לֵץ הַיַּיִן הֹמֶה שֵׁכָר וְכָל־שֹׁגֶה בּוֹ לֹא יֶחְכָּם

Wine is like a scoffer, as it causes inconsistency, a lack of serious behavior, and a general lack of discipline. Strong drink is tumultuous inside the body of the drinker, and any who is misled, tempted, by it will not become wise. The excessive consumption of alcohol will decrease one’s knowledge; therefore, one should limit his intake.

נַהַם כַּכְּפִיר אֵימַת מֶלֶךְ מִתְעַבְּרוֹ חוֹטֵא נַפְשׁוֹ

A king’s wrath is a roar like the lion; he who provokes him, the king, forfeits his life.

כָּבוֹד לָאִישׁ שֶׁבֶת מֵרִיב וְכָל־אֱוִיל יִתְגַּלָּע

Refraining from a quarrel is honor for a man. One who refrains from quarrels thereby demonstrates his dignity. And every fool will be exposed, as fools are drawn into any argument.

מֵחֹרֶף עָצֵל לֹא־יַחֲרֹשׁ וְשָׁאַל בַּקָּצִיר וָאָיִן

From the winter, the idler will not plow; he will ask for produce at harvest, and there is nothing. One who has not toiled during the winter months cannot expect to receive any crop yield in the summer.

מַיִם עֲמֻקִּים העֵצָה בְלֶב־אִישׁ וְאִישׁ תְּבוּנָה יִדְלֶנָּה

Counsel in the heart of a man is latent like deep water; therefore, it is sometimes insufficiently clear or known even to oneself. And a man of sagacity, who converses with that individual, will draw it out through questioning, listening, and reflection.

רָב־אָדָם יִקְרָא אִישׁ חַסְדּוֹ וְאִישׁ אֱמוּנִים מִי יִמְצָא

One may call many a person his man of grace, whether by relating that the person assisted him or that he is anticipating a favor from him, but who can find a reliable man? It is rare to find a truly dependable ally. Alternatively, the verse may be translated to mean that many people present themselves as men of grace, but it is difficult to find someone who is fully reliable in his portrayal of his own deeds.

מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּתֻמּוֹ צַדִּיק אַשְׁרֵי בָנָיו אַחֲרָיו

He who walks honestly, and acts only with pure motives, is a righteous man. Happy are his children after him, as they are directly influenced by him, and they also benefit from his fine reputation.

מֶלֶךְ יוֹשֵׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא־דִין מְזָרֶה בְעֵינָיו כָּל־רָע

When a king is sitting on the throne of judgment, he discerns and scatters with his eyes all evil.

מִי־יֹאמַר זִכִּיתִי לִבִּי טָהַרְתִּי מֵחַטָּאתִי

Some individuals are relatively pure spiritually, others are less so, but who can say: I have cleansed my heart, I am purified from sin? No one is ever entirely free of transgression.

אֶבֶן וָאֶבֶן אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה תּוֹעֲבַת ה'גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶם

One who holds differing weights, one heavier than the other, and differing measures, one of which is bigger than the other, in order to use one to measure merchandise that he is selling and the other to measure merchandise that he is buying, both of them are an abomination to the Lord.

גַּם בְּמַעֲלָלָיו יִתְנַכֶּר נָעַר אִם־זַךְ וְאִם־יָשָׁר פָּעֳלוֹ

Even a lad is recognized through his deeds and antics, which indicate if his action is pure or upright. It stands to reason that a child’s current conduct is often a good indicator of his future behavior over the course of his life, as it is unlikely that his personality will change significantly.

אֹזֶן שֹׁמַעַת וְעַיִן רֹאָה ה' עָשָׂה גַם־שְׁנֵיהֶם

A hearing ear and a seeing eye, the Lord made them both, and He certainly is aware of, and supervises, all that occurs.

אַל־תֶּאֱהַב שֵׁנָה פֶּן תִּוָּרֵשׁ פְּקַח עֵינֶיךָ שְׂבַע־לָחֶם

Do not love sleep, lest you become impoverished. Open your eyes, be alert and active, and then you will be sated with food.

רַע רַע יֹאמַר הַקּוֹנֶה וְאֹזֵל לוֹ אָז יִתְהַלָּל

Bad, bad, the buyer says. When a person purchases goods, he speaks negatively about them in an attempt to lower the price. And after he has completed his purchase, he goes off, and then he glories in his acquisition: What a great item I have purchased at such a low price. This verse is not offering advice, but rather it is describing what has always been a common mode of behavior.

יֵשׁ זָהָב וְרָב־פְּנִינִים כְלִי יְקָר שִׂפְתֵי־דָעַת

There is gold, and an abundance of gems, but lips of knowledge are a rare, precious vessel, more useful and valuable than gems.

לְקַח בִּגְדוֹ כִּי־עָרַב זָר וּבְעַד נָכְרִיָּה חַבְלֵהוּ

This verse reiterates a warning against serving as a guarantor for a stranger. It is not uncommon for people to say to a lender: Take his, the guarantor’s, garment for he was guarantor for a stranger. Since he entered this risky situation of his own accord, there is no reason to have compassion upon him. Perhaps the guarantor thought that he was simply providing the borrower with his signature, but ultimately he will discover that he may well lose his very garment. And in a different context, one can sometimes hear the following statement: Take it as collateral for a foreign woman. A man was kind to a foreign woman and provided her with guarantees. After he has forgotten all about the encounter, he is forced to give up his garment due to his imprudent commitment.

עָרֵב לאִישׁ לֶחֶם שָׁקֶר וְאַחַר יִמָּלֵא־פִיהוּ חָצָץ

Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man. Food obtained in a dishonest manner can seem especially tasty at the time, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. Instead of delicious and nutritious bread, he will discover that he has the taste of gravel in his mouth.

מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּעֵצָה תִכּוֹן וּבְתַחְבֻּלוֹת עֲשֵׂה מִלְחָמָה

One’s thoughts in all areas of life will be well established and preserved through counsel with others. In order to solidify one’s plans, he should consult with others. And with strategies, not simply with brute force, one should wage war. One who employs sophisticated schemes can defeat even a more physically powerful enemy.

גּוֹלֶה־סּוֹד הוֹלֵךְ רָכִיל וּלְפֹתֶה שְׂפָתָיו לֹא תִתְעָרָב

He who goes about as a gossip reveals secrets. Even if he did not initially intend to do so, various secrets will inevitably be revealed through his prattling. Therefore, do not be involved with one who spreads wide his lips. Do not maintain close ties with someone who is unable to control his speech, as he will relate matters that you prefer to be kept secret.

מְקַלֵּל אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ יִדְעַךְ נֵרוֹ בֶּאֱשׁוּן חֹשֶׁךְ

He who curses his father or his mother, his lamp will ultimately be extinguished into black darkness. Utter darkness, death, and evil will befall him.

נַחֲלָה מְבֹהֶלֶת בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ לֹא תְבֹרָךְ

An estate seized hastily at the start will not be blessed in its end. For instance, when relatives divide an inheritance, sometimes the portions are not distributed in an organized fashion that clearly establishes legal ownership. In such cases, problems will not have been resolved, and they are likely to recur at a later stage.

אַל־תֹּאמַר אֲשַׁלְּמָה־רָע קַוֵּה לַה' וְיֹשַׁע לָךְ

Do not say, when quarreling with someone: I will repay evil; I will treat the evildoer as he deserves. Rather, wait for the Lord, and He will save you and avenge the wrong on your behalf.

תּוֹעֲבַת ה'אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן ומֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה לֹא־טוֹב

Differing, falsified, weights are an abomination to the Lord, and scales of deceit are no good. It is possible that this is referring not only to using inconsistent weights, but also to using inconsistent standards in judging others, or to applying different standards to oneself and to others.

מֵה' מִצְעֲדֵי־גָבֶר וְאָדָם מַה־יָּבִין דַּרְכּוֹ

A man’s steps are from, directed by, the Lord; and a person, what does he understand of his way? What does he know about his own path? People act in accordance with their plans, and it might appear to them that everything is functioning smoothly, but the path they have chosen for themselves may not be beneficial, or may even be dangerous. It is therefore best for one to rely upon God and hope that He will lead him to the right place.

מוֹקֵשׁ אָדָם יָלַע קֹדֶשׁ וְאַחַר נְדָרִים לְבַקֵּר

It is a snare for a person to spout sanctity, to carelessly make vows; scrutiny must follow vows. One who has made a vow must remember to investigate whether he has indeed fulfilled his vow. Although no one will come to ensure that the vow is carried out, it is nevertheless a commitment to God, and one who vows causes himself harm if he fails to keep his word. It is dangerous to be reckless or playful and use unnecessary language when dealing with holy matters.

מְזָרֶה רְשָׁעִים מֶלֶךְ חָכָם וַיָּשֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶם אוֹפָן

A wise king scatters the wicked so that they are not concentrated together, and he turns a wheel upon them. The wheel was used as a means of threshing and flattening agricultural products, and occasionally for trampling humans as well. The verse allows for both interpretations: It may refer to both a king who separates the good and evil in his kingdom, as one would separate chaff from wheat, and to one who oppresses the wicked as a punishment.

נֵר ה'נִשְׁמַת אָדָם חֹפֵשׂ כָּל־חַדְרֵי־בָטֶן

The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, who searches all the chambers of the belly. God examines the inner life of a person by means of his own soul, which serves as a lamp. Thus, everything is revealed before Him, including matters that are concealed from the person himself.

חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת יִצְּרוּ מֶלֶךְ וְסָעַד בּחֶסֶד כִּסְאוֹ

Kindness and truth will safeguard the king when they are employed in his kingdom, and his throne is supported with the kindness and mercy he extends to others.

תִּפְאֶרֶת בַּחוּרִים כֹּחָם וַהֲדַר זְקֵנִים שֵׂיבָה

The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of elders, who no longer possess abundant strength, is their gray hair.

חַבֻּרוֹת פֶּצַע תַּמְרוּק בְּרָע מַכּוֹת חַדְרֵי־בָטֶן

Injurious wounds purge evil. Alternatively, they are the final repayment of evil. Open wounds are a result of one’s evil deeds, but they also atone for those deeds. And likewise, blows to the chambers of the belly are also a means of both punishment and atonement. This refers to concealed wounds that are not immediately noticeable and that sometimes appear only a long time after the incident that caused them.