It is folly and shame unto him.

The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity ; 1 Or, raise up But a broken spirit who can 'bear?

The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge;
And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
A man's gift maketh room for him,
And bringeth him before great men.

He that pleadeth his cause first seemeth just;
But his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.

out.

The lot causeth contentions to cease,

And parteth between the mighty.

14

15

16

17

18

2 Or, injured A brother 'offended is harder to be won than a 19

3 Heb. A man of friends.

4 Heb. lover.

5 Or, desire

without knowledge is not good

6 Or, misseth

his way

7 Or, the

strong city:

And such contentions are like the bars of a
castle.

A man's belly shall be filled with the fruit of his 20
mouth;

With the increase of his lips shall he be satisfied.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue; 21
And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing,
And obtaineth favour of the LORD.

3

The poor useth intreaties :

But the rich answereth roughly.

22

23

He that maketh many friends doeth it to his 24 own destruction:

But there is a 'friend that sticketh closer than a

brother.

I

Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity 19
Than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool.
Also, that the soul be without knowledge is not 2
good;

And he that hasteth with his feet "sinneth.

The foolishness of man subverteth his friend of the And his heart fretteth against the LORD. poor separateth Wealth addeth many friends : himself from But 'the poor

him

way;

3

4

is separated from his friend.

5 A false witness shall not be unpunished;

And he that 1uttereth lies shall not escape.

1 Heb.

6 Many will intreat the favour of the liberal breatheth out.

man :

And every man is a friend to him that giveth
gifts.

7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him :
How much more do his friends go far from
him!

"He pursueth them with words, but they are gone. 8 He that getteth 'wisdom loveth his own soul: He that keepeth understanding shall find good. 9 A false witness shall not be unpunished;

And he that 1uttereth lies shall perish.

10 Delicate living is not seemly for a fool;

Much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

II The discretion of a man maketh him slow to

anger;

And it is his glory to pass over a transgression. 12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion ; But his favour is as dew upon the grass.

13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father:

And the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

14 House and riches are an inheritance from fathers:

But a prudent wife is from the LORD.

15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; And the idle soul shall suffer hunger.

16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul:

2 Or, a prince

lendeth unto

5 Heb.
despiseth.

But he that 'is careless of his ways shall die. 17 He that hath pity upon the

poor

the LORD, And his good deed will he pay him again. 18 Chasten thy son, seeing there is hope; And set not thy heart on "his destruction.

6 Heb. causing

him to die.

1 Or, correction

2 Or, That which maketh a man to be

desired is his kindness

3

A man of great wrath shall bear the penalty:
For if thou deliver him, thou must do it yet
again.

19

20

21

Hear counsel, and receive 'instruction,
That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
There are many devices in a man's heart; -
But the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
"The desire of a man is the measure of his 22
kindness:

And a poor man is better than a liar.

The fear of the LORD tendeth to life :
And he that hath it shall abide satisfied;
He shall not be visited with evil.

The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish,
And will not so much as bring it to his mouth
again.

23

24

Smite a scorner, and the simple will learn 25
prudence:

And reprove one that hath understanding, and
he will understand knowledge.

Or, violently He that 'spoileth his father, and chaseth away 26

entreateth

his mother,

Is a son that causeth shame and bringeth
reproach.

Cease, my son, to hear instruction

Only to err from the words of knowledge.

A worthless witness mocketh at judgement:

27

28

And the mouth of the wicked swalloweth
iniquity.

Judgements are prepared for scorners,
And stripes for the back of fools.

29

4 Or, reeleth

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler ;
And whosoever 'erreth thereby is not wise.

The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion: 2

* Or, angereth He that 'provoketh him to anger sinneth against

himself against

him

6 Heb. soul.

7 Or, cease

his own life.

I 20

It is an honour for a man to 'keep aloof from 3

strife:

5

But every fool will be quarrelling.

The slothful will not plow by reason of the

winter ;

'Therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have 1Or, Therefore

nothing.

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water;
But a man of understanding will draw it out.

when he seeketh in harvest, there shall be

nothing

62 Most men will proclaim every one his own Or, Many a

kindness:

But a faithful man who can find?

7 A just man that walketh in his integrity, Blessed are his children after him.

8 A king that sitteth on the throne of judgement

3

Scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean,

I am pure from my sin?

10 'Divers weights, and divers measures,

man will meet one that is kind to him

3 Or, Winnoweth

4 Heb. A stone

Both of them alike are an abomination to the and a stone, LORD.

II Even a child maketh himself known by his

doings,

Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye,

The LORD hath made even both of them.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty;
Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied
with bread.

14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer:
But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
15 There is gold, and abundance of 'rubies :

But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. 16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger ; And hold him in pledge that is surety for 'strangers.

an ephah and an ephah.

5 See Job xxviii. 18.

Or, take a pledge of him 7 Another reading is, a

17 Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man ;
But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with strange
gravel.

woman.

1 Heb. a balance of deceit.

Every purpose is established by counsel:
And by wise guidance make thou war.

18

He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth 19

secrets:

Therefore meddle not with him that openeth
wide his lips.

Whoso curseth his father or his mother,

His lamp shall be put out in the blackest dark

ness.

20

An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the 21 beginning;

But the end thereof shall not be blessed.

Say not thou, I will recompense evil :

Wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

22

Divers weights are an abomination to the 23

LORD;

And 'a false balance is not good.

A man's goings are of the LORD;

How then can man understand his way?

24

2 Or, rashly to It is a snare to a man 'rashly to say, It is holy, 25 And after vows to make inquiry.

utter holy

words

Or, to devour A wise king winnoweth the wicked,

that which

is holy

3 Or, he

throne

And bringeth the threshing wheel over them.
The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD,
Searching all the innermost parts of the belly.
Mercy and truth preserve the king:
And his throne is upholden by mercy.

upholdeth his The glory of young men is their strength:

And the beauty of old men is the hoary head.
Stripes that wound cleanse away evil :
And strokes reach the innermost parts of the
belly.

26

27

28

29

30

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD as I 21 the watercourses:

He turneth it whithersoever he will.

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes:

But the LORD weigheth the hearts.

To do justice and judgement

3