1 Ja sēdies pie mielasta ar valdnieku,
raugies vērīgi, kas tev priekšā, –
2 labāk nazis tev pie rīkles,
nevis pārlieku liela kāre!
3 Nealksti pēc viņa gardumiem –
viltīga viņa maize!
4 Nenopūlies dēļ bagātības,
ja tu gudrs – neielaidies!
5 Tik acis tai uzmetīsi – tās vairs nav!
Tā atpleš spārnus kā ērglis
un aizlaižas debesīs.
6 Neēd skauģa maizi,
nealksti pēc viņa gardumiem,
7 viņš ir no tiem, kas kumosus skaita.
Ēd un dzer! – viņš tev saka,
bet tas nenāk no sirds,
8 viss, ko apēd, būs tev jāizvemj,
velti tu tērē laipnus vārdus!
9 Ar muļķi runāt – to ne,
tavus prātīgos vārdus šis nonievās!
10 Nepārcel senu robežakmeni,
bāreņu laukos nesper kāju,
11 jo viņu Izpircējs stiprs,
viņu sūdzību viņš cels pret tevi!
12 Mācībai atver sirdi
un atdari ausis zinības vārdiem!
13 Neatrauj zēnam pārmācību,
netaupi rīksti – tad tas nemirs,
14 ar rīksti viņš tev jāper,
lai viņa dzīvību glābtu no šeola!
15 Dēls, ja gudra būs tava sirds,
priecāsies mana sirds, arī manējā! –
16 un es līksmošos,
ja tavas lūpas runās patiesību!
17 Lai tava sirds netiecas pie grēkdariem,
lai bez mitas tā bijā Kungu,
18 jo tad būs nākotne,
tad tava cerība nezudīs!
19 Tu klausies, dēls, un topi gudrs,
un sūti savu sirdi pareizos ceļos,
20 nestāj starp vīna tempējiem un gaļas rīmām,
21 jo tempējs un rīma tiks nabagi,
snauds tos skrandās ietērps!
22 Klausi savu tēvu, kas tevi dzemdinājis,
nenievā māti, kad tā veca!
23 Pērc patiesību un vairs nepārdod
gudrību, mācību un saprašanu!
24 Līksmot līksmosies taisnā tēvs,
kas gudro dzemdinājis, priecāsies par viņu!
25 Lai priecājas tavs tēvs un māte,
lai līksmo tā, kas dzemdēja tevi!
26 Atver man, dēls, savu sirdi
un ievēro, ko tev mācu, –
27 mauka ir dziļa bedre,
un šaura aka ir svešiniece!
28 Patiesi, tā glūn kā uz laupījumu –
vairo viltu cilvēku vidū!
29 Kam ai! un kam vai! – kam ķildas, kam žēlas?
Kam brūces par velti, kam sadugušas acis?
30 Tiem, kas aizsēžas pie vīna,
tiem, kas skrien lūkot pēc jaukta vīna!
31 Neskati vīnu, ka tas sārts,
ka dzalkstī kausā, ka malkojas glāsmi –
32 galā kā čūska tas kož
un kā odze tas dzeļ!
33 Tavas acis skatīs murgus,
tava sirds runās nešķīstības!
34 Tu būsi kā apgūlies jūras selgā,
kā tāds, kas guļ masta galā!
35 – Tie sita mani – man nesāpēja,
tie dauzīja mani – es nemanīju!
Kad modīšos, meklēšu dabūt vēl! –
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: 2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. 3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. 9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: 11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. 13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. 15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. 16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. 18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. 20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. 22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. 23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. 25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. 26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. 27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit. 28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. 34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. 35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
