We will find and take all kinds of precious possessions,
We will fill our houses with spoil;

But [when these people set a trap for others] they lie in wait for their own blood;
They set an ambush for their own lives [and rush to their destruction].

I also will laugh at your disaster;
I will mock when your dread and panic come,

When your dread and panic come like a storm,
And your disaster comes like a whirlwind,
When anxiety and distress come upon you [as retribution].

When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the storm of the wicked when it comes [since you will be blameless];

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due [its rightful recipients],
When it is in your power to do it.

Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.

Do not quarrel with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.

When I was a son with my father (David),
Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother (Bathsheba),

“Prize wisdom [and exalt her], and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.

When you walk, your steps will not be impeded [for your path will be clear and open];
And when you run, you will not stumble.

And you will groan when your life is ending,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;

Do this now, my son, and release yourself [from the obligation];
Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor,
Go humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor [to pay his debt and release you].

How long will you lie down, O lazy one?
When will you arise from your sleep [and learn self-discipline]?

When you walk about, they (the godly teachings of your parents) will guide you;
When you sleep, they will keep watch over you;
And when you awake, they will talk to you.

People do not despise a thief if he steals
To satisfy himself when he is hungry;

My son, keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you [so they are readily available to guide you].

“When there were no ocean depths I was born,
When there were no fountains and springs overflowing with water.

“When He established the heavens, I [Wisdom] was there;
When He drew a circle upon the face of the deep,

When He made firm the skies above,
When the fountains and springs of the deep became fixed and strong,

When He set for the sea its boundary
So that the waters would not transgress [the boundaries set by] His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth—

When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then come dishonor and shame,
But with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind.

When the wicked man dies, his expectation will perish;
And the hope of [godless] strong men perishes.

When it goes well for the righteous, the city rejoices,
And when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

The people curse him who holds back grain [when the public needs it],
But a blessing [from God and man] is upon the head of him who sells it.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

When a man’s ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Let a man meet a [ferocious] bear robbed of her cubs
Rather than the [angry, narcissistic] fool in his folly.

The beginning of strife is like letting out water [as from a small break in a dam; first it trickles and then it gushes];
Therefore abandon the quarrel before it breaks out and tempers explode.

Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom,
When he has no common sense or even a heart for it?

Even a [callous, arrogant] fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips he is regarded as sensible (prudent, discreet) and a man of understanding.

When the wicked man comes [to the depth of evil], contempt [of all that is pure and good] also comes,
And with inner baseness (dishonor) comes outer shame (scorn).

The lazy man does not plow when the winter [planting] season arrives;
So he begs at the [next] harvest and has nothing [to reap].

“It is [almost] worthless, it is [almost] worthless,” says the buyer [as he negotiates the price];
But when he goes his way, then he boasts [about his bargain].

[The judge tells the creditor], “Take the clothes of one who is surety for a stranger;
And hold him in pledge [when he guarantees a loan] for foreigners.”

When the scoffer is punished, the naive [observes the lesson and] becomes wise;
But when the wise and teachable person is instructed, he receives knowledge.

When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous (the upright, the one in right standing with God),
But to the evildoers it is disaster.

The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable and offensive [to the Lord].
How much more [unacceptable and insulting can it be] when he brings it with evil intention?

Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents],
Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is [set] before you;

When you set your eyes on wealth, it is [suddenly] gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies to the heavens.

Yes, my heart will rejoice
When your lips speak right things.

Listen to your father, who sired you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.

Do not look at wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the glass,
When it goes down smoothly.

“They struck me, but I was not hurt!
They beat me, but I did not feel it!
When will I wake up?
I will seek more wine.”

Do not rejoice and gloat when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad [in self-righteousness] when he stumbles,

Do not rush out to argue your case [before magistrates or judges];
Otherwise what will you do in the end [when your case is lost and]
When your neighbor (opponent) humiliates you?

When he speaks graciously and kindly [to conceal his malice], do not trust him,
For seven abominations are in his heart.

[The judge tells the creditor,] “Take the garment of one who is surety (guarantees a loan) for a stranger;
And hold him in pledge when he is surety for an immoral woman [for it is unlikely the debt will be repaid].”

When the grass is gone, the new growth is seen,
And herbs of the mountain are gathered in,

The wicked flee when no one pursues them,
But the righteous are as bold as a lion.

When a land does wrong, it has many princes,
But when the ruler is a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability endures.

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory and celebration;
But when the wicked rise [to prominence], men hide themselves.

When the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves;
But when the wicked perish, the [consistently] righteous increase and become great.

When the righteous are in authority and become great, the people rejoice;
But when the wicked man rules, the people groan and sigh.

When the wicked are in authority, transgression increases,
But the righteous will see the downfall of the wicked.

Under a servant when he reigns,
Under a [spiritually blind] fool when he is filled with food,

Under an unloved woman when she gets married,
And under a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.

The strutting rooster, the male goat also,
And the king when his army is with him.

Her husband is known in the [city’s] gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.