1 Many people have sinned while looking for a profit; if you want to be rich you have to keep blinders on your eyes. 2 It is hard to remove a peg that is stuck between two stones of a house, and it is just as hard to remove dishonesty from buying and selling. 3 Unless you are determined in your fear of the Lord, your house is going to come down on you.
Speech Reflects True Feelings
4 Your talk shows your faults; it is like a sieve that separates out the rubbish. 5 The way you think shows your character just as surely as a kiln shows any flaws in the pottery being fired. 6 You can tell how well a tree has been cared for by the fruit it bears, and you can tell a person's feelings by the way he expresses himself. 7 Never praise anyone before you hear him talk; that is the real test.
Honesty
8 If you try to be honest, you can be, and it will improve your character as handsome clothing improves your appearance. 9 Birds come to roost with those of their own kind, and the habit of honesty comes to those who try to be honest. 10 Sin waits for those looking for a chance to sin, just as a lion waits for prey.
Foolish Talk
11 When devout people talk, what they say always makes sense, but foolish people are always contradicting themselves. 12 When you find yourself with stupid people, look for some excuse to leave, but when you are with serious-minded people, stay as long as you can.
13 The stories that foolish people tell are offensive, and they make jokes about the worst kinds of sin. 14 When such people curse, it is enough to make your hair stand on end, and when they start arguing among themselves, all you can do is to stop up your ears. 15 It is painful to listen to them insult each other, and such blustering can lead to violence.
Betraying Secrets
16 If you repeat secrets that have been told to you, you are destroying the confidence others have in you, and you will never have a close friend. 17 Respect your friends, and keep faith with them. If you do betray a friend's confidence, you may as well forget you have a friend. 18 You have killed that friendship just as surely as if you had taken a weapon and killed an enemy. 19 Your friend is gone. You can no more get him back than you can get a bird to come back to your hand once you let it go. 20 Don't bother going after him. It's too late. He is gone, like a deer escaped from a trap. 21 Wounds can be bandaged and insults can be forgiven, but if you betray a confidence, it is hopeless.
Hypocrisy
22 When someone starts winking at you, he has something bad in mind, and nothing can stop him from going through with it. 23 When he's with you, his talk is so nice! He compliments you on every word you say. But behind your back it's a different story; he will take what you have said and turn it against you. 24 There is nothing in the world that I hate as much as a person like that—and the Lord hates him too.
25 Throw a stone straight up in the air and it will come down on your head. Strike a blow, and you yourself will be wounded. 26 People who set traps fall into them themselves. 27 People who hurt others will be hurt by their own actions and will have no idea why.
28 Arrogant people insult others and make fun of them, but someone is waiting like a lion for a chance to take revenge on them. 29 Those who are happy to witness the downfall of devout people are going to fall into a trap and die a painful death.
Resentment
30 Anger and a hot temper are horrible things, but sinners have both.
1 Peļņas dēļ grēkojuši ir daudzi.
Kas raujas pēc pārticības, novērš acis.
2 Kur akmeņu salaidums, tur stiprina vadzi;
kur pirkšana un pārdošana, tur ieķīlēts grēks.
3 Ja vien bijību pret Kungu tāds cilvēks nepiesavināsies ar skubu,
drīz vien tā nams tiks nolīdzināts.
Domas – cilvēka vērtības mērs
4 Kā, sietu kratot, paliek atkritumi,
tā, cilvēkam domājot, – netīrumi.
5 Podnieka traukus pārbauda ceplī,
cilvēku vērtē pēc domu gaitas.
6 Kā auglis liecina par koku dārzā,
tā pausta doma – par cilvēka sirdi.
7 Necildini vīru, neiepazinies ar viņa domām,
jo cilvēkus vērtē pēc domu gaitas.
Taisnīguma tikums
8 No taisnīguma neatkāpjoties, to iegūsi
un tajā kā godības tērpā ietērpsies.
9 Kā savējo vidū mīt spārnotie,
tā patiesība mājup nāks pie tiem,
kas pēc patiesības rīkosies.
10 Kā lauva uzglūn laupījumam,
tā netaisnības darītājiem – grēks.
Cilvēks un viņa runa
11 Vienmēr gudrību pauž dievbijīgais,
turpretī nelga ir mainīgs kā mēnesis.
12 Kā prasa mirklis, tā izturies nejēgu vidū,
bet saprātīgo vidū esi pastāvīgs!
13 Atbaidoši skan muļķu teiktais,
izlaidīgi un grēcīgi viņu smiekli.
14 Mati saceļas, kad runā zvērēt ieradušais,
ausis jāaizbāž, tiem ķīvējoties.
15 Augstprātīgo ķildās – asinsizliešana.
Nožēlojami skan viņu gānīšanās.
Noslēpumu izpaušana
16 Kas izpaudis noslēpumus, tas zaudējis uzticību.
Velti meklēs savu dvēseles draugu.
17 Draugu iemīļojis, esi uzticīgs!
Un nedzenies pakaļ, ja esi izpaudis noslēpumus:
18 kā cilvēks zaudē aizgājēju,
esi zaudējis draudzību,
19 kā palaiž no saujas putnu,
esi šķīries no tuvākā. Nenotversi.
20 Nedzenies pakaļ – viņš ir tālu,
izbēdzis kā stirna no valgiem,
21 jo ievainojumus var apsaitēt,
apvainojumus piedot,
bet nav ko cerēt tam,
kas izpaudis noslēpumus.
Divkosības alga
22 Kas piemiedz aci, gudro ļaunu,
neviens nespēs atturēt viņu no tā.
23 Tavā klātbūtnē no viņa mutes plūdīs saldi glaimi,
par taviem vārdiem viņš būs sajūsmā,
bet aizmugurē šķobīs muti,
ar sašutumu izteiksies par tevis sacīto.
24 Es daudz ko neieredzu,
bet tā kā viņu – citu nevienu.
Arī Kungs neieredz viņu.
25 Kas akmeni met gaisā, met pats sev uz galvas.
Nodevīgs sitiens ievaino abus.
26 Kas bedri rok, pats iekritīs,
kas izliek valgus, sapīsies.
27 Kas ļaunu dara, tam gadīsies ļauns.
No kurienes nācis, to darītājs nezinās.
Atriebība un piedošana
28 Izsmiekls un apvainojumi – augstprātīgajam raksturīgi,
taču kā lauva tam uzglūn atriebība:
29 kas līksmo, dievbijīgam klūpot, pats sapīsies valgos,
un ciešanas samals to – pirms nāve būs pienākusi.
30 Arī ienaids un dusmas ir riebīgas,
taču grēcinieks tajās ir lietpratējs.
