¹Answer me when I call to you,

my righteous God.

Give me relief from my distress;

have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

²How long will you people turn my glory into shame?

How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

³Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;

the Lord hears when I call to him.

⁴Tremble and do not sin;

when you are on your beds,

search your hearts and be silent.

⁵Offer the sacrifices of the righteous

and trust in the Lord.

⁶Many, Lord, are asking, ‘Who will bring us prosperity?’

Let the light of your face shine on us.

⁷Fill my heart with joy

when their grain and new wine abound.

⁸In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for you alone, Lord,

make me dwell in safety.

¹Better a dry crust with peace and quiet

than a house full of feasting, with strife.

²A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son

and will share the inheritance as one of the family.

³The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,

but the Lord tests the heart.

⁴A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;

a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

⁵Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;

whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

⁶Children’s children are a crown to the aged,

and parents are the pride of their children.

⁷Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool –

how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

⁸A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;

they think success will come at every turn.

⁹Whoever would foster love covers over an offence,

but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

¹⁰A rebuke impresses a discerning person

more than a hundred lashes a fool.

¹¹Evildoers foster rebellion against God;

the messenger of death will be sent against them.

¹²Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than a fool bent on folly.

¹³Evil will never leave the house

of one who pays back evil for good.

¹⁴Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;

so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

¹⁵Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent –

the Lord detests them both.

¹⁶Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,

when they are not able to understand it?

¹⁷A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

¹⁸One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge

and puts up security for a neighbour.

¹⁹Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;

whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

²⁰One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;

one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

²¹To have a fool for a child brings grief;

there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.

²²A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

²³The wicked accept bribes in secret

to pervert the course of justice.

²⁴A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,

but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son brings grief to his father

and bitterness to the mother who bore him.

²⁶If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,

surely to flog honest officials is not right.

²⁷The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,

and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

²⁸Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,

and discerning if they hold their tongues.

¹The wise woman builds her house,

but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

²Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,

but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

³A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,

but the lips of the wise protect them.

⁴Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,

but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.

⁵An honest witness does not deceive,

but a false witness pours out lies.

⁶The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,

but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.

⁷Stay away from a fool,

for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

⁸The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,

but the folly of fools is deception.

⁹Fools mock at making amends for sin,

but goodwill is found among the upright.

¹⁰Each heart knows its own bitterness,

and no-one else can share its joy.

¹¹The house of the wicked will be destroyed,

but the tent of the upright will flourish.

¹²There is a way that appears to be right,

but in the end it leads to death.

¹³Even in laughter the heart may ache,

and rejoicing may end in grief.

¹⁴The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,

and the good rewarded for theirs.

¹⁵The simple believe anything,

but the prudent give thought to their steps.

¹⁶The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,

but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

¹⁷A quick-tempered person does foolish things,

and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.

¹⁸The simple inherit folly,

but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good,

and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

²⁰The poor are shunned even by their neighbours,

but the rich have many friends.

²¹It is a sin to despise one’s neighbour,

but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.

²²Do not those who plot evil go astray?

But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.

²³All hard work brings a profit,

but mere talk leads only to poverty.

²⁴The wealth of the wise is their crown,

but the folly of fools yields folly.

²⁵A truthful witness saves lives,

but a false witness is deceitful.

²⁶Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,

and for their children it will be a refuge.

²⁷The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,

turning a person from the snares of death.

²⁸A large population is a king’s glory,

but without subjects a prince is ruined.

²⁹Whoever is patient has great understanding,

but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

³⁰A heart at peace gives life to the body,

but envy rots the bones.

³¹Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,

but whoever is kind to the needy honours God.

³²When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,

but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.

³³Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning

and even among fools she lets herself be known.

³⁴Righteousness exalts a nation,

but sin condemns any people.

³⁵A king delights in a wise servant,

but a shameful servant arouses his fury.

¹My son, do not forget my teaching,

but keep my commands in your heart,

²for they will prolong your life many years

and bring you peace and prosperity.

³Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them round your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴Then you will win favour and a good name

in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord and shun evil.

⁸This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

⁹Honour the Lord with your wealth,

with the firstfruits of all your crops;

¹⁰then your barns will be filled to overflowing,

and your vats will brim over with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,

and do not resent his rebuke,

¹²because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

as a father the son he delights in.

¹³Blessed are those who find wisdom,

those who gain understanding,

¹⁴for she is more profitable than silver

and yields better returns than gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies;

nothing you desire can compare with her.

¹⁶Long life is in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honour.

¹⁷Her ways are pleasant ways,

and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;

those who hold her fast will be blessed.

¹⁹By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,

by understanding he set the heavens in place;

²⁰by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,

and the clouds let drop the dew.

²¹My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,

preserve sound judgment and discretion;

²²they will be life for you,

an ornament to grace your neck.

²³Then you will go on your way in safety,

and your foot will not stumble.

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Have no fear of sudden disaster

or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

²⁶for the Lord will be at your side

and will keep your foot from being snared.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

when it is in your power to act.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbour,

‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you’ –

when you already have it with you.

²⁹Do not plot harm against your neighbour,

who lives trustfully near you.

³⁰Do not accuse anyone for no reason –

when they have done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy the violent

or choose any of their ways.

³²For the Lord detests the perverse

but takes the upright into his confidence.

³³The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,

but he blesses the home of the righteous.

³⁴He mocks proud mockers

but shows favour to the humble and oppressed.

³⁵The wise inherit honour,

but fools get only shame.