11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise;
When the wise man is taught, he receiveth knowledge.

The righteous man hath regard to the house of the wicked;
But the wicked casteth the righteous headlong into ruin,
*Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor,
He also shall cry aloud, but shall not be heard.
To do justice shall be joy to the righteous;
But destruction is for them that do iniquity.

A man who wandereth from the way of discretion
Shall rest in the assembly of the dead.

*He that loveth pleasure will be a poor man ;
He that loveth wine and oil will not be rich.

*He who followeth after righteousness and mercy,
Shall find life, prosperity, and honor.

18. A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty,
And bringeth down the strength in which it trusted.
*Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue
Keepeth his soul from trouble.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

29.

The proud and haughty,-scoffer is his name;
He acteth with haughty arrogance.

The desire of the sluggard will destroy him;
For his hands refuse to labor.

*The covetous man coveteth all the day long;
But the righteous man giveth, and doth not withhold.
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;

How much more when he bringeth it with an evil design!
A false witness shall perish;

But a man that harkeneth shall live forever.

The wicked man hardeneth his face;

But the upright directeth his way.

*Wisdom is nothing, and understanding is nothing,

And devices are nothing, against the LORD.

The horse is prepared for the day of battle;
But victory is from the LORD.

1.

2.

CHAPTER XXII.

Of true wealth, education, retribution, kindness, purity and sincerity. The punishment of the oppressor

*A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches; And better is good will than silver and gold.

*The rich and the poor meet together;

The LORD is the maker of them all.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

The prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself;
But the simple rush on, and are punished.

By humility and the fear of the LORD

Are riches and honor and life.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the deceitful;
He that will preserve his life will be far from them.
Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.
The rich ruleth over the poor,

And the borrower is servant to the lender.

He who soweth iniquiy shall reap calamity,
And the rod of his punishment is prepared.

He who hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed,
Because he giveth of his bread to the

poor.
Cast out the scoffer, and contention will go out !
Yea, strife and reproach will cease.

He who loveth purity of heart,

Grace is upon his lips, and the king will be his friend.
The slothful man saith, "There is a lion without;
I shall be slain in the streets."

Folly is bound to the heart of a child;

But the rod of correction will drive it far from him.

He that oppresseth the poor to increase his wealth,
And he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

1.

THIRD COLLECTION.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Introduction. The excellence of instruction. In company with the mighty. The fleetness of riches. The evil

eye. The curse of drunkenness.

INCLINE thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, And give heed to my instruction!

2. For it will be a pleasant thing, if thou keep them in thy bosom, When they are altogether established upon thy lips.

3. That thy trust may be in the LORD,

I have this day given to thee instruction, yea, to thee. 4. Behold, I have written to thee three excellent things Concerning counsel and knowledge;

5. That I may make thee know rectitude, and words of truth.

That thou mayst bring back words of truth to them that send thee

6.

*Rob not the poor man because he is Nor crush thou the destitute at the gate; 7. For the LORD will maintain their cause, And despoil their spoilers of life.

8.

poor,

Make no friendship with a passionate man, Nor be the companion of a man prone to wrath; 9. Lest thou learn his ways, and take to thyself a snare. 10. Be not thou one of those who strike hands,— Of those who are sureties for debts.

11. When thou hast nothing to pay,

12.

13.

14.

Why should thy bed be taken from under thee?
*Remove not the ancient landmark,

Which thy fathers have made.

Seest thou a man diligent in his business?
He shall be the minister of kings;

He shall not serve obscure men.

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler,
Consider well what is before thee;

15. For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat,
If thou art a man given to appetite!

16. Long not for his dainties, for they are deceitful meat.

17.

*Toil not to become rich;

Cease from this, thy wisdom.

18. Wilt thou let thine eyes fly toward them? They are gone!

19.

For the riches truly make to themselves wings;

They fly away like the eagle toward heaven.

*Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye,

And long not for his dainties;

20. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.

"Eat and drink!" saith he to thee;

But his heart is not with thee.

21. The morsel which thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit up;
And thou wilt have thrown away thy sweet words.
Speak not in the ears of a fool;

22.

23.

24.

For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Apply thy heart to instruction,

And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Withhold not correction from a child

If thou beat him with a rod, he will not die. 25. Beat him thyself with the rod,

26.

And thou shalt rescue him from the underworld.

Let not thy heart envy sinners,

But continue thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long; 27. *For surely there shall be a reward,

And thine expectation shall not be cut off.

28.

Hear thou, my son, and be wise;

And let thy heart go forward in the way! 29. *Be not thou among winebibbers,

And riotous eaters of flesh;

30. For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

31.

32.

*Hearken to thy father, who taught thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old. *Buy the truth, and sell it not;

Buy wisdom and instruction and understanding. 33. Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, let her that bore thee rejoice!

34.

*Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow?

Who contentions? Who anxiety?

Who wounds without cause? Who dimness of eyes?

35. They that tarry long at the wine;

They they that go in to seek mixed wine.

36. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red,

When it sparkleth in the cup, when it goeth down smoothly.

37. At last it biteth like a serpent,

And stingeth like an adder.

38. Thine eyes will behold upon strange things,

And thy heart will utter perverse things.

39. Yea, thou shalt be as one that lieth down in the midst of the sea,

And as one that lieth down upon the top of a mast.

40. "They have stricken me,-I suffered no pain!

They have beaten me, I felt it not!

When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again."

1.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Various exhortations and warnings.

*BE not thou envious of wicked men,

And desire not to be with them!

2. For their heart studieth destruction, And their lips speak mischief.

3.

*Through wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding is it established; 4. Yea, by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and goodly substance.

5.

*The wise man is strong;

Yea, the man of understanding establisheth his strength.

6. For by wise counsel shalt thou make war,

7.

8.

9.

10.

And by the multitude of counsellors cometh success.

He that deviseth to do evil

Shall be called a mischief-master.

*The purpose of folly is sin;

And a scoffer is an abomination to men.

*If thy spirit faint in the day of trouble, Faint is thy strength.

Deliver thou those who are dragged to death,

And those who totter to the slaughter,-O keep them back! 11. If thou sayest, "Behold, we knew it not!

Doth not he that weigheth the heart observe it?

12. Yea, he that keepeth thy soul knoweth it,

13.

And he will render to every man according to his works.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good,

And the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste;

14. So learn thou wisdom for thy soul!

15.

When thou hast found it, there shall be a reward,

And thy expectation shall not be cut off.

Plot not, O wicked man! against the habitation of the right

eous;

Spoil not his resting-place!

16. For though the righteous fall seven times, yet shall he rise up

17.

again;

But the wicked shall fall into mischief.

*Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth,

And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth; 18. *Fret not thyself on account of evil men, Neither be thou envious of the wicked;

19. For there shall be no posterity to the evil man ; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

20.

My son, fear thou the LORD and the king; And mingle not with them that are given to change! 21. For their calamity shall rise up suddenly,

22.

And their ruin, coming from them both, in a moment.
These also are words of the wise.

It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. 23. He that saith to the wicked, "Thou art righteous," Him shall the people curse; nations shall abhor him. 24. But it shall be well with them that punish him,

And the blessing of prosperity shall come upon them. 25. He that giveth a right answer kisseth the lips.

26.

*Arrange thy work without, and prepare it in thy field; Afterwards hou mayst build thy house.