<p class="poetry">he taught me, and he said to me:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Let your heart lay hold of my words;p> <p class="poetry">keep my commands so that<n id="1" /> you will live.p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> abhors<n id="1" /> every arrogant person;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">rest assured<n id="3" /> that they will not go unpunished.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Of what<n id="1" /> use is money in the hand of a fool,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">since he has no intention<n id="3" /> of acquiring wisdom?<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">The one who lacks wisdom<n id="1" /> strikes hands in pledge,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and puts up financial security<n id="3" /> for his neighbor.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">The one who has a perverse heart<n id="1" /> does not find good,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and the one who is deceitful in speech<n id="3" /> falls into trouble.p>

<p class="poetry">The king&#8217;s heart<n id="1" /> is in the hand<n id="2" /> of the <sc>Lordsc> like channels of water;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">he turns it wherever he wants.p>

<p class="poetry">Do not let your heart envy<n id="1" /> sinners,p> <p class="poetry">but rather be zealous in fearing the <sc>Lordsc><n id="2" /> all the time.p>

<p class="poetry">I passed by the field of a sluggard,p> <p class="poetry">by the vineyard of one who lacks wisdom.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">or like vinegar poured on soda,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Like a coating of glaze<n id="1" /> over earthenwarep> <p class="poetry">are fervent<n id="2" /> lips with an evil heart.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">When<n id="1" /> he speaks graciously,<n id="2" /> do not believe him,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">for there are seven<n id="4" /> abominations<n id="5" /> within him.p>

<p class="poetry">So I began to despair<n id="1" /> about all the fruit of<n id="2" /> my labor<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">for which I worked so hard<n id="4" /> on earth.<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">What does a man acquire from all his laborp> <p class="poetry">and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth?<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">For you know in your own heart<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">that you also have cursed others many times.p>

<p class="poetry">Whoever obeys his<n id="1" /> command will not experience harm,p> <p class="poetry">and a wise person<n id="2" /> knows the proper time<n id="3" /> and procedure.p>

<p class="poetry">Even when a fool walks along the road he lacks sense,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and shows<n id="2" /> everyone what a fool he is.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Banish<n id="1" /> emotional stress<n id="2" /> from your mind.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and put away pain<n id="4" /> from your body;<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">for youth<n id="6" /> and the prime of life<n id="7" /> are fleeting.<n id="8" />p>

<p class="poetry">Your mind will recall the terror you experienced,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and you will ask yourselves,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Where is the scribe?p> <p class="poetry">Where is the one who weighs the money?p> <p class="poetry">Where is the one who counts the towers?&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I was angry because of their sinful greed;p> <p class="poetry">I attacked them and angrily rejected them,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">yet they remained disobedient and stubborn.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Why, <sc>Lordsc>, do you make us stray<n id="1" /> from your ways,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Return for the sake of your servants,p> <p class="poetry">the tribes of your inheritance!p>