ተግሣጸ፡ ሰሎሞን፡

The Instruction of Solomon, which is without heresy, which his friends, the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, wrote. The glory of the Lord hides the fire and the praise of the king honors the servant. The sky is high and the earth is deep, and like them, the heart of a king is not known. The silver that is not tested is impure, and it will be cleansed for you with pure perfection. Kill the wicked before the face of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. Do not boast before the face of the king, and do not be justified before the Lord. In the place of judges, do not stand. For it is better that they say to you, "Come to us," than that you be lacking before the judge. What your eyes have seen, tell, and do not enter hastily into the treasury. The bow is strung with your arrow, and your secret is not hidden, as it is not forgotten in your end. When your friend comes to you, go behind him, and do not be afraid, as your friend does not harm you. Your treasury and your shadow do not separate you from him. If you have hidden his secret, it will be for you a measure of death. Grace and a sign come, but not a trap for yourself, that you may not be a fool. Guard your ways in the beauty of your deeds. Like gold in the midst of silver, a pearl is set; like it, a word is spoken in its face. The setting of gold in the midst of a sardonyx stone, whose price is great, is beloved. Like it, the word of a wise man in the ear of one who hears well is good. As the sun comes out in the morning, in the evening it sets; like it, the apostle, the faithful one, for the soul of those who sent him, will be effective.

The Instruction of Solomon, which is without heresy, which his friends, the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, wrote. The glory of the Lord hides the fire and the praise of the king honors the servant. The sky is high and the winds and clouds which have no rain or showers are dry in the season of harvest; likewise, all who trust in false wealth. By patience the art of life rules; a weak tongue breaks bones. My son, eat the fruit of the field as you have found it, with wisdom, so that you may not be hungry and not be in need. My beloved, stretch your hand to your friend so that he may not be hungry and not be lacking. A rod and a whip are a sorrow to the heart; likewise, a man who hears a false report against his friend. An evil path and the foot of a sinner are overturned on a bad day, like a millstone that does not grind the wheat. Likewise, a stain that falls on the body is a sorrow to the heart. Like rain for a tree and dye for a garment, so is grief for a man; it darkens his heart. When your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him drink. If you do this, you will quench the fire that burns upon his head, and the Lord will reward you with good things. The north wind raises clouds, and a face that is not ashamed sets the tongue in motion. A good dwelling in a corner of brass is better than a quarrelsome woman in a well-ordered house. Like cold water for a thirsty soul, so is good news from a distant land. Like one who fills a water-skin and darkens the outlet of water, so is it not good for a righteous man to be humbled before the wicked. Eating much fruit of the field is not good, and honoring a righteous word is better, and the sin of the honor of the honored one.

As dew in the meadow and rain in the dry season, so is a servant without counsel. As birds that fly and are caught, so is a curse uttered in vain; it does not reach anyone. As a bridle for a horse and a halter for a donkey, so is a rod for a sinful people. My son, do not exalt a servant according to his greatness, lest he become like that. Do not humble a servant according to his greatness, lest he become like a wise man for himself. With his own foot he makes a snare; he who sent a message by the hand of a servant. Another: deceit and evil come from the mouth of servants. He who throws a stone upon a roof is like one who gives honor to a servant. A key is turned in the hand of a drunkard, and a lance in the hand of servants. Much flesh is troubled; every servant, when his mind is disturbed. As a dog that enters, by his own nature becomes unclean, so a servant, by his own greatness, is entangled in his sin. There is shame that brings sin, and there is shame for honor and praise. I have seen a man who calls himself wise; hope found a servant from him. And the liar says, when he sends him, "The lion is on the road and in the streets, kill." As a fire that is kindled in thorns, so is a liar in his bed. The liar hides his hand in his bosom and warms it, bringing his hand to his mouth.

A wise man teaches himself a parable, and from a small thing he takes a lesson. Like one who seizes a dog by its tail, so is he who stands in another's affair. Like those who quarrel and raise their voices against a man, and he who accepts a matter goes first, and then all his friends conspire against him. And when they know them, they say, "We have done it by his command." By a small amount of wood, fire is extinguished; by a large amount of wood, fire burns. And where there is no mercy, the master is harsh. Bitterness for the palate and wood for fire, so is a cruel man for a master and for evil. The words of gossips are broken; they fall into pits of mercy. Silver that is given with deceit is like dross, and like silver of Tyre that is plated over base metal, so are lips that are smooth; they cover a heart of sorrow. With his lips he always weeps, the enemy, but in his heart he works deceit. If you have complained of your enemy with a loud voice, do not trust him, for there are seven evils in his heart. He who hides hatred gathers deceit; he reveals his sin, the wise man, in the assembly. He who digs a pit for his neighbor falls into it, and he who rolls a stone, the stone rolls upon him. A lying tongue hates righteousness, and a mouth that does not speak gently causes a cough.

Chapter 3 Do not boast of what is hidden, for you do not know what will be born. A slanderer will praise you to your face, but another's mouth and your own mouth are heavy. Stone and gravel, a thorn and a bramble, and the anger of a wicked man are heavier than both. There is no mercy for a cruel man, nor for a wise man anger; and there is no one who understands envy. A hidden love is better than an open hatred. A friend's wound is better than an enemy's kiss. A hungry soul tastes bitter things as sweet, and to a thirsty soul even bitter things appear sweet. Like a bird that leaves its nest, so a man is stripped when he leaves his country. Myrrh, frankincense, and wine disturb the heart; likewise, he who hears his friend's counsel and is humbled in his own soul. Do not abandon your friend and your father's friend, and do not enter your brother's house without an invitation beforehand. A near friend is better than a far-off brother who dwells afar. Be wise, my son, so that my heart may rejoice, and remove from yourself the word of gossip. The wise man came to the wicked and hid himself, but the servant stood before them, a rod of discipline. Loosen your garment, for the enemy has passed by; a stranger will deceive. He who blesses his friend in the morning with a great voice—there is none who will not curse him. A drizzle drives a man from his house in the rainy season; likewise, a quarrelsome woman drives her husband from a well-ordered house. The south wind is strong, but its name is called "right." A wise man makes another wise man wiser, and a man makes another man's face brighter.

He who plants a tree will eat its fruit, and he who conceals his own [treasure] will be honored. As the face does not resemble the face, so the heart of a man does not resemble [another's]. Hell and the grave are not filled, as the eyes of men are not filled. A filthy [person] is abominable before God; an eye is wise, and those without learning do not hold their tongues. The testing of gold and of crystal is [by] fire, and a man is tested by those who praise him. A sinful heart seeks evil, and a righteous heart seeks understanding. If you strike a servant in the midst of an assembly with insolence, his dignity is not diminished. Understand, O understanding one, the spirit of your thoughts, and prepare your heart for your pasture and for your own increase, for a man is not [given] strength and power from generation to generation. Grass, hair, and a thicket in the wilderness, a plant, and the gathering of mountain grass, and a fruit tree [are like] the shearing of sheep for clothing. Honor righteousness so that your pasture may increase. And my son, from me to you [is] a strong word: milk, curds, and butter for your life and for the life of your neighbor.

Chapter 4 The wicked man sins while having no one to rebuke him, and the righteous one is like a lion. By the sin of the wicked, punishment arises, and a foolish man destroys himself. The one who is steadfast in sin is mocked; the poor man is like a wave that does not break. Likewise, those who abandon the law and confess sin, but those who love the law benefit themselves with a portion. And evil men do not understand justice. And those who seek God are blessed at all times. The poor man who walks in righteousness is better than a rich man who is a miser. He who keeps the law, a wise son, and he who sees to it that he does not squander for destruction and who makes his father glad. He who increases his wealth through idleness and laziness, for him who pities the poor, he gathers. He who stops his ear as if he does not hear the law, his prayer is also rejected. He who leads the blind on an evil path falls into destruction. And the wicked pass through the good and do not enter it. The wise man for himself, a rich man, a poor man, a wise man, they are all contemptible. By the help of the righteous, there is much praise, and by the ways of the wicked, men are mocked. He who conceals his sin, his ways are not good, and he who speaks and passes the time openly is praised. Blessed is the man who always shines because of righteousness, and the one who is steadfast falls into evil because of his garment. A hungry lion and a thirsty wolf, likewise a wicked judge over a poor man who is mocked while he himself is poor, becomes a strong people.

A king who is poor of understanding is like a great cloud that produces no rain. And he who hates iniquity will live many days. A wicked man who enters into the blood of a person, when he descends into the pit, no one will seize him. A man who is gentle and humble is a killer of the strong, and he is not firm. Teach your son, and he will love you, and he will give a gift for your soul, and he will not hear this law of the people, the wicked one. He who walks in righteousness, his path is straight; he who walks in crookedness, his path is narrow. He who cultivates his field will increase his grain, and he who increases his sowing will diminish his threshing-floor. A good man is much praised, but an evil man is not seen. A face ashamed before the law is not good, and he who is not ashamed before the face of the righteous is not good. Like this, by a piece of bread he brings in people and he mocks. He who is angry and wrathful is a sick man, and he does not know that a merciful man rules over him. He who loses his way for a person will find great honor, more than he who speaks with his tongue. He who is rebuked by his father and mother and says, "I have not sinned," this is the companion of a wicked man. A hungry man opens his sack, and he who trusts in God will live in his hope. And he who believes in the joy of his heart, like this he is a servant. And he who walks in wisdom will be saved. He who gives to the poor, firm, does not diminish. And he who casts his eyes into great firmness will live. In the place of the wicked, the righteous are few, and by their number the righteous are many.

Chapter 5 It is better for a man to surpass a man of strong neck, for the wound burns and has no cure. And in the praise of the righteous, the peoples rejoice, and in the judgments of the wicked, the hands of the righteous are strengthened. A son who loves wisdom makes his father rejoice, and he who sees the end of a matter increases his wealth. A righteous king raises up a city, but a foolish man destroys it. He who slanders before his friend, he loves the gifts within his own feet. Through the error of a man, gifts increase, and a sinful man falls into great gifts, but the righteous are in great joy and honor. The righteous knows the judgment for the poor, but the wicked does not know the inquiry, and for the poor there is no heart or understanding. Wicked men have destroyed a city, but the wise have increased the land. A wise man judges the peoples, but an evil man is mocked, they laugh at him, and he does not grieve. Treacherous men hate righteousness by blood, but the righteous desire the soul. A servant brings out all his anger, but the wise conceals what is within him. A king who hears a false report, and all those near him are fools. For the accuser and the accused, both of them together, God will cast them down together. A king who judges justly for the poor, his throne stands in peace forever. Admonition and instruction give wisdom, and a son who laughs brings shame to his family. By the multitude of the wicked, sin is committed greatly, but the righteous, by the humility of the noble, become fearful.

Teach your son, and he will benefit you, and he will give a gift to your soul. By the sin of a teacher, sinners multiply, and a teacher does not guide a sinful people. And whoever keeps the law of a son is blessed. By word, a lazy servant is not taught, and even if he knows, he is not obedient. If you see a man who is proud in speech, know that he has hope for a servant from him. A deceitful man from his youth becomes a servant, and afterward he will grieve his head. A wrathful man is like a burning fire, and a violent man is like a sin. Pride and arrogance are beneath a man, but humility of mind brings him near to God for honor. He who shares with a thief hates his own soul, and if he swears, they bring him to him, he will swear. And he who hears but does not tell is a coward. And with a downcast face, he will be punished. And he who trusts in God will rejoice. The error of a man gives him sin, and he who believes in God will be saved. Many gather before the face of princes, but from God come his justice and his gift to a man. Who is a righteous man before a violent and cursed man? The path of a sinner is straight.

Chapter 6 If there is a man who finds a strong and honorable woman, she is more precious than a precious gem of great price. For such a woman, the heart trusts in her. A good woman is a teacher of your son; she will guide him. She will repay good with good and evil with evil throughout all the days of her life, while she multiplies the harvest and the handmaid does good with her hands. And she became like a vine that is pruned from afar and gathers all abundance, and she rises by night and gives food to the people of her house and works for the children. She saw and feared and was patient, and from the fruit of her hands she planted a vineyard. She strengthened and acquired, and from her bosom she brought forth her hands for work. Health is like good; it is the acquisition of a woman, and it does not perish all night long in her womb. And her hands spread over what is sown, and her mother strengthens the thread. And her hands opened for the poor, and her arms for the hungry for the needy. And a woman is not despised because of her house, her mother, and her hand that is generous, and all who are with her are poor; they are in pairs. A woman made a double garment of linen, and a woman made a garment of silk and a cloak for herself. And what is seen will be a woman within the gates when she dwells in the assembly with the wise of the land. A woman made gifts and bestowed them upon the woman, and earrings for the Canaanites; her mouth concealed what is by law and the ordinance of custom for the tongue. She put on strength and adornment and rejoiced in the latter days.

A woman who is pure in her house, who bakes bread of hospitality, who knows law and custom, who keeps her mouth closed and opens it with wisdom and with the ordinance of law, and who teaches her children and her servants—and who has many children, who has acquired much wealth and many servants, strength and intelligence—and who rejoices and is gladdened by all of them—she is a lamp of good counsel and a faithful one. For a woman who is righteous is blessed, and she who fears the Lord is praised. Give her more than the fruit of her womb, and she will be honored among the multitudes.