Heavy [is] a stone and weighty [is] sand, but [the] provocation of a fool [is] heavier than both of them.

Cruel [is] wrath and overwhelming [is] anger, but who will stand before jealousy?

The wounds of a friend mean well, but the kisses of an enemy are profane.

An {appetite} that is sated spurns honey, but [to] an {appetite} that is ravenous, all bitterness [is] sweet.

A crucible [is] for the silver, and a furnace for the gold, but a man [is tested by] the mouth of him who praises him.

The wicked flee, but no one pursues, but the righteous is bold like a lion.

By the rebellion of a land, her rulers increase, but by a person of intelligence who knows justice, it will last.

Those who forsake instruction will praise the wicked, but they who guard instruction will struggle against them.

Men of evil do not understand justice, but seekers of Yahweh understand completely.

He who keeps instruction [is] a child of understanding, but the companion of gluttons will shame his father.

He who misleads the upright onto the way of evil, into his pits he will fall. But as for the blameless, they will inherit good.

A man of wealth [is] wise in his own eyes, but the intelligent poor sees through him.

When the righteous triumphs, great [is] the glory, but with [the] rising of the wicked, a person will be hidden.

He who conceals his transgression will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes will obtain mercy.

Happy is the person who fears continuously, but he who is stubborn of heart, will fall into calamity.

A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, [but] those who hate unjust gain will have long days.

He who walks in integrity will be safe, but he who takes crooked paths will fall in one.

He who tills his ground will have plenty bread, but he who follows fantasies will have plenty [of] poverty.

A man of faithfulness [has] abundant blessings, but he who hurries to become rich will not go unpunished.

He who hurries for wealth is {a man with an evil eye}, but he does not know that poverty will come upon him.

The {greedy person} will stir up strife, but he who trusts in Yahweh will be enriched.

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be saved.

[For] he who gives to the poor, there is no lacking, but [for] he who turns his eyes, [there are] many curses.

When the righteous are numerous, the people will rejoice, but when the wicked are ruling, people will groan.

A man who loves wisdom will make his parents glad, but the friend of prostitutes will squander his wealth.

By justice a king gives stability [to] a land, but a man of bribes will ruin it.

In transgression, an evil man [is] a snare, but [the] righteous will sing and rejoice.

[The] righteous knows [the] case of the poor, but [the] wicked does not understand knowledge.

Men of scoffing set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.

[If] a wise man goes to court with a foolish man, then there is rankling and ridicule, but there is no relief.

A fool gives all his breath, but [the] wise holds back in quiet.

As for a rod and reproof, they will give wisdom, but a neglected child is disgraced [by] his mother.

With the increase of the wicked, transgression will increase, but the righteous will look on his downfall.

When there is no prophecy, the people cast off restraint, but as for he who guards instruction, happiness [is] his.

By words, a servant is not disciplined, for he will understand, but there is no giving heed.

Being a partner with a thief is hating one's life; a curse he will hear, but not disclose.

The fear of a person will lay a snare, but he who trusts in Yahweh will be secure.

Many are those who seek the {favor} of a ruler, but from Yahweh {one obtains justice}.

A man of injustice is an abomination to the righteous, but the {upright} is an abomination to the wicked.

[There is] a generation [that is] pure in its own eyes, but from its filthiness it will not be cleansed.

a mighty lion among the beasts, but he will not turn back from {any face};

She does him good, but not harm all the days of her life.

"Many daughters have done excellence, but {you surpass} all of them."

Charm [is] deceit and beauty [is] vain; [but] a woman who fears Yahweh shall be praised.

A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever.

All the streams flow to the sea, but the sea is never full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow.

There is a thing [of] which it is said, "Look at this! This is new!" [But] it already existed in ages past before us.

I said {to myself}, "Come! I will test pleasure {to see whether it is worthwhile}." But look, "This also [is] vanity!"

{The wise man can see where he is walking}, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that both of them suffer the same fate.

For to the person who [is] good in his eyes, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and heaping up only to give [it] to [him who is] pleasing to him. This also [is] vanity and chasing wind!

But better [off] than both of them is the one who has not yet been born and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

For if one falls, his companion may help him up. But pity the one who falls and there is {no one} to help him up.

Also if two lie together, {they can keep each other warm}. But how can one person be warm?

A poor but wise youth [is] better than an old but foolish king who no longer knows {how to receive advice}.

The sleep of the laborer [is] pleasant, whether he eats little or much, but the wealth of the rich man does not allow him to rest.

The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth.

{For wisdom offers protection like money offers protection}. But knowledge [has] an advantage--wisdom restores life to its possessor.

In the day of prosperity, rejoice! But in the day of adversity, consider! For God made one in place of another so that mortals cannot find out what will happen {in the future}.

All this I have tested with wisdom. I said, "I will be wise!" but {it was beyond my grasp}.

I myself found [that] more bitter than death [is] the woman who [is] a trap, whose heart [is] a snare, and whose hands [are] bonds. The one who pleases God escapes from her, but the sinner is caught by her.

Look! This alone I found: God made mankind upright, but they have devised many schemes."

Meanwhile, I saw the wicked being [honorably] buried, but those who came and went from the holy place were forgotten in the city, even though they had done so. This also [is] vanity!

But it will not go well with the wicked, and they will not prolong [their] days, like the shadow; because there is no fearing {God's presence}.

For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything. They no longer have a reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten.

Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

The heart of the wise [inclines] to his right, but the heart of the fool [inclines] to his left.

The fool is set in many high places, but the rich sit in lowly places.

If the ax is blunt but one does not sharpen its edge, {he must exert more effort}, but the advantage of wisdom [is] it brings success.

The wise man [wins] favor by the words of his mouth, but the fool is devoured by his own lips.

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth! Follow the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes-- but know that God will bring you into judgment for all these things.

I [am] black but beautiful, {O maidens of Jerusalem}, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

Do not gaze at me because I am black, because the sun has stared [at] me. The sons of my mother were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, [but] my own "vineyard" I did not keep.

On my bed in the night, I sought him whom my {heart} loves. I sought him, but I did not find him.

Now I will arise, and I will go about in the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my {heart} loves. I sought him, but I did not find him.

I [was] asleep but my heart was awake. A sound! My beloved knocking! "Open to me, my sister, my beloved, my dove, my perfect one! For my head is full of dew, {my hair drenched from the moist night air}."

I opened myself to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone; my heart sank when he turned away. I sought him, but I did not find him; I called him, but he did not answer me.

If she [is] a wall, {we will adorn her with a turret of silver}; but if she [is] a door, we will barricade her with boards of cedar.

Hear, heavens, and listen, earth, for Yahweh has spoken: "I reared children and I brought [them] up, but they rebelled against me.

But if you refuse and you rebel, you shall be devoured [by the] sword. For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken."

How has a faithful city become like a whore? Full of justice, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.

But [the] destruction [of] rebels and sinners [shall be] together, and those who forsake Yahweh will perish.

And he dug it and cleared it of stones, and he planted it [with] choice vines, and he built a watchtower in the middle of it, and he even hewed out a wine vat in it, and he waited for [it] to yield grapes-- but it yielded wild grapes.

For the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts [is] the house of Israel, and the man of Judah [is] the plantation of his delight. [And] he waited for justice, but look! Bloodshed! For righteousness, but look! A cry of distress!

And [there] will be lyre and harp, tambourine and flute, and wine [at] their feasts, but they do not look at the deeds of Yahweh, and they do not see the work of his hands.

But Yahweh of hosts is exalted by justice, and the holy God shows himself holy by righteousness.

This happened in the days of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah. Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up [to] Jerusalem for warfare against it, but he was not able to fight against it.

But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put Yahweh to the test."

{Make a plan}, but it will be frustrated! Speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us!

or look to [the] earth. But look! Distress and darkness, [the] gloom of affliction! And [it will be] thrust [into] darkness!

{But there will be no gloom for those who were in distress}. In former times he treated [the] land of Zebulun and Naphtali with contempt, but in the future he will honor the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee [of] the nations.

"[The] bricks have fallen, but we will build [with] dressed stone. [The] sycamore-fig trees were felled, but we will replace [them with] cedars."

They devoured on [the] right but [still] were hungry and devoured on [the] left but they were not satisfied. Each one devoured the flesh of his arm,

But he does not think this, and his heart does not plan this. For [it is] in his heart to destroy and to cut off not a few nations.

And this shall happen: on that day, the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will not continue to lean on [the] one who struck it but will lean on Yahweh, the holy one of Israel, in truth.

But he shall judge [the] poor with righteousness, and he shall decide for [the] needy of [the] earth with rectitude. And he shall strike [the] earth with the rod of his mouth, and he shall kill [the] wicked person with the breath of his lips.

But they shall {swoop} upon [the] Philistine shoulder, {westward}. Together they shall plunder [the] sons of [the] east. Edom and Moab {will be under their command}, and the sons of Ammon [will be] their subjugated people.

But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full [of] howling creatures, and the daughters of ostriches will live there, and goats will dance there.

But Yahweh will have compassion on Jacob, and he will again choose Israel and set them on their land, and the immigrant will join himself to them, and they will attach themselves to the house of Jacob.

But you are brought down to Sheol, to [the] depths of [the] pit.

But [as for] you, you are thrown away from your grave, like an abhorrent shoot, clothed with [the] slain, those pierced [by the] sword, those who go down to [the] stones of [the] pit, like a corpse that is trodden down.