1A deceptive balance is an abomination to Yahweh,

But a just weight is His delight.

2When arrogance comes, then comes disgrace,

But with the meek is wisdom.

3The integrity of the upright will lead them,

But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

4Wealth will not profit in the day of wrath,

But righteousness will deliver from death.

5The righteousness of the blameless will make his way straight,

But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

6The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,

But the treacherous will be captured by their own desire.

7When a wicked man dies, his hope will perish,

And the expectation of vigorous men perishes.

8The righteous is rescued from [†]distress,

But the wicked [†]takes his place.

9With his mouth the godless man corrupts his neighbor,

But through knowledge the righteous will be rescued.

10When it goes well with the righteous, the city exults,

And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.

11By the blessing of the upright a city is raised up,

But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.

12He who despises his neighbor lacks a heart of wisdom,

But a man of discernment keeps silent.

13He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,

But he who is faithful in spirit conceals a matter.

14Where there is no guidance the people fall,

But in abundance of counselors there is salvation.

15If one becomes a guarantor for a stranger, he will surely suffer,

But he who hates [†]striking hands in pledge is secure.

16A gracious woman holds fast to glory,

But ruthless men hold fast to riches.

17The man of lovingkindness deals bountifully with his soul,

But the cruel man brings trouble on his flesh.

18The wicked earns deceptive wages,

But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.

19He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life,

And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

20Those with a crooked heart are an abomination to Yahweh,

But those of a blameless way are His delight.

21[†]Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished,

But the seed of the righteous will escape.

22As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout

So is a beautiful woman who turns away from [†]discretion.

23The desire of the righteous is only good,

But the hope of the wicked is wrath.

24There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,

And there is one who holds back what is rightly due, and yet results only in want.

25The soul [†]that blesses will be [†]enriched,

And he who waters will himself be watered.

26He who withholds grain, the people will curse him,

But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

27He who earnestly seeks good seeks favor,

But he who searches for evil, evil will come to him.

28He who trusts in his riches will fall,

But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

29He who troubles his own house will inherit wind,

And the ignorant fool will be a slave to the wise of heart.

30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

And he who is wise [†]wins souls.

31If the righteous will be repaid in the earth,

How much more the wicked and the sinner!