⁸ They are sons of shame, and of men without a name, who have been forced out of the land.

¹⁸ He went in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the family of Ahab did: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

¹⁸ The children go for wood, the fathers get the fire burning, the women are working the paste to make cakes for the queen of heaven, and drink offerings are drained out to other gods, moving me to wrath.

⁶ For the foolish man will say foolish things, having evil thoughts in his heart, working what is unclean, and talking falsely about the Lord, to keep food from him who is in need of it, and water from him whose soul is desiring it.

²² Wisdom is a fountain of life to him who has it; but the punishment of the foolish is their foolish behaviour.

²² How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?

⁷ The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.

¹⁰ For he sees that wise men come to their end, and foolish persons of low behaviour come to destruction together, letting their wealth go to others.

¹¹ The place of the dead is their house for ever, and their resting-place through all generations; those who come after them give their names to their lands.

¹² But man, like the animals, does not go on for ever; he comes to an end like the beasts.

¹³ This is the way of the foolish; their silver is for those who come after them, and their children get the pleasure of their gold. (Selah.)

⁴ Who gives honour to those who have the fear of the Lord, turning away from him who has not the Lord's approval. He who takes an oath against himself, and makes no change.

⁴ Have you an arm like God? have you a voice of thunder like his?

³ He went in the ways of the family of Ahab, for his mother was his teacher in evil-doing.

²⁷ He went in the ways of the family of Ahab, and did evil in the eyes of the Lord as the family of Ahab did, for he was a son-in-law of the family of Ahab.

²⁴ And she went out and said to her mother, What is my request to be? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.