Wine is a Mocker

1Wine [is] a scorner — strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.

2The fear of a king [is] a growl as of a young lion, He who is causing him to be wroth is wronging his soul.

3An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.

4Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.

5Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draweth it up.

6A multitude of men proclaim each his kindness, And a man of stedfastness who doth find?

7The righteous is walking habitually in his integrity, O the happiness of his sons after him!

8A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering with his eyes all evil,

9Who saith, ‘I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?’

10A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to Jehovah.

11Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.

12A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.

13Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes — be satisfied [with] bread.

14‘Bad, bad,’ saith the buyer, And going his way then he boasteth himself.

15Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Yea, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.

16Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.

17Sweet to a man [is] the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled [with] gravel.

18Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.

19A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver [with] his lips make not thyself surety.

20Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.

21An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.

22Do not say, ‘I recompense evil,’ Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.

23An abomination to Jehovah [are] a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit [are] not good.

24From Jehovah [are] the steps of a man, And man — how understandeth he his way?

25A snare to a man [is] he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.

26A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.

27The breath of man [is] a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.

28Kindness and truth keep a king, And he hath supported by kindness his throne.

29The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.

30The bandages of a wound thou removest with the evil, Also the plagues of the inner parts of the heart!