21 The Lord can control a king’s mind as he controls a river;

he can direct it as he pleases.

2  You may believe you are doing right,

but the Lord judges your reasons.

3  Doing what is right and fair

is more important to the Lord than sacrifices.

4  Proud looks, proud thoughts,

and evil actions are sin.

5  The plans of hard-working people earn a profit,

but those who act too quickly become poor.

6  Wealth that comes from telling lies

vanishes like a mist and leads to death.

7  The violence of the wicked will destroy them,

because they refuse to do what is right.

8  Guilty people live dishonest lives,

but honest people do right.

9  It is better to live in a corner on the roof n

than inside the house with a quarreling wife.

10  Evil people only want to harm others.

Their neighbors get no mercy from them.

11  If you punish those who make fun of wisdom, a foolish person may gain some wisdom.

But if you teach the wise, they will get knowledge.

12  God, who is always right, watches the house of the wicked

and brings ruin on every evil person.

13  Whoever ignores the poor when they cry for help

will also cry for help and not be answered.

14  A secret gift will calm an angry person;

a present given in secrecy will quiet great anger.

15  When justice is done, good people are happy,

but evil people are ruined.

16  Whoever does not use good sense

will end up among the dead.

17  Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;

whoever loves wine and perfume will never be rich.

18  Wicked people will suffer instead of good people,

and those who cannot be trusted will suffer instead of those who do right.

19  It is better to live alone in the desert

than with a quarreling and complaining wife.

20  Wise people’s houses are full of the best foods and olive oil,

but fools waste everything they have.

21  Whoever tries to live right and be loyal

finds life, success, and honor.

22  A wise person can defeat a city full of warriors

and tear down the defenses they trust in.

23  Those who are careful about what they say

keep themselves out of trouble.

24  People who act with stubborn pride

are called “proud,” “bragger,” and “mocker.”

25  Lazy people’s desire for sleep will kill them,

because they refuse to work.

26  All day long they wish for more,

but good people give without holding back.

27  The Lord hates sacrifices brought by evil people,

particularly when they offer them for the wrong reasons.

28  A lying witness will be forgotten,

but a truthful witness will speak on.

29  Wicked people are stubborn,

but good people think carefully about what they do.

30  There is no wisdom, understanding, or advice

that can succeed against the Lord.

31  You can get the horses ready for battle,

but it is the Lord who gives the victory.

22 Being respected is more important than having great riches.

To be well thought of is better than silver or gold.

2  The rich and the poor are alike

in that the Lord made them all.

3  The wise see danger ahead and avoid it,

but fools keep going and get into trouble.

4  Respecting the Lord and not being proud

will bring you wealth, honor, and life.

5  Evil people’s lives are like paths covered with thorns and traps.

People who guard themselves don’t have such problems.

6  Train children to live the right way,

and when they are old, they will not stray from it.

7  The rich rule over the poor,

and borrowers are servants to lenders.

8  Those who plan evil will receive trouble.

Their cruel anger will come to an end.

9  Generous people will be blessed,

because they share their food with the poor.

10  Get rid of the one who makes fun of wisdom.

Then fighting, quarrels, and insults will stop.

11  Whoever loves pure thoughts and kind words

will have even the king as a friend.

12  The Lord guards knowledge,

but he destroys false words.

13  The lazy person says, “There’s a lion outside!

I might get killed out in the street!”

14  The words of an unfaithful wife are like a deep trap.

Those who make the Lord angry will get caught by them.

15  Every child is full of foolishness,

but punishment can get rid of it.

16  Whoever gets rich by mistreating the poor,

and gives presents to the wealthy, will become poor.

Other Wise Sayings

17  Listen carefully to what wise people say;

pay attention to what I am teaching you.

18  It will be good to keep these things in mind

so that you are ready to repeat them.

19  I am teaching them to you now

so that you will put your trust in the Lord.

20  I have written thirty sayings for you,

which give knowledge and good advice.

21  I am teaching you true and reliable words

so that you can give true answers to anyone who asks.

22  Do not abuse poor people because they are poor,

and do not take away the rights of the needy in court.

23  The Lord will defend them in court

and will take the life of those who take away their rights.

24  Don’t make friends with quick-tempered people

or spend time with those who have bad tempers.

25  If you do, you will be like them.

Then you will be in real danger.

26  Don’t promise to pay what someone else owes,

and don’t guarantee anyone’s loan.

27  If you cannot pay the loan,

your own bed may be taken right out from under you.

28  Don’t move an old stone that marks a border,

because those stones were set up by your ancestors.

29  Do you see people skilled in their work?

They will work for kings, not for ordinary people.

23 If you sit down to eat with a ruler,

notice the food that is in front of you.

2  Control yourself

if you have a big appetite.

3  Don’t be greedy for his fine foods,

because that food might be a trick.

4  Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich;

be wise enough to control yourself.

5  Wealth can vanish in the wink of an eye.

It can seem to grow wings

and fly away like an eagle.

6  Don’t eat the food of selfish people;

don’t be greedy for their fine foods.

7  Selfish people are always worrying

about how much the food costs.

They tell you, “Eat and drink,”

but they don’t really mean it.

8  You will throw up the little you have eaten,

and you will have wasted your kind words.

9  Don’t speak to fools;

they will only ignore your wise words.

10  Don’t move an old stone that marks a border,

and don’t take fields that belong to orphans.

11  God, their defender, is strong;

he will take their side against you.

12  Remember what you are taught,

and listen carefully to words of knowledge.

13  Don’t fail to punish children.

If you spank them, they won’t die.

14  If you spank them,

you will save them from death.

15  My child, if you are wise,

then I will be happy.

16  I will be so pleased

if you speak what is right.

17  Don’t envy sinners,

but always respect the Lord.

18  Then you will have hope for the future,

and your wishes will come true.

19  Listen, my child, and be wise.

Keep your mind on what is right.

20  Don’t drink too much wine

or eat too much food.

21  Those who drink and eat too much become poor.

They sleep too much and end up wearing rags.

22  Listen to your father, who gave you life,

and do not forget your mother when she is old.

23  Learn the truth and never reject it.

Get wisdom, self-control, and understanding.

24  The father of a good child is very happy;

parents who have wise children are glad because of them.

25  Make your father and mother happy;

give your mother a reason to be glad.

26  My son, pay attention to me,

and watch closely what I do.

27  A prostitute is as dangerous as a deep pit,

and an unfaithful wife is like a narrow well.

28  They ambush you like robbers

and cause many men to be unfaithful to their wives.

29  Who has trouble? Who has pain?

Who fights? Who complains?

Who has unnecessary bruises?

Who has bloodshot eyes?

30  It is people who drink too much wine,

who try out all different kinds of strong drinks.

31  Don’t stare at the wine when it is red,

when it sparkles in the cup,

when it goes down smoothly.

32  Later it bites like a snake

with poison in its fangs.

33  Your eyes will see strange sights,

and your mind will be confused.

34  You will feel dizzy as if you’re in a storm on the ocean,

as if you’re on top of a ship’s sails.

35  You will think, “They hit me, but I’m not hurt.

They beat me up, but I don’t remember it.

I wish I could wake up.

Then I would get another drink.”

24 Don’t envy evil people

or try to be friends with them.

2  Their minds are always planning violence,

and they always talk about making trouble.

3  It takes wisdom to have a good family,

and it takes understanding to make it strong.

4  It takes knowledge to fill a home

with rare and beautiful treasures.

5  Wise people have great power,

and those with knowledge have great strength.

6  So you need advice when you go to war.

If you have lots of good advice, you will win.

7  Foolish people cannot understand wisdom.

They have nothing to say in a discussion.

8  Whoever makes evil plans

will be known as a troublemaker.

9  Making foolish plans is sinful,

and making fun of wisdom is hateful.

10  If you give up when trouble comes,

it shows that you are weak.

11  Save those who are being led to their death;

rescue those who are about to be killed.

12  If you say, “We don’t know anything about this,”

God, who knows what’s in your mind, will notice.

He is watching you, and he will know.

He will reward each person for what he has done.

13  My child, eat honey because it is good.

Honey from the honeycomb tastes sweet.

14  In the same way, wisdom is pleasing to you.

If you find it, you have hope for the future,

and your wishes will come true.

15  Don’t be wicked and attack a good family’s house;

don’t rob the place where they live.

16  Even though good people may be bothered by trouble seven times, they are never defeated,

but the wicked are overwhelmed by trouble.

17  Don’t be happy when your enemy is defeated;

don’t be glad when he is overwhelmed.

18  The Lord will notice and be displeased.

He may not be angry with them anymore.

19  Don’t envy evil people,

and don’t be jealous of the wicked.

20  An evil person has nothing to hope for;

the wicked will die like a flame that is put out.

21  My child, respect the Lord and the king.

Don’t join those people who refuse to obey them.

22  The Lord and the king will quickly destroy such people.

Those two can cause great disaster!

More Words of Wisdom

23 These are also sayings of the wise:

It is not good to take sides when you are the judge.

24  Don’t tell the wicked that they are innocent;

people will curse you, and nations will hate you.

25  But things will go well if you punish the guilty,

and you will receive rich blessings.

26  An honest answer is as pleasing

as a kiss on the lips.

27  First, finish your outside work

and prepare your fields.

After that, you can build your house.

28  Don’t testify against your neighbor for no good reason.

Don’t say things that are false.

29  Don’t say, “I’ll get even;

I’ll do to him what he did to me.”

30  I passed by a lazy person’s field

and by the vineyard of someone with no sense.

31  Thorns had grown up everywhere.

The ground was covered with weeds,

and the stone walls had fallen down.

32  I thought about what I had seen;

I learned this lesson from what I saw.

33  You sleep a little; you take a nap.

You fold your hands and lie down to rest.

34  Soon you will be as poor as if you had been robbed;

you will have as little as if you had been held up.

More Wise Sayings of Solomon

25 These are more wise sayings of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah.

2  God is honored for what he keeps secret.

Kings are honored for what they can discover.

3  No one can measure the height of the skies or the depth of the earth.

So also no one can understand the mind of a king.

4  Remove the scum from the silver,

so the silver can be used by the silversmith.

5  Remove wicked people from the king’s presence;

then his government will be honest and last a long time.

6  Don’t brag to the king

and act as if you are great.

7  It is better for him to give you a higher position

than to bring you down in front of the prince.

Because of something you have seen,

8  do not quickly take someone to court.

What will you do later

when your neighbor proves you wrong?

9  If you have an argument with your neighbor,

don’t tell other people what was said.

10  Whoever hears it might shame you,

and you might not ever be respected again.

11  The right word spoken at the right time

is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl.

12  A wise warning to someone who will listen

is as valuable as gold earrings or fine gold jewelry.

13  Trustworthy messengers refresh those who send them,

like the coolness of snow in the summertime.

14  People who brag about gifts they never give

are like clouds and wind that give no rain.

15  With patience you can convince a ruler,

and a gentle word can get through to the hard-headed.

16  If you find honey, don’t eat too much,

or it will make you throw up.

17  Don’t go to your neighbor’s house too often;

too much of you will make him hate you.

18  When you lie about your neighbors,

it hurts them as much as a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.

19  Trusting unfaithful people when you are in trouble

is like eating with a broken tooth or walking with a crippled foot.

20  Singing songs to someone who is sad

is like taking away his coat on a cold day

or pouring vinegar on soda.

21  If your enemy is hungry, feed him.

If he is thirsty, give him a drink.

22  Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head,

and the Lord will reward you.

23  As the north wind brings rain,

telling gossip brings angry looks.

24  It is better to live in a corner on the roof n

than inside the house with a quarreling wife.

25  Good news from a faraway place

is like a cool drink when you are tired.

26  A good person who gives in to evil

is like a muddy spring or a dirty well.

27  It is not good to eat too much honey,

nor does it bring you honor to brag about yourself.

28  Those who do not control themselves

are like a city whose walls are broken down.