In the light of the king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud bringing the spring rain.

He who pays attention to the word [of God] will find good,
And blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who trusts [confidently] in the Lord.

Grandchildren are the crown of aged men,
And the glory of children is their fathers [who live godly lives].

The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters [copious and difficult to fathom];
The fountain of [mature, godly] wisdom is like a bubbling stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving].

To show respect to the wicked person is not good,
Nor to push aside and deprive the righteous of justice.

A fool’s lips bring contention and strife,
And his mouth invites a beating.

A fool’s mouth is his ruin,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.

The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall [of protection] in his own imagination and conceit.

A man’s gift [given in love or courtesy] makes room for him
And brings him before great men.

A man’s stomach will be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth;
He will be satisfied with the consequence of his words.

The king’s wrath terrifies like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is as [refreshing and nourishing as] dew on the grass.

Many plans are in a man’s mind,
But it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand (be carried out).

The lazy man buries his hand in the [food] dish,
But will not even bring it to his mouth again.

Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart,
I am pure from my sin?”

Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
Wait [expectantly] for the Lord, and He will rescue and save you.

Man’s steps are ordered and ordained by the Lord.
How then can a man [fully] understand his way?

Loyalty and mercy, truth and faithfulness, protect the king,
And he upholds his throne by lovingkindness.

The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He turns it whichever way He wishes.

So that your trust and reliance and confidence may be in the Lord,
I have taught these things to you today, even to you.

Do not be among those who give pledges [involving themselves in others’ finances],
Or among those who become guarantors for others’ debts.

Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work?
He will stand [in honor] before kings;
He will not stand before obscure men.

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior—one who manipulates].
He says to you, “Eat and drink,”
Yet his heart is not with you [but it is begrudging the cost].

And you will be [as unsteady] as one who lies down in the middle of the sea,
And [as vulnerable to disaster] as one who lies down on the top of a ship’s mast, saying,

“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.”

Wisdom is too exalted for a [hardened, arrogant] fool;
He does not open his mouth in the gate [where the city’s rulers sit in judgment].

If you [claim ignorance and] say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He not consider it who weighs and examines the hearts and their motives?
And does He not know it who guards your life and keeps your soul?
And will He not repay [you and] every man according to his works?

Know that [skillful and godly] wisdom is [so very good] for your life and soul;
If you find wisdom, then there will be a future and a reward,
And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.

Or the Lord will see your gloating and be displeased,
And turn His anger away from your enemy.

Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will pay the man back for his deed.”

Then your poverty will come as a robber,
And your want like an armed man.

As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the hearts and minds of kings are unsearchable.

Argue your case with your neighbor himself [before you go to court];
And do not reveal another’s secret,

Like the cold of snow [brought from the mountains] in the time of harvest,
So is a faithful messenger to those who send him;
For he refreshes the life of his masters.

Let your foot seldom be in your neighbor’s house,
Or he will become tired of you and hate you.

For in doing so, you will heap coals of fire upon his head,
And the Lord will reward you.

The north wind brings forth rain;
And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.

Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
So is good news from a distant land.

It is not good to eat much honey,
Nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.

Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest,
So honor is not fitting for a [shortsighted] fool.

Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying,
So the curse without cause does not come and alight [on the undeserving].

Like the legs which are useless to the lame,
So is a proverb in the mouth of a fool [who cannot learn from its wisdom].

Like one who [absurdly] binds a stone in a sling [making it impossible to throw],
So is he who [absurdly] gives honor to a fool.

Like a thorn that goes [without being felt] into the hand of a drunken man,
So is a proverb in the mouth of a fool [who remains unaffected by its wisdom].

Like a [careless] archer who [shoots arrows wildly and] wounds everyone,
So is he who hires a fool or those who [by chance just] pass by.

Like a dog that returns to his vomit
Is a fool who repeats his foolishness.

Do you see a man [who is unteachable and] wise in his own eyes and full of self-conceit?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.

As the door turns on its hinges,
So does the lazy person on his bed [never getting out of it].

So is the man who deceives his neighbor (acquaintance, friend)
And then says, “Was I not joking?”

Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

The words of a whisperer (gossip) are like dainty morsels [to be greedily eaten];
They go down into the innermost chambers of the body [to be remembered and mused upon].

Whoever digs a pit [for another man’s feet] will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone [up a hill to do mischief], it will come back on him.

Stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
But a fool’s [unreasonable] wrath is heavier and more burdensome than both of them.

Like a bird that wanders from her nest [with its comfort and safety],
So is a man who wanders from his home.

Oil and perfume make the heart glad;
So does the sweetness of a friend’s counsel that comes from the heart.

Do not abandon your own friend and your father’s friend,
And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster.
Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.

As iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion].

He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit,
And he who faithfully protects and cares for his master will be honored.

As in water face reflects face,
So the heart of man reflects man.

Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the underworld) are never satisfied;
Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.

The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold [to separate the impurities of the metal],
And each is tested by the praise given to him [and his response to it, whether humble or proud].

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.

Do you see a [conceited] man who speaks quickly [offering his opinions or answering without thinking]?
There is more hope for a [thickheaded] fool than for him.

A man’s pride and sense of self-importance will bring him down,
But he who has a humble spirit will obtain honor.

Many seek the ruler’s favor,
But justice for man comes from the Lord.

Who has ascended into heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has bound the waters in His garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, and what is His Son’s name?
Certainly you know!

So that I will not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or that I will not be poor and steal,
And so profane the name of my God.

The leech has two daughters,
“Give, give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied,
Four that do not say, “It is enough”:

The way of an eagle in the air,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the middle of the sea,
And the way of a man with a maid.

Surely the churning of milk produces butter,
And wringing the nose produces blood;
So the churning of anger produces strife.

The heart of her husband trusts in her [with secure confidence],
And he will have no lack of gain.

She is like the merchant ships [abounding with treasure];
She brings her [household’s] food from far away.

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

All the rivers flow into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers flow,
There they flow again.

Is there anything of which it can be said,
“See this, it is new”?
It has already existed for [the vast] ages [of time recorded or unrecorded]
Which were before us.

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure and gratification; so enjoy yourself and have a good time.” But behold, this too was vanity (futility, meaninglessness).

I explored with my mind how to gratify myself with wine while [at the same time] having my mind remain steady and guide me wisely; and how to take control of foolishness, until I could see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

So I became great and excelled more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.

So I turned to consider [secular] wisdom, madness, and folly; for what will the man do who succeeds the king? Nothing except what has already been done.

Then I saw that [even secular] wisdom [that brings sorrow] is better than [the pleasures of] folly and self-indulgence as light excels darkness.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness; and yet I know that [in the end] one fate happens to them both.

Then I said to myself, “As it happens to the fool, so death will also happen to me. What use is it then for me to be extremely wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This too is vanity (meaningless).”

So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun caused me only great sorrow; because all is futility and chasing after the wind.

So I turned aside and let my heart despair over all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to keep silent and a time to speak.

He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.

I know that whatever God does, it endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor can anything be taken from it, for God does it so that men will fear and worship Him [with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is God].

That which is has already been, and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by [so that history repeats itself].

Moreover, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

I said to myself regarding the sons of men, “God is surely testing them in order for them to see that [by themselves, without God] they are [only] animals.”

For the [earthly] fate of the sons of men and the fate of animals is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no preeminence or advantage for man [in and of himself] over an animal, for all is vanity.

So I have seen that there is nothing better than that a man should be happy in his own works and activities, for that is his portion (share). For who will bring him [back] to see what will happen after he is gone?

So I congratulated and thought more fortunate are those who are already dead than the living who are still living.

I have seen that every [effort in] labor and every skill in work comes from man’s rivalry with his neighbor. This too is vanity (futility, false pride) and chasing after the wind.

Then I looked again at vanity under the sun [in one of its peculiar forms].

I have seen all the living under the sun join with the second youth (the king’s acknowledged successor) who replaces him.

For the dream comes through much effort, and the voice of the fool through many words.

Do not allow your speech to cause you to sin, and do not say before the messenger (priest) of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry because of your voice (words) and destroy the work of your hands?

If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight [of corruption]; for a higher official watches over another official, and there are higher ones over them [looking out for one another].

When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what advantage is there to their owners except to see them with their eyes?