⁵Every proud man is an abomination to the Lord: though hand should be joined to hand, he is not innocent. The beginning of a good way is to do justice: and this is more acceptable with God, than to offer sacrifices.

⁶By mercy and truth iniquity is redeemed; and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

⁷When the ways of man shall please the Lord, he will convert even his enemies to peace.

⁸Better is a little with justice, than great revenues with iniquity.

⁹The heart of man disposeth his way: but the Lord must direct his steps.

¹⁰Divination is in the lips of the king, his mouth shall not err in judgment.

¹¹Weight and balance are judgments of the Lord: and his work all the weights of the bag.

¹²They that act wickedly are abominable to the king: for the throne is established by justice.

¹³Just lips are the delight of kings: he that speaketh right things shall be loved.

¹⁴The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: and the wise man will pacify it.

¹⁵In the cheerfulness of the king’s countenance is life: and his clemency is like the latter rain.

¹⁶Get wisdom, because it is better than gold: and purchase prudence, for it is more precious than silver.

¹⁷The path of the just departeth from evils: he that keepeth his soul keepeth his way.

¹⁸Pride goeth before destruction: and the spirit is lifted up before a fall.

¹⁹It is better to be humbled with the meek, than to divide spoils with the proud.

²⁰The learned in word shall find good things: and he that trusteth in the Lord is blessed.

²¹The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and he that is sweet in words, shall attain to greater things.

²²Knowledge is a fountain of life to him that possesseth it: the instruction of fools is foolishness.

²³The heart of the wise shall instruct his mouth: and shall add grace to his lips.

²⁴Well ordered words are as a honeycomb: sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

²⁵There is a way that seemeth to a man right: and the ends thereof lead to death.

²⁶The soul of him that laboureth, laboureth for himself, because his mouth hath obliged him to it.

²⁷The wicked man diggeth evil, and in his lips is a burning fire.

²⁸A perverse man stirreth up quarrels: and one full of words separateth princes.

²⁹An unjust man allureth his friend: and leadeth him into a way that is not good.

³⁰He that with fixed eyes deviseth wicked things, biting his lips, bringeth evil to pass.

³¹Old age is a crown of dignity, when it is found in the ways of justice.

³²The patient man is better than the valiant: and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh cities.

³³Lots are cast into the lap, but they are disposed of by the Lord.

Chapter 17

Better is a dry morsel with joy, than a house full of victims with strife.

²A wise servant shall rule over foolish sons, and shall divide the inheritance among the brethren.

³As silver is tried by fire, and gold in the furnace: so the Lord trieth the hearts.

⁴The evil man obeyeth an unjust tongue: and the deceitful hearkeneth to lying lips.

⁵He that despiseth the poor, reproacheth his maker: and he that rejoiceth at another man’s ruin, shall not be unpunished.

⁶Children’s children are the crown of old men: and the glory of children are their fathers.

⁷Eloquent words do not become a fool, nor lying lips a prince.

⁸The expectation of him that expecteth is a most acceptable jewel: whithersoever he turneth himself, he understandeth wisely.

⁹He that concealeth a transgression, seeketh friendships: he that repeateth it again, separateth friends.

¹⁰A reproof availeth more with a wise man, than a hundred stripes with a fool.

¹¹An evil man always seeketh quarrels: but a cruel angel shall be sent against him.

¹²It is better to meet a bear robbed of her whelps, than a fool trusting in his own folly.

¹³He that rendereth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

¹⁴The beginning of quarrels is as when one letteth out water: and before he suffereth reproach, he forsaketh judgment.

¹⁵He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, both are abominable before God.

¹⁶What doth it avail a fool to have riches, seeing he cannot buy wisdom? He that maketh his house high, seeketh a downfall: and he that refuseth to learn, shall fall into evils.

¹⁷He that is a friend loveth at all times: and a brother is proved in distress.

¹⁸A foolish man will clap hands, when he is surety for his friend.

¹⁹He that studieth discords, loveth quarrels: and he that exalteth his door, seeketh ruin.

²⁰He that is of a perverse heart, shall not find good: and he that perverteth his tongue, shall fall into evil.

²¹A fool is born to his own disgrace: and even his father shall not rejoice in a fool.

²²A joyful mind maketh age flourishing: a sorrowful spirit drieth up the bones.

²³The wicked man taketh gifts out of the bosom, that he may pervert the paths of judgment.

²⁴Wisdom shineth in the face of the wise: the eyes of fools are in the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son is the anger of the father: and the sorrow of the mother that bore him.

²⁶It is no good thing to do hurt to the just: nor to strike the prince, who judgeth right.

²⁷He that setteth bounds to his words, is knowing and wise: and the man of understanding is of a precious spirit.

²⁸Even a fool, if he will hold his peace, shall be counted wise: and if he close his lips, a man of understanding.

Chapter 18

He that hath a mind to depart from a friend, seeketh occasions: he shall ever be subject to reproach.

²A fool receiveth not the words of prudence: unless thou say those things which are in his heart.

³The wicked man, when he is come into the depths of sins, contemneth: but ignominy and reproach follow him.

⁴Words from the mouth of a man are as deep water: and the fountain of wisdom is an overflowing stream.

⁵It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to decline from the truth of judgment.

⁶The lips of a fool intermeddle with strife: and his mouth provoketh quarrels.

⁷The mouth of a fool is his destruction: and his lips are the ruin of his soul.

⁸The words of the double tongued are as if they were harmless: and they reach even to the inner parts of the bowels. Fear casteth down the slothful: and the souls of the effeminate shall be hungry.

⁹He that is loose and slack in his work, is the brother of him that wasteth his own works.

¹⁰The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the just runneth to it, and shall be exalted.

¹¹The substance of the rich man is the city of his strength, and as a strong wall compassing him about.

¹²Before destruction, the heart of a man is exalted: and before he be glorified, it is humbled.

¹³He that answereth before he heareth, sheweth himself to be a fool, and worthy of confusion.

¹⁴The spirit of a man upholdeth his infirmity: but a spirit that is easily angered, who can bear?

¹⁵A wise heart shall acquire knowledge: and the ear of the wise seeketh instruction.

¹⁶A man’s gift enlargeth his way, and maketh him room before princes.

¹⁷The just is first accuser of himself: his friend cometh, and shall search him.

¹⁸The lot suppresseth contentions, and determineth even between the mighty.

¹⁹A brother that is helped by his brother, is like a strong city: and judgments are like the bars of cities.

²⁰Of the fruit of a man’s mouth shall his belly be satisfied: and the offspring of his lips shall fill him.

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue: they that love it, shall eat the fruits thereof.

²²He that hath found a good wife, hath found a good thing, and shall receive a pleasure from the Lord. He that driveth away a good wife, driveth away a good thing: but he that keepeth an adulteress, is foolish and wicked.

²³The poor will speak with supplications, and the rich will speak roughly.

²⁴A man amiable in society, shall be more friendly than a brother.

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