Chapter 31

¹ My words have been spoken by God—the oracular answer of a king, whom his mother instructed.

² What wilt thou keep, my son, what? the words of God. My firstborn son, I speak to thee: what? ¹son of my womb? what? son of my vows? ³ Give not thy wealth to women, nor thy mind and living to remorse. Do all things with counsel: drink wine with counsel. ⁴ Princes are prone to anger: let them then not drink wine: ⁵ lest they drink, and forget wisdom, and be not able to judge the poor rightly. ⁶ Give strong drink to those that are in sorrow, and the wine to drink to those in pain: ⁷ that they may forget their poverty, and may not remember their troubles any more. ⁸ Open thy mouth with the word of God, and judge all fairly. ⁹ Open thy mouth and judge justly, and plead the cause of the poor and weak.

Chapter 25

¹ These are the ²miscellaneous instructions of Solomon, which the friends of Ezekias king of Judea copied out.

² The glory of God conceals a matter: but the glory of a king honours business. ³ Heaven is high, and earth is deep, and a king’s heart is unsearchable. ⁴ Beat the drossy silver, and it shall be made entirely pure. ⁵ Slay the ungodly from before the king, and his throne shall prosper in righteousness.

⁶ Be not boastful in the presence of the king, and remain not in the places of princes; ⁷ for it is better for thee that it should be said, Come up to me, than that one should humble thee in the presence of the prince; speak of that which thine eyes have seen.

⁸ Get not suddenly into a quarrel, lest thou repent at last. ⁹ Whenever thy friend shall reproach thee, retreat backward, despise him not; ¹⁰ lest thy friend continue to reproach thee, so thy quarrel and enmity shall not depart, but shall be to thee like death. Favour and friendship set a man free, which do thou keep for thyself, lest thou be made liable to reproach; but take heed to thy ways peaceably.

¹¹ As a golden apple in a necklace of sardius, so is it to speak a wise word. ¹² In an ear-ring of gold a precious sardius is also set; so is a wise word to an obedient ear. ¹³ As a fall of snow in the time of harvest is good against heat, so a faithful messenger refreshes those that send him; for he helps the souls of his employers.

¹⁴ As winds and clouds and rains are most evident objects, so is he that boasts of a false gift. ¹⁵ In long-suffering is prosperity to kings, and a soft tongue breaks the bones. ¹⁶ Having found honey, eat only what is enough, lest haply thou be filled, and vomit it up. ¹⁷ Enter sparingly into thy friend’s house, lest he be satiated with thy company, and hate thee. ¹⁸ As a club, and a dagger, and a pointed arrow, so also is a man who bears false witness against his friend.

814

¹⁹ The way of the wicked and the foot of the transgressor shall perish in an evil day.

²⁰ As vinegar is bad for a sore, so trouble befalling the body afflicts the heart. As a moth in a garment, and a worm in wood, so the grief of a man hurts the heart.

²¹ If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; ²² for so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee with good. ²³ The north wind raises clouds; so an impudent face provokes the tongue. ²⁴ It is better to dwell on a corner of the roof, than with a railing woman in an open house. ²⁵ As cold water is agreeable to a thirsting soul, so is a good message from a land far off. ²⁶ As if one should stop a well, and corrupt a spring of water, so is it unseemly for a righteous man to fall before an ungodly man. ²⁷ It is not good to eat much honey; but it is right to honour venerable sayings. ²⁸ As a city whose walls are broken down, and which is unfortified, so is a man who does anything without counsel.