¹A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight. ²When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom. ³The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them. ⁴Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. ⁵The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness. ⁶The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed. ⁷When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of strong men perishes. ⁸The righteous is delivered from trouble, But the wicked takes his place. ⁹With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered. ¹⁰When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting. ¹¹By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down. ¹²He who despises his neighbor lacks sense, But a man of understanding keeps silent. ¹³He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter. ¹⁴Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory. ¹⁵He who is guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it, But he who hates being a guarantor is secure. ¹⁶A gracious woman attains honor, And ruthless men attain riches. ¹⁷The merciful man does himself good, But the cruel man does himself harm. 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. ²⁰The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their walk are His delight. ²¹Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished, But the descendants of the righteous will be delivered. ²²As a ring of gold in a swine's snout So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion. ²³The desire of the righteous is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath. ²⁴There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. ²⁵The generous man will be prosperous, 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 diligently seeks good seeks favor, But he who seeks 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 foolish will be servant to the wisehearted. ³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls. ³¹If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth, How much more the wicked and the sinner!

The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed. When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of strong men perishes. The righteous is delivered from trouble, But the wicked takes his place.