18He who lives for ever created the whole universe;
2 the Lord alone is just.*
4 To none has he given power to proclaim his works;
and who can search out his mighty deeds?
5 Who can measure his majestic power?
And who can fully recount his mercies?
6 It is not possible to diminish or increase them,
nor is it possible to fathom the wonders of the Lord.
7 When human beings have finished, they are just beginning,
and when they stop, they are still perplexed.
8 What are human beings, and of what use are they?
What is good in them, and what is evil?
9 The number of days in their life is great if they reach one hundred years.*
10 Like a drop of water from the sea and a grain of sand,
so are a few years among the days of eternity.
11 That is why the Lord is patient with them
and pours out his mercy upon them.
12 He sees and recognizes that their end is miserable;
therefore he grants them forgiveness all the more.
13 The compassion of human beings is for their neighbours,
but the compassion of the Lord is for every living thing.
He rebukes and trains and teaches them,
and turns them back, as a shepherd his flock.
14 He has compassion on those who accept his discipline
and who are eager for his precepts.
15 My child, do not mix reproach with your good deeds,
or spoil your gift by harsh words.
16 Does not the dew give relief from the scorching heat?
So a word is better than a gift.
17 Indeed, does not a word surpass a good gift?
Both are to be found in a gracious person.
18 A fool is ungracious and abusive,
and the gift of a grudging giver makes the eyes dim.
19 Before you speak, learn;
and before you fall ill, take care of your health.
20 Before judgement comes, examine yourself;
and at the time of scrutiny you will find forgiveness.
21 Before falling ill, humble yourself;
and when you have sinned, repent.
22 Let nothing hinder you from paying a vow promptly,
and do not wait until death to be released from it.
23 Before making a vow, prepare yourself;
do not be like one who puts the Lord to the test.
24 Think of his wrath on the day of death,
and of the moment of vengeance when he turns away his face.
25 In the time of plenty think of the time of hunger;
in days of wealth think of poverty and need.
26 From morning to evening conditions change;
all things move swiftly before the Lord.
27 One who is wise is cautious in everything;
when sin is all around, one guards against wrongdoing.
28 Every intelligent person knows wisdom,
and praises one who finds her.
29 Those who are skilled in words become wise themselves,
and pour forth apt proverbs.*
30 Do not follow your base desires,
but restrain your appetites.
31 If you allow your soul to take pleasure in base desire,
it will make you the laughing-stock of your enemies.
32 Do not revel in great luxury,
or you may become impoverished by its expense.
33 Do not become a beggar by feasting with borrowed money
when you have nothing in your purse.*
19One who does this* will not become rich;
one who despises small things will fail little by little.
2 Wine and women lead intelligent men astray,
and the man who consorts with prostitutes is reckless.
3 Decay and worms will take possession of him,
and the reckless person will be snatched away.
4 One who trusts others too quickly has a shallow mind,
and one who sins does wrong to himself.
5 One who rejoices in wickedness* will be condemned,*
6 but one who hates gossip has less evil.
7 Never repeat a conversation,
and you will lose nothing at all.
8 With friend or foe do not report it,
and unless it would be a sin for you, do not reveal it;
9 for someone may have heard you and watched you,
and in time will hate you.
10 Have you heard something? Let it die with you.
Be brave, it will not make you burst!
11 Having heard something, the fool suffers birth-pangs
like a woman in labour with a child.
12 Like an arrow stuck in a person’s thigh,
so is gossip inside a fool.
13 Question a friend; perhaps he did not do it;
or if he did, so that he may not do it again.
14 Question a neighbour; perhaps he did not say it;
or if he said it, so that he may not repeat it.
15 Question a friend, for often it is slander;
so do not believe everything you hear.
16 A person may make a slip without intending it.
Who has not sinned with his tongue?
17 Question your neighbour before you threaten him;
and let the law of the Most High take its course.*
20 The whole of wisdom is fear of the Lord,
and in all wisdom there is the fulfilment of the law.*
22 The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom,
nor is there prudence in the counsel of sinners.
23 There is a cleverness that is detestable,
and there is a fool who merely lacks wisdom.
24 Better are the God-fearing who lack understanding
than the highly intelligent who transgress the law.
25 There is a cleverness that is exact but unjust,
and there are people who abuse favours to gain a verdict.
26 There is the villain bowed down in mourning,
but inwardly he is full of deceit.
27 He hides his face and pretends not to hear,
but when no one notices, he will take advantage of you.
28 Even if lack of strength keeps him from sinning,
he will nevertheless do evil when he finds the opportunity.
29 A person is known by his appearance,
and a sensible person is known when first met face to face.
30 A person’s attire and hearty laughter,
and the way he walks, show what he is.
20There is a rebuke that is untimely,
and there is the person who is wise enough to keep silent.
2 How much better it is to rebuke than to fume!
3 And one who admits his fault will be kept from failure.
4 Like a eunuch lusting to violate a girl
is the person who does right under compulsion.
5 Some people keep silent and are thought to be wise,
while others are detested for being talkative.
6 Some people keep silent because they have nothing to say,
while others keep silent because they know when to speak.
7 The wise remain silent until the right moment,
but a boasting fool misses the right moment.
8 Whoever talks too much is detested,
and whoever pretends to authority is hated.*
9 There may be good fortune for a person in adversity,
but a windfall may result in a loss.
10 There is the gift that profits you nothing,
and the gift to be paid back double.
11 There are losses for the sake of glory,
and there are some who have raised their heads from humble circumstances.
12 Some buy much for little,
but pay for it seven times over.
13 The wise make themselves beloved by only few words,*
but the courtesies of fools are wasted.
14 A fool’s gift will profit you nothing,*
for he looks for recompense sevenfold.*
15 He gives little and upbraids much;
he opens his mouth like a town crier.
Today he lends and tomorrow he asks for it back;
such a one is hateful to God and humans.*
16 The fool says, ‘I have no friends,
and I get no thanks for my good deeds.
Those who eat my bread are evil-tongued.’
17 How many will ridicule him, and how often!*
18 A slip on the pavement is better than a slip of the tongue;
the downfall of the wicked will occur just as speedily.
19 A coarse person is like an inappropriate story
continually on the lips of the ignorant.
20 A proverb from a fool’s lips will be rejected,
for he does not tell it at the proper time.
21 One may be prevented from sinning by poverty;
so when he rests he feels no remorse.
22 One may lose his life through shame,
or lose it because of human respect.*
23 Another out of shame makes promises to a friend,
and so makes an enemy for nothing.
24 A lie is an ugly blot on a person;
it is continually on the lips of the ignorant.
25 A thief is preferable to a habitual liar,
but the lot of both is ruin.
26 A liar’s way leads to disgrace,
and his shame is ever with him.
27 The wise person advances himself by his words,
and one who is sensible pleases the great.
28 Those who cultivate the soil heap up their harvest,
and those who please the great atone for injustice.
29 Favours and gifts blind the eyes of the wise;
like a muzzle on the mouth they stop reproofs.
30 Hidden wisdom and unseen treasure,
of what value is either?
31 Better are those who hide their folly
than those who hide their wisdom.*
21Have you sinned, my child? Do so no more,
but ask forgiveness for your past sins.
2 Flee from sin as from a snake;
for if you approach sin, it will bite you.
Its teeth are lion’s teeth,
and can destroy human lives.
3 All lawlessness is like a two-edged sword;
there is no healing for the wound it inflicts.
4 Panic and insolence will waste away riches;
thus the house of the proud will be laid waste.*
5 The prayer of the poor goes from their lips to the ears of God,*
and his judgement comes speedily.
6 Those who hate reproof walk in the sinner’s steps,
but those who fear the Lord repent in their heart.
7 The mighty in speech are widely known;
when they slip, the sensible person knows it.
8 Whoever builds his house with other people’s money
is like one who gathers stones for his burial mound.*
9 An assembly of the wicked is like a bundle of tow,
and their end is a blazing fire.
10 The way of sinners is paved with smooth stones,
but at its end is the pit of Hades.
11 Whoever keeps the law controls his thoughts,
and the fulfilment of the fear of the Lord is wisdom.
12 One who is not clever cannot be taught,
but there is a cleverness that increases bitterness.
13 The knowledge of the wise will increase like a flood,
and their counsel like a life-giving spring.
14 The mind* of a fool is like a broken jar;
it can hold no knowledge.
15 When an intelligent person hears a wise saying,
he praises it and adds to it;
when a fool* hears it, he laughs at* it
and throws it behind his back.
16 A fool’s chatter is like a burden on a journey,
but delight is found in the speech of the intelligent.
17 The utterance of a sensible person is sought in the assembly,
and they ponder his words in their minds.
18 Like a house in ruins is wisdom to a fool,
and to the ignorant, knowledge is talk that has no meaning.
19 To a senseless person education is fetters on his feet,
and like manacles on his right hand.
20 A fool raises his voice when he laughs,
but the wise* smile quietly.
21 To the sensible person education is like a golden ornament,
and like a bracelet on the right arm.
22 The foot of a fool rushes into a house,
but an experienced person waits respectfully outside.
23 A boor peers into the house from the door,
but a cultivated person remains outside.
24 It is ill-mannered for a person to listen at a door;
the discreet would be grieved by the disgrace.
25 The lips of babblers speak of what is not their concern,*
but the words of the prudent are weighed in the balance.
26 The mind of fools is in their mouth,
but the mouth of the wise is in* their mind.
27 When an ungodly person curses an adversary,*
he curses himself.
28 A whisperer degrades himself
and is hated in his neighbourhood.
22The idler is like a filthy stone,
and everyone hisses at his disgrace.
2 The idler is like the filth of dunghills;
anyone that picks it up will shake it off his hand.
3 It is a disgrace to be the father of an undisciplined son,
and the birth of a daughter is a loss.
4 A sensible daughter obtains a husband of her own,
but one who acts shamefully is a grief to her father.
5 An impudent daughter disgraces father and husband,
and is despised by both.
6 Like music in time of mourning is ill-timed conversation,
but a thrashing and discipline are at all times wisdom.*
9 Whoever teaches a fool is like one who glues potsherds together,
or who rouses a sleeper from deep slumber.
10 Whoever tells a story to a fool tells it to a drowsy man;
and at the end he will say, ‘What is it?’
11 Weep for the dead, for he has left the light behind;
and weep for the fool, for he has left intelligence behind.
Weep less bitterly for the dead, for he is at rest;
but the life of the fool is worse than death.
12 Mourning for the dead lasts seven days,
but for the foolish or the ungodly it lasts all the days of their lives.
13 Do not talk much with a senseless person
or visit an unintelligent person.*
Stay clear of him, or you may have trouble,
and be spattered when he shakes himself.
Avoid him and you will find rest,
and you will never be wearied by his lack of sense.
14 What is heavier than lead?
And what is its name except ‘Fool’?
15 Sand, salt, and a piece of iron
are easier to bear than a stupid person.
16 A wooden beam firmly bonded into a building
is not loosened by an earthquake;
so the mind firmly resolved after due reflection
will not be afraid in a crisis.
17 A mind settled on an intelligent thought
is like stucco decoration that makes a wall smooth.
18 Fences* set on a high place
will not stand firm against the wind;
so a timid mind with a fool’s resolve
will not stand firm against any fear.
19 One who pricks the eye brings tears,
and one who pricks the heart makes clear its feelings.
20 One who throws a stone at birds scares them away,
and one who reviles a friend destroys a friendship.
21 Even if you draw your sword against a friend,
do not despair, for there is a way back.
22 If you open your mouth against your friend,
do not worry, for reconciliation is possible.
But as for reviling, arrogance, disclosure of secrets, or a treacherous blow—
in these cases any friend will take to flight.
23 Gain the trust of your neighbour in his poverty,
so that you may rejoice with him in his prosperity.
Stand by him in time of distress,
so that you may share with him in his inheritance.*
24 The vapour and smoke of the furnace precede the fire;
so insults precede bloodshed.
25 I am not ashamed to shelter a friend,
and I will not hide from him.
26 But if harm should come to me because of him,
whoever hears of it will beware of him.
27 Who will set a guard over my mouth,
and an effective seal upon my lips,
so that I may not fall because of them,
and my tongue may not destroy me?
23O Lord, Father and Master of my life,
do not abandon me to their designs,
and do not let me fall because of them!
2 Who will set whips over my thoughts,
and the discipline of wisdom over my mind,
so as not to spare me in my errors,
and not overlook my* sins?
3 Otherwise my mistakes may be multiplied,
and my sins may abound,
and I may fall before my adversaries,
and my enemy may rejoice over me.*
4 O Lord, Father and God of my life,
do not give me haughty eyes,
5 and remove evil desire from me.
6 Let neither gluttony nor lust overcome me,
and do not give me over to shameless passion.
7 Listen, my children, to instruction concerning the mouth;
one who observes it will never be caught.
8 Sinners are overtaken through their lips;
by them the reviler and the arrogant are tripped up.
9 Do not accustom your mouth to oaths,
nor habitually utter the name of the Holy One;
10 for as a servant who is constantly under scrutiny
will not lack bruises,
so also the person who always swears and utters the Name
will never be cleansed* from sin.
11 One who swears many oaths is full of iniquity,
and the scourge will not leave his house.
If he swears in error, his sin remains on him,
and if he disregards it, he sins doubly;
if he swears a false oath, he will not be justified,
for his house will be filled with calamities.
12 There is a manner of speaking comparable to death;*
may it never be found in the inheritance of Jacob!
Such conduct will be far from the godly,
and they will not wallow in sins.
13 Do not accustom your mouth to coarse, foul language,
for it involves sinful speech.
14 Remember your father and mother
when you sit among the great,
or you may forget yourself in their presence,
and behave like a fool through bad habit;
then you will wish that you had never been born,
and you will curse the day of your birth.
15 Those who are accustomed to using abusive language
will never become disciplined as long as they live.
16 Two kinds of individuals multiply sins,
and a third incurs wrath.
Hot passion that blazes like a fire
will not be quenched until it burns itself out;
one who commits fornication with his near of kin
will never cease until the fire burns him up.
17 To a fornicator all bread is sweet;
he will never weary until he dies.
18 One who sins against his marriage bed
says to himself, ‘Who can see me?
Darkness surrounds me, the walls hide me,
and no one sees me. Why should I worry?
The Most High will not remember sins.’
19 His fear is confined to human eyes
and he does not realize that the eyes of the Lord
are ten thousand times brighter than the sun;
they look upon every aspect of human behaviour
and see into hidden corners.
20 Before the universe was created, it was known to him,
and so it is since its completion.
21 This man will be punished in the streets of the city,
and where he least suspects it, he will be seized.
22 So it is with a woman who leaves her husband
and presents him with an heir by another man.
23 For first of all, she has disobeyed the law of the Most High;
second, she has committed an offence against her husband;
and third, through her fornication she has committed adultery
and brought forth children by another man.
24 She herself will be brought before the assembly,
and her punishment will extend to her children.
25 Her children will not take root,
and her branches will not bear fruit.
26 She will leave behind an accursed memory
and her disgrace will never be blotted out.
27 Those who survive her will recognize
that nothing is better than the fear of the Lord,
and nothing sweeter than to heed the commandments of the Lord.*
24Wisdom praises herself,
and tells of her glory in the midst of her people.
2 In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth,
and in the presence of his hosts she tells of her glory:
3 ‘I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,
and covered the earth like a mist.
4 I dwelt in the highest heavens,
and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
5 Alone I compassed the vault of heaven
and traversed the depths of the abyss.
6 Over waves of the sea, over all the earth,
and over every people and nation I have held sway.*
7 Among all these I sought a resting-place;
in whose territory should I abide?
8 ‘Then the Creator of all things gave me a command,
and my Creator chose the place for my tent.
He said, “Make your dwelling in Jacob,
and in Israel receive your inheritance.”
9 Before the ages, in the beginning, he created me,
and for all the ages I shall not cease to be.
10 In the holy tent I ministered before him,
and so I was established in Zion.
11 Thus in the beloved city he gave me a resting-place,
and in Jerusalem was my domain.
12 I took root in an honoured people,
in the portion of the Lord, his heritage.
13 ‘I grew tall like a cedar in Lebanon,
and like a cypress on the heights of Hermon.
14 I grew tall like a palm tree in En-gedi,*
and like rose-bushes in Jericho;
like a fair olive tree in the field,
and like a plane tree beside water* I grew tall.
15 Like cassia and camel’s thorn I gave forth perfume,
and like choice myrrh I spread my fragrance,
like galbanum, onycha, and stacte,
and like the odour of incense in the tent.
16 Like a terebinth I spread out my branches,
and my branches are glorious and graceful.
17 Like the vine I bud forth delights,
and my blossoms become glorious and abundant fruit.*
19 ‘Come to me, you who desire me,
and eat your fill of my fruits.
20 For the memory of me is sweeter than honey,
and the possession of me sweeter than the honeycomb.
21 Those who eat of me will hunger for more,
and those who drink of me will thirst for more.
22 Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,
and those who work with me will not sin.’
23 All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God,
the law that Moses commanded us
as an inheritance for the congregations of Jacob.*
25 It overflows, like the Pishon, with wisdom,
and like the Tigris at the time of the first fruits.
26 It runs over, like the Euphrates, with understanding,
and like the Jordan at harvest time.
27 It pours forth instruction like the Nile,*
like the Gihon at the time of vintage.
28 The first man did not know wisdom* fully,
nor will the last one fathom her.
29 For her thoughts are more abundant than the sea,
and her counsel deeper than the great abyss.
30 As for me, I was like a canal from a river,
like a water channel into a garden.
31 I said, ‘I will water my garden
and drench my flower-beds.’
And lo, my canal became a river,
and my river a sea.
32 I will again make instruction shine forth like the dawn,
and I will make it clear from far away.
33 I will again pour out teaching like prophecy,
and leave it to all future generations.
34 Observe that I have not laboured for myself alone,
but for all who seek wisdom.*
25I take pleasure in three things,
and they are beautiful in the sight of God and of mortals:*
agreement among brothers and sisters, friendship among neighbours,
and a wife and husband who live in harmony.
2 I hate three kinds of people,
and I loathe their manner of life:
a pauper who boasts, a rich person who lies,
and an old fool who commits adultery.
3 If you gathered nothing in your youth,
how can you find anything in your old age?
4 How attractive is sound judgement in the grey-haired,
and for the aged to possess good counsel!
5 How attractive is wisdom in the aged,
and understanding and counsel in the venerable!
6 Rich experience is the crown of the aged,
and their boast is the fear of the Lord.
7 I can think of nine whom I would call blessed,
and a tenth my tongue proclaims:
a man who can rejoice in his children;
a man who lives to see the downfall of his foes.
8 Happy the man who lives with a sensible wife,
and one who does not plough with ox and ass together.*
Happy is one who does not sin with the tongue,
and one who has not served an inferior.
9 Happy is one who finds a friend,*
and one who speaks to attentive listeners.
10 How great is one who finds wisdom!
But none is superior to one who fears the Lord.
11 Fear of the Lord surpasses everything;
to whom can we compare one who has it?*
13 Any wound, but not a wound of the heart!
Any wickedness, but not the wickedness of a woman!
14 Any suffering, but not suffering from those who hate!
And any vengeance, but not the vengeance of enemies!
15 There is no venom* worse than a snake’s venom,*
and no anger worse than a woman’s* wrath.
16 I would rather live with a lion and a dragon
than live with an evil woman.
17 A woman’s wickedness changes her appearance,
and darkens her face like that of a bear.
18 Her husband sits* among the neighbours,
and he cannot help sighing* bitterly.
19 Any iniquity is small compared to a woman’s iniquity;
may a sinner’s lot befall her!
20 A sandy ascent for the feet of the aged—
such is a garrulous wife to a quiet husband.
21 Do not be ensnared by a woman’s beauty,
and do not desire a woman for her possessions.*
22 There is wrath and impudence and great disgrace
when a wife supports her husband.
23 Dejected mind, gloomy face,
and wounded heart come from an evil wife.
Drooping hands and weak knees
come from the wife who does not make her husband happy.
24 From a woman sin had its beginning,
and because of her we all die.
25 Allow no outlet to water,
and no boldness of speech to an evil wife.
26 If she does not go as you direct,
separate her from yourself.
26Happy is the husband of a good wife;
the number of his days will be doubled.
2 A loyal wife brings joy to her husband,
and he will complete his years in peace.
3 A good wife is a great blessing;
she will be granted among the blessings of the man who fears the Lord.
4 Whether rich or poor, his heart is content,
and at all times his face is cheerful.
5 Of three things my heart is frightened,
and of a fourth I am in great fear:*
Slander in the city, the gathering of a mob,
and false accusation—all these are worse than death.
6 But it is heartache and sorrow when a wife is jealous of a rival,
and a tongue-lashing makes it known to all.
7 A bad wife is a chafing yoke;
taking hold of her is like grasping a scorpion.
8 A drunken wife arouses great anger;
she cannot hide her shame.
9 The haughty stare betrays an unchaste wife;
her eyelids give her away.
10 Keep strict watch over a headstrong daughter,
or else, when she finds liberty, she will make use of it.
11 Be on guard against her impudent eye,
and do not be surprised if she sins against you.
12 As a thirsty traveller opens his mouth
and drinks from any water near him,
so she will sit in front of every tent-peg
and open her quiver to the arrow.
13 A wife’s charm delights her husband,
and her skill puts flesh on his bones.
14 A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,
and nothing is so precious as her self-discipline.
15 A modest wife adds charm to charm,
and no scales can weigh the value of her chastity.
16 Like the sun rising in the heights of the Lord,
so is the beauty of a good wife in her well-ordered home.
17 Like the shining lamp on the holy lampstand,
so is a beautiful face on a stately figure.
18 Like golden pillars on silver bases,
so are shapely legs and steadfast feet.
19 My child, keep sound the bloom of your youth,
and do not give your strength to strangers.
20 Seek a fertile field within the whole plain,
and sow it with your own seed, trusting in your fine stock.
21 So your offspring will prosper,
and, having confidence in their good descent, will grow great.
22 A prostitute is regarded as spittle,
and a married woman as a tower of death to her lovers.
23 A godless wife is given as a portion to a lawless man,
but a pious wife is given to the man who fears the Lord.
24 A shameless woman constantly acts disgracefully,
but a modest daughter will even be embarrassed before her husband.
25 A headstrong wife is regarded as a dog,
but one who has a sense of shame will fear the Lord.
26 A wife honouring her husband will seem wise to all,
but if she dishonours him in her pride she will be known to all as ungodly.
Happy is the husband of a good wife,
for the number of his years will be doubled.
27 A loud-voiced and garrulous wife is like a trumpet sounding the charge,
and every person like this lives in the anarchy of war.
28 At two things my heart is grieved,
and because of a third anger comes over me:
a warrior in want through poverty,
intelligent men who are treated contemptuously,
and a man who turns back from righteousness to sin—
the Lord will prepare him for the sword!
29 A merchant can hardly keep from wrongdoing,
nor is a tradesman innocent of sin.
27Many have committed sin for gain,*
and those who seek to get rich will avert their eyes.
2 As a stake is driven firmly into a fissure between stones,
so sin is wedged in between selling and buying.
3 If a person is not steadfast in the fear of the Lord,
his house will be quickly overthrown.
4 When a sieve is shaken, the refuse appears;
so do a person’s faults when he speaks.
5 The kiln tests the potter’s vessels;
so the test of a person is in his conversation.
6 Its fruit discloses the cultivation of a tree;
so a person’s speech discloses the cultivation of his mind.
7 Do not praise anyone before he speaks,
for this is the way people are tested.
8 If you pursue justice, you will attain it
and wear it like a glorious robe.
9 Birds roost with their own kind,
so honesty comes home to those who practise it.
10 A lion lies in wait for prey;
so does sin for evildoers.
11 The conversation of the godly is always wise,
but the fool changes like the moon.
12 Among stupid people limit your time,
but among thoughtful people linger on.
13 The talk of fools is offensive,
and their laughter is wantonly sinful.
14 Their cursing and swearing make one’s hair stand on end,
and their quarrels make others stop their ears.
15 The strife of the proud leads to bloodshed,
and their abuse is grievous to hear.
16 Whoever betrays secrets destroys confidence,
and will never find a congenial friend.
17 Love your friend and keep faith with him;
but if you betray his secrets, do not follow after him.
18 For as a person destroys his enemy,
so you have destroyed the friendship of your neighbour.
19 And as you allow a bird to escape from your hand,
so you have let your neighbour go, and will not catch him again.
20 Do not go after him, for he is too far off,
and has escaped like a gazelle from a snare.
21 For a wound may be bandaged,
and there is reconciliation after abuse,
but whoever has betrayed secrets is without hope.
22 Whoever winks the eye plots mischief,
and those who know him will keep their distance.
23 In your presence his mouth is all sweetness,
and he admires your words;
but later he will twist his speech
and with your own words he will trip you up.
24 I have hated many things, but him above all;
even the Lord hates him.
25 Whoever throws a stone straight up throws it on his own head,
and a treacherous blow opens up many wounds.
26 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and whoever sets a snare will be caught in it.
27 If a person does evil, it will roll back upon him,
and he will not know where it came from.
28 Mockery and abuse issue from the proud,
but vengeance lies in wait for them like a lion.
29 Those who rejoice in the fall of the godly will be caught in a snare,
and pain will consume them before their death.
30 Anger and wrath, these also are abominations,
yet a sinner holds on to them.
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New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
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30 June 2021