¹Help, Lord, for no-one is faithful anymore;

those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.

²Everyone lies to their neighbour;

they flatter with their lips

but harbour deception in their hearts.

³May the Lord silence all flattering lips

and every boastful tongue –

⁴those who say,

‘By our tongues we will prevail;

our own lips will defend us – who is lord over us?’

⁵‘Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,

I will now arise,’ says the Lord.

‘I will protect them from those who malign them.’

⁶And the words of the Lord are flawless,

like silver purified in a crucible,

like gold refined seven times.

⁷You, Lord, will keep the needy safe

and will protect us for ever from the wicked,

⁸who freely strut about

when what is vile is honoured by the human race.

¹Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but whoever hates correction is stupid.

²Good people obtain favour from the Lord,

but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.

³No-one can be established through wickedness,

but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

⁴A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,

but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

⁵The plans of the righteous are just,

but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,

but the speech of the upright rescues them.

⁷The wicked are overthrown and are no more,

but the house of the righteous stands firm.

⁸A person is praised according to their prudence,

and one with a warped mind is despised.

⁹Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant

than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

¹⁰The righteous care for the needs of their animals,

but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹Those who work their land will have abundant food,

but those who chase fantasies have no sense.

¹²The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,

but the root of the righteous endures.

¹³Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,

and so the innocent escape trouble.

¹⁴From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,

and the work of their hands brings them reward.

¹⁵The way of fools seems right to them,

but the wise listen to advice.

¹⁶Fools show their annoyance at once,

but the prudent overlook an insult.

¹⁷An honest witness tells the truth,

but a false witness tells lies.

¹⁸The words of the reckless pierce like swords,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹Truthful lips endure for ever,

but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

²⁰Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,

but those who promote peace have joy.

²¹No harm overtakes the righteous,

but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²²The Lord detests lying lips,

but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

²³The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,

but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.

²⁴Diligent hands will rule,

but laziness ends in forced labour.

²⁵Anxiety weighs down the heart,

but a kind word cheers it up.

²⁶The righteous choose their friends carefully,

but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

²⁷The lazy do not roast any game,

but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

²⁸In the way of righteousness there is life;

along that path is immortality.

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.’