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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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,

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.

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

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

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

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.

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,

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

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

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

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.

A man oppressed with the blood of a soul, Unto the pit fleeth, none taketh hold on him.

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

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.

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

In the multiplying of the righteous the people rejoice, And in the ruling of the wicked the people sigh.

A king by judgment establisheth a land, And one receiving gifts throweth it down.

A man taking a portion above his neighbour, Spreadeth a net for his own steps.

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

In the multiplying of the wicked transgression multiplieth, And the righteous on their fall do look.

Thou hast seen a man hasty in his words! More hope of a fool than of him.

An angry man stirreth up contention, And a furious man is multiplying transgression.

Whoso is sharing with a thief is hating his own soul, Execration he heareth, and telleth not.

Fear of man causeth a snare, And the confident in Jehovah is set on high.

An abomination to the righteous is the perverse man, And an abomination to the wicked is the upright in the way!

Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: -- I have wearied myself for God, I have wearied myself for God, and am consumed.

For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.

Who went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What is His name? and what His son's name? Surely thou knowest!

Every saying of God is tried, A shield He is to those trusting in Him.

A generation -- pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.

An eye that mocketh at a father, And despiseth to obey a mother, Dig it out do ravens of the valley, And eat it do young eagles.

The way of the eagle in the heavens, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the heart of the sea, And the way of a man in youth.

So -- the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, 'I have not done iniquity.'

For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,

For a hated one when she ruleth, And a maid-servant when she succeedeth her mistress.

The ants are a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food,

Conies are a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house,

A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out -- each one shouting,

A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.

Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:

An old lion -- mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,

A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king -- no rising up with him.

If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil -- hand to mouth!

Not for kings, O Lemuel, Not for kings, to drink wine, And for princes a desire of strong drink.

Give strong drink to the perishing, And wine to the bitter in soul,

The heart of her husband hath trusted in her, And spoil he lacketh not.

She hath been as ships of the merchant, From afar she bringeth in her bread.

She hath perceived when her merchandise is good, Her lamp is not extinguished in the night.

Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.

Known in the gates is her husband, In his sitting with elders of the land.

Her mouth she hath opened in wisdom, And the law of kindness is on her tongue.

Give ye to her of the fruit of her hands, And her works do praise her in the gates!

Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.

What is that which hath been? it is that which is, and what is that which hath been done? it is that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.

There is a thing of which one saith: 'See this, it is new!' already it hath been in the ages that were before us!

I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

A crooked thing one is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.

I -- I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.

for, in abundance of wisdom is abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'

I said in my heart, 'Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it is vanity.

I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where is this -- the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.