Regarding Government

¹A wise ruler educates his people,

and the administration of a prudent ruler is well ordered.

²The judge of the people sets the example, and all his officials follow his lead.

The mayor of a city sets the tone, and the people follow.

³An unlearned king will be the ruin of his people,

but a city prospers through its leaders’ knowledge.

⁴The Lord is in charge of the whole earth.

He establishes the right leader at the right time.

⁵The Lord is in charge of human success,

and he is the one who honors the legislator.

The Evils of Pride

⁶Don’t get angry at your neighbor for every little injury,

and don’t behave rashly.

⁷Pride is hateful to the Lord and humanity,

and injustice is outrageous to both.

⁸Control of a kingdom passes from one group of people to another

because of injustice, arrogance, and greed.

⁹How can we—dust and ashes—be proud?

Even during life a person’s body decays.

¹⁰A long sickness baffles the physician;

a king today is a corpse tomorrow.

¹¹When people die,

they inherit maggots, wild animals, and worms.

¹²Pride begins when a person abandons the Lord

and turns away from his Maker.

¹³Pride begins with sin;

those who remain proud are abominable.

For this reason the Lord brings them unexpected disasters,

which completely destroy them.

¹⁴The Lord overturns the thrones of princes

and sets up the meek in their place.

¹⁵The Lord plucks up the roots of proud nations

and plants the humble in their place.

¹⁶The Lord overthrows the nations

and destroys them to their very foundations.

¹⁷He removes some of them and destroys them.

He erases their memory from the earth.

Those Worthy of Honor

¹⁸Pride was not created for mortals,

or furious anger for those born of women.

¹⁹Who is worthy of honor?

The human race.

Who is worthy of honor?

Those who fear the Lord.

Who is not worthy of honor?

The human race.

Who is not worthy of honor?

Those who break the commandments.

²⁰Among family members, their leader is worthy of honor,

but with the Lord, anyone who fears him is worthy of honor.

²²The rich, the noble, the poor—

let them pride themselves in fearing the Lord.

²³It is not right to despise an intelligent person who is poor,

and it is not good to honor a sinful person.

²⁴The prince, the judge, and the ruler are honored,

yet there is none greater than the person who fears the Lord.

²⁵Those who are free will serve a wise slave,

and the intelligent will not protest.

²⁶Don’t show off your wisdom when doing your work

or boast in the time of need.

²⁷Better are those who work and have plenty

than those who brag but need bread.

²⁸My child, think well of yourself but with modesty;

be honest in assessing your worth.

²⁹Who can acquit those who condemn themselves?

And who can honor those who devalue their own lives?

³⁰The poor are honored for their understanding,

and the rich are honored for their wealth.

³¹If a person is honored in poverty,

how much more in wealth!

If a person is dishonored in wealth,

how much more in poverty!