Better a poor person walking in integrity
    than one who is perverse in his speech and is a fool.
Also, a life without knowledge is not good,
    and he who moves quickly with his feet misses the mark.
As for the folly of humankind, its way leads to ruin,
    and against Yahweh his heart will rage.
Wealth adds many friends,
    but the poor will be left by his friends.
A witness of falsehood will not go unpunished,
    and he who breathes lies will not escape.
Many will seek favor before the generous,
    and everyone is the friend of a man of gifts.
All the brothers of the poor, if they hate him,
    how much more will his friends keep away from him.
    He pursues them with words, and they are gone.
He who acquires wisdom loves himself;
    he who guards understanding loves to find good.
A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and he who breathes lies will perish.
For a fool living in luxury is not fitting,
    any more than it is for a slave to rule over princes.
The understanding of a person makes him slow to his anger,
    and his glory overlooks offense.
The rage of a king growls like a lion,
    but his favor is like dew on the grass.
A foolish child is a ruin to his father,
    and the quarreling of a woman is a continuous dripping.
A house and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
    but from Yahweh comes a woman who is prudent.
Laziness will bring on a deep sleep,
    and a person of idleness will suffer hunger.
He who guards commandments guards his life;
    he who is careless of his ways will be killed.
He who lends to Yahweh is he who is kind to the poor,
    and his benefits he will repay to him.
Discipline your child, for there is hope,
    but on his destruction do not set your desire.
A hot-tempered person pays a penalty;
    if you rescue him, you will do it yet again.
Listen to advice and accept instruction
    so that you will gain wisdom for your future.
Many plans are in the heart of a man,
    but the purpose of Yahweh will be established.
The craving of a man is his steadfast loyalty,
    and it is better to be poor than a liar.
Fear of Yahweh leads to life;
    he who is filled with it will rest—he will not suffer harm.
A lazy person buries his hand in the dish,
    and even to his mouth he will not bring it back.
The scoffer you shall strike, and the simple, may they learn prudence,
    and reprove the intelligent and he will gain knowledge.
He who does violence to a father, he who chases away a mother,
    is a child who causes shame and brings reproach.
Cease to listen to instruction, my child,
    and you will stray from sayings of knowledge.
A worthless witness will mock justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked will devour iniquity.
Judgments are prepared for the scoffers,
    and flogging for the back of fools.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
    and any who go astray by it are not wise.
Roaring like the lion is the dreaded anger of a king;
    he who provokes him forfeits his life.
It is honorable for the man to refrain from strife,
    but every fool will be quick to quarrel.
The lazy person will not plow in season;
    he will expect at the harvest, but there will be nothing.
Deep waters are like purpose in the heart of a man,
    and a man of understanding will draw it out.
Many a person will proclaim his loyalty for himself,
    but a man who is trustworthy, who can find?
He who walks in his integrity is righteous;
    happy are his children who follow him.
A king who sits on the throne of judgment
    winnows all evil with his eyes.
Who will say "I have made my heart clean;
    I am pure from my sin"?
Stone and stone, measure and measure,
    both of them are an abomination of Yahweh.
Even by his acts, a young man will make himself known,
    whether his acts are pure and upright.
The ear that hears and the eye that sees,
    Yahweh has made them both.
Do not love sleep, lest you become poor;
    open your eyes and have plenty bread.
"Bad, bad," the buyer will say,
    but when one goes to him, then he will boast.
There is gold and many costly stones,
    but precious jewels are lips of knowledge.
Take his garment, for he has given security to a stranger,
    and on behalf of a foreigner—take it as pledge.
Bread gained by deceit is sweet for the man,
    but afterward, his mouth will be filled with gravel.
A plan will be established by advice,
    and with guidance make war.
He reveals a secret, he who walks about with gossip,
    and do not associate with a babbler’s lips.
He who curses his father and his mother,
    his lamp will be extinguished in the midst of darkness.
An inheritance acquired hastily at the beginning
    will not be blessed at its end.
Do not say "I will repay evil";
    wait for Yahweh and he will deliver you.
An abomination of Yahweh is a stone and a weight,
    and scales of falsehood are not good.
Away from Yahweh are the steps of a strong man,
    and how will humankind understand his ways?
It is a snare to humankind to say rashly "It is holy,"
    and after vows, to scrutinize.
A wise king winnows the wicked,
    and he will drive a wheel over them.
The lamp of Yahweh is the spirit of humankind,
    he who searches every innermost part.
Loyalty and faithfulness will preserve a king,
    and he is upheld with the righteousness of his throne.
The glory of young men is their strength,
    but the beauty of the aged is gray hair.
The blows of a wound will cleanse evil,
    as will beatings of the innermost part.

Streams of water are the heart of a king in the hand of Yahweh;
    wherever he will desire, he will turn.
Every way of a man is upright in his own eyes,
    but Yahweh weighs hearts.
Doing righteousness and justice is more acceptable
    to Yahweh than sacrifice.
Haughtiness of the eyes and pride of heart,
    the lamp of the wicked are sin.
The plans of the diligent only lead to abundance,
    but all who are hasty, only to want.
He who makes treasure by a lying tongue
    is a fleeting vapor and seeker of death.
The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,
    for they refuse to do justice.
Crooked is the way of a man and a foreigner,
    but the pure is upright in his conduct.
Better to dwell on the corner of a roof
    than to share a house with a woman of contention.
The soul of the wicked desires evil;
    his neighbor will not find mercy in his eyes.
With the punishment of a scoffer, the simple will become wise,
    and with the instruction of the wise, he will obtain knowledge.
The righteous observes the house of the wicked;
    he throws the wicked to ruin.
He who closes his ear from the cry of the poor,
    he also will cry out and not be heard.
A gift in secret will avert anger,
    and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.
It is a joy to the righteous to do justice,
    but dismay to those who do evil.
Whoever wanders from the way of understanding,
    in the assembly of the dead he will rest.
A man of want is he who loves pleasure;
    he who loves wine and oil will not become rich.
A ransom for the righteous is the wicked,
    and the faithless instead of the upright.
Better to live in a land of wilderness
    than with a wife of quarrels and provocation.
Precious treasure and oil are in the house of the wise,
    but the foolish person will devour them.
He who pursues righteousness and kindness
    will find life, righteousness, and honor.
To a city of warriors, the wise ascends,
    and he will bring down the stronghold—its object of trust.
He who guards his mouth and his tongue,
    he guards his life from danger.
The proud, haughty one: "scoffer" is his name;
    he acts with arrogance of pride.
The craving of a lazy person will kill him,
    for his hands refuse to work.
All day he craves a craving,
    but the righteous will give and not hold back.
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
    how much more when he brings it in divisiveness!
A false witness will perish,
    but a man who listens will testify with success.
A wicked man is strong in his countenance,
    but the upright will appoint his paths.
There is no wisdom, nor understanding,
    nor counsel to oppose Yahweh.
A horse is prepared for the day of battle,
    but to Yahweh belongs the victory.

I waited patiently for Yahweh,
And he inclined to me
and heard my cry for help.
And so he brought me up from the roaring pit,
from the miry clay.
And he put my feet upon a rock;
he made my steps steady.
Then he put a new song in my mouth,
a praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and will trust Yahweh.
Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust
and does not turn to the proud and to those who fall away to a lie.
Many things, O Yahweh my God, you have done—
your wonderful deeds and your thoughts toward us.
There is none to compare with you.
If I tried to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be too numerous to count.
A sacrifice and offering you do not desire.
My ears you have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering you have not demanded.
Then I said, "Look, I come.
In the scroll of the book
it is written concerning me:
‘I delight to do your will, O my God,
and your law is deep within me.’"
I have brought good tidings of righteousness in the great congregation.
Look, I have not shut my lips.
O Yahweh, you surely know that.
Your righteousness I have not hidden in the midst of my heart.
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation.
I have not concealed your loyal love or your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
As for you, O Yahweh, do not withhold your mercies from me.
Let your loyal love and your faithfulness
continually preserve me.
For evils without number have encompassed me.
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails me.
Be pleased, O Yahweh, to deliver me.
O Yahweh, hurry to help me.
Let them be shamed and abashed altogether
who seek to take away my life.
Let them be repulsed and humiliated
who desire my harm.
Let them be appalled because of their shame,
those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"
Let them rejoice and be glad in you,
all those who seek you.
Let them say continually, "Yahweh is great!"
—those who love your salvation.
But I am poor and needy.
Let my Lord consider me.
You are my help and my deliverer.
O my God, do not delay.