1 aMy son, hast thou sinned, (then) add not thereto;

And pray concerning thy former (sins)a b.

2 cFlee from sin das from the face of a serpentd;

For if thou come nigh it, it will bite theee;

Likef the teeth of a lion gare the teeth thereof,g

It slayethh the souls of men.

3 Like a two-edged sword is iall iniquityi,

From the stroke thereof is no healing.

G 4 kTyranny and violencek makekk habitationsl desolate,

Andll the housem nof the arrogantn is rooted outo.

5 The supplication of the poor man comethp unto His ears,

qAnd his vindicationr cometh quicklyq.

6 He that hateth reproof s[walketh] in the path of a sinners,

But he that feareth Godt will turn [to Him] whole-heartedlyu.

S 7 vThe wise discerneth him that is before him,

And spieth out the sinner at oncev.

G 8 He that buildeth his house with other men’s money

Is as one gathering stones for his wsepulchral moundw.

9 (Like) tow wrapped together is the assembly of the ungodly,

And their end is the flame of firex.

10 The way of sinners is ymade smooth withoutz stonesy,

And at the end thereof is zzthe pit of Hadeszz.

(c) 21:11–17. The contrast between the godly man who is wise and the godless man who is a fool

(= 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 distichs).