World English Bible

1 Do no evil, so shall no evil overtake you.

2 Depart from wrong, and it shall turn aside from you.

3 My son, sow not upon the furrows of unrighteousness,

And you shall not reap them sevenfold.

4 Seek not of the Lord preeminence,

Neither of the king the seat of honor.

5 Justify not yourself in the presence of the Lord;

And display not your wisdom before the king.

6 Seek not to be a judge,

Lest you be not able to take away iniquities;

Lest haply you fear the person of a mighty man,

And lay a stumbling block in the way of your uprightness.

7 Sin not against the multitude of the city,

And cast not yourself down in the crowd.

8 Bind not up sin twice;

For in onesinyou shall not be unpunished.

9 Say not, He will look upon the multitude of my gifts,

And when I offer to the Most High God, he will acceptit.

10 Be not faint-hearted in your prayer;

And neglect not to give alms.

11 Laugh not a man to scorn when he is in the bitterness of his soul;

For there is one who humbles and exalts.

12 Devise not a lie against your brother;

Neither do the like to a friend.

13 Love not to make any manner of lie;

For the custom thereof is not for good.

14 Prate not in the multitude of elders;

And repeat not your words in your prayer.

15 Hate not laborious work;

Neither husbandry, which the Most High hasordained.

16 Number not yourself among the multitude of sinners:

Remember that wrath will not wait.

17 Humble your soul greatly;

For the punishment of the ungodly man is fire and the worm.

18 Change not a friend for a thing indifferent;

Neither a true brother for the gold of Ophir.

19 Forgo not a wise and good wife;

For her grace is above gold.

20 Entreat not evil a servant that works truly,

Nor a hireling that givesyouhis life.

21 Let your soul love a wise servant;

Defraud him not of liberty.

22 Hast you cattle? have an eye to them;

And if they are profitable to you, let them stay by you.

23 Hast you children? correct them,

And bow down their neck from their youth.

24 Hast you daughters? give heed to their body,

And make not your face cheerful toward them.

25 Give your daughter in marriage, and you shall have accomplished a great matter:

And give her to a man of understanding.

26 Hast you a wife after your mind? cast her not out:

But trust not yourself to one that ishateful.

27 Give glory to your father with your whole heart;

And forget not the pangs of your mother.

28 Remember that of them you were born:

And what will you recompense them for the things that they have done for you?

29 Fear the Lord with all your soul;

And reverence his priests.

30 With all your strength love him that made you;

And forsake not his ministers.

31 Fear the Lord, and glorify the priest;

And give him his portion, even as it is commanded you;

The first fruits, and the trespass offering, and the gift of the shoulders,

And the sacrifice of sanctification, and the first fruits of holy things.

32 Also to the poor man stretch out your hand,

That your blessing may be perfected.

33 A gift has grace in the sight of every man living;

And for a dead man keep not back grace.

34 Be not lacking to them that weep;

And mourn with them that mourn.

35 Be not slow to visit a sick man;

For by such things you shall gain love.

36 In all yourmatters remember your last end,

And you shall never do amiss.

1 Contend not with a mighty man,

Lest haply you fall into his hands.

2 Strive not with a rich man, lest haply he overweigh you:

For gold has destroyed many,

And turned aside the hearts of kings.

3 Contend not with a man that is full of tongue,

And heap not wood upon his fire.

4 Jest not with a rude man,

Lest your ancestors be dishonored.

5 Reproach not a man when he turns from sin:

Remember that we are all worthy of punishment.

6 Dishonour not a man in his old age;

For some of us also are waxing old.

7 Rejoice not over one that is dead:

Remember that we die all.

8 Neglect not the discourse of the wise,

And be conversant with their proverbs;

For of them you shall learn instruction,

And how to minister to great men.

9 Miss not the discourse of the aged;

For they also learned of their fathers:

Because from them you shall learn understanding,

And to give answer in time of need.

10 Kindle not the coals of a sinner,

Lest you be burned with theflame of his fire.

11 Rise not up from the presence of an insolent man,

Lest he lie in wait as an ambush for your mouth.

12 Lend not to a man that is mightier than yourself;

And if you lend, be as one that has lost.

13 Be not surety above your power:

And if you be surety, take thought as one that will have to pay.

14 Go not to law with a judge;

For according to his honor will they give judgement for him.

15 Go not in the way with a rash man,

Lest he be aggrieved with you;

For he will do according to his own will,

And you shall perish with his folly.

16 Fight not with a wrathful man,

And travel not with him through the desert:

For blood is as nothing in his sight;

And where there is no help, he will overthrow you.

17 Take not counsel with a fool;

For he will not be able to conceal the matter.

18 Do no secret thing before a stranger;

For you know not whathe will bring forth.

19 Open not your heart to every man;

And let him not return you a favor.

1 Be not jealous over the wife of your bosom,

And teach her not an evil lesson against yourself.

2 Give not your soul to a woman,

That she should set her foot upon your strength.

3 Go not to meet a woman that playeth the harlot,

Lest haply you fall into her snares.

4 Use not the company of a woman that is a singer,

Lest haply you be caught by her attempts.

5 Gaze not on a maid, lest haply you be trapped in her penalties.

6 Give not your soul to harlots,

That you lose not your inheritance.

7 Look not round about you in the streets of the city,

Neither wander you in the solitary places thereof.

8 Turn away your eye from a comely woman,

And gaze not on another’s beauty:

By the beauty of a woman many have been led astray;

And herewith love is kindled as a fire.

9 Sit not at all with a woman that has a husband;

And revel not with her at the wine;

Lest haply your soul turn aside to her,

And with your spirit you slide into destruction.

10 Forsake not an old friend;

For the new is not comparable to him:

Asnew wine,sois a new friend;

If it become old, you shall drink it with gladness.

11 Envy not the glory of a sinner;

For you know not what shall be his overthrow.

12 Delight not in the delights of the ungodly:

Remember they shall not go unpunished tothe grave.

13 Keep you far from the man that haspower to kill,

And you shall have no suspicion of the fear of death:

And if you come to him, commit no fault,

Lest he take away your life:

Know surely that you go about in the midst of snares,

And walk upon the battlements of a city.

14 As well as you can, guess at your neighbors;

And take counsel with the wise.

15 Let your converse be with men of understanding;

And let all your discourse be in the law of the Most High.

16 Let just men be the companions of your board;

And let your glorying be in the fear of the Lord.

17 For the hand of the artificers a work shall be commended:

And he that rules the peopleshall be countedwise for his speech.

18 A man full of tongue is dangerous in his city;

And he that is headlong in his speech shall be hated.

1 A wise judge will instruct his people;

And the government of a man of understanding shall be well ordered.

2 As is the judge of his people, so are his ministers;

And as is the ruler of the city,such areall they that dwell therein.

3 An uninstructed king will destroy his people;

And a city will be established through the understanding of the powerful.

4 In the hand of the Lord is the authority of the earth;

And in due time he will raise up over it one that is profitable.

5 In the hand of the Lord is the prosperity of a man;

And upon the person of the scribe shall he lay his honor.

6 Be not angry with your neighbor for every wrong;

And do nothing by works of violence.

7 Pride is hateful before the Lord andbeforemen;

And in the judgement of both will unrighteousness err.

8 Sovereignty is transferred from nation to nation,

Because of iniquities, and deeds of violence, and greed of money.

9 Why is earth and ashes proud?

Because inhislife he has cast away his bowels.

10 It isa long disease; the physician mocketh:

Andhe isa king today, and tomorrow he shall die.

11 For when a man is dead,

He shall inherit creeping things, and beasts, and worms.

12 It isthe beginning of pride when a man departs from the Lord;

And his heart is departed from him that made him.

13 For the beginning of pride is sin;

And he that keeps it will pour forth abomination.

For this cause the Lord brought upon them strange calamities,

And overthrew them utterly.

14 The Lord cast down the thrones of rulers,

And set the meek in their stead.

15 The Lord plucked up the roots of nations,

And planted the lowly in their stead.

16 The Lord overthrew the lands of nations,

And destroyed them to the foundations of the earth.

17 He took some of them away, and destroyed them,

And made their memorial to cease from the earth.

18 Pride has not been created for men,

Nor wrathful anger for the offspring of women.

19 What manner of seed has honor? the seed of man.

What manner of seed has honor? they that fear the Lord.

What manner of seed has no honor? the seed of man.

What manner of seed has no honor? they that transgress the commandments.

20 In the midst of brethren he that rules them has honor;

And in the eyes of the Lord they that fear him.

21

22 The rich man, and the honorable, and the poor,

Their glorying is the fear of the Lord.

23 It is not right to dishonor a poor man that has understanding;

And it is not fitting to glorify a man that is a sinner.

24 The great man, and the judge, and the mighty man, shall be glorified;

And there is not one of them greater than he that fears the Lord.

25 Free men shall minister to a wise servant;

And a man that has knowledge will not murmurthereat.

26 Be not over wise in doing your work;

And glorify not yourself in the time of your distress.

27 Better is he that labores, and abounds in all things,

Than he that glorifieth himself, and lacketh bread.

28 My son, glorify your soul in meekness,

And give it honor according to the worthiness thereof.

29 Who will justify him that sins against his own soul?

And who will glorify him that dishonors his own life?

30 A poor man is glorified for his knowledge;

And a rich man is glorified for his riches.

31 But he that is glorified in poverty, how much more in riches?

And he that is inglorious in riches, how much more in poverty?

1 The wisdom of the lowly shall lift up his head,

And make him to sit in the midst of great men.

2 Commend not a man for his beauty;

And abhor not a man for his outward appearance.

3 The bee is little among such as fly;

And her fruit is the chief of sweetmeats.

4 Glory not in the putting on of raiment,

And exalt not yourself in the day of honor;

For the works of the Lord are wonderful,

And his works are hidden among men.

5 Manykings have sat down upon the ground;

And one that was never thought of has worn a diadem.

6 Many mighty men have been greatly disgraced;

And men of renown have been delivered into other men’s hands.

7 Blame not before you have examined:

Understand first, and then rebuke.

8 Answer not before you have heard;

And interrupt not in the midst of speech.

9 Strive not in a matter that concerns you not;

And where sinners judge, sit not you with them.

10 My son, be not busy about many matters:

For if you meddle much, you shall not be unpunished;

And if you pursue, you shall not overtake;

And you shall not escape by fleeing.

11 There is one that toileth, and labores, and makes haste,

And is so much the more behind.

12 There is one that is sluggish, and has need of help,

Lacking in strength, and that abounds in poverty;

And the eyes of the Lord looked upon him for good,

And he set him up from his low estate,

13 And lifted up his head;

And many marveled at him.

14 Good things and evil, life and death,

Poverty and riches, are from the Lord.

15-16

17 The gift of the Lord remains with the godly,

And his good pleasure shall prosper for ever.

18 There is that waxes rich by his wariness and pinching,

And this is the portion of his reward:

19 When he says, I have found rest,

And now will I eat of my goods;

Yet he knows not what time shall pass,

And he shall leave them to others, and die.

20 Be stedfast in your covenant, and be conversant therein,

And wax old in your work.

21 Marvel not at the works of a sinner;

But trust the Lord, and abide in your labor:

For it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lord swiftly on the sudden to make a poor man rich.

22 The blessing of the Lord is in the reward of the godly;

And in an hour that comes swiftly he makes his blessing to flourish.

23 Say not, What use is there of me?

And what from henceforth shall my good things be?

24 Say not, I have sufficient,

And from henceforth what harm shall happen to me?

25 In the day of good things there is a forgetfulness of evil things;

And in the day of evil things a man will not remember things that are good.

26 For it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lord

To reward a man in the day of death according to his ways.

27 The affliction of an hour causes forgetfulness of delight;

And in the last end of a man is the revelation of his deeds.

28 Call no man blessed before his death;

And a man shall be known in his children.

29 Bring not every man into your house;

For many are the plots of the deceitful man.

30 Asa decoy partridge in a cage, so is the heart of a proud man;

And as one that is a spy, he looks uponyourfalling.

31 For he lies in wait to turn things that are good into evil;

And in things that are praiseworthy he will lay blame.

32 From a spark of fire a heap of many coals is kindled;

And a sinful man lies in wait for blood.

33 Take heed of an evil-doer, for he contriveth wicked things;

Lest haply he bring upon you blame for ever.

34 Receive a stranger into your house, and he will distract you with brawls,

And estrange you from your own.

1 If you do good, know to whom you do it;

And your good deeds shall have thanks.

2 Do good to a godly man, and you shall find a recompense;

And if not from him, yet from the Most High.

3 There shall no good come to him that continueth to do evil,

Nor to him that gives no alms.

4 Give to the godly man,

And help not the sinner.

5 Do good to one that is lowly,

And give not to an ungodly man:

Keep back his bread, and give it not to him,

Lest he overmaster you thereby:

For you shall receive twice as much evil

For all the good you shall have done to him.

6 For the Most High also hates sinners,

And will repay vengeance to the ungodly.

7 Give to the good man,

And help not the sinner.

8 A man’s friend will not befully tried in prosperity;

And his enemy will not be hidden in adversity.

9 In a man’s prosperity his enemies are grieved;

And in his adversity even his friend will be separatedfrom him.

10 Never trust your enemy:

For like as the brass rusts, so is his wickedness.

11 Though he humble himself, and go crouching,

Yet take good heed, and beware of him,

And you shall be to him as one that has wiped a mirror,

And you shall know thathe has not utterly rusted it.

12 Set him not by you,

Lest he overthrow you and stand in your place;

Let him not sit on your right hand,

Lest he seek to take your seat,

And at the last you acknowledge my words,

And be pricked with my sayings.

13 Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent,

Or any that come near wild beasts?

14 Even sowho will pityhim that goes to a sinner,

And is mingled with him in his sins?

15 For a while he will abide with you,

And if you give way, he will not hold out.

16 And the enemy will speak sweetly with his lips,

And in his heart take counsel how to overthrow you into a pit:

The enemy will weep with his eyes,

And if he find opportunity, he will not be satiated with blood.

17 If adversity meet you, you shall find him there before you;

And as though he would help you, he will trip up your heel.

18 He will shake his head, and clap his hands,

And whisper much, and change his countenance.

1 He that touches pitch shall be defiled;

And he that has fellowship with a proud man shall become like to him.

2 Take not up a burden above your strength;

And have no fellowship with one that is mightier and richer than yourself.

What fellowship shall the earthen pot have with the kettle?

This shall strike, and that shall be dashed in pieces.

3 The rich man does a wrong, and he threatens withal:

The poor is wronged, and he shall entreat withal.

4 If you be profitable, he will make merchandise of you;

And if you be in lack, he will forsake you.

5 If you have substance, he will live with you;

And he will make you bare, and will not be sorry.

6 Hath he had need of you? then he will deceive you,

And smile upon you, and give you hope:

He will speak you fair, and say, What need you?

7 And he will shame you by his meats,

Until he have made you bare twice or thrice,

And at the last he will laugh you to scorn:

Afterward will he see you, and will forsake you,

And shake his head at you.

8 Beware that you be not deceived, and brought low in your mirth.

9 If a mighty man invite you, be retiring,

And so much the more will he invite you.

10 Press not upon him, lest you be thrust back;

And stand not far off, lest you be forgotten.

11 Affect not to speak with him as an equal,

And believe not his many words:

For with much talk will he try you,

And in a smiling manner will search you out.

12 He that keeps not to himself words spoken is unmerciful;

And he will not spare to hurt and to bind.

13 Keepthemto yourself, and take earnest heed,

For you walkin peril of your falling.

14

15 Every living creature loves his like,

And every manloveshis neighbor.

16 All flesh consorts according to kind,

And a man will cleave to his like.

17 What fellowship shall the wolf have with the lamb?

Soisthe sinner to the godly.

18 What peace is there between the hyena and the dog?

And what peace between the rich man and the poor?

19 Wild asses are the prey of lions in the wilderness;

So poor men are pasture for the rich.

20 Lowliness is an abomination to a proud man;

So a poor man is an abomination to the rich.

21 A rich man when he is shaken is held up of his friends;

But one of low degree being down is thrust away also by his friends.

22 When a rich man is fallen, there are many helpers;

He speaksthings not to be spoken, and men justify him:

A man of low degree falls, and men rebuke him withal;

He utters wisdom, and no place is allowed him.

23 A rich man speaks, and all keep silence;

And what he says they extol to the clouds:

A poor man speaks, and they say, Who is this?

And if he stumble, they will help to overthrow him.

24 Riches are good that have no sin;

And poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.

25 The heart of a man changes his countenance,

Whether it be for good or for evil.

26 A cheerful countenance is a token of a heart that is in prosperity;

And the finding out of parables is a weariness of thinking.

1 Blessed is the man that has not slipped with his mouth,

And is not pricked with sorrow for sins.

2 Blessed is he whose soul does not condemn him,

And who is not fallen from his hope.

3 Riches are not comely for a niggard;

And what should an envious man do with money?

4 He that gathersby takingfrom his own soul gathers for others;

And others shall revel in his goods.

5 He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good?

And he shall not rejoice in his possessions.

6 There is none more evil than he that envies himself;

And this is a recompense of his wickedness.

7 Even if he does good, he does it in forgetfulness;

And at the last he shows forth his wickedness.

8 Evil is he that envies with his eye,

Turning away the face, and despising the soulsof men.

9 A covetous man’s eye is not satisfied with his portion;

And wicked injustice dries up his soul.

10 An evil eye is grudging of bread,

And he is miserly at his table

11 My son, according as you have, do well to yourself,

And bring offerings to the Lord worthily.

12 Remember that death will not wait,

And that the covenant ofthe grave is not showed to you.

13 Do well to your friend before you die;

And according to your ability stretch outyour handand give to him.

14 Defraud notyourselfof a good day;

And let not the portion of a good desire pass you by.

15 Shall you not leave your labors to another?

And your toils to be divided by lot?

16 Give, and take, and decieve your soul;

For there is no seeking of luxury inthe grave.

17 All flesh waxes old as a garment;

For the covenant from the beginning is, You shall die the death.

18 As of the leaves flourishing on a thick tree,

Some it sheds, and some it makes to grow;

So also of the generations of flesh and blood,

One comes to an end, and another is born.

19 Every work rots and falls away,

And the worker thereof shall depart with it.

20 Blessed is the man that shallmeditate in wisdom,

And that shall discourse by his understanding.

21 He that considers her ways in his heart

Shall also have knowledge in her secrets.

22 Go forth after her as one that tracketh,

And lie in wait in her ways.

23 He that pries in at her windows

Shall also hearken at her doors.

24 He that lodges close to her house

Shall also fasten a nail in her walls.

25 He shall pitch his tent near at hand to her,

And shall lodge in a lodging where good things are.

26 He shall set his children under her shelter,

And shall rest under her branches.

27 By her he shall be covered from heat,

And shall lodge in her glory.

1 He that fears the Lord will do this;

And he that has possession of the law shall obtain her.

2 And as a mother shall she meet him,

And receive him as a wife married in her virginity.

3 With bread of understanding shall she feed him,

And give him water of wisdom to drink.

4 He shall be stayed upon her, and shall not be moved;

And shall rely upon her, and shall not be confounded.

5 And she shall exalt him above his neighbors;

And in the midst of the congregation shall she open his mouth.

6 He shall inherit joy, and a crown of gladness,

And an everlasting name.

7 Foolish men shall not obtain her;

And sinners shall not see her.

8 She is far from pride;

And liars shall not remember her.

9 Praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner;

For it was not sent him from the Lord.

10 For praise shall be spoken in wisdom;

And the Lord will prosper it.

11 Say not you, It is through the Lord that I fell away;

For you shall not do the things that he hates.

12 Say not you, It is he that caused me to err;

For he has no need of a sinful man.

13 The Lord hates every abomination;

And they that fear him love it not.

14 He himself made man from the beginning,

And left him in the hand of his own counsel.

15 If you will, you shall keep the commandments;

And to perform faithfulness is ofyour owngood pleasure.

16 He has set fire and water before you:

You shall stretch forth your hand to whichever you will.

17 Before man is life and death;

And whichever he likes, it shall be given him.

18 For great is the wisdom of the Lord:

He is mighty in power, and sees all things;

19 And his eyes are upon them that fear him;

And he will take knowledge of every work of man.

20 He has not commanded any man to be ungodly;

And he has not given any man licence to sin.

1 Desire not a multitude of unprofitable children,

Neither delight in ungodly sons.

2 If they multiply, delight not in them,

Except the fear of the Lord be with them.

3 Trust not you in their life,

Neither rely on their condition:

For one is better than a thousand;

And to die childless than to have ungodly children.

4 For from one that has understanding shall a city be peopled;

But a race of wicked men shall be made desolate.

5 Many such things I have seen with mine eyes;

And mine ear has heard mightier things than these.

6 In the congregation of sinners shall a fire be kindled;

And in a disobedient nation wrath is kindled.

7 He was not pacified toward the giants of old time,

Who revolted in their strength.

8 He spared not those with whom Lot sojourned,

Whom he abhorred for their pride.

9 He pitied not the people of perdition,

Who were taken away in their sins.

10 And in like manner the six hundred thousand footmen,

Who were gathered together in the hardness of their hearts.

11 Even if there be one stiff-necked person,

It is marvel if he shall be unpunished:

For mercy and wrath are with him;

He is mighty to forgive, and he pours out wrath.

12 As his mercy is great, so is his correction also:

He judges a man according to his works.

13 The sinner shall not escape withhisplunder;

And the perseverance of the godly shall not be frustrated.

14 He will make room for every work of mercy;

Each man shall find according to his works.

15-16

17 Don’t say, I shall be hidden from the Lord;

And who shall remember me from on high?

I shall not be known among so many people;

For what is my soul in a boundless creation?

18 Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens,

The deep, and the earth, shall be moved when he shall visit.

19 The mountains and the foundations of the earth together

Are shaken with trembling, when he looks upon them.

20 And no heart shall think upon these things:

And who shall conceive his ways?

21 Andthere isa tempest which no man shall see;

Yes, the more part of his works arehid.

22 Who shall declare the works ofhisrighteousness?

Or who shall endure them?

For his covenant is afar off.

23 He that is lacking inunderstanding thinks upon these things;

And an unwise and erring man thinks follies.

24 My son, hearken to me, and learn knowledge,

And give heed to my words with your heart.

25 I will show forth instruction by weight,

And declare knowledge exactly.

26 In the judgement of the Lord are his works from the beginning;

And from the making of them he disposed the parts thereof.

27 He garnished his works for ever,

And the beginnings of them to their generations:

They neither hunger, nor are weary,

And they cease not from their works.

28 No one thrusteth aside his neighbor;

And they shall never disobey his word.

29 After this also the Lord looked upon the earth,

And filled it with his blessings.

30 All manner of living things covered the face thereof;

And into it is their return.