17 Better is aa dry morsel with quietness,

Than a house full of 1feasting with strife.

2 A wise servant will rule over ba son who causes shame,

And will share an inheritance among the brothers.

3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,

cBut the Lord tests the hearts.

4 An evildoer gives heed to false lips;

A liar listens eagerly to a 2spiteful tongue.

5 dHe who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;

eHe who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

6 fChildren’s children are the crown of old men,

And the glory of children is their father.

7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,

Much less lying lips to a prince.

8 A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor;

Wherever he turns, he prospers.

9 gHe who covers a transgression seeks love,

But hhe who repeats a matter separates friends.

10 iRebuke is more effective for a wise man

Than a hundred blows on a fool.

11 An evil man seeks only rebellion;

Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12 Let a man meet ja bear robbed of her cubs,

Rather than a fool in his folly.

13 Whoever krewards evil for good,

Evil will not depart from his house.

14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water;

Therefore lstop contention before a quarrel starts.

15 mHe who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,

Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

16 Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,

Since he has no heart for it?

17 nA friend loves at all times,

And a brother is born for adversity.

18 oA man devoid of 3understanding 4shakes hands in a pledge,

And becomes 5surety for his friend.

19 He who loves transgression loves strife,

And phe who exalts his gate seeks destruction.

20 He who has a 6deceitful heart finds no good,

And he who has qa perverse tongue falls into evil.

21 He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,

And the father of a fool has no joy.

22 A rmerry heart 7does good, like medicine,

But a broken spirit dries the bones.

23 A wicked man accepts a bribe 8behind the back

To pervert the ways of justice.

24 sWisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,

But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

25 A tfoolish son is a grief to his father,

And bitterness to her who bore him.

26 Also, to punish the righteous is not good,

Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.

27 uHe who has knowledge spares his words,

And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.

28 vEven a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;

When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

18 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;

He rages against all 1wise judgment.

2 A fool has no delight in understanding,

But in expressing his aown heart.

3 When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;

And with dishonor comes reproach.

4 bThe words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;

cThe wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.

5 It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,

Or to overthrow the righteous in djudgment.

6 A fool’s lips enter into contention,

And his mouth calls for blows.

7 eA fool’s mouth is his destruction,

And his lips are the snare of his fsoul.

8 gThe words of a 2talebearer are like 3tasty trifles,

And they go down into the 4inmost body.

9 He who is slothful in his work

Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

10 The name of the Lord is a strong htower;

The righteous run to it and are 5safe.

11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

And like a high wall in his own esteem.

12 iBefore destruction the heart of a man is haughty,

And before honor is humility.

13 He who answers a matter before he hears it,

It is folly and shame to him.

14 The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,

But who can bear a broken spirit?

15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge,

And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

16 jA man’s gift makes room for him,

And brings him before great men.

17 The first one to plead his cause seems right,

Until his neighbor comes and examines him.

18 Casting klots causes contentions to cease,

And keeps the mighty apart.

19 A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,

And contentions are like the bars of a castle.

20 lA man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;

From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.

21 mDeath and life are in the power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit.

22 nHe who finds a wife finds a good thing,

And obtains favor from the Lord.

23 The poor man uses entreaties,

But the rich answers oroughly.

24 A man who has friends 6must himself be friendly,

pBut there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

19 Better ais the poor who walks in his integrity

Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

2 Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge,

And he sins who hastens with his feet.

3 The foolishness of a man twists his way,

And his heart frets against the Lord.

4 bWealth makes many friends,

But the poor is separated from his friend.

5 A cfalse witness will not go unpunished,

And he who speaks lies will not escape.

6 Many entreat the favor of the nobility,

And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.

7 dAll the brothers of the poor hate him;

How much more do his friends go efar from him!

He may pursue them with words, yet they 1abandon him.

8 He who gets 2wisdom loves his own soul;

He who keeps understanding fwill find good.

9 A false witness will not go unpunished,

And he who speaks lies shall perish.

10 Luxury is not fitting for a fool,

Much less gfor a servant to rule over princes.

11 hThe discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,

iAnd his glory is to overlook a transgression.

12 jThe king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,

But his favor is klike dew on the grass.

13 lA foolish son is the ruin of his father,

mAnd the contentions of a wife are a continual 3dripping.

14 nHouses and riches are an inheritance from fathers,

But oa prudent wife is from the Lord.

15 pLaziness casts one into a deep sleep,

And an idle person will qsuffer hunger.

16 rHe who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,

But he who 4is careless of his ways will die.

17 sHe who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,

And He will pay back what he has given.

18 tChasten your son while there is hope,

And do not set your heart 5on his destruction.

19 A man of great wrath will suffer punishment;

For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.

20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction,

That you may be wise uin your latter days.

21 There are many plans in a man’s heart,

vNevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

22 What is desired in a man is 6kindness,

And a poor man is better than a liar.

23 wThe fear of the Lord leads to life,

And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;

He will not be visited with evil.

24 xA lazy man buries his hand in the 7bowl,

And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple ywill become wary;

zRebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.

26 He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother

Is aa son who causes shame and brings reproach.

27 Cease listening to instruction, my son,

And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A 8disreputable witness scorns justice,

And bthe mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.

29 Judgments are prepared for scoffers,

cAnd beatings for the backs of fools.