| kjv | web | basic | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. | Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise. | Wine makes men foolish, and strong drink makes men come to blows; and whoever comes into error through these is not wise. | ||
| 2. | The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul. | The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life. | The wrath of a king is like the loud cry of a lion: he who makes him angry does wrong against himself. | ||
| 3. | It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling. | It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; but every fool will be quarreling. | It is an honour for a man to keep from fighting, but the foolish are ever at war. | ||
| 4. | The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing. | The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing. | The hater of work will not do his ploughing because of the winter; so at the time of grain-cutting he will be requesting food and will get nothing. | ||
| 5. | Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. | Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. | The purpose in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of good sense will get it out. | ||
| 6. | Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? | Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man? | Most men make no secret of their kind acts: but where is a man of good faith to be seen? | ||
| 7. | The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him. | A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him. | An upright man goes on in his righteousness: happy are his children after him! | ||
| 8. | A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes. | A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes. | A king on the seat of judging puts to flight all evil with his eyes. | ||
| 9. | Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? | Who can say, "I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin?" | Who is able to say, I have made my heart clean, I am free from my sin? | ||
| 10. | Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD. | Differing weights and differing measures, both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh. | Unequal weights and unequal measures, they are all disgusting to the Lord. | ||
| 11. | Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. | Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right. | Even a child may be judged by his doings, if his work is free from sin and if it is right. | ||
| 12. | The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them. | The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Yahweh has made even both of them. | The hearing ear and the seeing eye are equally the Lord's work. | ||
| 13. | Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. | Don't love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread. | Do not be a lover of sleep, or you will become poor: keep your eyes open, and you will have bread enough. | ||
| 14. | It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. | "It's no good, it's no good," says the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasts. | A poor thing, a poor thing, says he who is giving money for goods: but when he has gone on his way, then he makes clear his pride in what he has got. | ||
| 15. | There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. | There is gold and abundance of rubies; but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel. | There is gold and a store of corals: but the lips of knowledge are a jewel of great price. | ||
| 16. | Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman. | Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman. | Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men. | ||
| 17. | Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. | Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel. | Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but after, his mouth will be full of sand. | ||
| 18. | Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war. | Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage war! | Every purpose is put into effect by wise help: and by wise guiding make war. | ||
| 19. | He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips. | He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore don't keep company with him who opens wide his lips. | He who goes about talking of the business of others gives away secrets: so have nothing to do with him whose lips are open wide. | ||
| 20. | Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. | Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness. | If anyone puts a curse on his father or his mother, his light will be put out in the blackest night. | ||
| 21. | An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed. | An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning, won't be blessed in the end. | A heritage may be got quickly at first, but the end of it will not be a blessing. | ||
| 22. | Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee. | Don't say, "I will pay back evil." Wait for Yahweh, and he will save you. | Do not say, I will give punishment for evil: go on waiting for the Lord, and he will be your saviour. | ||
| 23. | Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good. | Yahweh detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are not pleasing. | Unequal weights are disgusting to the Lord, and false scales are not good. | ||
| 24. | Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way? | A man's steps are from Yahweh; how then can man understand his way? | A man's steps are of the Lord; how then may a man have knowledge of his way? | ||
| 25. | It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. | It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows. | It is a danger to a man to say without thought, It is holy, and, after taking his oaths, to be questioning if it is necessary to keep them. | ||
| 26. | A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them. | A wise king winnows out the wicked, and drives the threshing wheel over them. | A wise king puts evil-doers to flight, and makes their evil-doing come back on them. | ||
| 27. | The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. | The spirit of man is Yahweh's lamp, searching all his innermost parts. | The Lord keeps watch over the spirit of man, searching all the deepest parts of the body. | ||
| 28. | Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy. | Love and faithfulness keep the king safe. His throne is sustained by love. | Mercy and good faith keep the king safe, and the seat of his power is based on upright acts. | ||
| 29. | The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head. | The glory of young men is their strength. The splendor of old men is their gray hair. | The glory of young men is their strength, and the honour of old men is their grey hairs. | ||
| 30. | The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly. | Wounding blows cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the innermost parts. | By the wounds of the rod evil is taken away, and blows make clean the deepest parts of the body. | ||