Second Collection of Proverbs

17 Incline your ear and hear my words,

and set your heart to know their beauty.

18 Keep them in your mind,

have them ever fixed on your lips.

19 That your trust may be in the Lord

I teach you them this day,

20 As I wrote for you heretofore

concerning counsels of wisdom –

21 to acquaint you with words of truth,

and with answers for those who would question you.

22 Rob not the poor because he is poor,

and crush not the weak in the gate;

23 For the Lord will defend their cause,

and will rob of their lives those who rob them.

24 Make no friend of a man prone to anger,

nor go with a man of passion,

25 in case you learn his ways.

and get yourself ensnared.

26 Be not one of those that give pledges,

of those that are surety for debt;

27 for if you have nothing to pay,

your bed will be taken from under you.

28 Remove not the ancient landmark

established by your fathers.

29 Do you see a man expert in his business?

He will stand in the presence of kings.

but before obscure men he will not stand.

23 If you sit at a ruler’s table,

consider well who is before you;

2 and set a knife to your throat,

if you be a hearty eater.

4 Toil not to make yourself rich,

desist from this your purpose;

5 for no sooner seen than gone.

For riches make themselves wings

like an eagle that flies towards heaven.

6 Do not dine with a niggardly man,

and do not fancy his dainties;

7 for a reckoning soul has he.

He tells you to eat and drink,

but his heart is not with yours.

8 You must spit out the piece you have eaten,

for it is bread of deceit.

9 Speak not in the ears of a fool.

For your wisest words he despises –

your fair discourse is in vain.

10 Remove not the widow’s landmark,

nor enter the fields of the fatherless;

11 for they have a mighty champion,

who will plead their cause against you.

12 Apply your mind to instruction,

your ear to the words of knowledge.

13 Leave not a child unchastised,

for your beating will save him from death.

14 It is for you to beat him.

and so will you save him from Sheol.

15 My son, if your heart be wise,

then my heart too will be glad.

16 I will rejoice from my soul,

when your lips utter words of rectitude.

17 Be not envious of sinners,

but ever fear the Lord;

18 for there is a future for you.

and your hope will not be cut off.

19 Listen, my son, and be wise,

and walk in the way of prudence.

20 Mix not with men that drink wine,

or that gorge themselves with flesh;

21 for gorging and drink make men paupers,

and drowsiness covers with rags.

22 Listen to the father that begat you,

and despise not your aged mother;

24 For a righteous son makes a glad, glad father,

and a prudent son is the joy of his mother.

25 But let your father be glad,

and make your mother happy.

26 Give heed to me, my son.

Let your eyes take note of my ways.

27 For a deep, deep pit is the harlot,

the lewd woman a narrow well.

28 She lies in wait like a robber,

and many are they she plunders.

The Peril of Wine

29 Who is it that cries, ‘Ah! Woe is me!’

Who is it that has quarrels and plaints?

Who is it that has senseless bruises?

And who has the dull red eyes?

30 Those that linger over wine,

those that drink spiced wine with a relish.

31 Look not on the ruddy wine,

when in the cup it sparkles,

smoothly it glides down;

32 but at last it bites like a serpent,

and stings like an adder.

33 Strange things your eyes behold,

your mind and your speech go a-wandering;

34 Like one riding the sea are you

in the throes of a violent storm.

35 I was struck, but I feel no pain,

of the blows I am all unconscious.

O when will I wake from my wine?

I would seek it once again.

24 Be not envious of evil men,

and do not desire to be with them;

2 for they cherish designs of plunder,

and mischief is on their lips.

3 By wisdom a house is built up,

by intelligence it is established;

4 by knowledge its shambers are filled

with all precious and pleasant substance.

5 Wise men are better than strong men,

and knowledge is better than might;

6 for wars are waged by wise guidance.

and victory lies in counsellors.

7 Wisdom is too high for a fool;

so he opens not his mouth in the gate.

8 The man who deviseth mischief

is known among men as a schemer.

9 The scheming of fools is sin,

and the scoffer is hated of men.

10 If you have been slack, in the day of distress

your resource will be scanty.

11 Rescue those that are taken to death;

save those that are tottering to slaughter.

12 If you say, ‘It is not in my power,’

he who weighs the heart, he discerns;

He who watches your soul, he knows,

and on each he will bring back his deeds.

13 As the honey you eat, my son, is wholesome.

and sweet to your taste is the honeycomb,

14 even so, be assured, to your soul is wisdom.

15 Lie not in wait for the home of the just,

and do not assail his dwelling-place;

16 for the just, though he fall seven times, will rise,

but the wicked will stumble to ruin.

17 At the fall of your foe rejoice not,

and do not exult at his overthrow;

18 lest the Lord be displeased when he sees it,

and turn His anger away from him.

19 Be not fretful because of evildoers.

nor envious of the wicked;

20 for the bad man will have no future.

The lamp of the wicked is quenched.

21 Fear the Lord, my son, and the king,

be not haughty to one or the other;

22 for swift is the ruin they raise,

the disaster they send unforeseen.