Appearances Are Deceiving

¹The wisdom of the humble raises their heads high

and causes them to sit among the great.

²Don’t praise people for their good looks

or despise them for their appearance.

³The bee is small among flying creatures,

but what it produces is the sweetest.

⁴Don’t boast about your fine clothes,

or become proud when you are honored;

for the works of the Lord are wonderful,

and his works are hidden from people.

⁵Many kings have been deposed,[#11:5 Greek made to sit on the ground.]

and an unlikely person has been given the crown.

⁶Many rulers have been completely disgraced,

and the prominent have been placed at the mercy of others.

Acting with Caution

⁷Don’t place blame before you investigate;

when you have finished your inquiry, then criticize.

⁸Listen before you answer,

and don’t interrupt others while they are talking.

⁹Don’t get involved in a matter that doesn’t concern you

or sit with sinners involved in a dispute.

¹⁰My child, don’t take on too many responsibilities;

if you get overcommitted, you will still be held accountable.

In all your hurrying, you will not catch up,

and you will not escape by running away.

¹¹Some people labor and struggle and rush,

only to fall farther behind.

¹²Others are slow and need help.

They lack strength and are plagued by poverty.

Yet the Lord looks upon them with kindness;

he lifts them from their lowly condition.

¹³He gives them honor—

to the amazement of most everyone.

¹⁴Good and bad, life and death, poverty and riches—

all are from the Lord.

¹⁷The gift of the Lord remains with the devout,

and the Lord’s favor brings lasting success.

¹⁸People become rich by living frugally,

and this is their reward:

¹⁹They say, “I have found rest,

and now I will enjoy my possessions.”

But they do not know how much time is left

until they die and leave all their wealth to others.

²⁰Stand by your contracts and fulfill them.

Grow old in your work.

²¹Don’t be amazed at what sinners do.

Trust in the Lord, and stick to your job.

In the Lord’s sight it is easy

to make a poor person suddenly rich.

²²The Lord rewards the devout by blessing them,

and his blessing flourishes fruit quickly.

²³Don’t say, “What do I need,

and how will I benefit from this?”

²⁴Don’t say, “I am self-sufficient;

what could possibly go wrong?”

²⁵In times of prosperity we forget adversity,

and in times of adversity we forget prosperity.

²⁶It is easy for the Lord on the day of death

to reward a person’s conduct.

²⁷An hour’s misery makes a person forget past delights.

The last hour of life reveals a person’s deeds.

²⁸Don’t call anyone blessed before that person dies,

for people are known by their children.

²⁹Don’t bring just anyone into your home,

for the deceitful have many tricks.

³⁰The proud act like decoy partridges in a cage.

Like spies, they look for what could make you fall.

³¹They lie in wait, turning good into evil,

and find fault with what is praiseworthy.

³²A blazing fire comes from one spark,

and a sinner looks for a chance to shed blood.

³³Beware of scoundrels and their evil schemes,

for they could ruin your reputation forever.

³⁴If you receive strangers into your home,

they will cause trouble and make you a stranger in your own home.