¹¹With him who fears the Lord it will go well at the end;
on the day of his death he will be blessed.
¹²To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
she is created with the faithful in the womb.
¹³She made among men an eternal foundation,
and among their descendants she will be trusted.
¹⁴To fear the Lord is wisdom's full measure;
she satisfies men with her fruits;
¹⁵she fills their whole house with desirable goods,
and their storehouses with her produce.
¹⁶The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom,
making peace and perfect health to flourish.
¹⁷He saw her and apportioned her;
he rained down knowledge and discerning comprehension,
and he exalted the glory of those who held her fast.
¹⁸To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom,
and her branches are long life.

Self-control.

²²Unrighteous anger cannot be justified,
for a man's anger tips the scale to his ruin.
²³A patient man will endure until the right moment,
and then joy will burst forth for him.
²⁴He will hide his words until the right moment,
and the lips of many will tell of his good sense.

Wisdom & reverence for God.

⁷You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy;
and turn not aside, lest you fall.
⁸You who fear the Lord, trust in him,
and your reward will not fail;
⁹you who fear the Lord, hope for good things,
for everlasting joy and mercy.
¹⁰Consider the ancient generations and see:
who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame?
Or who ever persevered in the fear of the Lord and was forsaken?
Or who ever called upon him and was overlooked?
¹¹For the Lord is compassionate and merciful;
he forgives sins and saves in time of affliction.

¹²Woe to timid hearts and to slack hands,
and to the sinner who walks along two ways!
¹³Woe to the faint heart, for it has no trust!
Therefore it will not be sheltered.
¹⁴Woe to you who have lost your endurance!
What will you do when the Lord punishes you?
¹⁵Those who fear the Lord will not disobey his words,
and those who love him will keep his ways.
¹⁶Those who fear the Lord will seek his approval,
and those who love him will be filled with the law.
¹⁷Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts,
and will humble themselves before him.
¹⁸Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, but not into the hands of men;
for as his majesty is, so also is his mercy.

¹⁰Do not glorify yourself by dishonouring your father,
for your father's dishonour is no glory to you.
¹¹For a man's glory comes from honouring his father,
and it is a disgrace for children not to respect their mother.
¹²O son, help your father in his old age,
and do not grieve him as long as he lives;
¹³even if he is lacking in understanding, show forbearance;
in all your strength do not despise him.
¹⁴For kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
and against your sins it will be credited to you;
¹⁵in the day of your affliction it will be remembered in your favour;
as frost in fair weather, your sins will melt away.
¹⁶Whoever forsakes his father is like a blasphemer,
and whoever angers his mother is cursed by the Lord.

Humility.

¹⁷My son, perform your tasks in meekness;
then you will be loved by those whom God accepts.
¹⁸The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself;
so you will find favour in the sight of the Lord.
²⁰For great is the might of the Lord;
he is glorified by the humble.
²¹Seek not what is too difficult for you,
nor investigate what is beyond your power.
²²Reflect upon what has been assigned to you,
for you do not need what is hidden.
²³Do not meddle in what is beyond your tasks,
for matters too great for human understanding have been shown you.
²⁴For their hasty judgment has led many astray,
and wrong opinion has caused their thoughts to slip.

²⁶A stubborn mind will be afflicted at the end,
and whoever loves danger will perish by it.
²⁷A stubborn mind will be burdened by troubles,
and the sinner will heap sin upon sin.
²⁸The affliction of the proud has no healing,
for a plant of wickedness has taken root in him.
²⁹The mind of the intelligent man will ponder a parable,
and an attentive ear is the wise man's desire.

Alms-giving.

³⁰Water extinguishes a blazing fire:
so almsgiving atones for sin.
³¹Whoever requites favours gives thought to the future;
at the moment of his falling he will find support.

⁷Make yourself beloved in the congregation;
bow your head low to a great man.
⁸Incline your ear to the poor,
and answer him peaceably and gently.
⁹Deliver him who is wronged from the hand of the wrongdoer;
and do not be fainthearted in judging a case.
¹⁰Be like a father to orphans, and instead of a husband to their mother;
you will then be like a son of the Most High,
and he will love you more than does your mother.

Wisdom.

¹¹Wisdom exalts her sons
and gives help to those who seek her.
¹²Whoever loves her loves life,
and those who seek her early will be filled with joy.
¹³Whoever holds her fast will obtain glory,
and the Lord will bless the place she enters.
¹⁴Those who serve her will minister to the Holy One;
the Lord loves those who love her.
¹⁵He who obeys her will judge the nations,
and whoever gives heed to her will dwell secure.
¹⁶If he has faith in her he will obtain her;
and his descendants will remain in possession of her.
¹⁷For at first she will walk with him on tortuous paths,
she will bring fear and cowardice upon him,
and will torment him by her discipline until she trusts him,
and she will test him with her ordinances.
¹⁸Then she will come straight back to him and gladden him,
and will reveal her secrets to him.
¹⁹If he goes astray she will forsake him,
and hand him over to his ruin.

Self-confidence.

²⁰Observe the right time, and beware of evil;
and do not bring shame on yourself.
²¹For there is a shame which brings sin,
and there is a shame which is glory and favour.
²²Do not show partiality, to your own harm,
or deference, to your downfall.
²³Do not refrain from speaking at the crucial time,
and do not hide your wisdom.
²⁴For wisdom is known through speech,
and education through the words of the tongue.
²⁵Never speak against the truth,
but be mindful of your ignorance.
²⁶Do not be ashamed to confess your sins,
and do not try to stop the current of a river.
²⁷Do not subject yourself to a foolish fellow,
nor show partiality to a ruler.
²⁸Strive even to death for the truth
and the Lord God will fight for you.

²⁹Do not be reckless in your speech,
or sluggish and remiss in your deeds.
³⁰Do not be like a lion in your home,
nor be a faultfinder with your servants.
³¹Let not your hand be extended to receive,
but withdrawn when it is time to repay.

⁸Do not depend on dishonest wealth,
for it will not benefit you in the day of calamity.

Sincerity & self-control.

Friendship.

⁵A pleasant voice multiplies friends,
and a gracious tongue multiplies courtesies.
⁶Let those that are at peace with you be many,
but let your advisers be one in a thousand.
⁷When you gain a friend, gain him through testing,
and do not trust him hastily.
⁸For there is a friend who is such at his own convenience,
but will not stand by you in your day of trouble.
⁹And there is a friend who changes into an enemy,
and will disclose a quarrel to your disgrace.
¹⁰And there is a friend who is a table companion,
but will not stand by you in your day of trouble.
¹¹In prosperity he will make himself your equal,
and be bold with your servants;
¹²but if you are brought low he will turn against you,
and will hide himself from your presence.
¹³Keep yourself far from your enemies,
and be on guard toward your friends.

¹⁴A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter:
he that has found one has found a treasure.
¹⁵There is nothing so precious as a faithful friend,
and no scales can measure his excellence.
¹⁶A faithful friend is an elixir of life;
and those who fear the Lord will find him.
¹⁷Whoever fears the Lord directs his friendship aright,
for as he is, so is his neighbour also.

Learn from Wisdom.

¹⁸My son, from your youth up choose instruction,
and until you are old you will keep finding wisdom.
¹⁹Come to her like one who plows and sows,
and wait for her good harvest.
For in her service you will toil a little while,
and soon you will eat of her produce.
²⁰She seems very harsh to the uninstructed;
a weakling will not remain with her.
²¹She will weigh him down like a heavy testing stone,
and he will not be slow to cast her off.
²²For wisdom is like her name,
and is not manifest to many.

²³Listen, my son, and accept my judgment;
do not reject my counsel.
²⁴Put your feet into her fetters,
and your neck into her collar.
²⁵Put your shoulder under her and carry her,
and do not fret under her bonds.
²⁶Come to her with all your soul,
and keep her ways with all your might.
²⁷Search out and seek, and she will become known to you;
and when you get hold of her, do not let her go.
²⁸For at last you will find the rest she gives,
and she will be changed into joy for you.
²⁹Then her fetters will become for you a strong protection,
and her collar a glorious robe.
³⁰Her yoke is a golden ornament,
and her bonds are a cord of blue.
³¹You will wear her like a glorious robe,
and put her on like a crown of gladness.

³²If you are willing, my son, you will be taught,
and if you apply yourself you will become clever.
³³If you love to listen you will gain knowledge,
and if you incline your ear you will become wise.
³⁴Stand in the assembly of the elders.
Who is wise? Cleave to him.
³⁵Be ready to listen to every narrative,
and do not let wise proverbs escape you.
³⁶If you see an intelligent man, visit him early;
let your foot wear out his doorstep.
³⁷Reflect on the statutes of the Lord,
and meditate at all times on his commandments.
It is he who will give insight to your mind,
and your desire for wisdom will be granted.

⁴Do not seek from the Lord the highest office,
nor the seat of honour from the king.
⁵Do not assert your righteousness before the Lord,
nor display your wisdom before the king.
⁶Do not seek to become a judge,
lest you be unable to remove iniquity,
lest you be partial to a powerful man,
and thus put a blot on your integrity.
⁷Do not offend against the public,
and do not disgrace yourself among the people.

⁸Do not commit a sin twice;
even for one you will not go unpunished.
⁹Do not say, "He will consider the multitude of my gifts,
and when I make an offering to the Most High God he will accept it."
¹⁰Do not be fainthearted in your prayer,
nor neglect to give alms.

¹¹Do not ridicule a man who is bitter in soul,
for there is One who abases and exalts.
¹²Do not devise a lie against your brother,
nor do the like to a friend.
¹³Refuse to utter any lie,
for the habit of lying serves no good.
¹⁴Do not prattle in the assembly of the elders,
nor repeat yourself in your prayer.

¹⁵Do not hate toilsome labour, or farm work,
which were created by the Most High.
¹⁶Do not count yourself among the crowd of sinners;
remember that wrath does not delay.
¹⁷Humble yourself greatly,
for the punishment of the ungodly is fire and worms.

Relations with others.

¹⁸Do not exchange a friend for money,
or a real brother for the gold of Ophir.
¹⁹Do not deprive yourself of a wise and good wife,
for her charm is worth more than gold.
²⁰Do not abuse a servant who performs his work faithfully,
or a hired labourer who devotes himself to you.
²¹Let your soul love an intelligent servant;
do not withhold from him his freedom.

²²Do you have cattle? Look after them;
if they are profitable to you, keep them.
²³Do you have children? Discipline them,
and make them obedient from their youth.
²⁴Do you have daughters? Be concerned for their chastity,
and do not show yourself too indulgent with them.
²⁵Give a daughter in marriage; you will have finished a great task.
But give her to a man of understanding.

²⁶If you have a wife who pleases you, do not cast her out;
but do not trust yourself to one whom you detest.
²⁷With all your heart honour your father,
and do not forget the birth pangs of your mother.
²⁸Remember that through your parents you were born;
and what can you give back to them that equals their gift to you?

²⁹With all your soul fear the Lord,
and honour his priests.
³⁰With all your might love your Maker,
and do not forsake his ministers.
³¹Fear the Lord and honour the priest,
and give him his portion, as is commanded you:
the first fruits, the guilt offering,
the gift of the shoulders,
the sacrifice of sanctification,
and the first fruits of the holy things.

³²Stretch forth your hand to the poor,
so that your blessing may be complete.
³³Give graciously to all the living,
and withhold not kindness from the dead.
³⁴Do not fail those who weep,
but mourn with those who mourn.
³⁵Do not shrink from visiting a sick man,
because for such deeds you will be loved.
³⁶In all you do, remember the end of your life,
and then you will never sin.

⁸Do not slight the discourse of the sages,
but busy yourself with their maxims;
because from them you will gain instruction
and learn how to serve great men.
⁹Do not disregard the discourse of the aged,
for they themselves learned from their fathers;
because from them you will gain understanding
and learn how to give an answer in time of need.

¹⁰Do not kindle the coals of a sinner,
lest you be burned in his flaming fire.
¹¹Do not get up and leave an insolent fellow,
lest he lie in ambush against your words.
¹²Do not lend to a man who is stronger than you;
but if you do lend anything, be as one who has lost it.
¹³Do not give surety beyond your means,
but if you give surety, be concerned as one who must pay.

¹⁴Do not go to law against a judge,
for the decision will favour him because of his standing.
¹⁵Do not travel on the road with a foolhardy fellow,
lest he be burdensome to you;
for he will act as he pleases,
and through his folly you will perish with him.
¹⁶Do not fight with a wrathful man,
and do not cross the wilderness with him;
because blood is as nothing in his sight,
and where no help is at hand, he will strike you down.
¹⁷Do not consult with a fool,
for he will not be able to keep a secret.
¹⁸In the presence of a stranger do nothing that is to be kept secret,
for you do not know what he will divulge.
¹⁹Do not reveal your thoughts to every one,
lest you drive away your good luck.

Trust.

¹⁰Forsake not an old friend,
for a new one does not compare with him.
A new friend is like new wine;
when it has aged you will drink it with pleasure.
¹¹Do not envy the honours of a sinner,
for you do not know what his end will be.
¹²Do not delight in what pleases the ungodly;
remember that they will not be held guiltless as long as they live.

¹³Keep far from a man who has the power to kill,
and you will not be worried by the fear of death.
But if you approach him, make no misstep,
lest he rob you of your life.
Know that you are walking in the midst of snares,
and that you are going about on the city battlements.

¹⁴As much as you can, aim to know your neighbours,
and consult with the wise.
¹⁵Let your conversation be with men of understanding,
and let all your discussion be about the law of the Most High.
¹⁶Let righteous men be your dinner companions,
and let your glorying be in the fear of the Lord.

Rulers.

¹⁷A work will be praised for the skill of the craftsmen;
so a people's leader is proved wise by his words.
¹⁸A babbler is feared in his city,
and the man who is reckless in speech will be hated.

Pride.

⁶Do not be angry with your neighbour for any injury,
and do not attempt anything by acts of insolence.
⁷Arrogance is hateful before the Lord and before men,
and injustice is outrageous to both.
⁸Sovereignty passes from nation to nation
on account of injustice and insolence and wealth.
⁹How can he who is dust and ashes be proud?
for even in life his bowels decay.
¹⁰A long illness baffles the physician;
the king of today will die tomorrow.
¹¹For when a man is dead, he will inherit creeping things, and wild beasts, and worms.
¹²The beginning of man's pride is to depart from the Lord;
his heart has forsaken his Maker.
¹³For the beginning of pride is sin,
and the man who clings to it pours out abominations.
Therefore the Lord brought upon them extraordinary afflictions,
and destroyed them utterly.
¹⁴The Lord has cast down the thrones of rulers,
and has seated the lowly in their place.
¹⁵The Lord has plucked up the roots of the nations,
and has planted the humble in their place.
¹⁶The Lord has overthrown the lands of the nations,
and has destroyed them to the foundations of the earth.
¹⁷He has removed some of them and destroyed them,
and has extinguished the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁸Pride was not created for men,
nor fierce anger for those born of women.

Those deserving of honour.

¹⁹What race is worthy of honour? The human race.
What race is worthy of honour? Those who fear the Lord.
What race is unworthy of honour? The human race.
What race is unworthy of honour? Those who transgress the commandments.
²⁰Among brothers their leader is worthy of honour,
and those who fear the Lord are worthy of honour in his eyes.
²²The rich, and the eminent, and the poor -
their glory is the fear of the Lord.
²³It is not right to despise an intelligent poor man,
nor is it proper to honour a sinful man.
²⁴The nobleman, and the judge, and the ruler will be honoured,
but none of them is greater than the man who fears the Lord.
²⁵Free men will be at the service of a wise servant,
and a man of understanding will not grumble.

Humility & self-respect.

²⁶Do not make a display of your wisdom when you do your work,
nor glorify yourself at a time when you are in want.
²⁷Better is a man who works and has an abundance of everything,
than one who goes about boasting, but lacks bread.
²⁸My son, glorify yourself with humility,
and ascribe to yourself honour according to your worth.
²⁹Who will justify the man that sins against himself?
And who will honour the man that dishonours his own life?
³⁰A poor man is honoured for his knowledge,
while a rich man is honoured for his wealth.
³¹A man honoured in poverty, how much more in wealth!
And a man dishonoured in wealth, how much more in poverty!

Appearances.

²Do not praise a man for his good looks,
nor loathe a man because of his appearance.
³The bee is small among flying creatures,
but her product is the best of sweet things.
⁴Do not boast about wearing fine clothes,
nor exalt yourself in the day that you are honoured;
for the works of the Lord are wonderful,
and his works are concealed from men.
⁵Many kings have had to sit on the ground,
but one who was never thought of has worn a crown.
⁶Many rulers have been greatly disgraced,
and illustrious men have been handed over to others.

Caution.

⁷Do not find fault before you investigate;
first consider, and then reprove.
⁸Do not answer before you have heard,
nor interrupt a speaker in the midst of his words.
⁹Do not argue about a matter which does not concern you,
nor sit with sinners when they judge a case.

¹⁰My son, do not busy yourself with many matters;
if you multiply activities you will not go unpunished,
and if you pursue you will not overtake,
and by fleeing you will not escape.
¹¹There is a man who works, and toils, and presses on,
but is so much the more in want.
¹²There is another who is slow and needs help,
who lacks strength and abounds in poverty;
but the eyes of the Lord look upon him for his good;
he lifts him out of his low estate
¹³and raises up his head, so that many are amazed at him.

¹⁴Good things and bad, life and death,
poverty and wealth, come from the Lord.
¹⁷The gift of the Lord endures for those who are godly,
and what he approves will have lasting success.
¹⁸There is a man who is rich through his diligence and self-denial,
and this is the reward allotted to him:
¹⁹when he says, "I have found rest, and now I shall enjoy my goods!"
he does not know how much time will pass until he leaves them to others and dies.
²⁰Stand by your covenant and attend to it,
and grow old in your work.

²¹Do not wonder at the works of a sinner, but trust in the Lord and keep at your toil;
for it is easy in the sight of the Lord to enrich a poor man quickly and suddenly.
²²The blessing of the Lord is the reward of the godly,
and quickly God causes his blessing to flourish.
²³Do not say, "What do I need, and what prosperity could be mine in the future?"
²⁴Do not say, "I have enough, and what calamity could happen to me in the future?"
²⁵In the day of prosperity, adversity is forgotten,
and in the day of adversity, prosperity is not remembered.
²⁶For it is easy in the sight of the Lord to reward a man on the day of death according to his conduct.
²⁷The misery of an hour makes one forget luxury,
and at the close of a man's life his deeds will be revealed.
²⁸Call no one happy before his death;
a man will be known through his children.

Care in choosing friends.

²⁹Do not bring every man into your home,
for many are the wiles of the crafty.
³⁰Like a decoy partridge in a cage,
so is the mind of a proud man,
and like a spy he observes your weakness;
³¹for he lies in wait, turning good into evil,
and to worthy actions he will attach blame.
³²From a spark of fire come many burning coals,
and a sinner lies in wait to shed blood.
³³Beware of a scoundrel, for he devises evil,
lest he give you a lasting blemish.
³⁴Receive a stranger into your home
and he will upset you with commotion,
and will estrange you from your family.

⁸A friend will not be known in prosperity,
nor will an enemy be hidden in adversity.
⁹A man's enemies are grieved when he prospers,
and in his adversity even his friend will separate from him.
¹⁰Never trust your enemy,
for like the rusting of copper, so is his wickedness.
¹¹Even if he humbles himself and goes about cringing,
watch yourself, and be on your guard against him;
and you will be to him like one who has polished a mirror,
and you will know that it was not hopelessly tarnished.
¹²Do not put him next to you,
lest he overthrow you and take your place;
do not have him sit at your right,
lest he try to take your seat of honour,
and at last you will realize the truth of my words,
and be stung by what I have said.

¹³Who will pity a snake charmer bitten by a serpent,
or any who go near wild beasts?
¹⁴So no one will pity a man who associates with a sinner
and becomes involved in his sins.
¹⁵He will stay with you for a time, but if you falter,
he will not stand by you.

¹⁶An enemy will speak sweetly with his lips,
but in his mind he will plan to throw you into a pit;
an enemy will weep with his eyes,
but if he finds an opportunity
his thirst for blood will be insatiable.
¹⁷If calamity befalls you, you will find him there ahead of you;
and while pretending to help you, he will trip you by the heel;
¹⁸he will shake his head,
and clap his hands,
and whisper much, and change his expression.

¹⁵Every creature loves its like,
and every person his neighbour;
¹⁶all living beings associate by species,
and a man clings to one like himself.
¹⁷What fellowship has a wolf with a lamb?
No more has a sinner with a godly man.
¹⁸What peace is there between a hyena and a dog?
And what peace between a rich man and a poor man?
¹⁹Wild asses in the wilderness are the prey of lions;
likewise the poor are pastures for the rich.
²⁰Humility is an abomination to a proud man;
likewise a poor man is an abomination to a rich one.

²¹When a rich man totters, he is steadied by friends,
but when a humble man falls, he is even pushed away by friends.
²²If a rich man slips, his helpers are many;
he speaks unseemly words, and they justify him.
If a humble man slips, they even reproach him;
he speaks sensibly, and receives no attention.
²³When the rich man speaks all are silent,
and they extol to the clouds what he says.
When the poor man speaks they say, "Who is this fellow?"
And should he stumble, they even push him down.

²⁴Riches are good if they are free from sin,
and poverty is evil in the opinion of the ungodly.
²⁵A man's heart changes his countenance,
either for good or for evil.
²⁶The mark of a happy heart is a cheerful face,
but to devise proverbs requires painful thinking.

Wealth.

³Riches are not seemly for a stingy man;
and of what use is property to an envious man?
⁴Whoever accumulates by depriving himself, accumulates for others;
and others will live in luxury on his goods.
⁵If a man is mean to himself, to whom will he be generous?
He will not enjoy his own riches.
⁶No one is meaner than the man who is grudging to himself,
and this is the retribution for his baseness;
⁷even if he does good, he does it unintentionally,
and betrays his baseness in the end.
⁸Evil is the man with a grudging eye;
he averts his face and disregards people.
⁹A greedy man's eye is not satisfied with a portion,
and mean injustice withers the soul.
¹⁰A stingy man's eye begrudges bread,
and it is lacking at his table.

¹¹My son, treat yourself well, according to your means,
and present worthy offerings to the Lord.
¹²Remember that death will not delay,
and the decree of Hades has not been shown to you.
¹³Do good to a friend before you die,
and reach out and give to him as much as you can.
¹⁴Do not deprive yourself of a happy day;
let not your share of desired good pass by you.
¹⁵Will you not leave the fruit of your labours to another,
and what you acquired by toil to be divided by lot?
¹⁶Give, and take, and beguile yourself,
because in Hades one cannot look for luxury.
¹⁷All living beings become old like a garment,
for the decree from of old is, "You must surely die!"
¹⁸Like flourishing leaves on a spreading tree
which sheds some and puts forth others,
so are the generations of flesh and blood:
one dies and another is born.
¹⁹Every product decays and ceases to exist,
and the man who made it will pass away with it.

Wisdom.

²⁰Blessed is the man who meditates on wisdom
and who reasons intelligently.
²¹He who reflects in his mind on her ways
will also ponder her secrets.
²²Pursue wisdom like a hunter,
and lie in wait on her paths.
²³He who peers through her windows
will also listen at her doors;
²⁴he who encamps near her house
will also fasten his tent peg to her walls;
²⁵he will pitch his tent near her,
and will lodge in an excellent lodging place;
²⁶he will place his children under her shelter,
and will camp under her boughs;
²⁷he will be sheltered by her from the heat,
and will dwell in the midst of her glory.

⁹A hymn of praise is not fitting on the lips of a sinner,
for it has not been sent from the Lord.
¹⁰For a hymn of praise should be uttered in wisdom,
and the Lord will prosper it.

Free will.

¹¹Do not say, "Because of the Lord I left the right way";
for he will not do what he hates.
¹²Do not say, "It was he who led me astray";
for he had no need of a sinful man.
¹³The Lord hates all abominations,
and they are not loved by those who fear him.
¹⁴It was he who created man in the beginning,
and he left him in the power of his own inclination.
¹⁵If you will, you can keep the commandments,
and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.
¹⁶He has placed before you fire and water:
stretch out your hand for whichever you wish.
¹⁷Before a man are life and death,
and whichever he chooses will be given to him.
¹⁸For great is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power and sees everything;
¹⁹his eyes are on those who fear him,
and he knows every deed of man.
²⁰He has not commanded any one to be ungodly,
and he has not given any one permission to sin.

⁶In an assembly of sinners a fire will be kindled,
and in a disobedient nation wrath was kindled.
⁷He was not propitiated for the ancient giants
who revolted in their might.
⁸He did not spare the neighbours of Lot,
whom he loathed on account of their insolence.
⁹He showed no pity for a nation devoted to destruction,
for those destroyed in their sins;
¹⁰nor for the six hundred thousand men on foot,
who rebelliously assembled in their stubbornness.
¹¹Even if there is only one stiff-necked person,
it will be a wonder if he remains unpunished.
For mercy and wrath are with the Lord;
he is mighty to forgive, and he pours out wrath.
¹²As great as his mercy, so great is also his reproof;
he judges a man according to his deeds.
¹³The sinner will not escape with his plunder,
and the patience of the godly will not be frustrated.
¹⁴He will make room for every act of mercy;
every one will receive in accordance with his deeds.

¹⁷Do not say, "I shall be hidden from the Lord,
and who from on high will remember me?
Among so many people I shall not be known,
for what is my soul in the boundless creation?
¹⁸Behold, heaven and the highest heaven,
the abyss and the earth, will tremble at his visitation.
¹⁹The mountains also and the foundations of the earth
shake with trembling when he looks upon them.
²⁰And no mind will reflect on this.
Who will ponder his ways?
²¹Like a tempest which no man can see,
so most of his works are concealed.
²²Who will announce his acts of justice?
Or who will await them? For the covenant is far off."
²³This is what one devoid of understanding thinks;
a senseless and misguided man thinks foolishly.

Wisdom in creation.

²⁴Listen to me, my son, and acquire knowledge,
and pay close attention to my words.
²⁵I will impart instruction by weight,
and declare knowledge accurately.

²⁶The works of the Lord have existed from the beginning by his creation,
and when he made them, he determined their divisions.
²⁷He arranged his works in an eternal order,
and their dominion for all generations;
they neither hunger nor grow weary,
and they do not cease from their labours.
²⁸They do not crowd one another aside,
and they will never disobey his word.
²⁹After this the Lord looked upon the earth,
and filled it with his good things;
³⁰with all kinds of living beings he covered its surface,
and to it they return.

God is judge.

¹⁵Their ways are always before him,
they will not be hid from his eyes.
¹⁷He appointed a ruler for every nation,
but Israel is the Lord's own portion.
¹⁹All their works are as the sun before him,
and his eyes are continually upon their ways.
²⁰Their iniquities are not hidden from him,
and all their sins are before the Lord.
²²A man's almsgiving is like a signet with the Lord
and he will keep a person's kindness like the apple of his eye.
²³Afterward he will arise and requite them,
and he will bring their recompense on their heads.
²⁴Yet to those who repent he grants a return,
and he encourages those whose endurance is failing.

A call to repentance.

²⁵Turn to the Lord and forsake your sins;
pray in his presence and lessen your offences.
²⁶Return to the Most High and turn away from iniquity,
and hate abominations intensely.
²⁷Who will sing praises to the Most High in Hades,
as do those who are alive and give thanks?
²⁸From the dead, as from one who does not exist, thanksgiving has ceased;
he who is alive and well sings the Lord's praises.
²⁹How great is the mercy of the Lord,
and his forgiveness for those who turn to him!
³⁰For all things cannot be in men,
since a son of man is not immortal.
³¹What is brighter than the sun? Yet its light fails.
So flesh and blood devise evil.
³²He marshals the host of the height of heaven;
but all men are dust and ashes.

Man is nothing.

⁸What is man, and of what use is he?
What is his good and what is his evil?
⁹The number of a man's days is great if he reaches a hundred years.
¹⁰Like a drop of water from the sea and a grain of sand
so are a few years in the day of eternity.
¹¹Therefore the Lord is patient with them
and pours out his mercy upon them.
¹²He sees and recognizes that their end will be evil;
therefore he grants them forgiveness in abundance.
¹³The compassion of man is for his neighbour,
but the compassion of the Lord is for all living beings.
He rebukes and trains and teaches them,
and turns them back, as a shepherd his flock.
¹⁴He has compassion on those who accept his discipline
and who are eager for his judgments.

Kindness & charity.

¹⁵My son, do not mix reproach with your good deeds,
nor cause grief by your words when you present a gift.
¹⁶Does not the dew assuage the scorching heat?
So a word is better than a gift.
¹⁷Indeed, does not a word surpass a good gift?
Both are to be found in a gracious man.
¹⁸A fool is ungracious and abusive,
and the gift of a grudging man makes the eyes dim.

Self-examination.

¹⁹Before you speak, learn, and before you fall ill,
take care of your health.
²⁰Before judgment, examine yourself,
and in the hour of visitation you will find forgiveness.
²¹Before falling ill, humble yourself,
and when you are on the point of sinning, turn back.
²²Let nothing hinder you from paying a vow promptly,
and do not wait until death to be released from it.
²³Before making a vow, prepare yourself;
and do not be like a man who tempts the Lord.
²⁴Think of his wrath on the day of death,
and of the moment of vengeance when he turns away his face.
²⁵In the time of plenty think of the time of hunger;
in the days of wealth think of poverty and need.
²⁶From morning to evening conditions change,
and all things move swiftly before the Lord.

²⁷A wise man is cautious in everything,
and in days of sin he guards against wrongdoing.
²⁸Every intelligent man knows wisdom,
and he praises the one who finds her.
²⁹Those who understand sayings become skilled themselves,
and pour forth apt proverbs.

Self-control.

³⁰Do not follow your base desires,
but restrain your appetites.
³¹If you allow your soul to take pleasure in base desire,
it will make you the laughingstock of your enemies.
³²Do not revel in great luxury,
lest you become impoverished by its expense.
³³Do not become a beggar by feasting with borrowed money,
when you have nothing in your purse.

⁴One who trusts others too quickly is lightminded,
and one who sins does wrong to himself.
⁵One who rejoices in wickedness will be condemned, ⁶and for one who hates gossip evil is lessened.

Loose-talk.

⁷Never repeat a conversation,
and you will lose nothing at all.
⁸With friend or foe do not report it,
and unless it would be a sin for you, do not disclose it;
⁹for some one has heard you and watched you,
and when the time comes he will hate you.
¹⁰Have you heard a word? Let it die with you.
Be brave! It will not make you burst!
¹¹With such a word a fool will suffer pangs
like a woman in labour with a child.
¹²Like an arrow stuck in the flesh of the thigh,
so is a word inside a fool.

¹³Question a friend, perhaps he did not do it;
but if he did anything, so that he may do it no more.
¹⁴Question a neighbour, perhaps he did not say it;
but if he said it, so that he may not say it again.
¹⁵Question a friend, for often it is slander;
so do not believe everything you hear.
¹⁶A person may make a slip without intending it.
Who has never sinned with his tongue?
¹⁷Question your neighbour before you threaten him;
and let the law of the Most High take its course.

Real Wisdom.

²⁰All wisdom is the fear of the Lord,
and in all wisdom there is the fulfilment of the law.
²²But the knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom,
nor is there prudence where sinners take counsel.
²³There is a cleverness which is abominable,
but there is a fool who merely lacks wisdom.
²⁴Better is the God-fearing man who lacks intelligence,
than the highly prudent man who transgresses the law.
²⁵There is a cleverness which is scrupulous but unjust,
and there are people who distort kindness to gain a verdict.
²⁶There is a rascal bowed down in mourning,
but inwardly he is full of deceit.
²⁷He hides his face and pretends not to hear;
but where no one notices, he will forestall you.
²⁸And if by lack of strength he is prevented from sinning,
he will do evil when he finds an opportunity.
²⁹A man is known by his appearance,
and a sensible man is known by his face,
when you meet him.
³⁰A man's attire and open-mouthed laughter,
and a man's manner of walking,
show what he is.

Fate.

⁹There may be good fortune for a man in adversity,
and a windfall may result in a loss.
¹⁰There is a gift that profits you nothing,
and there is a gift that brings a double return.
¹¹There are losses because of glory,
and there are men who have raised their heads from humble circumstances.
¹²There is a man who buys much for a little,
but pays for it seven times over.
¹³The wise man makes himself beloved through his words,
but the courtesies of fools are wasted.
¹⁴A fool's gift will profit you nothing,
for he has many eyes instead of one.
¹⁵He gives little and upbraids much,
he opens his mouth like a herald;
today he lends and tomorrow he asks it back;
such a one is a hateful man.
¹⁶A fool will say, "I have no friend, and there is no gratitude for my good deeds;
those who eat my bread speak unkindly."
¹⁷How many will ridicule him, and how often!

Inappropriate talk.

¹⁸A slip on the pavement is better than a slip of the tongue;
so the downfall of the wicked will occur speedily.
¹⁹An ungracious man is like a story told at the wrong time,
which is continually on the lips of the ignorant.
²⁰A proverb from a fool's lips will be rejected,
for he does not tell it at its proper time.

²¹A man may be prevented from sinning by his poverty,
so when he rests he feels no remorse.
²²A man may lose his life through shame,
or lose it because of his foolish look.
²³A man may for shame make promises to a friend,
and needlessly make him an enemy.
²⁴A lie is an ugly blot on a man;
it is continually on the lips of the ignorant.
²⁵A thief is preferable to a habitual liar,
but the lot of both is ruin.
²⁶The disposition of a liar brings disgrace,
and his shame is ever with him.

Stewardship of Wisdom.

²⁷He who speaks wisely will advance himself,
and a sensible man will please great men.
²⁸Whoever cultivates the soil will heap up his harvest,
and whoever pleases great men will atone for injustice.
²⁹Presents and gifts blind the eyes of the wise;
like a muzzle on the mouth they avert reproofs.
³⁰Hidden wisdom and unseen treasure,
what advantage is there in either of them?
³¹Better is the man who hides his folly
than the man who hides his wisdom.

⁴Terror and violence will lay waste riches;
thus the house of the proud will be laid waste.
⁵The prayer of a poor man goes from his lips to the ears of God,
and his judgment comes speedily.
⁶Whoever hates reproof walks in the steps of the sinner,
but he that fears the Lord will repent in his heart.
⁷He who is mighty in speech is known from afar;
but the sensible man, when he slips, is aware of it.

⁸A man who builds his house with other people's money
is like one who gathers stones for his burial mound.
⁹An assembly of the wicked is like tow gathered together,
and their end is a flame of fire.
¹⁰The way of sinners is smoothly paved with stones,
but at its end is the pit of Hades.

Wisdom & foolishness.

¹¹Whoever keeps the law controls his thoughts,
and wisdom is the fulfilment of the fear of the Lord.
¹²He who is not clever cannot be taught,
but there is a cleverness which increases bitterness.
¹³The knowledge of a wise man will increase like a flood,
and his counsel like a flowing spring.
¹⁴The mind of a fool is like a broken jar;
it will hold no knowledge.

¹⁵When a man of understanding hears a wise saying,
he will praise it and add to it;
when a reveler hears it, he dislikes it
and casts it behind his back.
¹⁶A fool's narration is like a burden on a journey,
but delight will be found in the speech of the intelligent.
¹⁷The utterance of a sensible man will be sought in the assembly,
and they will ponder his words in their minds.

¹⁸Like a house that has vanished, so is wisdom to a fool;
and the knowledge of the ignorant is unexamined talk.
¹⁹To a senseless man education is fetters on his feet,
and like manacles on his right hand.
²⁰A fool raises his voice when he laughs,
but a clever man smiles quietly.
²¹To a sensible man education is like a golden ornament,
and like a bracelet on the right arm.

²²The foot of a fool rushes into a house,
but a man of experience stands respectfully before it.
²³A boor peers into the house from the door,
but a cultivated man remains outside.
²⁴It is ill-mannered for a man to listen at a door,
and a discreet man is grieved by the disgrace.
²⁵The lips of strangers will speak of these things,
but the words of the prudent will be weighed in the balance.
²⁶The mind of fools is in their mouth,
but the mouth of wise men is in their mind.
²⁷When an ungodly man curses his adversary,
he curses his own soul.
²⁸A whisperer defiles his own soul
and is hated in his neighbourhood.

³It is a disgrace to be the father of an undisciplined son,
and the birth of a daughter is a loss.
⁴A sensible daughter obtains her husband,
but one who acts shamefully brings grief to her father.
⁵An impudent daughter disgraces father and husband,
and will be despised by both.
⁶Like music in mourning is a tale told at the wrong time,
but chastising and discipline are wisdom at all times.

⁷He who teaches a fool is like one who glues potsherds together,
or who rouses a sleeper from deep slumber.
⁸He who tells a story to a fool tells it to a drowsy man;
and at the end he will say, "What is it?"
¹¹Weep for the dead, for he lacks the light;
and weep for the fool, for he lacks intelligence;
weep less bitterly for the dead, for he has attained rest;
but the life of the fool is worse than death.
¹²Mourning for the dead lasts seven days,
but for a fool or an ungodly man it lasts all his life.

¹³Do not talk much with a foolish man,
and do not visit an unintelligent man;
guard yourself from him to escape trouble,
and you will not be soiled when he shakes himself off;
avoid him and you will find rest,
and you will never be wearied by his madness.
¹⁴What is heavier than lead?
And what is its name except "Fool"?
¹⁵Sand, salt, and a piece of iron
are easier to bear than a stupid man.

¹⁶A wooden beam firmly bonded into a building will not be torn loose by an earthquake;
so the mind firmly fixed on a reasonable counsel will not be afraid in a crisis.
¹⁷A mind settled on an intelligent thought
is like the stucco decoration on the wall of a colonnade.
¹⁸Fences set on a high place will not stand firm against the wind;
so a timid heart with a fool's purpose will not stand firm against any fear.

¹⁹A man who pricks an eye will make tears fall,
and one who pricks the heart makes it show feeling.
²⁰One who throws a stone at birds scares them away,
and one who reviles a friend will break off the friendship.
²¹Even if you have drawn your sword against a friend,
do not despair, for a renewal of friendship is possible.

Friendship.

²²If you have opened your mouth against your friend,
do not worry, for reconciliation is possible;
but as for reviling, arrogance, disclosure of secrets, or a treacherous blow -
in these cases any friend will flee.

²³Gain the trust of your neighbour in his poverty,
that you may rejoice with him in his prosperity;
stand by him in time of affliction,
that you may share with him in his inheritance.
²⁴The vapor and smoke of the furnace precede the fire;
so insults precede bloodshed.
²⁵I will not be ashamed to protect a friend,
and I will not hide from him;
²⁶but if some harm should happen to me because of him,
whoever hears of it will beware of him.

A prayer.

²⁷O that a guard were set over my mouth,
and a seal of prudence upon my lips,
that it may keep me from falling,
so that my tongue may not destroy me!

Oaths.

⁷Listen, my children, to instruction concerning speech;
the one who observes it will never be caught.
⁸The sinner is overtaken through his lips,
the reviler and the arrogant are tripped by them.
⁹Do not accustom your mouth to oaths,
and do not habitually utter the name of the Holy One;
¹⁰for as a servant who is continually examined under torture will not lack bruises,
so also the man who always swears and utters the Name will not be cleansed from sin.
¹¹A man who swears many oaths will be filled with iniquity,
and the scourge will not leave his house;
if he offends, his sin remains on him,
and if he disregards it, he sins doubly;
if he has sworn needlessly, he will not be justified,
for his house will be filled with calamities.

Offensive language.

¹²There is an utterance which is comparable to death;
may it never be found in the inheritance of Jacob!
For all these errors will be far from the godly,
and they will not wallow in sins.
¹³Do not accustom your mouth to lewd vulgarity,
for it involves sinful speech.
¹⁴Remember your father and mother
when you sit among great men;
lest you be forgetful in their presence,
and be deemed a fool on account of your habits;
then you will wish that you had never been born,
and you will curse the day of your birth.
¹⁵A man accustomed to use insulting words
will never become disciplined all his days.

Fornication.

¹⁶Two sorts of men multiply sins, and a third incurs wrath.
The soul heated like a burning fire will not be quenched until it is consumed;
a man who commits fornication with his near of kin will never cease until the fire burns him up.
¹⁷To a fornicator all bread tastes sweet;
he will never cease until he dies.
¹⁸A man who breaks his marriage vows
says to himself, "Who sees me?
Darkness surrounds me, and the walls hide me, and no one sees me.
Why should I fear? The Most High will not take notice of my sins."
¹⁹His fear is confined to the eyes of men,
and he does not realize that the eyes of the Lord
are ten thousand times brighter than the sun;
they look upon all the ways of men,
and perceive even the hidden places.
²⁰Before the universe was created, it was known to him;
so it was also after it was finished.
²¹This man will be punished in the streets of the city,
and where he least suspects it, he will be seized.
²²So it is with a woman who leaves her husband
and provides an heir by a stranger.
²³For first of all, she has disobeyed the law of the Most High;
second, she has committed an offence against her husband;
and third, she has committed adultery through harlotry and brought forth children by another man.
²⁴She herself will be brought before the assembly,
and punishment will fall on her children.
²⁵Her children will not take root,
and her branches will not bear fruit.
²⁶She will leave her memory for a curse,
and her disgrace will not be blotted out.
²⁷Those who survive her will recognize
that nothing is better than the fear of the Lord,
and nothing sweeter than to heed the commandments of the Lord.

⁸"Then the Creator of all things gave me a commandment,
and the one who created me assigned a place for my tent.
And he said, `Make your dwelling in Jacob,
and in Israel receive your inheritance.'
⁹From eternity, in the beginning, he created me,
and for eternity I shall not cease to exist.
¹⁰In the holy tabernacle I ministered before him,
and so I was established in Zion.
¹¹In the beloved city likewise he gave me a resting place,
and in Jerusalem was my dominion.
¹²So I took root in an honoured people,
in the portion of the Lord, who is their inheritance.

¹³"I grew tall like a cedar in Lebanon,
and like a cypress on the heights of Hermon.
¹⁴I grew tall like a palm tree in En-gedi,
and like rose plants in Jericho;
like a beautiful olive tree in the field,
and like a plane tree I grew tall.
¹⁵Like cassia and camel's thorn I gave forth the aroma of spices,
and like choice myrrh I spread a pleasant odour,
like galbanum, onycha, and stacte,
and like the fragrance of frankincense in the tabernacle.
¹⁶Like a terebinth I spread out my branches,
and my branches are glorious and graceful.
¹⁷Like a vine I caused loveliness to bud,
and my blossoms became glorious and abundant fruit.

¹⁹"Come to me, you who desire me,
and eat your fill of my produce.
²⁰For the remembrance of me is sweeter than honey,
and my inheritance sweeter than the honeycomb.
²¹Those who eat me will hunger for more,
and those who drink me will thirst for more.
²²Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,
and those who work with my help will not sin."

Wisdom & the Law.

²³All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God,
the law which Moses commanded us
as an inheritance for the congregations of Jacob.
²⁵It fills men with wisdom, like the Pishon,
and like the Tigris at the time of the first fruits.
²⁶It makes them full of understanding, like the Euphrates,
and like the Jordan at harvest time.
²⁷It makes instruction shine forth like light,
like the Gihon at the time of vintage.
²⁸Just as the first man did not know her perfectly,
the last one has not fathomed her;
²⁹for her thought is more abundant than the sea,
and her counsel deeper than the great abyss.
³⁰I went forth like a canal from a river
and like a water channel into a garden.
³¹I said, "I will water my orchard
and drench my garden plot";
and lo, my canal became a river,
and my river became a sea.
³²I will again make instruction shine forth
like the dawn, and I will make it shine afar;
³³I will again pour out teaching like prophecy,
and leave it to all future generations.
³⁴Observe that I have not laboured for myself alone,
but for all who seek instruction.

³You have gathered nothing in your youth;
how then can you find anything in your old age?
⁴What an attractive thing is judgment in gray-haired men,
and for the aged to possess good counsel!
⁵How attractive is wisdom in the aged,
and understanding and counsel in honourable men!
⁶Rich experience is the crown of the aged,
and their boast is the fear of the Lord.

⁷With nine thoughts I have gladdened my heart,
and a tenth I shall tell with my tongue:
a man rejoicing in his children;
a man who lives to see the downfall of his foes;
⁸happy is he who lives with an intelligent wife,
and he who has not made a slip with his tongue,
and he who has not served a man inferior to himself;
⁹happy is he who has gained good sense,
and he who speaks to attentive listeners.
¹⁰How great is he who has gained wisdom!
But there is no one superior to him who fears the Lord.
¹¹The fear of the Lord surpasses everything;
to whom shall be likened the one who holds it fast?

Women.

¹³Any wound, but not a wound of the heart!
Any wickedness, but not the wickedness of a wife!
¹⁴Any attack, but not an attack from those who hate!
And any vengeance, but not the vengeance of enemies!
¹⁵There is no venom worse than a snake's venom,
and no wrath worse than an enemy's wrath.

¹⁶I would rather dwell with a lion
and a dragon than dwell with an evil wife.
¹⁷The wickedness of a wife changes her appearance,
and darkens her face like that of a bear.
¹⁸Her husband takes his meals among the neighbours,
and he cannot help sighing bitterly.
¹⁹Any iniquity is insignificant compared to a wife's iniquity;
may a sinner's lot befall her!
²⁰A sandy ascent for the feet of the aged -
such is a garrulous wife for a quiet husband.
²¹Do not be ensnared by a woman's beauty,
and do not desire a woman for her possessions.
²²There is wrath and impudence and great disgrace
when a wife supports her husband.
²³A dejected mind, a gloomy face,
and a wounded heart are caused by an evil wife.
Drooping hands and weak knees are caused by the wife
who does not make her husband happy.
²⁴From a woman sin had its beginning,
and because of her we all die.
²⁵Allow no outlet to water,
and no boldness of speech in an evil wife.
²⁶If she does not go as you direct,
separate her from yourself.

⁵Of three things my heart is afraid,
and of a fourth I am frightened:
The slander of a city, the gathering of a mob, and false accusation -
all these are worse than death.
⁶There is grief of heart and sorrow when a wife is envious of a rival,
and a tongue-lashing makes it known to all.
⁷An evil wife is an ox yoke which chafes;
taking hold of her is like grasping a scorpion.
⁸There is great anger when a wife is drunken;
she will not hide her shame.
⁹A wife's harlotry shows in her lustful eyes,
and she is known by her eyelids.
¹⁰Keep strict watch over a headstrong daughter,
lest, when she finds liberty, she use it to her hurt.
¹¹Be on guard against her impudent eye,
and do not wonder if she sins against you.
¹²As a thirsty wayfarer opens his mouth
and drinks from any water near him,
so will she sit in front of every post
and open her quiver to the arrow.

¹³A wife's charm delights her husband,
and her skill puts fat on his bones.
¹⁴A silent wife is a gift of the Lord,
and there is nothing so precious as a disciplined soul.
¹⁵A modest wife adds charm to charm,
and no balance can weigh the value of a chaste soul.
¹⁶Like the sun rising in the heights of the Lord,
so is the beauty of a good wife in her well-ordered home.
¹⁷Like the shining lamp on the holy lampstand,
so is a beautiful face on a stately figure.
¹⁸Like pillars of gold on a base of silver,
so are beautiful feet with a steadfast heart.

Sad observations.

²⁸At two things my heart is grieved,
and because of a third anger comes over me:
a warrior in want through poverty,
and intelligent men who are treated contemptuously;
a man who turns back from righteousness to sin -
the Lord will prepare him for the sword!
²⁹A merchant can hardly keep from wrongdoing,
and a tradesman will not be declared innocent of sin.

Sound mind, straight talk!

⁴When a sieve is shaken, the refuse remains;
so a man's filth remains in his thoughts.
⁵The kiln tests the potter's vessels;
so the test of a man is in his reasoning.
⁶The fruit discloses the cultivation of a tree;
so the expression of a thought discloses the cultivation of a man's mind.
⁷Do not praise a man before you hear him reason,
for this is the test of men.

Honesty.

⁸If you pursue justice, you will attain it
and wear it as a glorious robe.
⁹Birds flock with their kind;
so truth returns to those who practice it.
¹⁰A lion lies in wait for prey;
so does sin for the workers of iniquity.

Foolish talk.

¹¹The talk of the godly man is always wise,
but the fool changes like the moon.
¹²Among stupid people watch for a chance to leave,
but among thoughtful people stay on.
¹³The talk of fools is offensive,
and their laughter is wantonly sinful.
¹⁴The talk of men given to swearing makes one's hair stand on end,
and their quarrels make a man stop his ears.
¹⁵The strife of the proud leads to bloodshed,
and their abuse is grievous to hear.

Betraying secrets.

¹⁶Whoever betrays secrets destroys confidence,
and he will never find a congenial friend.
¹⁷Love your friend and keep faith with him;
but if you betray his secrets,
do not run after him.
¹⁸For as a man destroys his enemy,
so you have destroyed the friendship of your neighbour.
¹⁹And as you allow a bird to escape from your hand,
so you have let your neighbour go, and will not catch him again.
²⁰Do not go after him, for he is too far off,
and has escaped like a gazelle from a snare.
²¹For a wound may be bandaged,
and there is reconciliation after abuse,
but whoever has betrayed secrets is without hope.

Hypocrisy

²²Whoever winks his eye plans evil deeds,
and no one can keep him from them.
²³In your presence his mouth is all sweetness,
and he admires your words;
but later he will twist his speech
and with your own words he will give offence.
²⁴I have hated many things, but none to be compared to him;
even the Lord will hate him.
²⁵Whoever throws a stone straight up throws it on his own head;
and a treacherous blow opens up wounds.
²⁶He who digs a pit will fall into it,
and he who sets a snare will be caught in it.
²⁷If a man does evil, it will roll back upon him,
and he will not know where it came from.
²⁸Mockery and abuse issue from the proud man,
but vengeance lies in wait for him like a lion.
²⁹Those who rejoice in the fall of the godly will be caught in a snare,
and pain will consume them before their death.

Resentment.

³⁰Anger and wrath, these also are abominations,
and the sinful man will possess them.

Arguments.

⁸Refrain from strife, and you will lessen sins;
for a man given to anger will kindle strife,
⁹and a sinful man will disturb friends
and inject enmity among those who are at peace.
¹⁰In proportion to the fuel for the fire, so will be the burning,
and in proportion to the obstinacy of strife will be the burning;
in proportion to the strength of the man will be his anger,
and in proportion to his wealth he will heighten his wrath.
¹¹A hasty quarrel kindles fire,
and urgent strife sheds blood.
¹²If you blow on a spark, it will glow;
if you spit on it, it will be put out;
and both come out of your mouth.

Viscious talk.

¹³Curse the whisperer and deceiver,
for he has destroyed many who were at peace.
¹⁴Slander has shaken many,
and scattered them from nation to nation,
and destroyed strong cities,
and overturned the houses of great men.
¹⁵Slander has driven away courageous women,
and deprived them of the fruit of their toil.
¹⁶Whoever pays heed to slander will not find rest,
nor will he settle down in peace.
¹⁷The blow of a whip raises a welt,
but a blow of the tongue crushes the bones.
¹⁸Many have fallen by the edge of the sword,
but not so many as have fallen because of the tongue.
¹⁹Happy is the man who is protected from it,
who has not been exposed to its anger,
who has not borne its yoke,
and has not been bound with its fetters;
²⁰for its yoke is a yoke of iron,
and its fetters are fetters of bronze;
²¹its death is an evil death,
and Hades is preferable to it.
²²It will not be master over the godly,
and they will not be burned in its flame.
²³Those who forsake the Lord will fall into its power;
it will burn among them and will not be put out.
It will be sent out against them like a lion;
like a leopard it will mangle them.
²⁴See that you fence in your property with thorns,
lock up your silver and gold,
²⁵make balances and scales for your words,
and make a door and a bolt for your mouth.
²⁶Beware lest you err with your tongue,
lest you fall before him who lies in wait.

Generosity.

⁸Nevertheless, be patient with a man in humble circumstances,
and do not make him wait for your alms.
⁹Help a poor man for the commandment's sake,
and because of his need do not send him away empty.
¹⁰Lose your silver for the sake of a brother or a friend,
and do not let it rust under a stone and be lost.
¹¹Lay up your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High,
and it will profit you more than gold.
¹²Store up almsgiving in your treasury,
and it will rescue you from all affliction;
¹³more than a mighty shield and more than a heavy spear,
it will fight on your behalf against your enemy.

Guarantees.

¹⁴A good man will be surety for his neighbour,
but a man who has lost his sense of shame will fail him.
¹⁵Do not forget all the kindness of your surety,
for he has given his life for you.
¹⁶A sinner will overthrow the prosperity of his surety,
¹⁷and one who does not feel grateful will abandon his rescuer.
¹⁸Being surety has ruined many men who were prosperous,
and has shaken them like a wave of the sea;
it has driven men of power into exile,
and they have wandered among foreign nations.
¹⁹The sinner who has fallen into suretyship
and pursues gain will fall into lawsuits.
²⁰Assist your neighbour according to your ability,
but take heed to yourself lest you fall.

Home & hospitality.

²¹The essentials for life are water and bread
and clothing and a house to cover one's nakedness.
²²Better is the life of a poor man under the shelter of his roof
than sumptuous food in another man's house.
²³Be content with little or much.
²⁴It is a miserable life to go from house to house,
and where you are a stranger you may not open your mouth;
²⁵you will play the host and provide drink without being thanked,
and besides this you will hear bitter words:
²⁶"Come here, stranger, prepare the table,
and if you have anything at hand, let me have it to eat."
²⁷"Give place, stranger, to an honoured person;
my brother has come to stay with me;
I need my house."
²⁸These things are hard to bear for a man who has feeling:
scolding about lodging and the reproach of the moneylender.

⁷He who spoils his son will bind up his wounds,
and his feelings will be troubled at every cry.
⁸A horse that is untamed turns out to be stubborn,
and a son unrestrained turns out to be wilful.
⁹Pamper a child, and he will frighten you;
play with him, and he will give you grief.
¹⁰Do not laugh with him, lest you have sorrow with him,
and in the end you will gnash your teeth.
¹¹Give him no authority in his youth,
and do not ignore his errors.
¹²Bow down his neck in his youth,
and beat his sides while he is young,
lest he become stubborn and disobey you,
and you have sorrow of soul from him.
¹³Discipline your son and take pains with him,
that you may not be offended by his shamelessness.

Health.

¹⁴Better off is a poor man who is well and strong in constitution
than a rich man who is severely afflicted in body.
¹⁵Health and soundness are better than all gold,
and a robust body than countless riches.
¹⁶There is no wealth better than health of body,
and there is no gladness above joy of heart.
¹⁷Death is better than a miserable life,
and eternal rest than chronic sickness.

¹⁸Good things poured out upon a mouth that is closed
are like offerings of food placed upon a grave.
¹⁹Of what use to an idol is an offering of fruit?
For it can neither eat nor smell.
So is he who is afflicted by the Lord;
²⁰he sees with his eyes and groans,
like a eunuch who embraces a maiden and groans.

Cheerfulness & sadness.

²¹Do not give yourself over to sorrow,
and do not afflict yourself deliberately.
²²Gladness of heart is the life of man,
and the rejoicing of a man is length of days.
²³Delight your soul and comfort your heart,
and remove sorrow far from you,
for sorrow has destroyed many,
and there is no profit in it.
²⁴Jealousy and anger shorten life,
and anxiety brings on old age too soon.
²⁵A man of cheerful and good heart
will give heed to the food he eats.

⁵He who loves gold will not be justified,
and he who pursues money will be led astray by it.
⁶Many have come to ruin because of gold,
and their destruction has met them face to face.
⁷It is a stumbling block to those who are devoted to it,
and every fool will be taken captive by it.
⁸Blessed is the rich man who is found blameless,
and who does not go after gold.
⁹Who is he? And we will call him blessed,
for he has done wonderful things among his people.
¹⁰Who has been tested by it and been found perfect?
Let it be for him a ground for boasting.
Who has had the power to transgress and did not transgress,
and to do evil and did not do it?
¹¹His prosperity will be established,
and the assembly will relate his acts of charity.

Parties.

¹²Are you seated at the table of a great man?
Do not be greedy at it,
and do not say, "There is certainly much upon it!"
¹³Remember that a greedy eye is a bad thing.
What has been created more greedy than the eye?
Therefore it sheds tears from every face.
¹⁴Do not reach out your hand for everything you see,
and do not crowd your neighbour at the dish.
¹⁵Judge your neighbour's feelings by your own,
and in every matter be thoughtful.
¹⁶Eat like a human being what is set before you,
and do not chew greedily, lest you be hated.
¹⁷Be the first to stop eating, for the sake of good manners,
and do not be insatiable, lest you give offence.
¹⁸If you are seated among many persons,
do not reach out your hand before they do.

¹⁹How ample a little is for a well-disciplined man!
He does not breathe heavily upon his bed.
²⁰Healthy sleep depends on moderate eating;
he rises early, and feels fit.
The distress of sleeplessness and of nausea and colic are with the glutton.
²¹If you are overstuffed with food,
get up in the middle of the meal, and you will have relief.
²²Listen to me, my son, and do not disregard me,
and in the end you will appreciate my words.
In all your work be industrious,
and no sickness will overtake you.

²³Men will praise the one who is liberal with food,
and their testimony to his excellence is trustworthy.
²⁴The city will complain of the one who is niggardly with food,
and their testimony to his niggardliness is accurate.

²⁵Do not aim to be valiant over wine,
for wine has destroyed many.
²⁶Fire and water prove the temper of steel,
so wine tests hearts in the strife of the proud.
²⁷Wine is like life to men,
if you drink it in moderation.
What is life to a man who is without wine?
It has been created to make men glad.
²⁸Wine drunk in season and temperately
is rejoicing of heart and gladness of soul.
²⁹Wine drunk to excess is bitterness of soul,
with provocation and stumbling.
³⁰Drunkenness increases the anger of a fool to his injury,
reducing his strength and adding wounds.

³¹Do not reprove your neighbour at a banquet of wine,
and do not despise him in his merrymaking;
speak no word of reproach to him,
and do not afflict him by making demands of him.

³Speak, you who are older, for it is fitting that you should,
but with accurate knowledge, and do not interrupt the music.
⁴Where there is entertainment, do not pour out talk;
do not display your cleverness out of season.
⁵A ruby seal in a setting of gold
is a concert of music at a banquet of wine.
⁶A seal of emerald in a rich setting of gold
is the melody of music with good wine.

⁷Speak, young man, if there is need of you,
but no more than twice, and only if asked.
⁸Speak concisely, say much in few words;
be as one who knows and yet holds his tongue.
⁹Among the great do not act as their equal;
and when another is speaking, do not babble.

¹⁰Lightning speeds before the thunder,
and approval precedes a modest man.
¹¹Leave in good time and do not be the last;
go home quickly and do not linger.
¹²Amuse yourself there, and do what you have in mind,
but do not sin through proud speech.
¹³And for these things bless him who made you
and satisfies you with his good gifts.

Interpreting the Law.

¹⁴He who fears the Lord will accept his discipline,
and those who rise early to seek him will find favour.
¹⁵He who seeks the law will be filled with it,
but the hypocrite will stumble at it.
¹⁶Those who fear the Lord will form true judgments,
and like a light they will kindle righteous deeds.
¹⁷A sinful man will shun reproof,
and will find a decision according to his liking.

¹⁸A man of judgment will not overlook an idea,
and an insolent and proud man will not cower in fear.
¹⁹Do nothing without deliberation;
and when you have acted, do not regret it.
²⁰Do not go on a path full of hazards,
and do not stumble over stony ground.
²¹Do not be overconfident on a smooth way,
²²and give good heed to your paths.
²³Guard yourself in every act,
for this is the keeping of the commandments.

²⁴He who believes the law gives heed to the commandments,
and he who trusts the Lord will not suffer loss.

⁴Prepare what to say, and thus you will be heard;
bind together your instruction, and make your answer.
⁵The heart of a fool is like a cart wheel,
and his thoughts like a turning axle.
⁶A stallion is like a mocking friend;
he neighs under every one who sits on him.

Everyone is different.

⁷Why is any day better than another,
when all the daylight in the year is from the sun?
⁸By the Lord's decision they were distinguished,
and he appointed the different seasons and feasts;
⁹some of them he exalted and hallowed,
and some of them he made ordinary days.
¹⁰All men are from the ground,
and Adam was created of the dust.
¹¹In the fulness of his knowledge the Lord distinguished them
and appointed their different ways;
¹²some of them he blessed and exalted,
and some of them he made holy and brought near to himself;
but some of them he cursed and brought low,
and he turned them out of their place.
¹³As clay in the hand of the potter -
for all his ways are as he pleases -
so men are in the hand of him who made them,
to give them as he decides.

¹⁴Good is the opposite of evil,
and life the opposite of death;
so the sinner is the opposite of the godly.
¹⁵Look upon all the works of the Most High;
they likewise are in pairs, one the opposite of the other.

¹⁶I was the last on watch;
I was like one who gleans after the grape-gatherers;
by the blessing of the Lord I excelled,
and like a grape-gatherer I filled my wine press.
¹⁷Consider that I have not laboured for myself alone,
but for all who seek instruction.
¹⁸Hear me, you who are great among the people,
and you leaders of the congregation, hearken.

Be independent.

¹⁹To son or wife, to brother or friend,
do not give power over yourself,
as long as you live;
and do not give your property to another,
lest you change your mind and must ask for it.
²⁰While you are still alive and have breath in you,
do not let any one take your place.
²¹For it is better that your children should ask from you
than that you should look to the hand of you sons.
²²Excel in all that you do;
bring no stain upon your honour.
²³At the time when you end the days of your life,
in the hour of death, distribute your inheritance.

Slaves.

²⁴Fodder and a stick and burdens for an ass;
bread and discipline and work for a servant.
²⁵Set your slave to work, and you will find rest;
leave his hands idle, and he will seek liberty.
²⁶Yoke and thong will bow the neck,
and for a wicked servant there are racks and tortures.
²⁷Put him to work, that he may not be idle,
for idleness teaches much evil.
²⁸Set him to work, as is fitting for him,
and if he does not obey, make his fetters heavy.
²⁹Do not act immoderately toward anybody,
and do nothing without discretion.

³⁰If you have a servant, let him be as yourself,
because you have bought him with blood.
³¹If you have a servant,
treat him as a brother,
for as your own soul you will need him.
³²If you ill-treat him, and he leaves and runs away,
³³which way will you go to seek him?

Travel.

⁹An educated man knows many things,
and one with much experience will speak with understanding.
¹⁰He that is inexperienced knows few things,
¹¹but he that has travelled acquires much cleverness.
¹²I have seen many things in my travels,
and I understand more than I can express.

Fear the LORD.

¹³I have often been in danger of death,
but have escaped because of these experiences.
¹⁴The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live,
¹⁵for their hope is in him who saves them.
¹⁶He who fears the Lord will not be timid,
nor play the coward, for he is his hope.
¹⁷Blessed is the soul of the man who fears the Lord!

Offering sacrifice.

¹⁸To whom does he look?
And who is his support?
¹⁹The eyes of the Lord are upon those who love him,
a mighty protection and strong support,
a shelter from the hot wind and a shade from noonday sun,
a guard against stumbling and a defence against falling.
²⁰He lifts up the soul and gives light to the eyes;
he grants healing, life, and blessing.
²¹If one sacrifices from what has been wrongfully obtained, the offering is blemished;
²²the gifts of the lawless are not acceptable.

²³The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly;
and he is not propitiated for sins by a multitude of sacrifices.
²⁴Like one who kills a son before his father's eyes
is the man who offers a sacrifice from the property of the poor.
²⁵The bread of the needy is the life of the poor;
whoever deprives them of it is a man of blood.
²⁶To take away a neighbour's living is to murder him;
²⁷to deprive an employee of his wages is to shed blood.
²⁸When one builds and another tears down,
what do they gain but toil?
²⁹When one prays and another curses,
to whose voice will the Lord listen?
³⁰If a man washes after touching a dead body, and touches it again,
what has he gained by his washing?
³¹So if a man fasts for his sins,
and goes again and does the same things,
who will listen to his prayer?
And what has he gained by humbling himself?

God's justice.

¹²Give to the Most High as he has given,
and as generously as your hand has found.
¹³For the Lord is the one who repays,
and he will repay you sevenfold.
¹⁴Do not offer him a bribe,
for he will not accept it;
¹⁵and do not trust to an unrighteous sacrifice;
for the Lord is the judge, and with him is no partiality.
¹⁶He will not show partiality in the case of a poor man;
and he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged.
¹⁷He will not ignore the supplication of the fatherless,
nor the widow when she pours out her story.
¹⁸Do not the tears of the widow run down her cheek
¹⁹as she cries out against him who has caused them to fall?
²⁰He whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted,
and his prayer will reach to the clouds.
²¹The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds,
and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord;
he will not desist until the Most High visits him,
²² and does justice for the righteous, and executes judgment.
And the Lord will not delay, neither will he be patient with them,
till he crushes the loins of the unmerciful
²³and repays vengeance on the nations;
till he takes away the multitude of the insolent,
and breaks the scepters of the unrighteous;
²⁴till he repays the man according to his deeds,
and the works of men according to their devices;
²⁵till he judges the case of his people
and makes them rejoice in his mercy.
²⁶Mercy is as welcome when he afflicts them
as clouds of rain in the time of drought.

Choosing a wife.

¹⁸Have pity on the city of your sanctuary,
Jerusalem, the place of your rest.
¹⁹Fill Zion with the celebration of your wondrous deeds,
and your temple with your glory.
²⁰Bear witness to those whom you createed in the beginning,
and fulfil the prophecies spoken in your name.
²¹Reward those who wait for you,
and let your prophets be found trustworthy.
²²Hearken, O Lord, to the prayer of your servants,
according to the blessing of Aaron for your people,
and all who are on the earth will know that you are the Lord,
the God of the ages.
²³The stomach will take any food,
yet one food is better than another.
²⁴As the palate tastes the kinds of game,
so an intelligent mind detects false words.
²⁵A perverse mind will cause grief,
but a man of experience will pay him back.
²⁶A woman will accept any man,
but one daughter is better than another.
²⁷A woman's beauty gladdens the countenance,
and surpasses every human desire.
²⁸If kindness and humility mark her speech,
her husband is not like other men.
²⁹He who acquires a wife gets his best possession,
a helper fit for him and a pillar of support.
³⁰Where there is no fence, the property will be plundered;
and where there is no wife, a man will wander about and sigh.
³¹For who will trust a nimble robber
that skips from city to city?
So who will trust a man that has no home,
and lodges wherever night finds him?

Caution in taking advice.

⁷Every counselor praises counsel,
but some give counsel in their own interest.
⁸Be wary of a counselor, and learn first what is his interest -
for he will take thought for himself -
lest he cast the lot against you
⁹and tell you, "Your way is good,"
and then stand aloof to see what will happen to you.
¹⁰Do not consult the one who looks at you suspiciously;
hide your counsel from those who are jealous of you.
¹¹Do not consult with a woman about her rival
or with a coward about war,
with a merchant about barter
or with a buyer about selling,
with a grudging man about gratitude
or with a merciless man about kindness,
with an idler about any work
or with a man hired for a year
about completing his work,
with a lazy servant about a big task -
pay no attention to these in any matter of counsel.
¹²But stay constantly with a godly man
whom you know to be a keeper of the commandments,
whose soul is in accord with your soul,
and who will sorrow with you if you fail.
¹³And establish the counsel of your own heart,
for no one is more faithful to you than it is.
¹⁴For a man's soul sometimes keeps him better informed
than seven watchmen sitting high on a watchtower.
¹⁵And besides all this pray to the Most High
that he may direct your way in truth.

Wisdom & confidence.

¹⁶Reason is the beginning of every work,
and counsel precedes every undertaking.
¹⁷As a clue to changes of heart
¹⁸four turns of fortune appear, good and evil, life and death;
and it is the tongue that continually rules them.
¹⁹A man may be shrewd and the teacher of many,
and yet be unprofitable to himself.
²⁰A man skilled in words may be hated;
he will be destitute of all food,
²¹for grace was not given him by the Lord,
since he is lacking in all wisdom.
²²A man may be wise to his own advantage,
and the fruits of his understanding may be trustworthy on his lips.
²³A wise man will instruct his own people,
and the fruits of his understanding will be trustworthy.
²⁴A wise man will have praise heaped upon him,
and all who see him will call him happy.
²⁵The life of a man is numbered by days,
but the days of Israel are without number.
²⁶He who is wise among his people will inherit confidence,
and his name will live for ever.

Gluttony.

²⁷My son, test your soul while you live;
see what is bad for it and do not give it that.
²⁸For not everything is good for every one,
and not every person enjoys everything.
²⁹Do not have an insatiable appetite for any luxury,
and do not give yourself up to food;
³⁰for overeating brings sickness,
and gluttony leads to nausea.
³¹Many have died of gluttony,
but he who is careful to avoid it prolongs his life.

⁹My son, when you are sick do not be negligent,
but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you.
¹⁰Give up your faults and direct your hands aright,
and cleanse your heart from all sin.
¹¹Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice, and a memorial portion of fine flour,
and pour oil on your offering, as much as you can afford.
¹²And give the physician his place, for the Lord created him;
let him not leave you, for there is need of him.
¹³There is a time when success lies in the hands of physicians,
¹⁴for they too will pray to the Lord
that he should grant them success in diagnosis and in healing,
for the sake of preserving life.
¹⁵He who sins before his Maker,
may he fall into the care of a physician.

Mourning.

¹⁶My son, let your tears fall for the dead,
and as one who is suffering grievously begin the lament.
Lay out his body with the honour due him,
and do not neglect his burial.
¹⁷Let your weeping be bitter and your wailing fervent;
observe the mourning according to his merit,
for one day, or two, to avoid criticism;
then be comforted for your sorrow.
¹⁸For sorrow results in death,
and sorrow of heart saps one's strength.
¹⁹In calamity sorrow continues,
and the life of the poor man weighs down his heart.
²⁰Do not give your heart to sorrow;
drive it away, remembering the end of life.
²¹Do not forget, there is no coming back;
you do the dead no good, and you injure yourself.
²²"Remember my doom, for yours is like it:
yesterday it was mine, and today it is yours."
²³When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance cease,
and be comforted for him when his spirit is departed.

Scholars, artists, craftsmen.

²⁴The wisdom of the scribe depends on the opportunity of leisure;
and he who has little business may become wise.
²⁵How can he become wise who handles the plow,
and who glories in the shaft of a goad,
who drives oxen and is occupied with their work,
and whose talk is about bulls?
²⁶He sets his heart on plowing furrows,
and he is careful about fodder for the heifers.
²⁷So too is every craftsman and master workman
who labours by night as well as by day;
those who cut the signets of seals,
each is diligent in making a great variety;
he sets his heart on painting a lifelike image,
and he is careful to finish his work.
²⁸So too is the smith sitting by the anvil,
intent upon his handiwork in iron;
the breath of the fire melts his flesh,
and he wastes away in the heat of the furnace;
he inclines his ear to the sound of the hammer,
and his eyes are on the pattern of the object.
He sets his heart on finishing his handiwork,
and he is careful to complete its decoration.
²⁹So too is the potter sitting at his work
and turning the wheel with his feet;
he is always deeply concerned over his work,
and all his output is by number.
³⁰He moulds the clay with his arm
and makes it pliable with his feet;
he sets his heart to finish the glazing,
and he is careful to clean the furnace.
³¹All these rely upon their hands,
and each is skilful in his own work.
³²Without them a city cannot be established,
and men can neither sojourn nor live there.
³³Yet they are not sought out for the council of the people,
nor do they attain eminence in the public assembly.
They do not sit in the judge's seat,
nor do they understand the sentence of judgment;
they cannot expound discipline or judgment,
and they are not found using proverbs.
³⁴But they keep stable the fabric of the world,
and their prayer is in the practice of their trade.

⁶If the great Lord is willing,
he will be filled with the spirit of understanding;
he will pour forth words of wisdom
and give thanks to the Lord in prayer.
⁷He will direct his counsel and knowledge aright,
and meditate on his secrets.
⁸He will reveal instruction in his teaching,
and will glory in the law of the Lord's covenant.
⁹Many will praise his understanding,
and it will never be blotted out;
his memory will not disappear,
and his name will live through all generations.
¹⁰Nations will declare his wisdom,
and the congregation will proclaim his praise;
¹¹if he lives long, he will leave a name greater than a thousand,
and if he goes to rest, it is enough for him.

A hymn of praise.

¹²I have yet more to say, which I have thought upon,
and I am filled, like the moon at the full.
¹³Listen to me, O you holy sons,
and bud like a rose growing by a stream of water;
¹⁴send forth fragrance like frankincense,
and put forth blossoms like a lily.
Scatter the fragrance,
and sing a hymn of praise;
bless the Lord for all his works;
¹⁵ascribe majesty to his name
and give thanks to him with praise,
with songs on your lips, and with lyres;
and this you shall say in thanksgiving:
¹⁶"All things are the works of the Lord, for they are very good,
and whatever he commands will be done in his time."
No one can say, "What is this?" "Why is that?"
for in God's time all things will be sought after.

¹⁷At his word the waters stood in a heap,
and the reservoirs of water at the word of his mouth.
¹⁸At his command whatever pleases him is done,
and none can limit his saving power.
¹⁹The works of all flesh are before him,
and nothing can be hid from his eyes.
²⁰From everlasting to everlasting he beholds them,
and nothing is marvelous to him.
²¹No one can say, "What is this?" "Why is that?"
for everything has been created for its use.

²²His blessing covers the dry land like a river,
and drenches it like a flood.
²³The nations will incur his wrath,
just as he turns fresh water into salt.
²⁴To the holy his ways are straight,
just as they are obstacles to the wicked.
²⁵From the beginning good things were created for good people,
just as evil things for sinners.
²⁶Basic to all the needs of man's life
are water and fire and iron and salt and wheat flour and milk and honey,
the blood of the grape,
and oil and clothing.
²⁷All these are for good to the godly,
just as they turn into evils for sinners.

²⁸There are winds that have been created for vengeance,
and in their anger they scourge heavily;
in the time of consummation they will pour out their strength
and calm the anger of their Maker.
²⁹Fire and hail and famine and pestilence,
all these have been created for vengeance;
³⁰the teeth of wild beasts, and scorpions and vipers,
and the sword that punishes the ungodly with destruction;
³¹they will rejoice in his commands,
and be made ready on earth for their service,
and when their times come they will not transgress his word.

³²Therefore from the beginning I have been convinced,
and have thought this out and left it in writing:
³³The works of the Lord are all good,
and he will supply every need in its hour.
³⁴And no one can say, "This is worse than that,"
for all things will prove good in their season.
³⁵So now sing praise with all your heart and voice,
and bless the name of the Lord.

The results of evil.

¹²All bribery and injustice will be blotted out,
but good faith will stand for ever.
¹³The wealth of the unjust will dry up like a torrent,
and crash like a loud clap of thunder in a rain.
¹⁴A generous man will be made glad;
likewise transgressors will utterly fail.
¹⁵The children of the ungodly will not put forth many branches;
they are unhealthy roots upon sheer rock.
¹⁶The reeds by any water or river bank
will be plucked up before any grass.
¹⁷Kindness is like a garden of blessings,
and almsgiving endures for ever.

The joys of human life.

¹⁸Life is sweet for the self-reliant and the worker,
but he who finds treasure is better off than both.
¹⁹Children and the building of a city establish a man's name,
but a blameless wife is accounted better than both.
²⁰Wine and music gladden the heart,
but the love of wisdom is better than both.
²¹The flute and the harp make pleasant melody,
but a pleasant voice is better than both.
²²The eye desires grace and beauty,
but the green shoots of grain more than both.
²³A friend or a companion never meets one amiss,
but a wife with her husband is better than both.
²⁴Brothers and help are for a time of trouble,
but almsgiving rescues better than both.
²⁵Gold and silver make the foot stand sure,
but good counsel is esteemed more than both.
²⁶Riches and strength lift up the heart,
but the fear of the Lord is better than both.
There is no loss in the fear of the Lord,
and with it there is no need to seek for help.
²⁷The fear of the Lord is like a garden of blessing,
and covers a man better than any glory.

Begging.

²⁸My son, do not lead the life of a beggar;
it is better to die than to beg.
²⁹When a man looks to the table of another,
his existence cannot be considered as life.
He pollutes himself with another man's food,
but a man who is intelligent and well instructed guards against that.
³⁰In the mouth of the shameless begging is sweet,
but in his stomach a fire is kindled.

The fate of the wicked.

⁵The children of sinners are abominable children,
and they frequent the haunts of the ungodly.
⁶The inheritance of the children of sinners will perish,
and on their posterity will be a perpetual reproach.
⁷Children will blame an ungodly father,
for they suffer reproach because of him.
⁸Woe to you, ungodly men,
who have forsaken the law of the Most High God!
⁹When you are born, you are born to a curse;
and when you die, a curse is your lot.
¹⁰Whatever is from the dust returns to dust;
so the ungodly go from curse to destruction.

¹¹The mourning of men is about their bodies,
but the evil name of sinners will be blotted out.
¹²Have regard for your name, since it will remain for you
longer than a thousand great stores of gold.
¹³The days of a good life are numbered,
but a good name endures for ever.

A sense of decency.

¹⁴My children, observe instruction and be at peace;
hidden wisdom and unseen treasure,
what advantage is there in either of them?
¹⁵Better is the man who hides his folly
than the man who hides his wisdom.
¹⁶Therefore show respect for my words:
For it is good to retain every kind of shame,
and not everything is confidently esteemed by every one.

¹⁷Be ashamed of immorality, before your father or mother;
and of a lie, before a prince or a ruler;
¹⁸of a transgression, before a judge or magistrate;
and of iniquity, before a congregation or the people;
of unjust dealing, before your partner or friend;
¹⁹and of theft, in the place where you live.
Be ashamed before the truth of God and his covenant.
Be ashamed of selfish behavior at meals,
of surliness in receiving and giving,
²⁰and of silence, before those who greet you;
of looking at a woman who is a harlot,
²¹and of rejecting the appeal of a kinsman;
of taking away some one's portion or gift,
and of gazing at another man's wife;
²²of meddling with his maidservant -
and do not approach her bed;
of abusive words, before friends -
and do not upbraid after making a gift;
²³of repeating and telling what you hear,
and of revealing secrets.
Then you will show proper shame,
and will find favour with every man.

Fathers & daughters.

⁹A daughter keeps her father secretly wakeful,
and worry over her robs him of sleep;
when she is young, lest she do not marry,
or if married, lest she be hated;
¹⁰while a virgin, lest she be defiled
or become pregnant in her father's house;
or having a husband, lest she prove unfaithful,
or, though married, lest she be barren.
¹¹Keep strict watch over a headstrong daughter,
lest she make you a laughingstock to your enemies,
a byword in the city and notorious among the people,
and put you to shame before the great multitude.
¹²Do not look upon any one for beauty,
and do not sit in the midst of women;
¹³for from garments comes the moth,
and from a woman comes woman's wickedness.
¹⁴Better is the wickedness of a man than a woman who does good;
and it is a woman who brings shame and disgrace.

The glory of God in nature.

¹⁵I will now call to mind the works of the Lord,
and will declare what I have seen.
By the words of the Lord his works are done.
¹⁶The sun looks down on everything with its light,
and the work of the Lord is full of his glory.
¹⁷The Lord has not enabled his holy ones
to recount all his marvelous works,
which the Lord the Almighty has established
that the universe may stand firm in his glory.
¹⁸He searches out the abyss, and the hearts of men,
and considers their crafty devices.
For the Most High knows all that may be known,
and he looks into the signs of the age.
¹⁹He declares what has been and what is to be,
and he reveals the tracks of hidden things.
²⁰No thought escapes him,
and not one word is hidden from him.
²¹He has ordained the splendours of his wisdom,
and he is from everlasting and to everlasting.
Nothing can be added or taken away,
and he needs no one to be his counselor.
²²How greatly to be desired are all his works,
and how sparkling they are to see!
²³All these things live and remain for ever
for every need, and are all obedient.
²⁴All things are twofold, one opposite the other,
and he has made nothing incomplete.
²⁵One confirms the good things of the other,
and who can have enough of beholding his glory?

⁹The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven,
a gleaming array in the heights of the Lord.
¹⁰At the command of the Holy One they stand as ordered,
they never relax in their watches.
¹¹Look upon the rainbow, and praise him who made it,
exceedingly beautiful in its brightness.
¹²It encircles the heaven with its glorious arc;
the hands of the Most High have stretched it out.

¹³By his command he sends the driving snow
and speeds the lightnings of his judgment.
¹⁴Therefore the storehouses are opened,
and the clouds fly forth like birds.
¹⁵In his majesty he amasses the clouds,
and the hailstones are broken in pieces.
¹⁶At his appearing the mountains are shaken;
at his will the south wind blows.
¹⁷The voice of his thunder rebukes the earth;
so do the tempest from the north and the whirlwind.
He scatters the snow like birds flying down,
and its descent is like locusts alighting.
¹⁸The eye marvels at the beauty of its whiteness,
and the mind is amazed at its falling.
¹⁹He pours the hoarfrost upon the earth like salt,
and when it freezes, it becomes pointed thorns.
²⁰The cold north wind blows,
and ice freezes over the water;
it rests upon every pool of water,
and the water puts it on like a breastplate.
²¹He consumes the mountains and burns up the wilderness,
and withers the tender grass like fire.
²²A mist quickly heals all things;
when the dew appears, it refreshes from the heat.

²³By his counsel he stilled the great deep
and planted islands in it.
²⁴Those who sail the sea tell of its dangers,
and we marvel at what we hear.
²⁵for in it are strange and marvelous works,
all kinds of living things, and huge creatures of the sea.
²⁶Because of him his messenger finds the way,
and by his word all things hold together.

²⁷Though we speak much we cannot reach the end,
and the sum of our words is: "He is the all."
²⁸Where shall we find strength to praise him?
For he is greater than all his works.
²⁹Terrible is the Lord and very great,
and marvelous is his power.
³⁰When you praise the Lord, exalt him as much as you can;
for he will surpass even that.
When you exalt him, put forth all your strength,
and do not grow weary, for you cannot praise him enough.
³¹Who has seen him and can describe him?
Or who can extol him as he is?
³²Many things greater than these lie hidden,
for we have seen but few of his works.
³³For the Lord has made all things,
and to the godly he has granted wisdom.

Enoch.

¹⁶Enoch pleased the Lord, and was taken up;
he was an example of repentance to all generations.

Noah.

¹⁷Noah was found perfect and righteous;
in the time of wrath he was taken in exchange;
therefore a remnant was left to the earth
when the flood came.
¹⁸Everlasting covenants were made with him
that all flesh should not be blotted out by a flood.

Abraham.

¹⁹Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations,
and no one has been found like him in glory;
²⁰he kept the law of the Most High,
and was taken into covenant with him;
he established the covenant in his flesh,
and when he was tested he was found faithful.
²¹Therefore the Lord assured him by an oath
that the nations would be blessed through his posterity;
that he would multiply him like the dust of the earth,
and exalt his posterity like the stars,
and cause them to inherit from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Isaac & Jacob.

²²To Isaac also he gave the same assurance
for the sake of Abraham his father.
²³The blessing of all men and the covenant
he made to rest upon the head of Jacob;
he acknowledged him with his blessings,
and gave him his inheritance;
he determined his portions,
and distributed them among twelve tribes.

Aaron.

⁶He exalted Aaron, the brother of Moses,
a holy man like him, of the tribe of Levi.
⁷He made an everlasting covenant with him,
and gave him the priesthood of the people.
He blessed him with splendid vestments,
and put a glorious robe upon him.
⁸He clothed him with superb perfection,
and strengthened him with the symbols of authority,
the linen breeches, the long robe, and the ephod.
⁹And he encircled him with pomegranates,
with very many golden bells round about,
to send forth a sound as he walked,
to make their ringing heard in the temple
as a reminder to the sons of his people;
¹⁰with a holy garment, of gold and blue
and purple, the work of an embroiderer;
with the oracle of judgment,
Urim and Thummim;
¹¹with twisted scarlet, the work of a craftsman;
with precious stones engraved like signets,
in a setting of gold, the work of a jeweler,
for a reminder, in engraved letters,
according to the number of the tribes of Israel;
¹²with a gold crown upon his turban,
inscribed like a signet with "Holiness,"
a distinction to be prized, the work of an expert,
the delight of the eyes, richly adorned.
¹³Before his time there never were such beautiful things.
No outsider ever put them on,
but only his sons and his descendants perpetually.
¹⁴His sacrifices shall be wholly burned
twice every day continually.
¹⁵Moses ordained him, and anointed him with holy oil;
it was an everlasting covenant for him
and for his descendants all the days of heaven,
to minister to the Lord and serve as priest
and bless his people in his name.
¹⁶He chose him out of all the living
to offer sacrifice to the Lord,
incense and a pleasing odour as a memorial portion,
to make atonement for the people.
¹⁷In his commandments he gave him authority
and statutes and judgments,
to teach Jacob the testimonies,
and to enlighten Israel with his law.
¹⁸Outsiders conspired against him,
and envied him in the wilderness,
Dathan and Abiram and their men
and the company of Korah, in wrath and anger.
¹⁹The Lord saw it and was not pleased,
and in the wrath of his anger they were destroyed;
he wrought wonders against them
to consume them in flaming fire.
²⁰He added glory to Aaron and gave him a heritage;
he allotted to him the first of the first fruits,
he prepared bread of first fruits in abundance;
²¹for they eat the sacrifices to the Lord,
which he gave to him and his descendants.
²²But in the land of the people he has no inheritance,
and he has no portion among the people;
for the Lord himself is his portion and inheritance.

Phinehas.

²³Phinehas the son of Eleazar is the third in glory,
for he was zealous in the fear of the Lord,
and stood fast, when the people turned away,
in the ready goodness of his soul,
and made atonement for Israel.
²⁴Therefore a covenant of peace was established with him,
that he should be leader of the sanctuary and of his people,
that he and his descendants should have the dignity of the priesthood for ever.
²⁵A covenant was also established with David, the son of Jesse,
of the tribe of Judah: the heritage of the king is from son to son only;
so the heritage of Aaron is for his descendants.
²⁶May the Lord grant you wisdom in your heart
to judge his people in righteousness,
so that their prosperity may not vanish,
and that their glory may endure
throughout their generations.

Caleb.

⁷And in the days of Moses he did a loyal deed,
he and Caleb the son of Jephunneh:
they withstood the congregation,
restrained the people from sin,
and stilled their wicked murmuring.
⁸And these two alone were preserved
out of six hundred thousand people on foot,
to bring them into their inheritance,
into a land flowing with milk and honey.
⁹And the Lord gave Caleb strength,
which remained with him to old age,
so that he went up to the hill country,
and his children obtained it for an inheritance;
¹⁰so that all the sons of Israel might see
that it is good to follow the Lord.

The judges.

¹¹The judges also, with their respective names,
those whose hearts did not fall into idolatry
and who did not turn away from the Lord -
may their memory be blessed!
¹²May their bones revive from where they lie,
and may the name of those who have been honoured live again in their sons!

Samuel.

¹³Samuel, beloved by his Lord,
a prophet of the Lord, established the kingdom
and anointed rulers over his people.
¹⁴By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation,
and the Lord watched over Jacob.
¹⁵By his faithfulness he was proved to be a prophet,
and by his words he became known as a trustworthy seer.
¹⁶He called upon the Lord, the Mighty One,
when his enemies pressed him on every side,
and he offered in sacrifice a sucking lamb.
¹⁷Then the Lord thundered from heaven,
and made his voice heard with a mighty sound;
¹⁸and he wiped out the leaders of the people of Tyre
and all the rulers of the Philistines.
¹⁹Before the time of his eternal sleep,
Samuel called men to witness before the Lord and his anointed:
"I have not taken any one's property,
not so much as a pair of shoes."
And no man accused him.
²⁰Even after he had fallen asleep he prophesied
and revealed to the king his death,
and lifted up his voice out of the earth in prophecy,
to blot out the wickedness of the people.

David.

²As the fat is selected from the peace offering,
so David was selected from the sons of Israel.
³He played with lions as with young goats,
and with bears as with lambs of the flock.
⁴In his youth did he not kill a giant,
and take away reproach from the people,
when he lifted his hand with a stone in the sling
and struck down the boasting of Goliath?
⁵For he appealed to the Lord, the Most High,
and he gave him strength in his right hand
to slay a man mighty in war,
to exalt the power of his people.
⁶So they glorified him for his ten thousands,
and praised him for the blessings of the Lord,
when the glorious diadem was bestowed upon him.
⁷For he wiped out his enemies on every side,
and annihilated his adversaries the Philistines;
he crushed their power even to this day.
⁸In all that he did he gave thanks
to the Holy One, the Most High, with ascriptions of glory;
he sang praise with all his heart,
and he loved his Maker.
⁹He placed singers before the altar,
to make sweet melody with their voices.
¹⁰He gave beauty to the feasts,
and arranged their times throughout the year,
while they praised God's holy name,
and the sanctuary resounded from early morning.
¹¹The Lord took away his sins,
and exalted his power for ever;
he gave him the covenant of kings
and a throne of glory in Israel.

Solomon.

¹²After him rose up a wise son
who fared amply because of him;
¹³Solomon reigned in days of peace,
and God gave him rest on every side,
that he might build a house for his name
and prepare a sanctuary to stand for ever.
¹⁴How wise you became in your youth!
You overflowed like a river with understanding.
¹⁵Your soul covered the earth,
and you filled it with parables and riddles.
¹⁶Your name reached to far-off islands,
and you were loved for your peace.
¹⁷For your songs and proverbs and parables,
and for your interpretations, the countries marveled at you.
¹⁸In the name of the Lord God,
who is called the God of Israel,
you gathered gold like tin
and amassed silver like lead.
¹⁹But you laid your loins beside women,
and through your body you were brought into subjection.
²⁰You put stain upon your honour,
and defiled your posterity,
so that you brought wrath upon your children
and they were grieved at your folly,
²¹so that the sovereignty was divided
and a disobedient kingdom arose out of Ephraim.
²²But the Lord will never give up his mercy,
nor cause any of his works to perish;
he will never blot out the descendants of his chosen one,
nor destroy the posterity of him who loved him;
so he gave a remnant to Jacob,
and to David a root of his stock.

Rehoboam & Jeroboam.

²³Solomon rested with his fathers,
and left behind him one of his sons,
ample in folly and lacking in understanding,
Rehoboam, whose policy caused the people to revolt.
Also Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
who caused Israel to sin and gave to Ephraim a sinful way.
²⁴Their sins became exceedingly many,
so as to remove them from their land.
²⁵For they sought out every sort of wickedness,
till vengeance came upon them.

Elisha.

¹²It was Elijah who was covered by the whirlwind,
and Elisha was filled with his spirit;
in all his days he did not tremble before any ruler,
and no one brought him into subjection.
¹³Nothing was too hard for him,
and when he was dead his body prophesied.
¹⁴As in his life he did wonders,
so in death his deeds were marvelous.
¹⁵For all this the people did not repent,
and they did not forsake their sins,
till they were carried away captive from their land
and were scattered over all the earth;
the people were left very few in number,
but with rulers from the house of David.
¹⁶Some of them did what was pleasing to God,
but others multiplied sins.

Hezekiah.

¹⁷Hezekiah fortified his city,
and brought water into the midst of it;
he tunneled the sheer rock with iron
and built pools for water.
¹⁸In his days Sennacherib came up,
and sent the Rabshakeh;
he lifted up his hand against Zion
and made great boasts in his arrogance.
¹⁹Then their hearts were shaken and their hands trembled,
and they were in anguish, like women in travail.
²⁰But they called upon the Lord who is merciful,
spreading forth their hands toward him;
and the Holy One quickly heard them from heaven,
and delivered them by the hand of Isaiah.
²¹The Lord smote the camp of the Assyrians,
and his angel wiped them out.
²²For Hezekiah did what was pleasing to the Lord,
and he held strongly to the ways of David his father,
which Isaiah the prophet commanded,
who was great and faithful in his vision.
^{23 24}By the spirit of might he saw the last things,
and comforted those who mourned in Zion.
²⁵He revealed what was to occur to the end of time,
and the hidden things before they came to pass.

Jeremiah.

⁴Except David and Hezekiah and Josiah
they all sinned greatly,
for they forsook the law of the Most High;
the kings of Judah came to an end;
⁵for they gave their power to others,
and their glory to a foreign nation,
⁶who set fire to the chosen city of the sanctuary,
and made her streets desolate,
according to the word of Jeremiah.
⁷For they had afflicted him;
yet he had been consecrated in the womb as prophet,
to pluck up and afflict and destroy,
and likewise to build and to plant.

Ezekiel.

⁸It was Ezekiel who saw the vision of glory
which God showed him above the chariot of the cherubim.
⁹For God remembered his enemies with storm,
and did good to those who directed their ways aright.

The twelve prophets.

¹⁰May the bones of the twelve prophets
revive from where they lie,
for they comforted the people of Jacob
and delivered them with confident hope.

Zerubabel & Joshua.

¹¹How shall we magnify Zerubbabel?
He was like a signet on the right hand,
¹²and so was Jeshua the son of Jozadak;
in their days they built the house
and raised a temple holy to the Lord,
prepared for everlasting glory.

Nehemiah.

¹³The memory of Nehemiah also is lasting;
he raised for us the walls that had fallen,
and set up the gates and bars
and rebuilt our ruined houses.

The Patriarchs.

¹⁴No one like Enoch has been created on earth,
for he was taken up from the earth.
¹⁵And no man like Joseph has been born,
and his bones are cared for.
¹⁶Shem and Seth were honoured among men,
and Adam above every living being in the creation.

A benediction.

²²And now bless the God of all,
who in every way does great things;
who exalts our days from birth,
and deals with us according to his mercy.
²³May he give us gladness of heart,
and grant that peace may be in our days in Israel,
as in the days of old.
²⁴May he entrust to us his mercy!
And let him deliver us in our days!

²⁵With two nations my soul is vexed,
and the third is no nation:
²⁶Those who live on Mount Seir, and the Philistines,
and the foolish people that dwell in Shechem.

Three hated nations.

²⁷Instruction in understanding and knowledge
I have written in this book,
Jesus the son of Sirach, son of Eleazar, of Jerusalem,
who out of his heart poured forth wisdom.
²⁸Blessed is he who concerns himself with these things,
and he who lays them to heart will become wise.
²⁹For if he does them, he will be strong for all things,
for the light of the Lord is his path.

The search for Wisdom.

¹³While I was still young, before I went on my travels,
I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.
¹⁴Before the temple I asked for her,
and I will search for her to the last.
¹⁵From blossom to ripening grape my heart delighted in her;
my foot entered upon the straight path;
from my youth I followed her steps.
¹⁶I inclined my ear a little and received her,
and I found for myself much instruction.
¹⁷I made progress therein;
to him who gives wisdom I will give glory.
¹⁸For I resolved to live according to wisdom,
and I was zealous for the good;
and I shall never be put to shame.
¹⁹My soul grappled with wisdom,
and in my conduct I was strict;
I spread out my hands to the heavens,
and lamented my ignorance of her.
²⁰I directed my soul to her,
and through purification I found her.
I gained understanding with her from the first,
therefore I will not be forsaken.
²¹My heart was stirred to seek her,
therefore I have gained a good possession.
²²The Lord gave me a tongue as my reward,
and I will praise him with it.

²³Draw near to me, you who are untaught,
and lodge in my school.
²⁴Why do you say you are lacking in these things,
and why are your souls very thirsty?
²⁵I opened my mouth and said,
Get these things for yourselves without money.
²⁶Put your neck under the yoke,
and let your souls receive instruction;
it is to be found close by.
²⁷See with your eyes that I have laboured little
and found myself much rest.
²⁸Get instruction with a large sum of silver,
and you will gain by it much gold.
²⁹May your soul rejoice in his mercy,
and may you not be put to shame when you praise him.
³⁰Do your work before the appointed time,
and in God's time he will give you your reward.