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Proverbs 1
The Beginning of
Knowledge
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 The
proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2To know
wisdom and instruction,
To
perceive the words of understanding,
3To receive the
instruction of wisdom,
Justice,
judgment, and equity;
4To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and
discretion--
5A wise
man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will
attain wise counsel,
6To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their
riddles.
7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and
instruction.
Shun
Evil Counsel
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of
your mother;
9For
they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
10My son, if
sinners entice you,
Do not
consent.
11If they
say, "Come with us,
Let us lie
in wait to shed blood;
Let us
lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12Let us swallow
them alive like Sheol,
And
whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
13We shall find all
kinds of precious possessions,
We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14Cast in your lot
among us,
Let us all have one
purse"--
15My son,
do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;
16For their feet run
to evil,
And they make haste to
shed blood.
17Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;
18But they lie in
wait for their own blood,
They
lurk secretly for their own lives.
19So are the ways of
everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its
owners.
The Call of
Wisdom
20 Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the
open squares.
21She
cries out in the chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in
the city
She speaks her words:
22"How long, you
simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their
scorning,
And fools hate
knowledge.
23Turn at
my rebuke;
Surely I will pour
out my spirit on you;
I will
make my words known to you.
24Because I have
called and you refused,
I have
stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25Because you
disdained all my counsel,
And
would have none of my rebuke,
26I also will laugh
at your calamity;
I will mock
when your terror comes,
27When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like
a whirlwind,
When distress and
anguish come upon you.
28"Then they
will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently,
but they will not find me.
29Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of
the LORD,
30They
would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31Therefore they
shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with
their own fancies.
32For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools
will destroy them;
33But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without
fear of evil."
Proverbs 2
The Value of
Wisdom
The Value of Wisdom
1 My son, if
you receive my words,
And
treasure my commands within you,
2So that you incline
your ear to wisdom,
And apply
your heart to understanding;
3Yes, if you cry out
for discernment,
And lift up
your voice for understanding,
4If you seek her as
silver,
And search for her as
for hidden treasures;
5Then you will understand the fear of the LORD,
And find the knowledge of God.
6For the LORD gives
wisdom;
From His mouth come
knowledge and understanding;
7He stores up sound
wisdom for the upright;
He is a
shield to those who walk uprightly;
8He guards the paths
of justice,
And preserves the
way of His saints.
9Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.
10When
wisdom enters your heart,
And
knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11Discretion will
preserve you;
Understanding
will keep you,
12To
deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks
perverse things,
13From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of
darkness;
14Who
rejoice in doing evil,
And
delight in the perversity of the wicked;
15Whose ways are
crooked,
And who are devious in
their paths;
16To
deliver you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who
flatters with her words,
17Who forsakes the companion of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her
God.
18For her house
leads down to death,
And her
paths to the dead;
19None who go to her return,
Nor do they regain the paths of
life--
20So you may
walk in the way of goodness,
And keep to the paths of righteousness.
21For the upright
will dwell in the land,
And the
blameless will remain in it;
22But the wicked
will be cut off from the earth,
And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
Proverbs
3
Guidance for the Young
Guidance for the
Young
1 My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my
commands;
2For
length of days and long life
And peace they will add to you.
3Let not
mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 And so find favor
and high esteem
In the sight of
God and man.
5Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own
understanding;
6In
all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
7Do not be
wise in your own eyes;
Fear the
LORD and depart from evil.
8It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.
9Honor the
LORD with your possessions,
And
with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10So your barns will
be filled with plenty,
And your
vats will overflow with new wine.
11My son, do
not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor detest His correction;
12For whom the LORD
loves He corrects,
Just as a
father the son in whom he delights.
13Happy is
the man who finds wisdom,
And
the man who gains understanding;
14For her proceeds
are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
15She is more
precious than rubies,
And all
the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16Length of days is
in her right hand,
In her left
hand riches and honor.
17Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18She is a tree of
life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain
her.
19The
LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established
the heavens;
20By
His knowledge the depths were broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.
21My son,
let them not depart from your eyes--
Keep sound wisdom and
discretion;
22So
they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.
23Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
24When you lie down,
you will not be afraid;
Yes,
you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25Do not be afraid
of sudden terror,
Nor of
trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26For the LORD will
be your confidence,
And will
keep your foot from being caught.
27Do not
withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your
hand to do so.
28Do
not say to your neighbor,
"Go,
and come back,
And tomorrow I
will give it,"
When you have it
with you.
29Do not
devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for
safety's sake.
30Do
not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
31Do not
envy the oppressor,
And choose
none of his ways;
32For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD,
But His secret counsel is with
the upright.
33The
curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the
just.
34Surely He
scorns the scornful,
But gives
grace to the humble.
35The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy
of fools.
Proverbs 4
Security in
Wisdom
Security in Wisdom
1 Hear, my
children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know
understanding;
2For
I give you good doctrine:
Do
not forsake my law.
3When I was my father's son,
Tender and the only one in the
sight of my mother,
4He also taught me, and said to me:
"Let your heart retain my
words;
Keep my commands, and
live.
5Get wisdom!
Get understanding!
Do not
forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6Do not forsake her,
and she will preserve you;
Love
her, and she will keep you.
7Wisdom is the
principal thing;
Therefore get
wisdom.
And in all your
getting, get understanding.
8Exalt her, and she
will promote you;
She will
bring you honor, when you embrace her.
9She will place on
your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you."
10Hear, my
son, and receive my sayings,
And the years of your life will be many.
11I have taught you
in the way of wisdom;
I have
led you in right paths.
12When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not
stumble.
13Take firm
hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.
14Do not
enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
15Avoid it, do not
travel on it;
Turn away from it
and pass on.
16For
they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is taken away
unless they make someone fall.
17For they eat the
bread of wickedness,
And drink
the wine of violence.
18But the
path of the just is like the shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto
the perfect day.
19The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes
them stumble.
20My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21Do not let them
depart from your eyes;
Keep
them in the midst of your heart;
22For they are life
to those who find them,
And
health to all their flesh.
23Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues
of life.
24Put away
from you a deceitful mouth,
And
put perverse lips far from you.
25Let your eyes look
straight ahead,
And your
eyelids look right before you.
26Ponder the path of
your feet,
And let all your
ways be established.
27Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from
evil.
Proverbs 5
The Peril of
Adultery
Warning Against Immorality
1 My
son, pay attention to my wisdom;
Lend your ear to my
understanding,
2That
you may preserve discretion,
And your lips may keep knowledge.
3For the lips of an
immoral woman drip honey,
And
her mouth is smoother than oil;
4But in the end she
is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as
a two-edged sword.
5Her feet go down to death,
Her steps lay hold of hell.
6Lest you ponder her
path of life--
Her ways are
unstable;
You do not know them.
7Therefore
hear me now, my children,
And
do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8Remove your way far
from her,
And do not go near
the door of her house,
9Lest you give your honor to others,
And your years to the cruel
one;
10Lest aliens
be filled with your wealth,
And
your labors go to the house of a foreigner;
11And you mourn at
last,
When your flesh and your
body are consumed,
12And say:
"How I have
hated instruction,
And my heart
despised correction!
13I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to those
who instructed me!
14I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly
and congregation."
15Drink water from your own cistern,
And running water from your own
well.
16Should your
fountains be dispersed abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?
17Let them be only
your own,
And not for strangers
with you.
18Let your
fountain be blessed,
And
rejoice with the wife of your youth.
19As a loving deer
and a graceful doe,
Let her
breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be enraptured with
her love.
20For why
should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman,
And be embraced in the arms of
a seductress?
21For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD,
And He ponders all his paths.
22His own iniquities
entrap the wicked man,
And he
is caught in the cords of his sin.
23He shall die for
lack of instruction,
And in the
greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Proverbs
6
Dangerous Promises
Seven Deadly
Sins
1 My son, if you become surety for your friend,
If you have shaken hands in
pledge for a stranger,
2You are snared by the words of your mouth;
You are taken by the words of
your mouth.
3So do
this, my son, and deliver yourself;
For you have come into the hand
of your friend:
Go and humble
yourself;
Plead with your
friend.
4Give no
sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber
to your eyelids.
5Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
And like a bird from the hand
of the fowler.
The
Folly of Indolence
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
7Which, having no
captain,
Overseer or ruler,
8Provides her
supplies in the summer,
And
gathers her food in the harvest.
9How long will you
slumber, O sluggard?
When will
you rise from your sleep?
10A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands
to sleep--
11So
shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed
man.
The Wicked
Man
12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
Walks with a perverse mouth;
13He winks with his
eyes,
He shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;
14Perversity is in
his heart,
He devises evil
continually,
He sows discord.
15Therefore his
calamity shall come suddenly;
Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.
16These six
things the LORD hates,
Yes,
seven are an abomination to Him:
17A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
18A heart that
devises wicked plans,
Feet that
are swift in running to evil,
19A false witness
who speaks lies,
And one who
sows discord among brethren.
Beware of
Adultery
20 My son, keep your father's command,
And do not forsake the law of
your mother.
21Bind
them continually upon your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22When you roam,
they will lead you;
When you
sleep, they will keep you;
And
when you awake, they will speak with you.
23For the
commandment is a lamp,
And the
law a light;
Reproofs of
instruction are the way of life,
24To keep you from
the evil woman,
From the
flattering tongue of a seductress.
25Do not lust after
her beauty in your heart,
Nor
let her allure you with her eyelids.
26For by means of a
harlot
A man is reduced to a
crust of bread;
And an
adulteress will prey upon his precious life.
27Can a man take
fire to his bosom,
And his
clothes not be burned?
28Can one walk on hot coals,
And his feet not be seared?
29So is he who goes
in to his neighbor's wife;
Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
30People do
not despise a thief
If he
steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.
31Yet when he is
found, he must restore sevenfold;
He may have to give up all the
substance of his house.
32Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding;
He who does so destroys his own
soul.
33Wounds and
dishonor he will get,
And his
reproach will not be wiped away.
34For jealousy is a
husband's fury;
Therefore he
will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35He will accept no
recompense,
Nor will he be
appeased though you give many gifts.
Proverbs
7
The Wiles of a Harlot
1 My son, keep my
words,
And treasure my commands
within you.
2Keep my
commands and live,
And my law
as the apple of your eye.
3Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of
your heart.
4Say to
wisdom, "You are my sister,"
And call understanding your nearest kin,
5That they may keep
you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.
The Crafty
Harlot
6 For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
7And saw among the
simple,
I perceived among the
youths,
A young man devoid of
understanding,
8Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her
house
9In the
twilight, in the evening,
In
the black and dark night.
10And there
a woman met him,
With the
attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
11She was loud and
rebellious,
Her feet would not
stay at home.
12At
times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
13So she caught him
and kissed him;
With an
impudent face she said to him:
14"I have peace
offerings with me;
Today I have
paid my vows.
15So I
came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
16I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of Egyptian
linen.
17I have
perfumed my bed
With myrrh,
aloes, and cinnamon.
18Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with
love.
19For my
husband is not at home;
He has
gone on a long journey;
20He has taken a bag of money with him,
And will come home on the
appointed day."
21With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
With her flattering lips she
seduced him.
22Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as a fool to the correction
of the stocks,
23Till an arrow struck his liver.
As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it would cost
his life.
24Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of
my mouth:
25Do not
let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
26For she has cast
down many wounded,
And all who
were slain by her were strong men.
27Her house is the
way to hell,
Descending to the
chambers of death.
Proverbs 8
The Excellence of
Wisdom
Wisdom Is Everlasting
1 Does not
wisdom cry out,
And
understanding lift up her voice?
2She takes her stand
on the top of the high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3She cries out by
the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
4"To you, O men, I
call,
And my voice is to the
sons of men.
5O you
simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an
understanding heart.
6Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips
will come right things;
7For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to
my lips.
8All the
words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is
in them.
9They are
all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find
knowledge.
10Receive
my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11For wisdom is
better than rubies,
And all the
things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
12"I,
wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13The fear of the
LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and
arrogance and the evil way
And
the perverse mouth I hate.
14Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, I have
strength.
15By me
kings reign,
And rulers decree
justice.
16By me
princes rule, and nobles,
All
the judges of the earth.
17I love those who love me,
And those who seek me
diligently will find me.
18Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and
righteousness.
19My
fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice
silver.
20I traverse
the way of righteousness,
In
the midst of the paths of justice,
21That I may cause
those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their
treasuries.
22"The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23I have been
established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24When there were no
depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25Before the
mountains were settled,
Before
the hills, I was brought forth;
26While as yet He
had not made the earth or the fields,
Or the primal dust of the
world.
27When He
prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the
face of the deep,
28When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the
fountains of the deep,
29When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not
transgress His command,
When He
marked out the foundations of the earth,
30Then I was beside
Him as a master craftsman;
And
I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31Rejoicing in His
inhabited world,
And my delight
was with the sons of men.
32"Now
therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep
my ways.
33Hear
instruction and be wise,
And do
not disdain it.
34Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my
doors.
35For whoever
finds me finds life,
And
obtains favor from the LORD;
36But he who sins
against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death."
Proverbs 9
The
Way of Wisdom
Wisdom's Invitation
1 Wisdom
has built her house,
She has
hewn out her seven pillars;
2She has slaughtered
her meat,
She has mixed her
wine,
She has also furnished
her table.
3She has
sent out her maidens,
She cries
out from the highest places of the city,
4"Whoever is simple,
let him turn in here!"
As for
him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5"Come, eat of my
bread
And drink of the wine I
have mixed.
6Forsake
foolishness and live,
And go in
the way of understanding.
7"He who
corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man
only harms himself.
8Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
Rebuke a wise man, and he will
love you.
9Give
instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, and he will
increase in learning.
10"The fear
of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy
One is understanding.
11For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added
to you.
12If you are
wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear
it alone."
The Way of
Folly
13 A foolish woman is clamorous;
She is simple, and knows
nothing.
14For she
sits at the door of her house,
On a seat by the highest places of the city,
15To call to those
who pass by,
Who go straight on
their way:
16"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here";
And as for him who lacks
understanding, she says to him,
17"Stolen water is
sweet,
And bread eaten in
secret is pleasant."
18But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the
depths of hell.
Proverbs 10
Wise Sayings of
Solomon
A Wise Son and a Foolish Son
1 The
proverbs of Solomon:
A
wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
2Treasures
of wickedness profit nothing,
But righteousness delivers from death.
3The LORD will not
allow the righteous soul to famish,
But He casts away the desire of
the wicked.
4He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent
makes rich.
5He who
gathers in summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is a
son who causes shame.
6Blessings
are on the head of the righteous,
But violence covers the mouth
of the wicked.
7The
memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will
rot.
8The
wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall.
9He who
walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways
will become known.
10He who winks with the eye causes trouble,
But a prating fool will fall.
11The mouth
of the righteous is a well of life,
But violence covers the mouth
of the wicked.
12Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all sins.
13Wisdom is
found on the lips of him who has understanding,
But a rod is for the back of
him who is devoid of understanding.
14Wise
people store up knowledge,
But
the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
15The rich
man's wealth is his strong city;
The destruction of the poor is
their poverty.
16The labor of the righteous leads to life,
The wages of the wicked to sin.
17He who
keeps instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses correction
goes astray.
18Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,
And whoever spreads slander is
a fool.
19In
the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips
is wise.
20The
tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
The heart of the wicked is
worth little.
21The
lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of
wisdom.
22The blessing of the LORD makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.
23To do evil
is like sport to a fool,
But a
man of understanding has wisdom.
24The fear of the
wicked will come upon him,
And
the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25When the whirlwind
passes by, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an
everlasting foundation.
26As vinegar
to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy man to those who
send him.
27The fear of the LORD prolongs days,
But the years of the wicked
will be shortened.
28The hope of the righteous will be gladness,
But the expectation of the
wicked will perish.
29The way of the LORD is strength for the upright,
But destruction will come to
the workers of iniquity.
30The
righteous will never be removed,
But the wicked will not inhabit
the earth.
31The
mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
But the perverse tongue will be
cut out.
32The lips
of the righteous know what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked
what is perverse.
Proverbs 11
The Folly of
Wickedness
1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the
LORD,
But a just weight is His
delight.
2When pride comes, then comes shame;
But with the humble is wisdom.
3The
integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the perversity of the
unfaithful will destroy them.
4Riches do not
profit in the day of wrath,
But
righteousness delivers from death.
5The righteousness
of the blameless will direct his way aright,
But the wicked will fall by his
own wickedness.
6The
righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the unfaithful will be
caught by their lust.
7When a
wicked man dies, his expectation will perish,
And the hope of the unjust
perishes.
8The
righteous is delivered from trouble,
And it comes to the wicked
instead.
9The
hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the
righteous will be delivered.
10When it goes well
with the righteous, the city rejoices;
And when the wicked perish,
there is jubilation.
11By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted,
But it is overthrown by the
mouth of the wicked.
12He who is
devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of understanding
holds his peace.
13A talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is of a faithful
spirit conceals a matter.
14Where
there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of
counselors there is safety.
15He who is
surety for a stranger will suffer,
But one who hates being surety
is secure.
16A gracious woman retains honor,
But ruthless men retain riches.
17The merciful man
does good for his own soul,
But
he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
18The wicked man
does deceptive work,
But he who
sows righteousness will have a sure reward.
19As righteousness
leads to life,
So he who
pursues evil pursues it to his own death.
20Those who are of a
perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD,
But the blameless in their ways
are His delight.
21Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished;
But the posterity of the
righteous will be delivered.
22As a ring
of gold in a swine's snout,
So
is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.
23The desire
of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
24There is
one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds
more than is right,
But it
leads to poverty.
25The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be
watered himself.
26The people will curse him who withholds grain,
But blessing will be on the
head of him who sells it.
27He who
earnestly seeks good finds favor,
But trouble will come to him
who seeks evil.
28He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish
like foliage.
29He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind,
And the fool will be servant to
the wise of heart.
30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who wins souls is wise.
31If the
righteous will be recompensed on the earth,
How much more the ungodly and
the sinner.
Proverbs 12
The House of the Righteous
Shall Stand
1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,
But he who hates correction is
stupid.
2A
good man obtains favor from the LORD,
But a man of wicked intentions
He will condemn.
3A man is not established by wickedness,
But the root of the righteous
cannot be moved.
4An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who causes shame is
like rottenness in his bones.
5The
thoughts of the righteous are right,
But the counsels of the wicked
are deceitful.
6The
words of the wicked are, "Lie in wait for blood,"
But the mouth of the upright
will deliver them.
7The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
But the house of the righteous
will stand.
8A man will be commended according to his wisdom,
But he who is of a perverse
heart will be despised.
9Better is
the one who is slighted but has a servant,
Than he who honors himself but
lacks bread.
10A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the
wicked are cruel.
11He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread,
But he who follows frivolity is
devoid of understanding.
12The wicked
covet the catch of evil men,
But the root of the righteous yields fruit.
13The wicked is
ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous will come
through trouble.
14A
man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
And the recompense of a man's
hands will be rendered to him.
15The way of
a fool is right in his own eyes,
But he who heeds counsel is
wise.
16A fool's
wrath is known at once,
But a
prudent man covers shame.
17He who
speaks truth declares righteousness,
But a false witness, deceit.
18There is one who
speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise
promotes health.
19The truthful lip shall be established forever,
But a lying tongue is but for a
moment.
20Deceit is
in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have
joy.
21No grave
trouble will overtake the righteous,
But the wicked shall be filled
with evil.
22Lying
lips are an abomination to the LORD,
But those who deal truthfully
are His delight.
23A prudent man conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools
proclaims foolishness.
24The hand
of the diligent will rule,
But
the lazy man will be put to forced labor.
25Anxiety in
the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.
26The
righteous should choose his friends carefully,
For the way of the wicked leads
them astray.
27The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man's precious
possession.
28In the way of righteousness is life,
And in its pathway there is no
death.
Proverbs 13
Wisdom Loves
Righteousness
1 A wise son heeds his father's instruction,
But a scoffer does not listen
to rebuke.
2A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth,
But the soul of the unfaithful
feeds on violence.
3He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips
shall have destruction.
4The soul of
a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent
shall be made rich.
5A righteous
man hates lying,
But a wicked
man is loathsome and comes to shame.
6Righteousness
guards him whose way is blameless,
But wickedness overthrows the
sinner.
7There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;
And one who makes himself poor,
yet has great riches.
8The ransom
of a man's life is his riches,
But the poor does not hear rebuke.
9The light
of the righteous rejoices,
But
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
10By pride
comes nothing but strife,
But
with the well-advised is wisdom.
11Wealth
gained by dishonesty will be diminished,
But he who gathers by labor
will increase.
12Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when the desire comes, it
is a tree of life.
13He who despises the word will be destroyed,
But he who fears the
commandment will be rewarded.
14The law of the
wise is a fountain of life,
To
turn one away from the snares of death.
15Good
understanding gains favor,
But
the way of the unfaithful is hard.
16Every prudent man
acts with knowledge,
But a fool
lays open his folly.
17A wicked
messenger falls into trouble,
But a faithful ambassador brings health.
18Poverty
and shame will come to him who disdains correction,
But he who regards a rebuke
will be honored.
19A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to
fools to depart from evil.
20He who
walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will
be destroyed.
21Evil pursues sinners,
But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.
22A good man
leaves an inheritance to his children's children,
But the wealth of the sinner is
stored up for the righteous.
23Much food
is in the fallow ground of the poor,
And for lack of justice there
is waste.
24He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him
disciplines him promptly.
25The
righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul,
But the stomach of the wicked
shall be in want.
Proverbs 14
The Ways of Life and
Death
1 The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down
with her hands.
2He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD,
But he who is perverse in his
ways despises Him.
3In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,
But the lips of the wise will
preserve them.
4Where no oxen are, the trough is clean;
But much increase comes by the
strength of an ox.
5A faithful witness does not lie,
But a false witness will utter
lies.
6A
scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it,
But knowledge is easy to him
who understands.
7Go
from the presence of a foolish man,
When you do not perceive in him
the lips of knowledge.
8The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,
But the folly of fools is
deceit.
9Fools mock at sin,
But
among the upright there is favor.
10The heart
knows its own bitterness,
And a
stranger does not share its joy.
11The house
of the wicked will be overthrown,
But the tent of the upright
will flourish.
12There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of
death.
13Even in laughter the heart may sorrow,
And the end of mirth may be
grief.
14The
backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways,
But a good man will be
satisfied from above.
15The simple
believes every word,
But the
prudent considers well his steps.
16A wise man fears
and departs from evil,
But a
fool rages and is self-confident.
17A quick-tempered
man acts foolishly,
And a man
of wicked intentions is hated.
18The simple inherit
folly,
But the prudent are
crowned with knowledge.
19The evil will bow before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of
the righteous.
20The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor,
But the rich has many friends.
21He who despises
his neighbor sins;
But he who
has mercy on the poor, happy is he.
22Do they
not go astray who devise evil?
But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.
23In all
labor there is profit,
But idle
chatter leads only to poverty.
24The crown
of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is folly.
25A true
witness delivers souls,
But a
deceitful witness speaks lies.
26In the
fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a
place of refuge.
27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the
snares of death.
28In a multitude of people is a king's honor,
But in the lack of people is
the downfall of a prince.
29He who is
slow to wrath has great understanding,
But he who is impulsive exalts
folly.
30A
sound heart is life to the body,
But envy is rottenness to the
bones.
31He
who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker,
But he who honors Him has mercy
on the needy.
32The wicked is banished in his wickedness,
But the righteous has a refuge
in his death.
33Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
But what is in the heart of
fools is made known.
34Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a reproach to any
people.
35The king's favor is toward a wise servant,
But his wrath is against him
who causes shame.
Proverbs 15
A Soft Answer Turns
Away Wrath
1 A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up
anger.
2The tongue
of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
But the mouth of fools pours
forth foolishness.
3The eyes of the LORD are in every place,
Keeping watch on the evil and
the good.
4A
wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness in it breaks
the spirit.
5A fool despises his father's instruction,
But he who receives correction
is prudent.
6In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
But in the revenue of the
wicked is trouble.
7The lips of the wise disperse knowledge,
But the heart of the fool does
not do so.
8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
But the prayer of the upright
is His delight.
9The
way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
But He loves him who follows
righteousness.
10Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way,
And he who hates correction
will die.
11Hell and Destruction are before the LORD;
So how much more the hearts of
the sons of men.
12A scoffer does not love one who corrects him,
Nor will he go to the wise.
13A merry
heart makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of the heart the
spirit is broken.
14The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on
foolishness.
15All the days of the afflicted are evil,
But he who is of a merry heart
has a continual feast.
16Better is
a little with the fear of the LORD,
Than great treasure with
trouble.
17Better is
a dinner of herbs where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred.
18A wrathful
man stirs up strife,
But he who
is slow to anger allays contention.
19The way of
the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns,
But the way of the upright is a
highway.
20A
wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man despises his mother.
21Folly is
joy to him who is destitute of discernment,
But a man of understanding
walks uprightly.
22Without counsel, plans go awry,
But in the multitude of
counselors they are established.
23A man has
joy by the answer of his mouth,
And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!
24The way of
life winds upward for the wise,
That he may turn away from hell below.
25The LORD
will destroy the house of the proud,
But He will establish the
boundary of the widow.
26The
thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD,
But the words of the pure are
pleasant.
27He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,
But he who hates bribes will
live.
28The
heart of the righteous studies how to answer,
But the mouth of the wicked
pours forth evil.
29The LORD is far from the wicked,
But He hears the prayer of the
righteous.
30The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
And a good report makes the
bones healthy.
31The ear that hears the rebukes of life
Will abide among the wise.
32He who disdains
instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets
understanding.
33The
fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor is
humility.
Proverbs 16
Wisdom Is Better Than
Gold
1 The preparations of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is
from the LORD.
2All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
But the LORD weighs the
spirits.
3Commit your works to the LORD,
And your thoughts will be
established.
4The LORD has made all for Himself,
Yes, even the wicked for the
day of doom.
5Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD;
Though they join forces, none
will go unpunished.
6In mercy
and truth
Atonement is provided
for iniquity;
And by the fear
of the LORD one departs from evil.
7When a
man's ways please the LORD,
He
makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8Better is a
little with righteousness,
Than
vast revenues without justice.
9A man's
heart plans his way,
But the
LORD directs his steps.
10Divination
is on the lips of the king;
His
mouth must not transgress in judgment.
11Honest weights and
scales are the LORD's;
All the
weights in the bag are His work.
12It is an
abomination for kings to commit wickedness,
For a throne is established by
righteousness.
13Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And they love him who speaks
what is right.
14As
messengers of death is the king's wrath,
But a wise man will appease it.
15In the light of
the king's face is life,
And
his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain.
16How much
better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17The
highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who keeps his way preserves
his soul.
18Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a
fall.
19Better to be
of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the spoil with
the proud.
20He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever trusts in the LORD,
happy is he.
21The wise in heart will be called prudent,
And sweetness of the lips
increases learning.
22Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.
But the correction of fools is
folly.
23The
heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
And adds learning to his lips.
24Pleasant
words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
25There is a
way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
26The person
who labors, labors for himself,
For his hungry mouth drives him on.
27An ungodly
man digs up evil,
And it is on
his lips like a burning fire.
28A perverse man
sows strife,
And a whisperer
separates the best of friends.
29A violent man
entices his neighbor,
And leads
him in a way that is not good.
30He winks his eye
to devise perverse things;
He
purses his lips and brings about evil.
31The
silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of
righteousness.
32He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit
than he who takes a city.
33The lot is
cast into the lap,
But its
every decision is from the LORD.
Proverbs 17
The
LORD Tests Hearts
1 Better is a dry morsel with quietness,
Than a house full of feasting
with strife.
2A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame,
And will share an inheritance
among the brothers.
3The
refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But the LORD tests the hearts.
4An evildoer
gives heed to false lips;
A
liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue.
5He who
mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;
He who is glad at calamity will
not go unpunished.
6Children's children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is
their father.
7Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
Much less lying lips to a
prince.
8A
present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9He who
covers a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter
separates friends.
10Rebuke is more effective for a wise man
Than a hundred blows on a fool.
11An evil
man seeks only rebellion;
Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12Let a man
meet a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
13Whoever
rewards evil for good,
Evil
will not depart from his house.
14The
beginning of strife is like releasing water;
Therefore stop contention
before a quarrel starts.
15He who
justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,
Both of them alike are an
abomination to the LORD.
16Why is
there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,
Since he has no heart for it?
17A friend
loves at all times,
And a
brother is born for adversity.
18A man
devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes surety for his
friend.
19He
who loves transgression loves strife,
And he who exalts his gate
seeks destruction.
20He who has a deceitful heart finds no good,
And he who has a perverse
tongue falls into evil.
21He who
begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no
joy.
22A
merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the
bones.
23A
wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back
To pervert the ways of justice.
24Wisdom is
in the sight of him who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on
the ends of the earth.
25A foolish
son is a grief to his father,
And bitterness to her who bore him.
26Also, to
punish the righteous is not good,
Nor to strike princes for their
uprightness.
27He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is
of a calm spirit.
28Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is
considered perceptive.
Proverbs 18
The Name of the
LORD Is a Strong Tower
1 A man who isolates himself seeks
his own desire;
He rages
against all wise judgment.
2A fool has
no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his own heart.
3When the
wicked comes, contempt comes also;
And with dishonor comes
reproach.
4The words of a man's mouth are deep waters;
The wellspring of wisdom is a
flowing brook.
5It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,
Or to overthrow the righteous
in judgment.
6A fool's lips enter into contention,
And his mouth calls for blows.
7A fool's mouth is
his destruction,
And his lips
are the snare of his soul.
8The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,
And they go down into the
inmost body.
9He who is slothful in his work
Is a brother to him who is a
great destroyer.
10The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are
safe.
11The rich
man's wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own
esteem.
12Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty,
And before honor is humility.
13He who
answers a matter before he hears it,
It is folly and shame to him.
14The spirit
of a man will sustain him in sickness,
But who can bear a broken
spirit?
15The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge,
And the ear of the wise seeks
knowledge.
16A man's gift makes room for him,
And brings him before great
men.
17The
first one to plead his cause seems right,
Until his neighbor comes and
examines him.
18Casting lots causes contentions to cease,
And keeps the mighty apart.
19A brother
offended is harder to win than a strong city,
And contentions are like the
bars of a castle.
20A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;
From the produce of his lips he
shall be filled.
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat
its fruit.
22He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
And obtains favor from the
LORD.
23The
poor man uses entreaties,
But
the rich answers roughly.
24A man who
has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who
sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 19
The Fear
of the Lord Leads to Life
1 Better is the poor who walks in
his integrity
Than one who is
perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
2Also it is
not good for a soul to be without knowledge,
And he sins who hastens with
his feet.
3The foolishness of a man twists his way,
And his heart frets against the
LORD.
4Wealth makes many friends,
But the poor is separated from
his friend.
5A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies will not
escape.
6Many entreat the favor of the nobility,
And every man is a friend to
one who gives gifts.
7All the brothers of the poor hate him;
How much more do his friends go
far from him!
He may pursue
them with words, yet they abandon him.
8He who gets
wisdom loves his own soul;
He
who keeps understanding will find good.
9A false
witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies shall perish.
10Luxury is
not fitting for a fool,
Much
less for a servant to rule over princes.
11The
discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
And his glory is to overlook a
transgression.
12The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like dew on
the grass.
13A foolish son is the ruin of his father,
And the contentions of a wife
are a continual dripping.
14Houses and
riches are an inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the
LORD.
15Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And an idle person will suffer
hunger.
16He
who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who is careless of his
ways will die.
17He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD,
And He will pay back what he
has given.
18Chasten your son while there is hope,
And do not set your heart on
his destruction.
19A man of great wrath will suffer punishment;
For if you rescue him, you will
have to do it again.
20Listen to
counsel and receive instruction,
That you may be wise in your
latter days.
21There are many plans in a man's heart,
Nevertheless the LORD's
counsel--that will stand.
22What is
desired in a man is kindness,
And a poor man is better than a liar.
23The fear
of the LORD leads to life,
And
he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will not be visited with
evil.
24A
lazy man buries his hand in the bowl,
And will not so much as bring
it to his mouth again.
25Strike a
scoffer, and the simple will become wary;
Rebuke one who has
understanding, and he will discern knowledge.
26He who
mistreats his father and chases away his mother
Is a son who causes shame and
brings reproach.
27Cease listening to instruction, my son,
And you will stray from the
words of knowledge.
28A
disreputable witness scorns justice,
And the mouth of the wicked
devours iniquity.
29Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
And beatings for the backs of
fools.
Proverbs 20
Wine Is a
Mocker
1 Wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it
is not wise.
2The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
Whoever provokes him to anger
sins against his own life.
3It is
honorable for a man to stop striving,
Since any fool can start a
quarrel.
4The lazy man will not plow because of winter;
He will beg during harvest and
have nothing.
5Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding will
draw it out.
6Most men will proclaim each his own goodness,
But who can find a faithful
man?
7The
righteous man walks in his integrity;
His children are blessed after
him.
8A king
who sits on the throne of judgment
Scatters all evil with his
eyes.
9Who
can say, "I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin"?
10Diverse
weights and diverse measures,
They are both alike, an abomination to the LORD.
11Even a
child is known by his deeds,
Whether what he does is pure and right.
12The
hearing ear and the seeing eye,
The LORD has made them both.
13Do not
love sleep, lest you come to poverty;
Open your eyes, and you will be
satisfied with bread.
14"It is
good for nothing," cries the buyer;
But when he has gone his way,
then he boasts.
15There is gold and a multitude of rubies,
But the lips of knowledge are a
precious jewel.
16Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it as a pledge when it
is for a seductress.
17Bread
gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
But afterward his mouth will be
filled with gravel.
18Plans are
established by counsel;
By wise
counsel wage war.
19He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with
one who flatters with his lips.
20Whoever
curses his father or his mother,
His lamp will be put out in
deep darkness.
21An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning
Will not be blessed at the end.
22Do not
say, "I will recompense evil";
Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.
23Diverse
weights are an abomination to the LORD,
And dishonest scales are not
good.
24A
man's steps are of the LORD;
How then can a man understand his own way?
25It is a
snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy,
And afterward to reconsider his
vows.
26A
wise king sifts out the wicked,
And brings the threshing wheel over them.
27The spirit
of a man is the lamp of the LORD,
Searching all the inner depths
of his heart.
28Mercy and truth preserve the king,
And by lovingkindness he
upholds his throne.
29The glory
of young men is their strength,
And the splendor of old men is their gray head.
30Blows that
hurt cleanse away evil,
As do
stripes the inner depths of the heart.
Proverbs
21
The LORD Considers the Heart
1 The
king's heart is in the hand of the LORD,
Like the rivers of water; He
turns it wherever He wishes.
2Every way
of a man is right in his own eyes,
But the LORD weighs the hearts.
3To do
righteousness and justice
Is
more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
4A haughty
look, a proud heart,
And the
plowing of the wicked are sin.
5The plans
of the diligent lead surely to plenty,
But those of everyone who is
hasty, surely to poverty.
6Getting
treasures by a lying tongue
Is
the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.
7The
violence of the wicked will destroy them,
Because they refuse to do
justice.
8The way of a guilty man is perverse;
But as for the pure, his work
is right.
9Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
Than in a house shared with a
contentious woman.
10The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His neighbor finds no favor in
his eyes.
11When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise;
But when the wise is
instructed, he receives knowledge.
12The
righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked,
Overthrowing the wicked for
their wickedness.
13Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not
be heard.
14A gift in secret pacifies anger,
And a bribe behind the back,
strong wrath.
15It is a joy for the just to do justice,
But destruction will come to
the workers of iniquity.
16A man who
wanders from the way of understanding
Will rest in the assembly of
the dead.
17He who loves pleasure will be a poor man;
He who loves wine and oil will
not be rich.
18The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous,
And the unfaithful for the
upright.
19Better to dwell in the wilderness,
Than with a contentious and
angry woman.
20There is desirable treasure,
And oil in the dwelling of the
wise,
But a foolish man
squanders it.
21He who follows righteousness and mercy
Finds life, righteousness and
honor.
22A
wise man scales the city of the mighty,
And brings down the trusted
stronghold.
23Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.
24A proud
and haughty man--"Scoffer" is his name;
He acts with arrogant pride.
25The desire
of the lazy man kills him,
For
his hands refuse to labor.
26He covets greedily all day long,
But the righteous gives and
does not spare.
27The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
How much more when he brings it
with wicked intent!
28A false
witness shall perish,
But the
man who hears him will speak endlessly.
29A wicked
man hardens his face,
But as
for the upright, he establishes his way.
30There is
no wisdom or understanding
Or
counsel against the LORD.
31The horse
is prepared for the day of battle,
But deliverance is of the
LORD.
Proverbs 22
The Value of a Good
Name
1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver
and gold.
2The rich and the poor have this in common,
The LORD is the maker of them
all.
3A
prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are
punished.
4By humility and the fear of the LORD
Are riches and honor and life.
5Thorns and
snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards his soul will be
far from them.
6Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not
depart from it.
7The rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to
the lender.
8He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow,
And the rod of his anger will
fail.
9He
who has a generous eye will be blessed,
For he gives of his bread to
the poor.
10Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave;
Yes, strife and reproach will
cease.
11He
who loves purity of heart
And
has grace on his lips,
The king
will be his friend.
12The eyes
of the LORD preserve knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the faithless.
13The lazy
man says, "There is a lion outside!
I shall be slain in the
streets!"
14The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit;
He who is abhorred by the LORD
will fall there.
15Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of correction will
drive it far from him.
16He who
oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
And he who gives to the rich,
will surely come to poverty.
Sayings of the
Wise
17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my
knowledge;
18For it
is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your
lips,
19So that your
trust may be in the LORD;
I
have instructed you today, even you.
20Have I not written
to you excellent things
Of
counsels and knowledge,
21That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
That you may answer words of
truth
To those who send to you?
22Do not rob
the poor because he is poor,
Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;
23For the LORD will
plead their cause,
And plunder
the soul of those who plunder them.
24Make no
friendship with an angry man,
And with a furious man do not go,
25Lest you learn his
ways
And set a snare for your
soul.
26Do
not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge,
One of those who is surety for
debts;
27If you have
nothing with which to pay,
Why
should he take away your bed from under you?
28Do not
remove the ancient landmark
Which your fathers have set.
29Do you see
a man who excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He
will not stand before unknown men.
Proverbs
23
Listen to Your Father
1 When you sit
down to eat with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is before you;
2And put a knife to
your throat
If you are a man
given to appetite.
3Do not desire his delicacies,
For they are deceptive food.
4Do not
overwork to be rich;
Because of
your own understanding, cease!
5Will you set your
eyes on that which is not?
For
riches certainly make themselves wings;
They fly away like an eagle
toward heaven.
6Do not eat the bread of a miser,
Nor desire his delicacies;
7For as he thinks in
his heart, so is he.
"Eat and
drink!" he says to you,
But his
heart is not with you.
8The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up,
And waste your pleasant words.
9Do not
speak in the hearing of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10Do not
remove the ancient landmark,
Nor enter the fields of the fatherless;
11For their Redeemer
is mighty;
He will plead their
cause against you.
12Apply your heart to instruction,
And your ears to words of
knowledge.
13Do not withhold correction from a child,
For if you beat him with a rod,
he will not die.
14You shall beat him with a rod,
And deliver his soul from hell.
15My son, if
your heart is wise,
My heart
will rejoice--indeed, I myself;
16Yes, my inmost
being will rejoice
When your
lips speak right things.
17Do not let
your heart envy sinners,
But be
zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day;
18For surely there
is a hereafter,
And your hope
will not be cut off.
19Hear, my
son, and be wise;
And guide
your heart in the way.
20Do not mix with winebibbers,
Or with gluttonous eaters of
meat;
21For the
drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe a
man with rags.
22Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother
when she is old.
23Buy the truth, and do not sell it,
Also wisdom and instruction and
understanding.
24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who begets a wise child
will delight in him.
25Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who bore you
rejoice.
26My son, give me your heart,
And let your eyes observe my
ways.
27For a harlot
is a deep pit,
And a seductress
is a narrow well.
28She also lies in wait as for a victim,
And increases the unfaithful
among men.
29Who has woe?
Who has
sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
30Those who linger
long at the wine,
Those who go
in search of mixed wine.
31Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;
32At the last it
bites like a serpent,
And
stings like a viper.
33Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter
perverse things.
34Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top
of the mast, saying:
35"They have struck me, but I was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did
not feel it.
When shall I
awake, that I may seek another drink?|"
Proverbs
24
Do Not Envy Evil Men
1 Do not be
envious of evil men,
Nor desire
to be with them;
2For their heart devises violence,
And their lips talk of
troublemaking.
3Through wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is
established;
4By
knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5A wise man
is strong,
Yes, a man of
knowledge increases strength;
6For by wise counsel
you will wage your own war,
And
in a multitude of counselors there is safety.
7Wisdom is
too lofty for a fool;
He does
not open his mouth in the gate.
8He who
plots to do evil
Will be called
a schemer.
9The
devising of foolishness is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10If you
faint in the day of adversity,
Your strength is small.
11Deliver
those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling
to the slaughter.
12If you say, "Surely we did not know this,"
Does not He who weighs the
hearts consider it?
He who
keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each
man according to his deeds?
13My son,
eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
14So shall the
knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;
If you have found it, there is
a prospect,
And your hope will
not be cut off.
15Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the
righteous;
Do not plunder his
resting place;
16For
a righteous man may fall seven times
And rise again,
But the wicked shall fall by
calamity.
17Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be
glad when he stumbles;
18Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him,
And He turn away His wrath from
him.
19Do
not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the wicked;
20For there will be
no prospect for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21My son,
fear the LORD and the king;
Do
not associate with those given to change;
22For their calamity
will rise suddenly,
And who
knows the ruin those two can bring?
Further Sayings of the
Wise
23 These things also belong to the wise:
It is not good to show
partiality in judgment.
24He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous,"
Him the people will curse;
Nations will abhor him.
25But those who
rebuke the wicked will have delight,
And a good blessing will come
upon them.
26He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
27Prepare
your outside work,
Make it fit
for yourself in the field;
And
afterward build your house.
28Do not be
a witness against your neighbor without cause,
For would you deceive with your
lips?
29Do not say,
"I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will render to the man
according to his work."
30I went by
the field of the lazy man,
And
by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31And there it was,
all overgrown with thorns;
Its
surface was covered with nettles;
Its stone wall was broken down.
32When I saw it, I
considered it well;
I looked on
it and received instruction:
33A little sleep, a
little slumber,
A little
folding of the hands to rest;
34So shall your
poverty come like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.
Proverbs
25
Further Wise Sayings of Solomon
Rule
Your Spirit
1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the
men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:
2It is the
glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to
search out a matter.
3As the
heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is
unsearchable.
4Take away the dross from silver,
And it will go to the
silversmith for jewelry.
5Take away the wicked from before the king,
And his throne will be
established in righteousness.
6Do not
exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place
of the great;
7For
it is better that he say to you,
"Come up here,"
Than that you should be put
lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.
8Do not go
hastily to court;
For what will
you do in the end,
When your
neighbor has put you to shame?
9Debate your case
with your neighbor,
And do not
disclose the secret to another;
10Lest he who hears
it expose your shame,
And your
reputation be ruined.
11A word
fitly spoken is like apples of gold
In settings of silver.
12Like an earring of
gold and an ornament of fine gold
Is a wise rebuker to an
obedient ear.
13Like the cold of snow in time of harvest
Is a faithful messenger to
those who send him,
For he
refreshes the soul of his masters.
14Whoever
falsely boasts of giving
Is
like clouds and wind without rain.
15By long
forbearance a ruler is persuaded,
And a gentle tongue breaks a
bone.
16Have
you found honey?
Eat only as
much as you need,
Lest you be
filled with it and vomit.
17Seldom set
foot in your neighbor's house,
Lest he become weary of you and hate you.
18A man who
bears false witness against his neighbor
Is like a club, a sword, and a
sharp arrow.
19Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble
Is like a bad tooth and a foot
out of joint.
20Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather,
And like vinegar on soda,
Is one who sings songs to a
heavy heart.
21If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him
water to drink;
22For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the LORD will reward you.
23The north
wind brings forth rain,
And a
backbiting tongue an angry countenance.
24It is
better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
Than in a house shared with a
contentious woman.
25As cold water to a weary soul,
So is good news from a far
country.
26A
righteous man who falters before the wicked
Is like a murky spring and a
polluted well.
27It is not good to eat much honey;
So to seek one's own glory is
not glory.
28Whoever has no rule over his own spirit
Is like a city broken down,
without walls.
Proverbs 26
Honor Is Not Fitting
for a Fool
1 As snow in summer and rain in harvest,
So honor is not fitting for a
fool.
2Like
a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,
So a curse without cause shall
not alight.
3A whip for the horse,
A
bridle for the donkey,
And a
rod for the fool's back.
4Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you also be like him.
5Answer a fool
according to his folly,
Lest he
be wise in his own eyes.
6He who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Cuts off his own feet and
drinks violence.
7Like the legs of the lame that hang limp
Is a proverb in the mouth of
fools.
8Like one who
binds a stone in a sling
Is he
who gives honor to a fool.
9Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard
Is a proverb in the mouth of
fools.
10The great
God who formed everything
Gives
the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.
11As a dog returns
to his own vomit,
So a fool
repeats his folly.
12Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool
than for him.
13The lazy man says, "There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion is in the
streets!"
14As a
door turns on its hinges,
So
does the lazy man on his bed.
15The lazy man
buries his hand in the bowl;
It
wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
16The lazy man is
wiser in his own eyes
Than
seven men who can answer sensibly.
17He who
passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by
the ears.
18Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,
19Is the man who
deceives his neighbor,
And
says, "I was only joking!"
20Where
there is no wood, the fire goes out;
And where there is no
talebearer, strife ceases.
21As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,
So is a contentious man to
kindle strife.
22The
words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,
And they go down into the
inmost body.
23Fervent lips with a wicked heart
Are like earthenware covered
with silver dross.
24He who hates, disguises it with his lips,
And lays up deceit within
himself;
25When he
speaks kindly, do not believe him,
For there are seven
abominations in his heart;
26 Though his hatred is covered by deceit,
His wickedness will be revealed
before the assembly.
27Whoever
digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
28A lying
tongue hates those who are crushed by it,
And a flattering mouth works
ruin.
Proverbs 27
My Son, Be
Wise
1 Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you do not know what a day
may bring forth.
2Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own
lips.
3A
stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
But a fool's wrath is heavier
than both of them.
4Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,
But who is able to stand before
jealousy?
5Open rebuke is better
Than love carefully concealed.
6Faithful
are the wounds of a friend,
But
the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
7A satisfied
soul loathes the honeycomb,
But
to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8Like a bird
that wanders from its nest
Is a
man who wanders from his place.
9Ointment
and perfume delight the heart,
And the sweetness of a man's friend gives delight by hearty counsel.
10Do not
forsake your own friend or your father's friend,
Nor go to your brother's house
in the day of your calamity;
Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.
11My son, be
wise, and make my heart glad,
That I may answer him who reproaches me.
12A prudent
man foresees evil and hides himself;
The simple pass on and are
punished.
13Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it in pledge when he
is surety for a seductress.
14He who
blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,
It will be counted a curse to
him.
15A
continual dripping on a very rainy day
And a contentious woman are
alike;
16Whoever
restrains her restrains the wind,
And grasps oil with his right
hand.
17As
iron sharpens iron,
So a man
sharpens the countenance of his friend.
18Whoever
keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit;
So he who waits on his master
will be honored.
19As in water face reflects face,
So a man's heart reveals the
man.
20Hell
and Destruction are never full;
So the eyes of man are never satisfied.
21The
refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And a man is valued by what
others say of him.
22Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed
grain,
Yet his foolishness will
not depart from him.
23Be
diligent to know the state of your flocks,
And attend to your herds;
24For riches are not
forever,
Nor does a crown
endure to all generations.
25When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself,
And the herbs of the mountains
are gathered in,
26The lambs will provide your clothing,
And the goats the price of a
field;
27 You shall
have enough goats' milk for your food,
For the food of your household,
And the nourishment of your
maidservants.
Proverbs 28
The Righteous Are Bold
as a Lion
1 The wicked flee when no one pursues,
But the righteous are bold as a
lion.
2Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes;
But by a man of understanding
and knowledge
Right will be
prolonged.
3A poor man who oppresses the poor
Is like a driving rain which
leaves no food.
4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
But such as keep the law
contend with them.
5Evil men do not understand justice,
But those who seek the LORD
understand all.
6Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than one perverse in his ways,
though he be rich.
7Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son,
But a companion of gluttons
shames his father.
8One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion
Gathers it for him who will
pity the poor.
9One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
Even his prayer is an
abomination.
10Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,
He himself will fall into his
own pit;
But the blameless will
inherit good.
11The rich man is wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has
understanding searches him out.
12When the
righteous rejoice, there is great glory;
But when the wicked arise, men
hide themselves.
13He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and
forsakes them will have mercy.
14Happy is
the man who is always reverent,
But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
15Like a
roaring lion and a charging bear
Is a wicked ruler over poor
people.
16A
ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor,
But he who hates covetousness
will prolong his days.
17A man
burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit;
Let no one help him.
18Whoever
walks blamelessly will be saved,
But he who is perverse in his
ways will suddenly fall.
19He who
tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who follows frivolity
will have poverty enough!
20A faithful
man will abound with blessings,
But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
21To show
partiality is not good,
Because
for a piece of bread a man will transgress.
22A man with
an evil eye hastens after riches,
And does not consider that
poverty will come upon him.
23He who
rebukes a man will find more favor afterward
Than he who flatters with the
tongue.
24Whoever robs his father or his mother,
And says, "It is no
transgression,"
The same is
companion to a destroyer.
25He who is
of a proud heart stirs up strife,
But he who trusts in the LORD
will be prospered.
26He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But whoever walks wisely will
be delivered.
27He who gives to the poor will not lack,
But he who hides his eyes will
have many curses.
28When the wicked arise, men hide themselves;
But when they perish, the
righteous increase.
Proverbs 29
Happy Is He Who
Keeps the Law
1 He who is often rebuked, and hardens his
neck,
Will suddenly be
destroyed, and that without remedy.
2When the
righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules,
the people groan.
3Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice,
But a companion of harlots
wastes his wealth.
4The king establishes the land by justice,
But he who receives bribes
overthrows it.
5A man who flatters his neighbor
Spreads a net for his feet.
6By
transgression an evil man is snared,
But the righteous sings and
rejoices.
7The righteous considers the cause of the poor,
But the wicked does not
understand such knowledge.
8Scoffers
set a city aflame,
But wise men
turn away wrath.
9If a wise man contends with a foolish man,
Whether the fool rages or
laughs, there is no peace.
10The
bloodthirsty hate the blameless,
But the upright seek his
well-being.
11A fool vents all his feelings,
But a wise man holds them back.
12If a ruler
pays attention to lies,
All his
servants become wicked.
13The poor
man and the oppressor have this in common:
The LORD gives light to the
eyes of both.
14The king who judges the poor with truth,
His throne will be established
forever.
15The rod and rebuke give wisdom,
But a child left to himself
brings shame to his mother.
16When the
wicked are multiplied, transgression increases;
But the righteous will see
their fall.
17Correct your son, and he will give you rest;
Yes, he will give delight to
your soul.
18Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
But happy is he who keeps the
law.
19A
servant will not be corrected by mere words;
For though he understands, he
will not respond.
20Do you see a man hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool
than for him.
21He who pampers his servant from childhood
Will have him as a son in the
end.
22An
angry man stirs up strife,
And
a furious man abounds in transgression.
23A man's
pride will bring him low,
But
the humble in spirit will retain honor.
24Whoever is
a partner with a thief hates his own life;
He swears to tell the truth,
but reveals nothing.
25The fear
of man brings a snare,
But
whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.
26Many seek
the ruler's favor,
But justice
for man comes from the LORD.
27An unjust
man is an abomination to the righteous,
And he who is upright in the
way is an abomination to the wicked.
Proverbs
30
The Wisdom of Agur
The Wisdom of
Agur
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance.
This man declared to Ithiel--to Ithiel and Ucal:
2Surely I am
more stupid than any man,
And
do not have the understanding of a man.
3I neither learned
wisdom
Nor have knowledge of
the Holy One.
4Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?
Who has gathered the wind in
His fists?
Who has bound the
waters in a garment?
Who has
established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, and what is
His Son's name,
If you know?
5Every word
of God is pure;
He is a shield
to those who put their trust in Him.
6Do not add to His
words,
Lest He rebuke you, and
you be found a liar.
7Two things
I request of You
(Deprive me
not before I die):
8Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor
riches--
Feed me with the food
allotted to me;
9Lest I be full and deny You,
And say, "Who is the LORD?"
Or lest I be poor and steal,
And profane the name of my God.
10Do not
malign a servant to his master,
Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty.
11There is a
generation that curses its father,
And does not bless its mother.
12There is a
generation that is pure in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its
filthiness.
13There
is a generation-- oh, how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are lifted
up.
14There is a
generation whose teeth are like swords,
And whose fangs are like
knives,
To devour the poor from
off the earth,
And the needy
from among men.
15The leech has two daughters--
Give and Give!
There are three things
that are never satisfied,
Four
never say, "Enough!":
16The grave,
The barren
womb,
The earth that is not
satisfied with water--
And the
fire never says, "Enough!"
17The eye
that mocks his father,
And
scorns obedience to his mother,
The ravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young eagles will eat
it.
18There
are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Yes, four which I do not
understand:
19The
way of an eagle in the air,
The
way of a serpent on a rock,
The
way of a ship in the midst of the sea,
And the way of a man with a
virgin.
20This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, "I have done no
wickedness."
21For three things the earth is perturbed,
Yes, for four it cannot bear
up:
22For a servant
when he reigns,
A fool when he
is filled with food,
23A hateful woman when she is married,
And a maidservant who succeeds
her mistress.
24There are four things which are little on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
25The ants are a
people not strong,
Yet they
prepare their food in the summer;
26The rock badgers
are a feeble folk,
Yet they
make their homes in the crags;
27The locusts have
no king,
Yet they all advance
in ranks;
28The
spider skillfully grasps with its hands,
And it is in kings' palaces.
29There are
three things which are majestic in pace,
Yes, four which are stately in
walk:
30A lion,
which is mighty among beasts
And does not turn away from any;
31A greyhound,
A male goat also,
And a king whose troops are
with him.
32If you have been foolish in exalting yourself,
Or if you have devised evil,
put your hand on your mouth.
33For as the
churning of milk produces butter,
And wringing the nose produces
blood,
So the forcing of wrath
produces strife.
Proverbs 31
The Words of King
Lemuel's Mother
The Words of King Lemuel's
Mother
1 The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his
mother taught him:
2What, my son?
And what,
son of my womb?
And what, son
of my vows?
3Do not
give your strength to women,
Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
4It is not
for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not
for kings to drink wine,
Nor
for princes intoxicating drink;
5Lest they drink and
forget the law,
And pervert the
justice of all the afflicted.
6Give strong drink
to him who is perishing,
And
wine to those who are bitter of heart.
7Let him drink and
forget his poverty,
And
remember his misery no more.
8Open your
mouth for the speechless,
In
the cause of all who are appointed to die.
9Open your mouth,
judge righteously,
And plead
the cause of the poor and needy.
The Virtuous
Wife
10 Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above
rubies.
11The heart
of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of
gain.
12She does him
good and not evil
All the days
of her life.
13She
seeks wool and flax,
And
willingly works with her hands.
14She is like the
merchant ships,
She brings her
food from afar.
15She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her
household,
And a portion for
her maidservants.
16She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a
vineyard.
17She
girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
18She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by
night.
19She
stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
20She extends her
hand to the poor,
Yes, she
reaches out her hands to the needy.
21She is not afraid
of snow for her household,
For
all her household is clothed with scarlet.
22She makes tapestry
for herself;
Her clothing is
fine linen and purple.
23Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders
of the land.
24She
makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the
merchants.
25Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to
come.
26She opens
her mouth with wisdom,
And on
her tongue is the law of kindness.
27She watches over
the ways of her household,
And
does not eat the bread of idleness.
28Her children rise
up and call her blessed;
Her
husband also, and he praises her:
29"Many daughters
have done well,
But you excel
them all."
30Charm
is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the LORD,
she shall be praised.
31Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise
her in the gates.
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