Every Wise Woman Builds Her House

1Every wise woman hath builded her house, And the foolish with her hands breaketh it down.

2Whoso is walking in his uprightness is fearing Jehovah, And the perverted in his ways is despising Him.

3In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, And the lips of the wise preserve them.

4Without oxen a stall is clean, And great is the increase by the power of the ox.

5A faithful witness lieth not, And a false witness breatheth out lies.

6A scorner hath sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge to the intelligent is easy.

7Go from before a foolish man, Or thou hast not known the lips of knowledge.

8The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, And the folly of fools is deceit.

9Fools mock at a guilt-offering, And among the upright -- a pleasing thing.

10The heart knoweth its own bitterness, And with its joy a stranger doth not intermeddle.

11The house of the wicked is destroyed, And the tent of the upright flourisheth.

12There is a way -- right before a man, And its latter end are ways of death.

13Even in laughter is the heart pained, And the latter end of joy is affliction.

14From his ways is the backslider in heart filled, And a good man -- from his fruits.

15The simple giveth credence to everything, And the prudent attendeth to his step.

16The wise is fearing and turning from evil, And a fool is transgressing and is confident.

17Whoso is short of temper doth folly, And a man of wicked devices is hated.

18The simple have inherited folly, And the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

19The evil have bowed down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20Even of his neighbour is the poor hated, And those loving the rich are many.

21Whoso is despising his neighbour sinneth, Whoso is favouring the humble, O his happiness.

22Do not they err who are devising evil? And kindness and truth are to those devising good,

23In all labour there is advantage, And a thing of the lips is only to want.

24The crown of the wise is their wealth, The folly of fools is folly.

25A true witness is delivering souls, And a deceitful one breatheth out lies.

26In the fear of Jehovah is strong confidence, And to His sons there is a refuge.

27The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.

28In the multitude of a people is the honour of a king, And in lack of people the ruin of a prince.

29Whoso is slow to anger is of great understanding, And whoso is short in temper is exalting folly.

30A healed heart is life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones is envy.

31An oppressor of the poor reproacheth his Maker, And whoso is honouring Him Is favouring the needy.

32In his wickedness is the wicked driven away, And trustful in his death is the righteous.

33In the heart of the intelligent wisdom doth rest. And in the midst of fools it is known.

34Righteousness exalteth a nation, And the goodliness of peoples is a sin-offering.

35The favour of a king is to a wise servant, And an object of his wrath is one causing shame!