¹The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

²Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

³They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

⁴Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

⁵It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

⁶It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is deprived of its warmth.

⁷The law of the Lord is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

⁸The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

⁹The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring for ever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and all of them are righteous.

¹⁰They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.

¹¹By them your servant is warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

12But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

¹³Keep your servant also from wilful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Book I

Psalms 1–41

¹Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

²but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

and who meditates on his law day and night.

³That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither –

whatever they do prospers.

⁴Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff

that the wind blows away.

⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Sayings of King Lemuel

¹The sayings of King Lemuel – an inspired utterance his mother taught him.

²Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb!

Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!

³Do not spend your strength on women,

your vigour on those who ruin kings.

⁴It is not for kings, Lemuel –

it is not for kings to drink wine,

not for rulers to crave beer,

⁵lest they drink and forget what has been decreed,

and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.

⁶Let beer be for those who are perishing,

wine for those who are in anguish!

⁷Let them drink and forget their poverty

and remember their misery no more.

⁸Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,

for the rights of all who are destitute.

⁹Speak up and judge fairly;

defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Epilogue: the wife of noble character

¹⁰  A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

¹¹Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

¹²She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

¹³She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵She gets up while it is still night;

she provides food for her family

and portions for her female servants.

¹⁶She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks.

¹⁸She sees that her trading is profitable,

and her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹In her hand she holds the distaff

and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰She opens her arms to the poor

and extends her hands to the needy.

²¹When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

²²She makes coverings for her bed;

she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

²³Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them,

and supplies the merchants with sashes.

²⁵She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹‘Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all.’

³⁰Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

³¹Honour her for all that her hands have done,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Sayings of Agur

¹The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh – an inspired utterance.

This man’s utterance to Ithiel:

‘I am weary, God,

but I can prevail.

²Surely I am only a brute, not a man;

I do not have human understanding.

³I have not learned wisdom,

nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.

⁴Who has gone up to heaven and come down?

Whose hands have gathered up the wind?

Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?

Who has established all the ends of the earth?

What is his name, and what is the name of his son?

Surely you know!

⁵‘Every word of God is flawless;

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

⁶Do not add to his words,

or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

⁷‘Two things I ask of you, Lord;

do not refuse me before I die:

⁸keep falsehood and lies far from me;

give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

⁹Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you

and say, “Who is the Lord?”

Or I may become poor and steal,

and so dishonour the name of my God.

¹⁰‘Do not slander a servant to their master,

or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.

¹¹‘There are those who curse their fathers

and do not bless their mothers;

¹²those who are pure in their own eyes

and yet are not cleansed of their filth;

¹³those whose eyes are ever so haughty,

whose glances are so disdainful;

¹⁴those whose teeth are swords

and whose jaws are set with knives

to devour the poor from the earth

and the needy from among the human race.

¹⁵‘The leech has two daughters.

“Give! Give!” they cry.

‘There are three things that are never satisfied,

four that never say, “Enough!”:

¹⁶the grave

and the barren womb;

land, which is never satisfied with water,

and fire, which never says, “Enough!”

¹⁷‘The eye that mocks a father,

that scorns an aged mother,

will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,

will be eaten by the vultures.

¹⁸‘There are three things that are too amazing for me,

four that I do not understand:

¹⁹the way of an eagle in the sky,

the way of a snake on a rock,

the way of a ship on the high seas,

and the way of a man with a young woman.

²⁰‘This is the way of an adulterous woman:

she eats and wipes her mouth

and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

²¹‘Under three things the earth trembles,

under four it cannot bear up:

²²a servant who becomes king,

a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,

²³a contemptible woman who gets married,

and a servant who displaces her mistress.

²⁴‘Four things on earth are small,

yet they are extremely wise:

²⁵ants are creatures of little strength,

yet they store up their food in the summer;

²⁶hyraxes are creatures of little power,

yet they make their home in the crags;

²⁷locusts have no king,

yet they advance together in ranks;

²⁸a lizard can be caught with the hand,

yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

²⁹‘There are three things that are stately in their stride,

four that move with stately bearing:

³⁰a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;

³¹a strutting cock,

a he-goat,

and a king secure against revolt.

³²‘If you play the fool and exalt yourself,

or if you plan evil,

clap your hand over your mouth!

³³For as churning cream produces butter,

and as twisting the nose produces blood,

so stirring up anger produces strife.’

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.

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.

¹Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,

honour is not fitting for a fool.

²Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,

an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and a rod for the backs of fools!

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

or you yourself will be just like him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly,

or he will be wise in his own eyes.

⁶Sending a message by the hands of a fool

is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.

⁷Like the useless legs of one who is lame

is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

⁸Like tying a stone in a sling

is the giving of honour to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn-bush in a drunkard’s hand

is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

¹⁰Like an archer who wounds at random

is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.

¹¹As a dog returns to its vomit,

so fools repeat their folly.

¹²Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for them.

¹³A sluggard says, ‘There’s a lion in the road,

a fierce lion roaming the streets!’

¹⁴As a door turns on its hinges,

so a sluggard turns on his bed.

¹⁵A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;

he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes

than seven people who answer discreetly.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears

is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.

¹⁸Like a maniac shooting

flaming arrows of death

¹⁹is one who deceives their neighbour

and says, ‘I was only joking!’

²⁰Without wood a fire goes out;

without gossip a quarrel dies down.

²¹As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,

so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.

²²The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;

they go down to the inmost parts.

²³Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware

are fervent lips with an evil heart.

²⁴Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,

but in their hearts they harbour deceit.

²⁵Though their speech is charming, do not believe them,

for seven abominations fill their hearts.

²⁶Their malice may be concealed by deception,

but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;

if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it hurts,

and a flattering mouth works ruin.

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.