1 My son, defraud not the poor of his living, and make not the needy eyes to wait long.
2 Make not an hungry soul sorrowful; neither provoke a man in his distress.
3 Add not more trouble to an heart that is vexed; and defer not to give to him that is in need.
4 Reject not the supplication of the afflicted; neither turn away thy face from a poor man.
5 Turn not away thine eye from the needy, and give him none occasion to curse thee:
6 For if he curse thee in the bitterness of his soul, his prayer shall be heard of him that made him.
7 Get thyself the love of the congregation, and bow thy head to a great man.
8 Let it not grieve thee to bow down thine ear to the poor, and give him a friendly answer with meekness.
9 Deliver him that suffereth wrong from the hand of the oppressor; and be not fainthearted when thou sittest in judgment.
10 Be as a father unto the fatherless, and instead of an husband unto their mother: so shalt thou be as the son of the most High, and he shall love thee more than thy mother doth.
11 Wisdom exalteth her children, and layeth hold of them that seek her.
12 He that loveth her loveth life; and they that seek to her early shall be filled with joy.
13 He that holdeth her fast shall inherit glory; and wheresoever she entereth, the Lord will bless.
14 They that serve her shall minister to the Holy One: and them that love her the Lord doth love.
15 Whoso giveth ear unto her shall judge the nations: and he that attendeth unto her shall dwell securely.
16 If a man commit himself unto her, he shall inherit her; and his generation shall hold her in possession.
17 For at the first she will walk with him by crooked ways, and bring fear and dread upon him, and torment him with her discipline, until she may trust his soul, and try him by her laws.
18 Then will she return the straight way unto him, and comfort him, and shew him her secrets.
19 But if he go wrong, she will forsake him, and give him over to his own ruin.
20 Observe the opportunity, and beware of evil; and be not ashamed when it concerneth thy soul.
21 For there is a shame that bringeth sin; and there is a shame which is glory and grace.
22 Accept no person against thy soul, and let not the reverence of any man cause thee to fall.
23 And refrain not to speak, when there is occasion to do good, and hide not thy wisdom in her beauty.
24 For by speech wisdom shall be known: and learning by the word of the tongue.
25 In no wise speak against the truth; but be abashed of the error of thine ignorance.
26 Be not ashamed to confess thy sins; and force not the course of the river.
27 Make not thyself an underling to a foolish man; neither accept the person of the mighty.
28 Strive for the truth unto death, and the Lord shall fight for thee.
29 Be not hasty in thy tongue, and in thy deeds slack and remiss.
30 Be not as a lion in thy house, nor frantick among thy servants.
31 Let not thine hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldest repay.
1 My child, don't prevent the poor from making a living, or keep them waiting in their need. 2 Never give a hungry person any cause for resentment or anger. 3 Don't add to the troubles of someone who is already desperate. If he is in need, don't put off giving to him. 4-5 Don't refuse to help a beggar who is in distress. Don't turn your back on a poor person or give him any reason to curse you. 6 If he becomes so bitter that he does curse you, his Creator will hear his prayer.
7 Make yourself popular in the synagogue. Bow your head to men of authority. 8 Listen to what the poor have to say, and answer them politely. 9 Protect people from those who want to wrong them, and be firm in your judgments. 10 Be like a father to orphans, and provide widows with the help their husbands can no longer give them. Then you will be like a child of the Most High, and he will love you more than your own mother does.
Wisdom as a Teacher
11 Wisdom takes care of those who look for her; she raises them to greatness. 12 Loving her is loving life itself; rising early to look for her is pure joy. 13 Anyone who obtains Wisdom will be greatly honored. Wherever he goes, the Lord will bless him. 14 Wisdom's servants are the servants of the Holy One, and the Lord loves everyone who loves her. 15 Those who obey her will give sound judgments; those who pay attention to her have true security. 16 Put your trust in Wisdom, and you will possess her and pass her on to your descendants. 17 At first, Wisdom will lead you along difficult paths. She will make you so afraid that you will think you cannot go on. The discipline she demands will be tormenting, and she will put you to the test with her requirements until she trusts you completely. 18 Then she will come to you with no delay, reveal her secrets to you, and make you happy. 19 But if you go astray, she will abandon you and let you go to your own ruin.
Self-confidence
20 Take advantage of opportunities, but guard yourself against evil. Don't underrate yourself. 21 Humility deserves honor and respect, but a low opinion of yourself leads to sin. 22 Do not let others have their way at your expense; do not bring on your own ruin by giving up your rights. 23 Never hesitate to speak out when the occasion calls for it. Don't hide your wisdom. 24 Your wisdom and education can be known only by what you say. 25 Do not, however, go against the truth, and remember that you do not know everything. 26 Don't be ashamed to confess your sins; there's no point in trying to stop a river from flowing. 27 Don't allow yourself to be dominated by someone who is stupid or show partiality to influential people. 28 Stand up for what is right, even if it costs you your life; the Lord God will be fighting on your side.
29 Don't be quick to speak or lazy and negligent in your work. 30 Don't act like a lion at home or be suspicious of your servants. 31 Don't stick out your hand to get something if you're going to be tightfisted when the time comes to pay it back.