1 O Lord, my Father and Master of my life, do not leave me at the mercy of my own words; don't let them cause my downfall. 2 I wish I could be whipped for my thoughts, so that Wisdom could discipline my mind. I would not want to be spared when I am wrong; I would not want a single sin to be overlooked! 3 Then I would not keep on sinning, making one mistake after another. I could not fall to my enemies and be humiliated by them.
4 O Lord, my Father, God of my life, keep me from being arrogant; 5 protect me from evil desires. 6 Keep me from being overcome by greed or lust; do not leave me at the mercy of these shameless passions.
Taking Oaths
7 My children, listen to what I have to say about proper speech; do as I teach you and you will never get trapped. 8 Sinners are caught by their own arrogant, insulting words.
9 Don't fall into the habit of taking oaths, and don't use God's holy name too freely. 10 A slave who is constantly beaten will never be free of bruises; someone who is always taking an oath by the Holy Name will never be free of sin. 11 Anyone who takes oaths all the time is sinful to the core, and punishment is never far away from his household. If he fails to fulfill his oath, he is guilty. If he ignores his oath, he is twice as guilty. If his oath was insincere in the first place, he cannot be pardoned and will have a house full of trouble.
Filthy Talk
12 There is one way of speaking that is like death itself—may no Israelite ever be guilty of it! Devout people do not wallow in such sin, and they will keep away from such behavior. 13 Don't fall into the habit of coarse, profane talk; it is sinful. 14 You might forget yourself while in the company of important people and make a fool of yourself with some foul word that comes to you naturally. Think how your parents would feel! You would curse the day you were born and wish you were dead! 15 If you fall into the habit of using offensive language, you will never break yourself of it as long as you live.
Sexual Sins
16 There are any number of ways to sin and bring down the Lord's anger, but sexual passion is a hot, blazing fire that cannot be put out at will; it can only burn itself out. A man who lives for nothing but sexual enjoyment will keep on until that fire destroys him. 17 To such a man all women are desirable, and he can never get enough as long as he lives.
18 The man who is unfaithful to his wife thinks to himself, “No one will ever know. It's dark in here, and no one sees me. I have nothing to worry about. As for the Most High, he won't even notice.” 19 This man is only afraid of other people. He doesn't realize that the eyes of the Lord are 10,000 times brighter than the sun, that he sees everything we do, even when we try to hide it. 20 He knew everything before he created the world, as well as after. 21 That sinful man will be caught when he least expects it, and punished publicly.
22 The same is true of a woman who is unfaithful to her husband and presents him with a child by another man. 23 In the first place, she has broken the Law of the Most High. In the second place, she has wronged her husband. And in the third place, she has made a whore of herself by committing adultery and bearing the child of a man not her husband. 24-25 The children will suffer for her sin. They will not be able to find a place in society or establish families. She herself will be brought before the assembly 26 and permanently disgraced. There will be a curse on her memory. After she is gone, 27 everyone will realize that nothing is better than fearing the Lord, nothing is sweeter than keeping his commands.
1 Nepamet mani to iegribām, Kungs,
manas dzīvības Valdniek un Tēvs!
Nepieļauj, ka es kristu to dēļ!
2 Kas norīkos rīkstes pārraudzīt manas domas
un gudrību iecels par audzinātāju sirdij,
lai rīkstes mani netaupītu par pārkāpumiem
nezināšanas dēļ, bet gudrība neatstātu
nepamanītus manus grēkus,
3 lai neļautu pieņemties manai neziņai
un maniem grēkiem augt augumā,
jo citādi es pretinieku priekšā kritīšu
un uzgavilēs naidnieks.
Kur nezināšana un grēki,
tur tālu cerība uz tavu žēlastību.
4 Kungs, manas dzīvības Dievs un Tēvs!
Neļauj uzpūtībai ieviesties manās acīs!
5 Baudkāri novērs no manis!
6 Vēdera vēlmes un dzimumattiecības lai mani nepārņem savā varā!
Un neatvēli mani nekautrām iegribām!
Zvēresti un dievošanās
7 Kas attiecas uz lūpām, bērni, klausieties pamācību!
Kurš to ievēros, nemūžam nenonāks sodā.
8 Turpretī grēcinieku sodīs ar paša lūpām.
Tās aizvainos pulgotāju un iedomīgo.
9 Neieradinies zvērēt ar savu muti,
neierodi Svēto saukt vārdā!
10 Kā neatbrīvosies no brūcēm vergs,
ko nemitīgi izprašņā,
tā tas, kas vienmēr zvēr un dievojas,
netiks šķīstīts no grēkiem.
11 Liels zvērētājs būs noziedzības pilns,
no viņa nama neatkāpsies rīkste.
Ja maldīdamies zvēr – uz viņa gulsies grēks;
ja nevērīgi izturēsies – divkārt grēko;
ja nepatiesi zvēr, viņš netiks attaisnots:
nelaimes pilns būs nams.
Jēlības
12 Ir runas veids, kas pielīdzināms nāvei.
Lai tāds nav sastopams Jēkaba mantiniekos!
Dievbijīgiem viss tamlīdzīgais svešs,
un tie nevārtās grēkos.
13 Neieradini muti piedauzīgās jēlībās,
jo tajās ar vārdu grēko.
14 Atceries tēvu un māti, sēdēdams diženo vidū,
lai tu neaizmirstos to klātbūtnē
un nešķistos muļķis sava ieraduma dēļ:
tu vēlēsies, kaut nebūtu piedzimis,
un nolādēsi dienu, kad nāci pasaulē.
15 Cilvēks, kas ieradis lietot apkaunojošus izteicienus,
mūža dienas nodzīvos neaudzināts.
Netiklība un laulības pārkāpšana
16 Divas ļaužu šķiras vairo grēkus
un trešā izraisa dusmas.
Sveloša kaislība, iedegusies kā uguns,
nemitēsies, līdz nebūs aprijusi;
savos miesas locekļos netikls cilvēks
nerimsies, līdz guns nebūs izdegusi.
17 Netiklajam katra maize salda:
tas nepagurs, līdz nebūs galā.
18 Cilvēks, kas grēko pret laulības gultu,
sevī spriežot: “Kas mani redz?
Visapkārt tumsa. Sienas mani sedz.
Neredz neviens. Ko bīties man?
Manus grēkus Visuaugstākais neatcerēsies,” –
19 tāds baidās no ļaužu acīm,
bet neapzinās, ka Kunga acis,
desmit tūkstoškārt par sauli gaišākas,
vēro visas ļaužu gaitas, apslēptajā lūkojas.
20 Viss viņam bija zināms, pirms tika radīts,
un tāpat – kopš tas ir īstenots.
21 Atmaksu cilvēks saņems pilsētas platajās ielās,
tiks notverts tur, kur tam pat prātā neienāks.
22 Tas pats ir ar sievu, kas pamet vīru
un sagādā mantinieku no cita.
23 Visuaugstākā bauslībai viņa, pirmkārt, nav klausījusi,
otrkārt, vīru ir pievīlusi,
treškārt, laulību pārkāpjot, izbaudīta
un sagādājusi bērnus no cita.
24 Viņai būs jāstājas sapulces priekšā,
piemeklēti būs viņas bērni:
25 neiesakņosies viņas bērni,
augļus nenesīs zari.
26 Nolādēta būs viņas piemiņa,
neizdzēšams būs viņas kauns,
27 bet palicēji atzīs:
par bijību pret Kungu nekā labāka nav,
nav nekā jaukāka
kā ievērot Kunga baušļus.
28 Sekot Dievam – liels gods.
Dievs tevi uzņem – ilgs mūžs.
