Proverbs - The Old Testament

¹ Fame is preferable to great wealth, favour, to silver and gold.

² Rich and poor rub shoulders, Yahweh has made them both.

³ The discreet sees danger and takes shelter, simpletons go ahead and pay the penalty.

⁴ The reward of humility is the fear of Yahweh, and riches, honour and life.

⁵ Thorns and snares line the path of the wilful, whoever values life will stay at a distance.

⁶ Give a lad a training suitable to his character and, even when old, he will not go back on it.

⁷ The rich lords it over the poor, the borrower is the lender's slave.

⁸ Whoever sows injustice reaps disaster, and the rod of such anger will disappear.

⁹ A kindly eye will earn a blessing, such a person shares out food with the poor.

¹⁰ Expel the mocker and strife goes too, law-suits and dislike die down.

¹¹ Whoever loves the pure of heart and is gracious of speech has the king for a friend.

¹² Yahweh's eyes protect knowledge, but he confounds deceitful speeches.

¹³ 'There is a lion outside,' says the idler, 'I shall be killed in the street!'

¹⁴ The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit, into it falls the man whom Yahweh rebukes.

¹⁵ Folly is anchored in the heart of a youth, the whip of instruction will rid him of it.

¹⁶ Harsh treatment enriches the poor, but a gift impoverishes the rich.

¹⁷ Give ear, listen to the sayings of the sages, and apply your heart to what I know,

¹⁸ for it will be a delight to keep them deep within you to have them all ready on your lips.

¹⁹ So that your trust may be in Yahweh, it is you whom I wish to instruct today.

²⁰ Have I not written for you thirty chapters of advice and knowledge,

²¹ to make you know the certainty of true sayings, so that you can return with sound answers to those who sent you?

²² Do not despoil the weak, for he is weak, and do not oppress the poor at the gate,

²³ for Yahweh takes up their cause, and extorts the life of their extortioners.

²⁴ Do not make friends with one who gives way to anger, make no one quick-tempered a companion of yours,

²⁵ for fear you learn such behaviour and in it find a snare for yourself.

²⁶ Do not be one of those who go guarantor, who go surety for debts:

²⁷ if you have no means of paying your bed will be taken from under you.

²⁸ Do not displace the ancient boundary-stone set by your ancestors.

²⁹ You see someone alert at his business? His aim will be to serve kings; not for him the service of the obscure.