;

I possess knowledge and discretion.

¹³To fear the Lord is to hate evil;

I hate pride and arrogance,

evil behaviour and perverse speech.

¹⁴Counsel and sound judgment are mine;

I have insight, I have power.

¹⁵By me kings reign

and rulers issue decrees that are just;

¹⁶by me princes govern,

and nobles – all who rule on earth.

¹⁷I love those who love me,

and those who seek me find me.

¹⁸With me are riches and honour,

enduring wealth and prosperity.

¹⁹My fruit is better than fine gold;

what I yield surpasses choice silver.

²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness,

along the paths of justice,

²¹bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me

and making their treasuries full.

²²‘The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,

before his deeds of old;

²³I was formed long ages ago,

at the very beginning, when the world came to be.

²⁴When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,

when there were no springs overflowing with water;

²⁵before the mountains were settled in place,

before the hills, I was given birth,

²⁶before he made the world or its fields

or any of the dust of the earth.

²⁷I was there when he set the heavens in place,

when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,

²⁸when he established the clouds above

and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,

²⁹when he gave the sea its boundary

so that the waters would not overstep his command,

and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

³⁰Then I was constantly at his side.

I was filled with delight day after day,

rejoicing always in his presence,

³¹rejoicing in his whole world

and delighting in the human race.

³²‘Now then, my children, listen to me;

blessed are those who keep my ways.

³³Listen to my instruction and be wise;

do not disregard it.

³⁴Blessed are those who listen to me,

watching daily at my doors,

waiting at my doorway.

³⁵For those who find me find life

and receive favour from the Lord.

³⁶But those who fail to find me harm themselves;

all who hate me love death.’