yWine is a mocker, zstrong drink a brawler,

and whoever ais led astray by it is not wise.1

2  The terror of a king is like bthe growling of a lion;

whoever provokes him to anger cforfeits his life.

3  It is an honor for a man to dkeep aloof from strife,

but every fool will be quarreling.

4  eThe sluggard does not plow in the autumn;

fhe will seek at harvest and have nothing.

5  The purpose in a man’s heart is like gdeep water,

but a man of understanding will draw it out.

6  Many a man hproclaims his own steadfast love,

but ia faithful man who can find?

7  The righteous who jwalks in his integrity—

kblessed are his children after him!

8  lA king who sits on the throne of judgment

mwinnows all evil with his eyes.

9  nWho can say, “I have made my heart pure;

I am clean from my sin”?

10  oUnequal2 weights and unequal measures

are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

11  Even a child pmakes himself known by his acts,

by whether his conduct is pure and upright.3

12  qThe hearing ear and the seeing eye,

rthe Lord has made them both.

13  sLove not sleep, lest you tcome to poverty;

open your eyes, and you will have uplenty of bread.

14  “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,

but when he goes away, then he boasts.

15  There is gold and abundance of vcostly stones,

wbut the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16  xTake a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,

and yhold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.4

17  zBread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,

but afterward his mouth will be full of agravel.

18  bPlans are established by counsel;

by cwise guidance dwage war.

19  Whoever egoes about slandering reveals secrets;

therefore do not associate with fa simple babbler.5

20  gIf one curses his father or his mother,

hhis lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

21  iAn inheritance gained hastily in the beginning

will not be blessed in the end.

22  Do not say, j“I will repay evil”;

kwait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

23  lUnequal weights are an abomination to the Lord,

and mfalse scales are not good.

24  A man’s nsteps are from the Lord;

how then can man understand his way?

25  It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”

and to reflect only oafter making vows.

26  A wise king pwinnows the wicked

and drives qthe wheel over them.

27  rThe spirit6 of man is the lamp of the Lord,

ssearching all this innermost parts.

28  uSteadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,

and by steadfast love his vthrone is upheld.

29  The glory of young men is their strength,

but wthe splendor of old men is their gray hair.

30  xBlows that wound cleanse away evil;

strokes make clean tthe innermost parts.

21 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;

he yturns it wherever he will.

2  zEvery way of a man is right in his own eyes,

but the Lord aweighs the heart.

3  bTo do righteousness and justice

is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

4  cHaughty eyes and a proud heart,

dthe lamp1 of the wicked, are sin.

5  The plans of ethe diligent lead surely to abundance,

but everyone who is fhasty comes gonly to poverty.

6  hThe getting of treasures by a lying tongue

is a ifleeting jvapor and a ksnare of death.2

7  The violence of the wicked will lsweep them away,

because they refuse to do what is just.

8  The way of the guilty mis crooked,

but the conduct of the pure is upright.

9  It is nbetter to live in a corner of the housetop

than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

10  The soul of the wicked desires evil;

his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.

11  When oa scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;

when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.