The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,

For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both — who knoweth!

These also are for the wise: — To discern faces in judgment is not good.

Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou [art] righteous,' Peoples execrate him — nations abhor him.

And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.

Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.

Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field — go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.

Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.

Say not, 'As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.'

Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.

And lo, it hath gone up — all of it — thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.

And I see — I — I do set my heart, I have seen — I have received instruction,

A little sleep — a little slumber — A little folding of the hands to lie down.

And thy poverty hath come [as] a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!

Also these are Proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed: —

The honour of God [is] to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter.

The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings — [are] unsearchable.

Take away dross from silver, And a vessel for the refiner goeth forth,

Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne.

Honour not thyself before a king, And in the place of the great stand not.

For better [that] he hath said to thee, 'Come thou up hither,' Than [that] he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.

Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush?

Thy cause plead with thy neighbour, And the secret counsel of another reveal not,

Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back.

Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.

A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.

As a vessel of snow in a day of harvest, [So is] a faithful ambassador to those sending him, And the soul of his masters he refresheth.

Clouds and wind, and rain there is none, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.

By long-suffering is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh a bone.

Honey thou hast found — eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated [with] it, and hast vomited it.

Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, Lest he be satiated [with] thee, and have hated thee.

A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony.

A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.

Whoso is taking away a garment in a cold day, [Is as] vinegar on nitre, And a singer of songs on a sad heart.

If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water.

For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee.

A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue — indignant faces.

Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company.

[As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.

A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked.

The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one's own honour — honour.

A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!

As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour [is] not comely for a fool.

As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, So reviling without cause doth not come.

A whip is for a horse, a bridle for an ass, And a rod for the back of fools.

Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou be like to him — even thou.

Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

He is cutting off feet, he is drinking injury, Who is sending things by the hand of a fool.

Weak have been the two legs of the lame, And a parable in the mouth of fools.

As one who is binding a stone in a sling, So [is] he who is giving honour to a fool.

A thorn hath gone up into the hand of a drunkard, And a parable in the mouth of fools.

Great [is] the Former of all, And He is rewarding a fool, And is rewarding transgressors.

As a dog hath returned to its vomit, A fool is repeating his folly.

Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eyes, More hope of a fool than of him!

The slothful hath said, 'A lion [is] in the way, A lion [is] in the broad places.'

The door turneth round on its hinge, And the slothful on his bed.

The slothful hath hid his hand in a dish, He is weary of bringing it back to his mouth.

Wiser [is] the slothful in his own eyes, Than seven [men] returning a reason.

Laying hold on the ears of a dog, [Is] a passer-by making himself wrath for strife not his own.

As [one] pretending to be feeble, Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death,

So hath a man deceived his neighbour, And hath said, 'Am not I playing?'

Without wood is fire going out, And without a tale-bearer, contention ceaseth,

Coal to burning coals, and wood to fire, And a man of contentions to kindle strife.

The words of a tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart.

Silver of dross spread over potsherd, [Are] burning lips and an evil heart.

By his lips doth a hater dissemble, And in his heart he placeth deceit,

When his voice is gracious trust not in him, For seven abominations [are] in his heart.

Hatred is covered by deceit, Revealed is its wickedness in an assembly.

Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And the roller of a stone, to him it turneth.

A lying tongue hateth its bruised ones, And a flattering mouth worketh an overthrow!

Boast not thyself of to-morrow, For thou knowest not what a day bringeth forth.

Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, A stranger, and not thine own lips.

A stone [is] heavy, and the sand [is] heavy, And the anger of a fool Is heavier than they both.

Fury [is] fierce, and anger [is] overflowing, And who standeth before jealousy?

Better [is] open reproof than hidden love.

Faithful are the wounds of a lover, And abundant the kisses of an enemy.

A satiated soul treadeth down a honeycomb, And [to] a hungry soul every bitter thing [is] sweet.

As a bird wandering from her nest, So [is] a man wandering from his place.

Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, And the sweetness of one's friend — from counsel of the soul.

Thine own friend, and the friend of thy father, forsake not, And the house of thy brother enter not In a day of thy calamity, Better [is] a near neighbour than a brother afar off.

Be wise, my son, and rejoice my heart. And I return my reproacher a word.

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

Take his garment, when a stranger hath been surety, And for a strange woman pledge it.

Whoso is saluting his friend with a loud voice, In the morning rising early, A light thing it is reckoned to him.

A continual dropping in a day of rain, And a woman of contentions are alike,

Whoso is hiding her hath hidden the wind, And the ointment of his right hand calleth out.

Iron by iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.

The keeper of a fig-tree eateth its fruit, And the preserver of his master is honoured.

As [in] water the face [is] to face, So the heart of man to man.

Sheol and destruction are not satisfied, And the eyes of man are not satisfied.

A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And a man according to his praise.

If thou dost beat the foolish in a mortar, Among washed things — with a pestle, His folly turneth not aside from off him.

Know well the face of thy flock, Set thy heart to the droves,

For riches [are] not to the age, Nor a crown to generation and generation.

Revealed was the hay, and seen the tender grass, And gathered the herbs of mountains.

Lambs [are] for thy clothing, And the price of the field [are] he-goats,

And a sufficiency of goats' milk [is] for thy bread, For bread to thy house, and life to thy damsels!

The wicked have fled and there is no pursuer. And the righteous as a young lion is confident.

By the transgression of a land many [are] its heads. And by an intelligent man, Who knoweth right — it is prolonged.

A man — poor and oppressing the weak, [Is] a sweeping rain, and there is no bread.