² It is God’s privilege to conceal things
    and the king’s privilege to discover them.

³ No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth,
    or all that goes on in the king’s mind!

⁴ Remove the impurities from silver,
    and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith.
⁵ Remove the wicked from the king’s court,
    and his reign will be made secure by justice.

⁶ Don’t demand an audience with the king
    or push for a place among the great.
⁷ It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table
    than to be sent away in public disgrace.

Just because you’ve seen something,
⁸     don’t be in a hurry to go to court.
For what will you do in the end
    if your neighbor deals you a shameful defeat?

⁹ When arguing with your neighbor,
    don’t betray another person’s secret.
¹⁰ Others may accuse you of gossip,
    and you will never regain your good reputation.

¹¹ Timely advice is lovely,
    like golden apples in a silver basket.

¹² To one who listens, valid criticism
    is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry.

¹³ Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer.
    They revive the spirit of their employer.

¹⁴ A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it
    is like clouds and wind that bring no rain.

¹⁵ Patience can persuade a prince,
    and soft speech can break bones.

¹⁶ Do you like honey?
    Don’t eat too much, or it will make you sick!

¹⁷ Don’t visit your neighbors too often,
    or you will wear out your welcome.

¹⁸ Telling lies about others
    is as harmful as hitting them with an ax,
wounding them with a sword,
    or shooting them with a sharp arrow.

¹⁹ Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble
    is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.

²⁰ Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart
    is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather
    or pouring vinegar in a wound.^[a]

²¹ If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat.
    If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
²² You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads,
    and the Lord will reward you.

²³ As surely as a north wind brings rain,
    so a gossiping tongue causes anger!

²⁴ It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic
    than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

²⁵ Good news from far away
    is like cold water to the thirsty.

²⁶ If the godly give in to the wicked,
    it’s like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.

²⁷ It’s not good to eat too much honey,
    and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself.

²⁸ A person without self-control
    is like a city with broken-down walls.

1 Don’t envy evil people
    or desire their company.
² For their hearts plot violence,
    and their words always stir up trouble.

³ A house is built by wisdom
    and becomes strong through good sense.
⁴ Through knowledge its rooms are filled
    with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.

⁵ The wise are mightier than the strong,^[a]
    and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.
⁶ So don’t go to war without wise guidance;
    victory depends on having many advisers.

⁷ Wisdom is too lofty for fools.
    Among leaders at the city gate, they have nothing to say.

⁸ A person who plans evil
    will get a reputation as a troublemaker.
⁹ The schemes of a fool are sinful;
    everyone detests a mocker.

¹⁰ If you fail under pressure,
    your strength is too small.

¹¹ Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die;
    save them as they stagger to their death.
¹² Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.”
    For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.
He who guards your soul knows you knew.
    He will repay all people as their actions deserve.

¹³ My child,^[b] eat honey, for it is good,
    and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste.
¹⁴ In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul.
    If you find it, you will have a bright future,
    and your hopes will not be cut short.

¹⁵ Don’t wait in ambush at the home of the godly,
    and don’t raid the house where the godly live.
¹⁶ The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
    But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

¹⁷ Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;
    don’t be happy when they stumble.
¹⁸ For the Lord will be displeased with you
    and will turn his anger away from them.

¹⁹ Don’t fret because of evildoers;
    don’t envy the wicked.
²⁰ For evil people have no future;
    the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.

²¹ My child, fear the Lord and the king.
Don’t associate with rebels,
²²     for disaster will hit them suddenly.
Who knows what punishment will come
    from the Lord and the king?

It is wrong to show favoritism when passing judgment.
²⁴ A judge who says to the wicked, “You are innocent,”
    will be cursed by many people and denounced by the nations.
²⁵ But it will go well for those who convict the guilty;
    rich blessings will be showered on them.

²⁶ An honest answer
    is like a kiss of friendship.

²⁷ Do your planning and prepare your fields
    before building your house.

²⁸ Don’t testify against your neighbors without cause;
    don’t lie about them.
²⁹ And don’t say, “Now I can pay them back for what they’ve done to me!
    I’ll get even with them!”

³⁰ I walked by the field of a lazy person,
    the vineyard of one with no common sense.
³¹ I saw that it was overgrown with nettles.
    It was covered with weeds,
    and its walls were broken down.
³² Then, as I looked and thought about it,
    I learned this lesson:
³³ A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest—
³⁴ then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
    scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

1 While dining with a ruler,
    pay attention to what is put before you.
² If you are a big eater,
    put a knife to your throat;
³ don’t desire all the delicacies,
    for he might be trying to trick you.

⁴ Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.
    Be wise enough to know when to quit.
⁵ In the blink of an eye wealth disappears,
    for it will sprout wings
    and fly away like an eagle.

⁶ Don’t eat with people who are stingy;
    don’t desire their delicacies.
⁷ They are always thinking about how much it costs.^[a]
    “Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it.
⁸ You will throw up what little you’ve eaten,
    and your compliments will be wasted.

⁹ Don’t waste your breath on fools,
    for they will despise the wisest advice.

¹⁰ Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers;
    don’t take the land of defenseless orphans.
¹¹ For their Redeemer^[b] is strong;
    he himself will bring their charges against you.

¹² Commit yourself to instruction;
    listen carefully to words of knowledge.

¹³ Don’t fail to discipline your children.
    The rod of punishment won’t kill them.
¹⁴ Physical discipline
    may well save them from death.^[c]

¹⁵ My child,^[d] if your heart is wise,
    my own heart will rejoice!
¹⁶ Everything in me will celebrate
    when you speak what is right.

¹⁷ Don’t envy sinners,
    but always continue to fear the Lord.
¹⁸ You will be rewarded for this;
    your hope will not be disappointed.

¹⁹ My child, listen and be wise:
    Keep your heart on the right course.
²⁰ Do not carouse with drunkards
    or feast with gluttons,
²¹ for they are on their way to poverty,
    and too much sleep clothes them in rags.

²² Listen to your father, who gave you life,
    and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
²³ Get the truth and never sell it;
    also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.
²⁴ The father of godly children has cause for joy.
    What a pleasure to have children who are wise.^[e]
25 So give your father and mother joy!
    May she who gave you birth be happy.

²⁶ O my son, give me your heart.
    May your eyes take delight in following my ways.
²⁷ A prostitute is a dangerous trap;
    a promiscuous woman is as dangerous as falling into a narrow well.
²⁸ She hides and waits like a robber,
    eager to make more men unfaithful.

²⁹ Who has anguish? Who has sorrow?
    Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining?
    Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
³⁰ It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns,
    trying out new drinks.
³¹ Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is,
    how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.
³² For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake;
    it stings like a viper.
³³ You will see hallucinations,
    and you will say crazy things.
³⁴ You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea,
    clinging to a swaying mast.
³⁵ And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it.
    I didn’t even know it when they beat me up.
When will I wake up
    so I can look for another drink?”