Thirty Sayings of the
Wise Saying 1 17 Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of
the wise;
apply your heart to what
I teach,
18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your
heart
and have all of them
ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the LORD,
I teach you today, even
you.
20 Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
sayings of counsel and
knowledge,
21 teaching you to be honest and to speak the
truth,
so that you bring back
truthful reports
to those you serve? Saying 2 22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
and do not crush the
needy in court,
23 for the LORD will take up their case
and will exact life for
life. Saying 3 24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered
person,
do not associate with
one easily angered,
25 or you may learn their ways
and get yourself
ensnared. Saying 4 26 Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge
or puts up security for
debts;
27 if you lack the means to pay,
your very bed will be
snatched from under you. Saying 5 28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
set up by your ancestors. Saying 6 29 Do you see someone skilled in their work?
They will serve before
kings;
they will not serve before
officials of low rank. Saying 7 23 When you sit to dine
with a ruler, note well what[a] is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to
gluttony.
3 Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is
deceptive. Saying 8 4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
do not trust your own
cleverness.
5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
for they will surely sprout
wings
and fly off to the sky like
an eagle. Saying 9 6 Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
do not crave his
delicacies;
7 for he is the kind of person
who is always thinking about the cost.[b] “Eat and drink,” he says to
you,
but his heart is not with
you.
8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten
and will have wasted
your compliments. Saying 10 9 Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words. Saying 11 10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
or encroach on the fields
of the fatherless,
11 for their Defender is strong;
he will take up their case
against you. Saying 12 12 Apply your heart to instruction
and your ears to words of
knowledge. Saying 13 13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish them with
the rod, they will not die.
14 Punish them with the rod
and save them from
death. Saying 14 15 My son, if your heart is wise,
then my heart will be
glad indeed;
16 my inmost being will rejoice
when your lips speak
what is right. Saying 15 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be zealous for
the fear of the LORD.
18 There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be
cut off. Saying 16 19 Listen, my son, and be wise,
and set your heart on the
right path:
20 Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on
meat,
21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes
them in rags. Saying 17 22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and do not despise your
mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it—
wisdom, instruction and
insight as well.
24 The father of a righteous child has great
joy;
a man who fathers a
wise son rejoices in him.
25 May your father and mother rejoice;
may she who gave you
birth be joyful! Saying 18 26 My son, give me your heart
and let your eyes delight
in my ways,
27 for an adulterous woman is a deep pit,
and a wayward wife is a
narrow well.
28 Like a bandit she lies in wait
and multiplies the
unfaithful among men. Saying 19 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has
complaints?
Who has needless
bruises? Who has bloodshot
eyes? 30 Those who linger over wine,
who go to sample bowls
of mixed wine.
31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the
cup,
when it goes down
smoothly!
32 In the end it bites like a snake
and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange sights,
and your mind will
imagine confusing things.
34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
lying on top of the
rigging.
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
They beat me, but I don’t
feel it!
When will I wake up
so I can find another
drink?” Saying 20 24 Do not envy the wicked,
do not desire their
company;
2 for their hearts plot violence,
and their lips talk about
making trouble. Saying 21 3 By wisdom a house is built,
and through
understanding it is
established;
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful
treasures. Saying 22 5 The wise prevail through great power,
and those who have
knowledge muster their
strength.
6 Surely you need guidance to wage war,
and victory is won
through many advisers. Saying 23 7 Wisdom is too high for fools;
in the assembly at the
gate they must not open
their mouths. Saying 24 8 Whoever plots evil will be known as a schemer.
9 The schemes of folly are sin,
and people detest a
mocker. Saying 25 10 If you falter in a time of trouble,
how small is your
strength!
11 Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those
staggering toward
slaughter.
12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
does not he who weighs
the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards
your life know it?
Will he not repay everyone according to what
they have done? Saying 26 13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
honey from the comb is
sweet to your taste.
14 Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:
If you find it, there is a
future hope for you,
and your hope will not be
cut off. Saying 27 15 Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the
righteous,
do not plunder their
dwelling place;
16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise
again,
but the wicked stumble
when calamity strikes. Saying 28 17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when they stumble, do
not let your heart rejoice,
18 or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away
from them. Saying 29 19 Do not fret because of evildoers
or be envious of the
wicked,
20 for the evildoer has no future hope,
and the lamp of the
wicked will be snuffed out. Saying 30 21 Fear the LORD and the king, my son,
and do not join with
rebellious officials,
22 for those two will send sudden destruction on
them,
and who knows what
calamities they can bring?