1 Wineisa mocker,
Strong drinkisa brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
2 The wrath of a kingislike the roaring of a lion;
Whoeverprovokes him to anger sinsagainsthis own life.
3 Itishonorable for a man to stop striving,
Since any fool can start a quarrel.
4 The lazymanwill not plow because of winter;
# He will beg during harvest andhavenothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of manislikedeep water,
But a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 Most men will proclaim each his own goodness,
But who can find a faithful man?
7 The righteousmanwalks in his integrity;
# His childrenareblessed after him.
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment
Scatters all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin”?
10 Diverse weightsanddiverse measures,
Theyareboth alike, an abomination to theLord.
11 Even a child isknown by his deeds,
Whether what he doesispure and right.
12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
TheLordhas made them both.
13 Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty;
Open your eyes,andyou will be satisfied with bread.
14 “Itisgood for nothing,” cries the buyer;
But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.
15 There is gold and a multitude of rubies,
# Butthe lips of knowledgearea precious jewel.
16 Take the garment of one who is suretyfora stranger,
And hold it as a pledgewhenitis for a seductress.
17 Bread gained by deceitissweet to a man,
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
18 Plans are established by counsel;
# By wise counsel wage war.
19 He who goes aboutasa talebearer reveals secrets;
# Therefore do not associate with onewho flatters with his lips.
20 Whoever curses his father or his mother,
# His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.
21 An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning
# Will not be blessed at the end.
22 Do not say, “I will recompense evil”;
# Wait for theLord, and He will save you.
23 Diverse weightsarean abomination to theLord,
And dishonest scalesarenot good.
24 A man’s stepsareof theLord;
How then can a man understand his own way?
25 Itisa snare for a man to devote rashlysomethingasholy,
And afterward to reconsiderhisvows.
26 A wise king sifts out the wicked,
And brings the threshing wheel over them.
27 The spirit of a manisthe lamp of theLord,
Searching all the inner depths of his heart.
28 Mercy and truth preserve the king,
And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne.
29 The glory of young menistheir strength,
# Andthe splendor of old menistheir gray head.
30 Blows that hurt cleanse away evil,
Asdostripes the inner depths of the heart.