I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:

Before the foundations of the mountains were laid, yea before all hills was I born.

I was there when He established the heavens,
when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,

when He set a limit for the sea
so that the waters would not violate His command,
when He laid out the foundations of the earth.

Take my teaching and be wise; do not let it go.

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

A woman of foolishness is loud, simple, and does not know {it}.

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

The Lord will not let the righteous go hungry,
but He denies the wicked what they crave.

Lazy hands bring poverty, but hard-working hands lead to wealth.

The wise-hearted man will let himself be ruled, but the man whose talk is foolish will have a fall.

The wages of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God] is [a worthwhile, meaningful] life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.

The innocent dealing of the just shall lead them; but the unfaithfulness of the despisers shall be their own destruction.

Whoso hordeth up his corn, shall be cursed among the people; but blessing shall light upon his head that selleth it.

The words of the wicked lead to bloodshed, but the speech of the upright delivers them.

Whoever tills his soil will have a lot to eat, but anyone who pursues fantasies lacks sense.

The diligent hand will rule,
but laziness will lead to forced labor.

A righteous person will seek out his neighbor, but the way of the wicked will lead them astray.

The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.

In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.

The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

A foolish man has no pleasure in good sense, but only to let what is in his heart come to light.

A fool’s lips lead to strife,
and his mouth provokes a beating.

The man who first puts his cause before the judge seems to be in the right; but then his neighbour comes and puts his cause in its true light.

The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.

A wise man putteth off displeasure, and it is his honour to let some faults pass.

The king's wrath is like the loud cry of a lion, but his approval is like dew on the grass.

Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

A man in a rage, taketh away the penalty, - nevertheless, if thou let him go free, the more stripes must thou add.

Let your ear be open to suggestion and take teaching, so that at the end you may be wise.

The reverence of Yahweh, leadeth to life, satisfied then, let a man remain - let him not be visited by calamity.

Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

The wrath of a king is like the loud cry of a lion: he who makes him angry does wrong against himself.

It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself
If his conduct is pure and right.

Love not sleep, let thou come to poverty; Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

If anyone puts a curse on his father or his mother, his light will be put out in the blackest night.

The light of Jehovah is the breath of man, searching all the chambers of the belly.

Lifting up the eyes and enlarging the heart, the light of the unjust is sin.

The plans of the diligent only [lead] to abundance, but all who are hasty, only to want.

Spears and snares are in the way of the froward; but he that will keep his soul, let him flee from such.

Foolishness sticketh in the heart of the lad; but the rod of correction driveth it away.

Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself,
and giving to the rich—both lead only to poverty.

Let your ear be bent down for hearing my words, and let your heart give thought to knowledge.

Let not the old landmark be moved which your fathers have put in place.

Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money

Wilt thou let thine eye fly thereupon, when it is nothing? for it will, surely make, itself wings, Like an eagle, will it wing its way across the heavens.

Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;

Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

Hear, thou, my son, and be wise, and lead forward, in duty, thy heart.

Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.

Let thy father and thy mother be glad, And let her that bare thee rejoice.

My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

For a lewd woman is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine.

Rescue those who are led away to the death and those who stagger to the slaughter. If you hold back,

So let your desire be for wisdom: if you have it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

Let not thy wrath and jealousy move thee, to follow the wicked and ungodly.

For there will be no future for the evil man; the light of sinners will be put out.

Do not be a violent witness against your neighbour, or let your lips say what is false.

Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbor's house, Lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee.

If your enemy [is] hungry, feed him bread, and if thirsty, let him drink water.

Like as the bird, and the swallow take their flight and flee here and there; so the curse that is given in vain, shall not light upon a man.

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

Let, iron, by iron, become sharp, and let, a man, sharpen the face of his friend.

The fining-pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; so let a man be to the mouth that praiseth him.

Whoso increaseth his riches by vantage and winning, let him gather them to help the poor withal.

When the upright do well, there is great glory; but when evil-doers are lifted up, men do not let themselves be seen.

Like a loud-voiced lion and a wandering bear, is an evil ruler over a poor people.

A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.

All his anger, doth a dullard let go, but, a wise man, by keeping it back, stilleth it.

The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:
The Lord gives light to the eyes of both.

A rod and reproof give wisdom, And a youth let away is shaming his mother.

Where there is no vision, a people is let loose, but, he that keepeth instruction, how happy is he!

Put far from me all false and foolish things: do not give me great wealth or let me be in need, but give me only enough food:

Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, 'Who is Jehovah?' And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.

Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

Let your mouth be open for those who have no voice, in the cause of those who are ready for death.

Let your mouth be open, judging rightly, and give right decisions in the cause of the poor and those in need.

She sees that her marketing is of profit to her: her light does not go out by night.

Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

I explored with my mind how to let my body enjoy life with wine and how to grasp folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

And look whatsoever mine eyes desired, I let them have it: and wherein soever my heart delighted, or had any pleasure, I withheld it not from it. Thus my heart rejoiced in all that I did, and this I took for the portion of all my travail.

Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

And I turned about to let my heart despair for all the labor I labored under the sun.

So I concluded that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy [the fruit of] his labor, for this is his lot in life. {For no one knows what will happen in the future.}

A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction.

I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him.

Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Too many worries lead to nightmares, and a fool is known from talking too much.

When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!

Do not let your mouth lead your flesh into sin, and do not tell the messenger that it [was] a mistake. Why anger God at your words, so that he destroys the work of your hands?

Because much talk comes from dreams and things of no purpose. But let the fear of God be in you.

The sleep of a working man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach (greed) of the rich [who hungers for even more] will not let him sleep.

All of his life he also eats in darkness [cheerlessly, without sweetness and light], with great frustration, sickness, and anger.

Look! I have discovered what is good and fitting: to eat and to drink and {to enjoy} all [the fruit of] the toil with which one toils under the sun during the number of the days of his life that God gives to him--for this [is] his lot.