It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,
but every fool will be quarreling.
Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love,
but a faithful man who can find?
Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
I am clean from my sin”?
Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the lamp of the wicked, are sin.
Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered.
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.
Do you see a man skillful in his work?
He will stand before kings;
he will not stand before obscure men.
Do not toil to acquire wealth;
be discerning enough to desist.
If you behave faint in the day of adversity,
your strength will be small.
Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man according to his work?
My son, eat honey, for it is good,
and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
if you find it, there will be a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
Prepare your work outside;
get everything ready for yourself in the field,
and after that build your house.
Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will pay the man back for what he has done.”
It is the glory of God to conceal things,
but the glory of kings is to search things out.
Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence
or stand in the place of the great,
for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.
Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
and do not reveal another's secret,
A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold
is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
for you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.
Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country.
Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
A man without self-control
is like a city broken into and left without walls.
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death
is the man who deceives his neighbor
and says, “I am only joking!”
Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.
Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
a stranger, and not your own lips.
Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?
Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
rising early in the morning,
will be counted as cursing.
Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.
The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.
Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit
gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.
If one turns away his ear from hearing the Teaching,
even his prayer is an abomination.
A rich man is wise in his own eyes,
but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
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