1行為正直的窮人，
勝過詭詐的愚人。
2熱誠卻無知不足取，
行動急躁難免有錯。
3人因愚昧而自毀前程，
他的心卻抱怨耶和華。
4財富招來許多朋友，
窮人卻遭朋友拋棄。
5作偽證者難免受罰，
撒謊的人罪責難逃。
6大家都討好慷慨的人，
人人都結交好施贈的。
7窮人被親人厭棄，
朋友都遠遠躲避。
他苦苦哀求，也無人理會。
8得到智慧的珍惜生命，
持守悟性的享受福樂。
9作偽證者難免受罰，
撒謊的人自取滅亡。
10愚人奢華宴樂不相宜，
奴隸管轄王子更離譜。
11智者不輕易發怒，
饒恕是他的榮耀。
12君王的震怒像雄獅怒吼，
君王的恩澤如草上甘露。
13愚昧之子是父親的災殃，
爭鬧之妻如雨滴漏不止。
14房屋錢財是祖先的遺產，
賢慧之妻乃耶和華所賜。
15懶惰使人沉睡，
懈怠使人挨餓。
16遵守誡命的保全性命，
藐視誡命的自尋死路。
17善待窮人等於借貸給耶和華，
耶和華必回報他的善行。
18管教孩子宜早不宜晚，
不可任由他走向滅亡。
19脾氣暴躁的人必吃苦頭。
你若救他，一次肯定不夠。
20你要受教聽勸，
以便得到智慧。
21人心中有許多計劃，
唯耶和華的旨意成就。
22人心愛慕忠誠，
受窮勝過撒謊。
23敬畏耶和華使人得享生命，
安然滿足，免遭禍患。
24懶惰人手放在餐盤，
卻懶得送食物進嘴。
25責打嘲諷者，愚人學會謹慎；
責備明哲人，他會增長見識。
26苛待父親的人可鄙，
逼走母親的人可恥。
27孩子啊，你若不聽教誨，
就會偏離知識。
28作偽證者嘲諷公義，
惡人的口吞吃罪惡。
29刑罰對付嘲諷者，
鞭子責打愚人背。
1Better the poor whose way of life is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.
2Desire without knowledge is not good –
how much more will hasty feet miss the way!
3A person’s own folly leads to their ruin,
yet their heart rages against the Lord.
4Wealth attracts many friends,
but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.
5A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will not go free.
6Many curry favour with a ruler,
and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.
7The poor are shunned by all their relatives –
how much more do their friends avoid them!
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
they are nowhere to be found.19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
8The one who gets wisdom loves life;
the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.
9A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will perish.
10It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury –
how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!
11A person’s wisdom yields patience;
it is to one’s glory to overlook an offence.
12A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,
but his favour is like dew on the grass.
13A foolish child is a father’s ruin,
and a quarrelsome wife is like
the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
14Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless go hungry.
16Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.
17Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done.
18Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to their death.
19A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
20Listen to advice and accept discipline,
and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
21Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
22What a person desires is unfailing love19:22 Or Greed is a person’s shame;
better to be poor than a liar.
23The fear of the Lord leads to life;
then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
24A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he will not even bring it back to his mouth!
25Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.
26Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother
is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
27Stop listening to instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
29Penalties are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.
