1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
2 The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.
3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.
9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
11 He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.
13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein.
15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.
17 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
19 That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.
20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
23 For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
26 Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.
27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
<html><b>A name is chosen</b> A good name above great wealth. <b>good favor over silver and gold</b> Good favor is chosen.</html>
<html><b>the Lord is the Maker of them all</b> When the poor man says to the rich man, “Sustain me,” and he answers him harshly, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes them new: this one poor and this one rich.</html>
<html><b>A cunning man saw harm</b> The punishment for a sin, and hid, not committing the sin.</html>
<html><b>In the wake of humility</b> Because of humility, fear of the Lord comes. Another explanation: Humility is the main attribute, and fear is secondary to it and a “heel” to it, a mat for its feet.</html>
<html><b>Troops [and] snares</b> Heb. צנים, as in (Num. 33:55) “troops (לצנינים) in your sides”; (Ezek. 23: 24) “And they will come upon you, a band (הצן),” an expression of bands and brigands. <b>Troops and snares</b> are hidden on the ways of the one who perverts his ways; i.e., torments are prepared for him. <b>he who preserves his soul will distance himself from them</b> He who is upright in his deeds will be saved from them.</html>
<html><b>Train a child</b> According to what you teach a child and train him in matters, either for good or bad, even when he grows old, he will not turn away from it.</html>
<html><b>A rich man will rule over the poor</b> An ignoramus always needs a Torah scholar.</html>
<html><b>He who sows injustice will reap violence</b> According to his sowing will be his reaping; according to his deed will be the reception of his reward. <b>and the rod of his wrath will fail</b> The rod of his ear of grain will fail more and more [interpreting עברתו as עבור, grain]. Some say: The rod of his wrath with which he rules over people will become progressively lessened because he impairs his ability.</html>
<html><b>Banish a scorner</b> The evil inclination.</html>
<html><b>He who loves one pure of heart with charm on his lips</b> One whose lips have grace. <b>the King is his friend</b> The Holy One, blessed be He, loves him and endears him.</html>
<html><b>The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside…”</b> How will I go out to learn Torah?</html>
<html><b>The mouth of strange women is [like] a deep pit</b> An idolatress. <b>the one abhorred by the Lord</b> Heb. זעום. He whom the Holy One, blessed be He, hates, falls and stumbles upon her. <b>the one abhorred</b> rebuked from before Him.</html>
<html><b>He who exploits a poor man to increase for himself</b> money. <b>will give to a rich man</b> He will ultimately give his money to the rich pagan kings, and it will be only to want.</html>
<html><b>Incline your ear and hearken to the words of the wise</b> to learn the Torah from a sage of any stature. <b>and put your heart to my knowledge</b> But if your teacher is wicked, do not learn from his deeds.</html>
<html><b>for it is pleasant</b> It will be [pleasant] for you at a later time if you preserve them and hide them in your innards lest you forget them. Now when will they be preserved in your heart? When they are established on your lips, when you utter them with your mouth.</html>
<html><b>That your trust shall be in the Lord, I have made known to you</b> I make known to you that you should trust in the Lord and engage in the Torah, and you shall not say, “How will I be idle from my work, and how will I earn a livelihood?”</html>
<html><b>Have I not written to you thirds</b> The Torah, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa.</html>
<html><b>to make known to you the certainty</b> I wrote thirds for you in order that you should understand from them the certainty of the true words. <b>to respond with words of truth to those who send you</b> To those who ask you for instruction.</html>
<html><b>Do not rob a poor man</b> Do not rob him because you see that he is poor and has no strength to resist you.</html>
<html><b>For the Lord will plead their cause and rob</b> Heb. וקבע. And will rob the life. <b>those who rob them</b> Heb. קבעים, those who rob them; in Aramaic קביעה means robbery. In tractate Rosh Hashanah (26b): A certain man came before him and said to him, “So-and-so robbed me (קבען)” etc.</html>
<html><b>Do not befriend</b> Heb. תתרע, do not befriend, an expression of friendship (רעות)</html>
<html><b>lest you learn</b> Heb. תאלף.</html>
<html><b>Do not be one of those who give their hands, who stand surety for debts</b> Loans, as in (Deut. 24: 10), “When you lend you fellow [Jew] any item.”</html>
<html><b>Do not remove an ancient boundary</b> Do not turn away from the custom of your forefathers. Our Sages of blessed memory said: If one places a basket under a vine at the time of vintage so that the fallen grapes should fall into it, concerning this was stated: “Do not remove an ancient boundary, etc.” <b>remove</b> Heb. תסג, as in (Ps. 129:5) “and shall draw backwards (ויסגו).”</html>