Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?

Those who linger long over wine,
Those who go to taste mixed wine.

And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea,
Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast.

One who plans to do evil,
Men will call a schemer.

Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.

If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?
And does He not know it who keeps your soul?
And will He not render to man according to his work?

My son, fear the Lord and the king;
Do not associate with those who are given to change,

For their calamity will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?

He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;

But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.

He kisses the lips
Who gives a right answer.

For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.

Or he who hears it will reproach you,
And the evil report about you will not pass away.

Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

Like clouds and wind without rain
Is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely.

Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow
Is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda,
Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart.

Like a trampled spring and a polluted well
Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

Like a city that is broken into and without walls
Is a man who has no control over his spirit.

He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence
Who sends a message by the hand of a fool.

Like one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is he who gives honor to a fool.

Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by.

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

The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can give a discreet answer.

Like one who takes a dog by the ears
Is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him.

Like a madman who throws
Firebrands, arrows and death,

So is the man who deceives his neighbor,
And says, “Was I not joking?”

He who hates disguises it with his lips,
But he lays up deceit in his heart.

He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,
But who can stand before jealousy?

Like a bird that wanders from her nest,
So is a man who wanders from his home.

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

Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
That I may reply to him who reproaches me.

He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,
It will be reckoned a curse to him.

He who would restrain her restrains the wind,
And grasps oil with his right hand.

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

A poor man who oppresses the lowly
Is like a driving rain which leaves no food.

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
But those who keep the law strive with them.

Evil men do not understand justice,
But those who seek the Lord understand all things.

Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than he who is crooked though he be rich.

He who keeps the law is a discerning son,
But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father.

He who increases his wealth by interest and usury
Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.

He who turns away his ear from listening to the law,
Even his prayer is an abomination.

He who leads the upright astray in an evil way
Will himself fall into his own pit,
But the blameless will inherit good.

The rich man is wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding sees through him.

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

How blessed is the man who fears always,
But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding,
But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.

A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood
Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him.

He who walks blamelessly will be delivered,
But he who is crooked will fall all at once.

He who tills his land will have plenty of food,
But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.

A faithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.

He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
Than he who flatters with the tongue.

He who robs his father or his mother
And says, “It is not a transgression,”
Is the companion of a man who destroys.

An arrogant man stirs up strife,
But he who trusts in the Lord will prosper.

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But he who walks wisely will be delivered.

He who gives to the poor will never want,
But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.

A man who hardens his neck after much reproof
Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad,
But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth.

The king gives stability to the land by justice,
But a man who takes bribes overthrows it.

A man who flatters his neighbor
Is spreading a net for his steps.

The rod and reproof give wisdom,
But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.

Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained,
But happy is he who keeps the law.

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.

He who pampers his slave from childhood
Will in the end find him to be a son.

He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life;
He hears the oath but tells nothing.

The fear of man brings a snare,
But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.

An unjust man is abominable to the righteous,
And he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked.

Who has ascended into heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name or His son’s name?
Surely you know!

Every word of God is tested;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or that I not be in want and steal,
And profane the name of my God.

There is a kind of man who curses his father
And does not bless his mother.

There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes,
Yet is not washed from his filthiness.

Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to him whose life is bitter.

An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

There is no remembrance of earlier things;
And also of the later things which will occur,
There will be for them no remembrance
Among those who will come later still.

I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.

Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.

When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?

For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.

Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?

I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?

So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.

But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.

There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.

For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

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.

There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.

After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.