English Standard Version

King James Bible

1Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

1Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

2The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.

2The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.

3It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.

3It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

4The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.

4The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

5The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

5Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

6Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?

6Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

7The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!

7The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

8A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes.

8A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

9Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?

9Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

10Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD.

10Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.

11Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.

11Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

12The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both.

12The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.

13Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.

13Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

14“Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts.

14It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

15There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

15There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.

16Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

17Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.

17Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

18Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.

18Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

19Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.

19He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

20If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

20Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

21An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.

21An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

22Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

22Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

23Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD, and false scales are not good.

23Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.

24A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?

24Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

25It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,” and to reflect only after making vows.

25It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry.

26A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them.

26A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.

27The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts.

27The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

28Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.

28Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.

29The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.

29The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.

30Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.

30The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.