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

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.

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

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,

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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

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 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,

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

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Better is the poor walking in his integrity, Than the perverse of ways who is rich.

Whoso is keeping the law is an intelligent son, And a friend of gluttons, Doth cause his father to blush.

Whoso is multiplying his wealth by biting and usury, For one favouring the poor doth gather it.

Whoso is turning his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

Whoso is causing the upright to err in an evil way, Into his own pit he doth fall, And the perfect do inherit good.

A rich man is wise in his own eyes, And the intelligent poor searcheth him.

In the exulting of the righteous the glory is abundant, And in the rising of the wicked man is apprehensive.

Whoso is covering his transgressions prospereth not, And he who is confessing and forsaking hath mercy.

O the happiness of a man fearing continually, And whoso is hardening his heart falleth into evil.

A growling lion, and a ranging bear, Is the wicked ruler over a poor people.

A leader lacking understanding multiplieth oppressions, Whoso is hating dishonest gain prolongeth days.

Whoso is walking uprightly is saved, And the perverted of ways falleth at once.

Whoso is tilling his ground is satisfied with bread, And whoso is pursuing vanity, Is filled with poverty.

A stedfast man hath multiplied blessings, And whoso is hasting to be rich is not acquitted.

To discern faces is not good, And for a piece of bread doth a man transgress.

Troubled for wealth is the man with an evil eye, And he knoweth not that want doth meet him.

Whoso is reproving a man afterwards findeth grace, More than a flatterer with the tongue.

Whoso is robbing his father, or his mother, And is saying, 'It is not transgression,' A companion he is to a destroyer.

Whoso is proud in soul stirreth up contention, And whoso is trusting on Jehovah is made fat.

Whoso is trusting in his heart is a fool, And whoso is walking in wisdom is delivered.

Whoso is giving to the poor hath no lack, And whoso is hiding his eyes multiplied curses.

In the rising of the wicked a man is hidden, And in their destruction the righteous multiply!

A man often reproved, hardening the neck, Is suddenly broken, and there is no healing.

In the transgression of the evil is a snare, And the righteous doth sing and rejoice.

Men of scorning ensnare a city, And the wise turn back anger.

A wise man is judged by the foolish man, And he hath been angry, And he hath laughed, and there is no rest.

A fool bringeth out all his mind, And the wise till afterwards restraineth it.

A ruler who is attending to lying words, All his ministers are wicked.

The poor and the man of frauds have met together, Jehovah is enlightening the eyes of them both.