¹One who separates himself seeks his desire; against all sound wisdom he breaks out.

²A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in his heart uncovering itself.

³When a wicked one comes, contempt comes also, and with shame, reproach.

⁴The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, a flowing wadi, the spring of wisdom.

⁵To lift up the face of the wicked is not good, to turn aside a righteous one in justice.

⁶The lips of a fool come into strife, and his mouth calls for blows.

⁷The mouth of a fool is ruin to him, and his lips are the snare of his being.

⁸The words of a slanderer are like things swallowed greedily, and they go down to the inner chambers of the belly.

⁹Also one who shows himself idle in his work is a brother to a master of destruction.

¹⁰The name of Yahweh is a tower of strength; the righteous runs into it and is set on high.

¹¹The wealth of a rich one is the city of his strength, and like a high wall in his imagination.

¹²Before destruction the heart of a man grows lofty, but before weightiness comes gentleness.

¹³One who gives back a word before he listens, that is foolishness for him, and disgrace.

¹⁴The breath of a man sustains him in his sickness, but a stricken breath, who can bear it?

¹⁵A discerning heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks out knowledge.

¹⁶The gift of a man makes room for him, and leads him before the great.

¹⁷The first in his dispute is righteous; then his neighbor comes and examines him.

¹⁸The lot puts an end to contentions, and it separates between the mighty.

¹⁹An offended brother is harder to win than a city of strength, and contentions are like the bar of a citadel.

²⁰From the fruit of the mouth of a man his belly is satisfied; with the produce of his lips he is satisfied.

²¹Death and life are in the hand of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

²²One who finds a wife finds good, and obtains favor from Yahweh.

²³The poor man speaks pleas, but the rich answers fiercely.

²⁴A man of companions is to be broken, but there is one who loves, clinging closer than a brother.