1Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
1Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and anyone led astray by it is not wise.
2The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion;
whoever provokes him forfeits his own life.a
2The terror of a king is like the roaring of the young lion; the one making him angry is wronging his own soul.
3It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute,
but any fool will quarrel.
3An honor to a man is cessation from strife, and every fool will quarrel.
4The slacker does not plow in season;
at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.
4From autumn a lazy one will not will plow, and he begs in the harvest, and there is nothing.
5The intentions of a man’s heart are deep waters,
but a man of understanding draws them out.
5Counsel in the heart of man is deep waters, and a man of understanding will draw it out.
6Many a man proclaims his loving devotion,
but who can find a trustworthy man?
6Many a man proclaims, each man his loving devotion—and a man of faithfulness, who can find?
7The righteous man walks with integrity;
blessed are his children after him.
7A righteous one is walking about in his integrity; blessed are his sons after him.
8A king who sits on a throne to judge
sifts out all evil with his eyes.
8A king sitting on the throne of judgment is scattering all evil with his eyes.
9Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;
I am cleansed from my sin”?
9Who can say, “I have made clean my heart; I have been cleansed from my sin?
10Differing weights and unequal measures—a
both are detestable to the LORD.
10A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah—the two of them alike are an abomination to YHWH.
11Even a young man is known by his actions—
whether his conduct is pure and upright.
11Even by his deeds a child is known, whether his action is pure and upright.
12Ears that hear and eyes that see—
the LORD has made them both.
12The ear hearing, and the eye seeing—YHWH has made even both of them.
13Do not love sleep, or you will grow poor;
open your eyes, and you will have plenty of food.
13You should not love sleep, lest you be dispossessed; open your eyes, be satisfied with bread.
14“Worthless, worthless!” says the buyer,
but on the way out, he gloats.
14“Bad, bad,” says the one buying, and having gone away himself, then he boasts.
15There is an abundance of gold and rubies,
but lips of knowledge are a rare treasure.
15There is gold and an abundance of rubies, and the lips of knowledge are a precious vessel.
16Take the garment of the one who posts security for a stranger;
get collateral if it is for a foreigner.a
16Take his garment when it has been pledged for a stranger, and hold it in pledge for a foreign woman.
17Food gained by fraud is sweet to a man,
but later his mouth is full of gravel.
17The bread of deceit is sweet to a man, and afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
18Set plans by consultation,
and wage war under sound guidance.
18Plans are established by counsel, and by guidance wage war.
19He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip;
avoid the one who babblesa with his lips.
19The one going about with slander uncovers a secret; and do not pledge yourself to the one opening his lips.
20Whoever curses his father or mother,
his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness.
20One belittling his father or his mother, his lamp will be extinguished in the pupil of darkness.
21An inheritance gained quickly
will not be blessed in the end.
21An inheritance gained unjustly at first, even its latter end will not be blessed.
22Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!”
Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.
22You should not say, “I will repay evil.” Wait for YHWH, and He will save you.
23Unequal weights are detestable to the LORD,
and dishonest scales are no good.
23An abomination to YHWH are a stone and a stone, and scales of deceit are not good.
24A man’s steps are from the LORD,
so how can anyone understand his own way?
24From YHWH are the steps of man; and how can a man understand his way?
25It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly,
only later to reconsider his vows.
25It is a snare for a man to rashly declare “It is holy” and afterward to reconsider his vows.
26A wise king separates out the wicked
and drives the threshing wheel over them.
26Wise is a king scattering the wicked—he even turns the wheel over them.
27The spirita of a man is the lamp of the LORD,
searching out his inmost being.
27The spirit of a man is the lamp of YHWH, searching all the chambers of the belly.
28Loving devotion and faithfulness preserve a king;
by these he maintains his throne.
28Loving devotion and faithfulness guard a king, and his throne is supported by loving devotion.
29The glory of young men is their strength,
and gray hair is the splendor of the old.
29The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men, grey hair.
30Lashes and wounds scour evil,
and beatings cleanse the inmost parts.
30Stripes that wound scour evil, and beatings, the chambers of the belly.