“In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin, but he who
spareth his words acts wisely” (x. 19).
“A soft answer turneth back wrath, but a harsh word raiseth anger”
(xv. 1).
“Also a fool when silent is considered wise; he who closeth his
lips is prudent” (xvii. 28).
“He who keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from
troubles” (xxi. 23).
“By long-suffering the prince is persuaded; and a soft tongue
breaketh a bone” (xxv. 15).
“Answer not a fool like his folly, lest thou be equal to him.
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his eyes”
(xxvi. 4, 5).
The principal virtues recommended to man are righteousness (צדקה),
honesty (אמונה), truthfulness (אמת), meekness (ענוה), industry,
thrift, temperance, contentment, and moderation:—
“Treasures of wickedness are of no profit, but righteousness
delivereth from death” (x. 2).
“Better a little in the fear of the Lord than a large treasure, and
confusion therewith” (xv. 16).
“The righteousness of the upright maketh his way straight, but the
wicked falleth by his wickedness” (xi. 5).
“The remembrance of the righteous is for blessing; but the name of
the wicked will rot” (x. 7).
“Guilt is the interpreter of fools, but favour that of the
straightforward” (xiv. 9).
“To do justice is joy to the righteous, and a terror to evil-doers”
(xxi. 15).
“Like a fountain made turbid and a well that is corrupted, is the
righteous that yieldeth in the presence of the wicked” (xxv. 26).
“Where a man of honesty is, there is multitude of blessings; but he
who hasteneth to become rich will not be guiltless” (xxviii. 20).
“The lip of truth will be established for ever, but the tongue of
falsehood for a moment” (xii. 19).
“A witness of faithfulness is he who does not lie, but he who
uttereth falsehood is a false witness” (xiv. 5). [9]
“A lip of excellency becometh not a low man; how much less doth a
lip of falsehood a noble man!” (xvii. 7).
“Pride came, and shame came; but with the meek is wisdom” (xi. 2).
“Meekness cometh before honour” (xv. 33). “Pride cometh before the
fall, and haughtiness of spirit before the stumbling” (xvi. 18).
“Let another praise thee, and not thy mouth; a stranger, and not
thy lips” (xxvii. 2).
“He is poor who worketh with a slack hand, but the hand of the
industrious maketh rich” (x. 4).
“Better is he who thinketh little of himself, and is a slave to
himself, than he who thinketh much of himself and lacketh bread”
(xii. 9).
“The hand of the industrious shall rule, but the slack hand shall
be tributary” (xii. 24).
“In all labour there is profit; but when there is only a word of
lips it leads but to want” (xiv. 23).
“Also he who is lazy in his work is a brother to the man that
destroyeth” (xviii. 9).
“I passed by the field of a slothful man, and the vineyard of a man
wanting heart; and behold, thorns have come up over the whole of
it; its surface is covered with thistles, and its stone-fence is
pulled down. And I beheld, I turned my heart, I saw, I took
instruction: a little of sleep, a little of slumber, a little of
joining the hands to lie down; then thy poverty cometh like a
traveller, and thy want like an armed man” (xxiv. 30–34).
“The righteous eateth to the fulness of his soul, but the belly of
the wicked shall want” (xiii. 25).
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink roareth, and every one that erreth
therein will not be wise” (xx. 1).
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath
complaining? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of
eyes? Those who tarry long at the wine; those who come to search
mixed drink. Do not look upon the wine though it be red, though it
send forth its colour through the cup, though it flow smoothly; in
the end it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an asp; thine
eyes shall see strange things, and thy heart shall speak perverse
things; and thou shalt be like one that lieth in the midst of the
sea, and like one that lieth on the top of the mast. They have
stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick. They have beaten
me; I felt it not. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again”
(xxiii. 29–35).
“He who is greedy after gain troubleth his house, but he who hateth
gifts shall live” (xv. 27).
“He whose desire is wide stirreth up strife, but he who trusteth in
the Lord shall be fattened” (xxviii. 25).
“There are who spend liberally, and there is an increase; and there
are who withhold more than is right, and yet it leads to want” (xi.
24).
“Know well the state of thy flock; set thy heart to the droves; for
treasure is not for ever, nor a crown for generation and
generation. When hay is gone, and grass is spoilt, and the herbs of
the field are gathered in, there are lambs for thy clothing, and
he-goats are the price of a field: and there will be goats’ milk
enough for thy food, for the food of thy house, and maintenance for
thy maidens’ (xxvii. 23–27).
“Lust overcome is sweet to the soul; but to depart from evil is the
abomination of fools” (xiii. 19).
“Better is he who is long-suffering than a hero; and he who ruleth
his spirit is better than he who conquereth a city” (xvi. 32).
“Like an open town without a wall is the man whose spirit is
without restraint” (xxv. 28).
The following proverbs refer to the relation between husband and wife,
and between man and his neighbour as friend or enemy, father and child,
rich and poor, king and people:—
“He who hath found a wife hath found a good thing, and obtained
favour of the Lord” (xviii. 22).
“A virtuous wife is the crown of her husband, but a wicked woman is
like rottenness in his bones” (xii. 4).
“House and wealth are the inheritance of fathers, but a wise wife
is from the Lord” (xix. 14; chap. xxxi. 10 to end).
“He who revealeth a secret is a slanderer, but he who is faithful
in spirit covereth a thing” (xi. 13).
“Hatred stirreth up strifes, but love covereth all sins” (x. 12).
“Better is a meal of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and
hatred therewith” (xv. 17).
“He who covereth transgression seeketh love, but he who repeateth a
matter separateth a friend” (xvii. 9).
“Open rebuke is better than secret love” (xxvii. 5).
“He who saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous, him shall the
people curse, nations shall abhor him; but to them that rebuke him
shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them” (xxiv.
24, 25).
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy
are like smoke” (xxvii. 6).
“When there is no wood the fire goeth out; so when there is no
tale-bearer strife ceaseth” (xxvi. 20).
“A kind man doth good to his soul, and a cruel man troubleth his
flesh” (xi. 17).
“Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be
glad when he stumbleth, lest the Lord see it and it displease Him,
and He turn away His wrath from him” (xxiv. 17, 18).
“The righteous knoweth the feelings of his cattle, but the heart of
the wicked is cruel” (xii. 10).
“He who curseth his father and his mother, his lamp shall be put
out in obscure darkness” (xx. 20).
“Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of
children are their fathers” (xvii. 6).
“The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his
mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young
eagles shall eat it” (xxx. 17).
“Where there is the instruction of the father, there is a wise son;
but a mocker will he be who heard no rebuke” (xiii. 1).
“He who spareth his rod hateth his son, and he who loveth him
chastiseth him early” (xiii. 24).
“Chastise thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul turn to
his crying” (xix. 18).
“Train the lad in his way, and when he is old he will not depart
from it” (xxii. 6).
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of
correction shall drive it far from him” (xxii. 15).
“Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beatest him
with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod,
and shalt deliver his soul from death” (xxiii. 13, 14).
“The benevolent shall be blessed, for he hath given of his bread to
the poor” (xxii. 9).
“The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that stilleth the
thirst of others shall also have his thirst stilled” (xi. 25).
“He who despiseth his neighbour sinneth, but whoso is gracious to
the poor is happy” (xiv. 24).
“In the multitude of people is the glory of the king; but in the
want of people is the destruction of the prince” (xiv. 28).
“The king’s wrath is like messengers of death; but a wise man will
pacify it” (xvi. 14).
“The heart of a king is in the hand of the Lord like brooks of
water; He turneth it whithersoever He liketh” (xxi. 1).