221 A name is chosen rather than much wealth, Than silver and than gold—good grace.

2 Rich and poor have met together, The Maker of them all 'is' Jehovah.

3 The prudent hath seen the evil, and is hidden, And the simple have passed on, and are punished.

4 The end of humility 'is' the fear of Jehovah, Riches, and honour, and life.

5 Thorns—snares 'are' in the way of the perverse, Whoso is keeping his soul is far from them.

6 Give instruction to a youth about his way, Even when he is old he turneth not from it.

7 The rich over the poor ruleth, And a servant 'is' the borrower to the lender.

8 Whoso is sowing perverseness reapeth sorrow, And the rod of his anger weareth out.

9 The good of eye—he is blessed, For he hath given of his bread to the poor.

10 Cast out a scorner—and contention goeth out, And strife and shame cease.

11 Whoso is loving cleanness of heart, Grace 'are' his lips, a king 'is' his friend.

12 The eyes of Jehovah have kept knowledge, And He overthroweth the words of the treacherous.

13 The slothful hath said, 'A lion 'is' without, In the midst of the broad places I am slain.'

14 A deep pit 'is' the mouth of strange women, The abhorred of Jehovah falleth there.

15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a youth, The rod of chastisement putteth it far from him.

16 He is oppressing the poor to multiply to him, He is giving to the rich—only to want.

Precepts and Warnings

17 Incline thine ear, and hear words of the wise, And thy heart set to my knowledge, 18 For they are pleasant when thou dost keep them in thy heart, They are prepared together for thy lips. 19 That thy trust may be in Jehovah, I caused thee to know to-day, even thou. 20 Have I not written to thee three times With counsels and knowledge? 21 To cause thee to know the certainty of sayings of truth, To return sayings of truth to those sending thee.

22 Rob not the poor because he 'is' poor, And bruise not the afflicted in the gate. 23 For Jehovah pleadeth their cause, And hath spoiled the soul of their spoilers.

24 Shew not thyself friendly with an angry man, And with a man of fury go not in, 25 Lest thou learn his paths, And have received a snare to thy soul.

26 Be not thou among those striking hands, Among sureties 'for' burdens. 27 If thou hast nothing to pay, Why doth he take thy bed from under thee?

28 Remove not a border of olden times, That thy fathers have made.

29 Hast thou seen a man speedy in his business? Before kings he doth station himself, He stations not himself before obscure men!

231 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which 'is' before thee, 2 And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou 'art' a man of appetite. 3 Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it 'is' lying food.

4 Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not. 5 For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.

6 Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties, 7 For as he hath thought in his soul, so 'is' he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart 'is' not with thee. 8 Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that 'are' sweet.

9 In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.

10 Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not, 11 For their Redeemer 'is' strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.

12 Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge. 13 Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not. 14 Thou with a rod smitest him, And his soul from Sheol thou deliverest. 15 My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine, 16 And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.

17 Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But—in the fear of Jehovah all the day. 18 For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.

19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart, 20 Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh, 21 For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags. 22 Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old. 23 Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding, 24 The father of the righteous rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him. 25 Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful. 26 Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways. 27 For a harlot 'is' a deep ditch, And a strange woman 'is' a strait pit. 28 She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.

29 Who hath wo? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? 30 Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine. 31 See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright. 32 Its latter end—as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth. 33 Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things. 34 And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast. 35 'They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake—I seek it yet again!'

241 Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them. 2 For destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.

3 By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself. 4 And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, 'With' all precious and pleasant wealth. 5 Mighty 'is' the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power, 6 For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance 'is' in a multitude of counsellors.

7 Wisdom 'is' high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth. 8 Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts. 9 The thought of folly 'is' sin, And an abomination to man 'is' a scorner.

10 Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,

11 If 'from' delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter—thou keepest back. 12 When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.

13 Eat my son, honey that 'is' good, And the honeycomb—sweet to thy palate. 14 So 'is' the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.

15 Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place. 16 For seven 'times' doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.

17 In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful, 18 Lest Jehovah see, and 'it be' evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.

19 Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked, 20 For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

21 Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself, 22 For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both—who knoweth!

23 These also are for the wise:—To discern faces in judgment is not good. 24 Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou 'art' righteous,' Peoples execrate him—nations abhor him. 25 And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing. 26 Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.

27 Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field—go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.

28 Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips. 29 Say not, 'As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.'

30 Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart. 31 And lo, it hath gone up—all of it—thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down. 32 And I see—I—I do set my heart, I have seen—I have received instruction, 33 A little sleep—a little slumber—A little folding of the hands to lie down. 34 And thy poverty hath come 'as' a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!

The Offering for the Saints

81 And we make known to you, brethren, the grace of God, that hath been given in the assemblies of Macedonia, 2 because in much trial of tribulation the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, did abound to the riches of their liberality; 3 because, according to 'their' power, I testify, and above 'their' power, they were willing of themselves, 4 with much entreaty calling on us to receive the favour and the fellowship of the ministration to the saints, 5 and not according as we expected, but themselves they did give first to the Lord, and to us, through the will of God, 6 so that we exhorted Titus, that, according as he did begin before, so also he may finish to you also this favour,

7 but even as in every thing ye do abound, in faith, and word, and knowledge, and all diligence, and in your love to us, that also in this grace ye may abound; 8 not according to command do I speak, but because of the diligence of others, and of your love proving the genuineness, 9 for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that because of you he became poor—being rich, that ye by that poverty may become rich. 10 and an opinion in this do I give: for this to you 'is' expedient, who not only to do, but also to will, did begin before—a year ago, 11 and now also finish doing 'it', that even as 'there is' the readiness of the will, so also the finishing, out of that which ye have, 12 for if the willing mind is present, according to that which any one may have it is well-accepted, not according to that which he hath not; 13 for not that for others release, and ye pressured, 'do I speak,' 14 but by equality, at the present time your abundance—for their want, that also their abundance may be for your want, that there may be equality, 15 according as it hath been written, 'He who 'did gather' much, had nothing over; and he who 'did gather' little, had no lack.'

16 And thanks to God, who is putting the same diligence for you in the heart of Titus, 17 because indeed the exhortation he accepted, and being more diligent, of his own accord he went forth unto you, 18 and we sent with him the brother, whose praise in the good news 'is' through all the assemblies, 19 and not only so, but who was also appointed by vote by the assemblies, our fellow-traveller, with this favour that is ministered by us, unto the glory of the same Lord, and your willing mind; 20 avoiding this, lest any one may blame us in this abundance that is ministered by us, 21 providing right things, not only before the Lord, but also before men; 22 and we sent with them our brother, whom we proved in many things many times being diligent, and now much more diligent, by the great confidence that is toward you, 23 whether—about Titus—my partner and towards you fellow-worker, whether—our brethren, apostles of assemblies—glory of Christ; 24 the shewing therefore of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf, to them shew ye, even in the face of the assemblies.