The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

A man who is wandering from the way of understanding, In an assembly of Rephaim resteth.

Whoso [is] loving mirth [is] a poor man, Whoso is loving wine and oil maketh no wealth.

The wicked [is] an atonement for the righteous, And for the upright the treacherous dealer.

Better to dwell in a wilderness land, Than [with] a woman of contentions and anger.

A treasure to be desired, and oil, [Is] in the habitation of the wise, And a foolish man swalloweth it up.

Whoso is pursuing righteousness and kindness, Findeth life, righteousness, and honour.

A city of the mighty hath the wise gone up, And bringeth down the strength of its confidence.

Whoso is keeping his mouth and his tongue, Is keeping from adversities his soul.

Proud, haughty, scorner [is] his name, Who is working in the wrath of pride.

The desire of the slothful slayeth him, For his hands have refused to work.

All the day desiring he hath desired, And the righteous giveth and withholdeth not.

The sacrifice of the wicked [is] abomination, Much more when in wickedness he bringeth it.

A false witness doth perish, And an attentive man for ever speaketh.

A wicked man hath hardened by his face, And the upright — he prepareth his way.

There is no wisdom, nor understanding, Nor counsel, over-against Jehovah.

A horse is prepared for a day of battle, And the deliverance [is] of Jehovah!

A name is chosen rather than much wealth, Than silver and than gold — good grace.

Rich and poor have met together, The Maker of them all [is] Jehovah.

The prudent hath seen the evil, and is hidden, And the simple have passed on, and are punished.

The end of humility [is] the fear of Jehovah, Riches, and honour, and life.

Thorns — snares [are] in the way of the perverse, Whoso is keeping his soul is far from them.

Give instruction to a youth about his way, Even when he is old he turneth not from it.

The rich over the poor ruleth, And a servant [is] the borrower to the lender.

Whoso is sowing perverseness reapeth sorrow, And the rod of his anger weareth out.

The good of eye — he is blessed, For he hath given of his bread to the poor.

Cast out a scorner — and contention goeth out, And strife and shame cease.

Whoso is loving cleanness of heart, Grace [are] his lips, a king [is] his friend.

The eyes of Jehovah have kept knowledge, And He overthroweth the words of the treacherous.

The slothful hath said, 'A lion [is] without, In the midst of the broad places I am slain.'

A deep pit [is] the mouth of strange women, The abhorred of Jehovah falleth there.

Folly is bound up in the heart of a youth, The rod of chastisement putteth it far from him.

He is oppressing the poor to multiply to him, He is giving to the rich — only to want.

Incline thine ear, and hear words of the wise, And thy heart set to my knowledge,

For they are pleasant when thou dost keep them in thy heart, They are prepared together for thy lips.

That thy trust may be in Jehovah, I caused thee to know to-day, even thou.

Have I not written to thee three times With counsels and knowledge?

To cause thee to know the certainty of sayings of truth, To return sayings of truth to those sending thee.

Rob not the poor because he [is] poor, And bruise not the afflicted in the gate.

For Jehovah pleadeth their cause, And hath spoiled the soul of their spoilers.

Shew not thyself friendly with an angry man, And with a man of fury go not in,

Lest thou learn his paths, And have received a snare to thy soul.

Be not thou among those striking hands, Among sureties [for] burdens.

If thou hast nothing to pay, Why doth he take thy bed from under thee?

Remove not a border of olden times, That thy fathers have made.

Hast thou seen a man speedy in his business? Before kings he doth station himself, He stations not himself before obscure men!

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which [is] before thee,

And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.

Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it [is] lying food.

Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.

For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.

Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,

For as he hath thought in his soul, so [is] he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart [is] not with thee.

Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that [are] sweet.

In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.

Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,

For their Redeemer [is] strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.

Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.

Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.

Thou with a rod smitest him, And his soul from Sheol thou deliverest.

My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,

And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.

Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.

For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.

Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,

Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,

For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.

Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.

Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,

The father of the righteous rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.

Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.

Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways.

For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a strait pit.

She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.

Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?

Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.

See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.

Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.

Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.

And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.

'They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake — I seek it yet again!'

Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.

For destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.

By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.

And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.

Mighty [is] the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,

For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counsellors.

Wisdom [is] high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.

Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.

The thought of folly [is] sin, And an abomination to man [is] a scorner.

Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,

If [from] delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter — thou keepest back.

When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.

Eat my son, honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb — sweet to thy palate.

So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.

Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.

For seven [times] doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.

In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,

Lest Jehovah see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.

Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,

For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.