Practical advice

¹Don’t do evil things,

and evil will never catch up with you.

²Keep your distance from anything unjust, and it will turn away from you.

³Don’t sow in furrows of injustice,

and you won’t reap

evil things sevenfold.

⁴Don’t seek political power from the Lord

or a seat of honor from the king.

⁵Don’t justify yourself

in the Lord’s presence,

and don’t make a show of your wisdom

with a king.

⁶Don’t aspire to become a judge;

Perhaps you will be too cautious

in the presence of a powerful person

⁷Don’t sin against a city’s inhabitants,

and don’t bring yourself down

in their estimation.

⁸Don’t repeat a sin,

for you won’t be innocent

even of committing it the first time.

⁹Don’t say,

“He will look at the heap of my gifts,

and when I make an offering

to the Most High, he will accept it.”

¹⁰Don’t be timid in your prayer,

and don’t neglect caring for those in need.

¹¹Don’t mock a person

who is bitter in spirit;

for there’s one who humbles

and who exalts.

¹²Don’t cultivate a lie against your relative

or do the same thing to a friend.

¹³Don’t desire to tell a lie;

continuing in a lie results in no good.

¹⁴Don’t babble when the elders

are assembled,

and don’t repeat yourself when praying.

¹⁵Don’t hate hard work and farming,

which were created by the Most High.

¹⁶Don’t count yourself

among a group of sinners;

remember that God’s anger won’t delay.

¹⁷Humble your whole being

as much as possible,

because fire and worms

are the punishment of the ungodly.

Household, priests, and the poor

¹⁸Don’t trade a friend for cash

or a genuine friend for the gold of Ophir.

¹⁹Don’t neglect a wise and good wife,[#7.19 Or reject]

for her grace is worth more than gold.

²⁰Don’t abuse household slaves

who work hard

or laborers who devote themselves

to their work.

²¹Cherish household servants

who are intelligent;

don’t deprive them of freedom.

²²Do you have cattle? Look after them.

If they are useful to you, keep them.

²³Do you have children? Instruct them.

Train them to be obedient

from their youth.

²⁴Do you have daughters?

Be attentive to their chastity,

and don’t be too cheerful with them.

²⁵Give a daughter in marriage,

and you will have completed a great deed,

but present her

to an understanding husband.

²⁶Do you have a wife who is a soul mate?[#7.26 LXX like your soul ; Heb whom you abhor]

Don’t divorce her,

and don’t trust yourself to a woman

whom you hate.

²⁷Honor your father with all your heart,

and don’t forget

your mother’s labor pains.

²⁸Remember that you were born

because of your parents.

How will you pay them back

for what they have done for you?

²⁹Revere the Lord with your whole being,

and honor his priests.

³⁰With all your might

love the one who made you,

and don’t neglect his ministers.

³¹Fear the Lord and honor the priest.

Give the priest his portion,

just as you were commanded:

³²Extend your hand to the poor

so that your blessing may be complete.

³³The kindness of a gift

stands before all who are alive;

moreover, don’t withhold kindness

from the dead.

³⁴Walk beside those who weep,

and mourn with those who mourn.

³⁵Don’t hesitate to visit the sick,

because you will be loved

on account of these acts.

³⁶In all of your words,[#7.36 Heb deeds]

remember your end,

and you will never sin.