1 He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith; and he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him.
2 Burden not thyself above thy power while thou livest; and have no fellowship with one that is mightier and richer than thyself: for how agree the kettle and the earthen pot together? for if the one be smitten against the other, it shall be broken.
3 The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: the poor is wronged, and he must intreat also.
4 If thou be for his profit, he will use thee: but if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.
5 If thou have any thing, he will live with thee: yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be sorry for it.
6 If he have need of thee, he will deceive thee, and smile upon thee, and put thee in hope; he will speak thee fair, and say, What wantest thou?
7 And he will shame thee by his meats, until he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at the last he will laugh thee to scorn afterward, when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his head at thee.
8 Beware that thou be not deceived and brought down in thy jollity.
9 If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself, and so much the more will he invite thee.
10 Press thou not upon him, lest thou be put back; stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten.
11 Affect not to be made equal unto him in talk, and believe not his many words: for with much communication will he tempt thee, and smiling upon thee will get out thy secrets:
12 But cruelly he will lay up thy words, and will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison.
13 Observe, and take good heed, for thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing: when thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep.
14 Love the Lord all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.
15 Every beast loveth his like, and every man loveth his neighbor.
16 All flesh consorteth according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like.
17 What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly.
18 What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor?
19 As the wild ass is the lion’s prey in the wilderness: so the rich eat up the poor.
20 As the proud hate humility: so doth the rich abhor the poor.
21 A rich man beginning to fall is held up of his friends: but a poor man being down is thrust away by his friends.
22 When a rich man is fallen, he hath many helpers: he speaketh things not to be spoken, and yet men justify him: the poor man slipped, and yet they rebuked him too; he spake wisely, and could have no place.
23 When a rich man speaketh, every man holdeth his tongue, and, look, what he saith, they extol it to the clouds: but if the poor man speak, they say, What fellow is this? and if he stumble, they will help to overthrow him.
24 Riches are good unto him that hath no sin, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.
25 The heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil: and a merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.
26 A cheerful countenance is a token of a heart that is in prosperity; and the finding out of parables is a wearisome labour of the mind.
Attiecības ar bagāto un vareno
1 Kas piķi aizskar, ar to notraipīsies;
kas biedrojas ar augstprātīgo, viņam līdzināsies.
2 Necel to, kas pašam par smagu,
nebiedrojies ar stiprāku un bagātāku!
Kā var biedroties pods ar katlu?
Kā piesitīs, tā sašķīdīs.
3 Bagātais rīkojas netaisni un sašutis sūdzas,
nabagais cieš netaisnību un piedošanu lūdzas.
4 Ja būsi noderīgs, viņš tevi izmantos,
ja nonāksi trūkumā – pametīs tevi;
5 ja tev ir – dzīvos ar tevi,
bet, tevi iztukšojis, nepārdzīvos.
6 Tu esi vajadzīgs? Viņš mānīs tevi
un uzsmaidīs, un dāvās cerības,
un runās labu. “Kas tev vajadzīgs?” taujās.
7 Ar savām maltītēm liks justies neērti,
līdz reizes divas trīs būs tevi iztukšojis;
visbeidzot ņirgāsies par tevi,
bet, tevi ieraudzījis, garām ies
un galvu nogrozīs par tevi.
8 Uzmanies, lai tevi neapmāna
un nepazemo paša muļķības dēļ!
9 Varenajam aicinot, esi atturīgs,
un vēl jo vairāk tas tevi aicinās.
10 Neuzstāj, lai nebūtu jāpiekāpjas,
nenostājies savrup, lai neaizmirstu tevi!
11 Neiedomājies runāt kā līdzīgs ar līdzīgu,
daudzrunīgumam neuzticies,
jo, runājot daudz, tas tevi pētīs
un it kā uzsmaidot izprašņās.
12 Kas izpauž runāto, tam žēlastības nav.
Tas neaiztaupīs nepatikšanas un važas.
13 Neaizmirsties un ļoti uzmanies,
jo pats ar savu nelaimi pastaigājies.
14 No miega mosties dzirdēdams!
Mīli Kungu visu mūžu,
viņu piesauc – un izglābsies.
15 Ik dzīva būtne mīl sev līdzīgo,
ik cilvēks – savu tuvāko;
16 ik radība pēc savas sugas biedrojas,
un cilvēks līdzīgajam pieķeras.
17 Ko biedrosies vilks ar jēru,
ar dievbijīgo grēcinieks?
18 Kāds miers var būt starp hiēnu un suni,
starp rokpelni un bagāto?
19 Kā savvaļas ēzeļi nomaļos laukos – lauvām ko medīt,
tā nabagie – bagātajiem ko ganīties;
20 kā pazemība riebjas augstprātīgajam,
tā bagātajam nabagais.
21 Bagāto, kas grīļojas, notur draugi,
pazemīgo, kas gāžas, draugi atgrūž.
22 Paklūp bagātais, palīgu daudz.
Sarunā aplamības, un viņu attaisno.
Paklūp nabagais, un to vēl nolamā.
Runā ar izpratni – nelaiž pie vārda.
23 Bagātais ierunājas, visi apklust
un vai debesīs ceļ viņa sacīto;
nabags ierunājas, atskan: “Kas tas tāds?” –
bet, ja tam misējas, zemē to sviež.
24 Kam grēku nav, tam bagātība ir laba.
Ļauna ir nabadzība – bezdievīgo mutē.
Laimīga sirds un bagātība bez laimes
25 Sirds maina cilvēka seju
vai nu uz labu, vai ļaunu.
26 Zīme, ka sirdī ir labi, – priecīga seja,
meklējot sakāmvārdus – saspringta pārdomās.
