21
1 My son, hast thou sinned? add no more thereto;
And make supplication for thy former sins.
2 Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent;
For if thou draw nigh it will bite thee:
The teeth thereof are the teeth of a lion,
Slaying the souls of men.
3 All iniquity is as a two-edged sword;
Its stroke hath no healing.
4 Terror and violence will lay waste riches;
So the house of a haughty man shall be laid waste.
5 Supplication from a poor man’s mouth reacheth to the ears of * God,
And his judgement cometh speedily.
6 One that hateth reproof is in the path of the sinner;
And he that feareth the Lord will turn again in his heart.
7 He that is mighty in tongue is known afar off:
But the man of understanding knoweth when he slippeth.
8 He that buildeth his house with other men’s money
Is like one that gathereth himself stones against winter.
9 The congregation of wicked men is as tow wrapped together;
And the end of them is a flame of fire.
10 The way of sinners is made smooth with stones;
And at the last end thereof is the pit of Hades.
11 He that keepeth the law becometh master of the intent thereof;
And the end of the fear of the Lord is wisdom.
12 He that is not clever will not be instructed;
And there is a cleverness which maketh bitterness to abound.
13 The knowledge of a wise man shall be made to abound as a flood;
And his counsel as a fountain of life.
14 The inward parts of a fool are like a broken vessel;
And he will hold no knowledge.
15 If a man of knowledge hear a wise word,
He will commend it, and add unto it:
The dissolute man heareth it, and it displeaseth him,
And he putteth it away behind his back.
16 The discourse of a fool is like a burden in the way;
But grace shall be found on the lips of the wise.
17 The mouth of the prudent man shall be sought for in the congregation;
And they will ponder his words in their heart.
18 As a house that is destroyed, so is wisdom to a fool;
And the knowledge of an unwise man is as † talk without sense.
19 Instruction is as fetters on the feet of an unwise man,
And as manacles on the right hand.
20 A fool lifteth up his voice with laughter;
But a clever man will scarce smile quietly.
21 Instruction is to a prudent man as an ornament of gold,
And as a bracelet upon his right arm.
22 The foot of a fool is soon in another man’s house;
But a man of experience will be ashamed of entering.
23 A foolish man peepeth in from the door of another man’s house;
But a man that is instructed will stand without.
24 It is a want of instruction in a man to listen at the door;
But the prudent man will be grieved with the disgrace.
25 ‡ The lips of strangers will be grieved at these things;
But the words of prudent men will be weighed in the balance.
26 The heart of fools is in their mouth;
But the mouth of wise men is their heart.
27 When the ungodly curseth Satan,
He curseth his own soul.
28 A whisperer defileth his own soul,
And shall be hated wheresoever he sojourneth.
* 21:5 Gr. him. † 21:18 Gr. unexamined words. ‡ 21:25 The text seems to be uncertain.