²³ There is much food in the ploughed land of the poor; but it is taken away by wrongdoing.

¹¹ He who does work on his land will not be short of bread; but he who goes after foolish men is without sense.

¹⁹ By ploughing his land a man will have bread in full measure; but he who goes after good-for-nothing persons will be poor enough.

⁷ Truly, the stork in the heavens is conscious of her fixed times; the dove and the swallow and the crane keep to the times of their coming; but my people have no knowledge of the law of the Lord.

⁸ How is it that you say, We are wise and the law of the Lord is with us? But see, the false pen of the scribes has made it false.

⁹ The wise men are shamed, they are overcome with fear and taken: see, they have given up the word of the Lord; and what use is their wisdom to them?

¹⁰ So I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who will take them for themselves: for everyone, from the least to the greatest, is given up to getting money; from the priest even to the prophet, everyone is false.

⁵ Whoever keeps the law will come to no evil: and a wise man's heart has knowledge of time and of decision.

⁶ For every purpose there is a time and a decision, because the sorrow of man is great in him.

⁹ He who has a love for silver never has enough silver, or he who has love for wealth, enough profit. This again is to no purpose.

¹⁸ Whoever keeps a fig-tree will have its fruit; and the servant waiting on his master will be honoured.

²³ Take care to have knowledge about the condition of your flocks, looking well after your herds;

²⁴ For wealth is not for ever, and money does not go on for all generations.

²⁵ The grass comes up and the young grass is seen, and the mountain plants are got in.

²⁶ The lambs are for your clothing, and the he-goats make the value of a field:

²⁷ There will be goats' milk enough for your food, and for the support of your servant-girls.

¹⁴ From the fruit of his mouth will a man have good food in full measure, and the work of a man's hands will be rewarded.

⁵ The righteousness of the good man will make his way straight, but the sin of the evil-doer will be the cause of his fall.

⁶ The righteousness of the upright will be their salvation, but the false will themselves be taken in their evil designs.

⁶ Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:

⁷ Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

⁸ She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.

⁹ How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?

¹⁰ A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:

¹¹ Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man

⁵ All is well for the man who is kind and gives freely to others; he will make good his cause when he is judged.