If you see a man skilled in his business,
He shall stand in the presence of kings,
And not in the presence of obscure men.
Set in order your work without,
Prepare for your work in the field,
And after that build your house.

332. THE CAUSES AND EVILS OF POVERTY

Be not one of those who drink wine to excess,

One of the gluttonous eaters of flesh;

For the drunkard and the glutton come to poverty,
And drowsiness clothes one with rags.

He who loves pleasure shall come to want,

And he who loves wine and oil shall not be rich.
He who cultivates his land has plenty of bread,
But he who follows vain things has plenty of poverty.
(He who oppresses the poor to increase his own gain,
And he who gives bribes come only to want.

Poverty and shame come to him who shuns knowledge
But he who heeds reproof is honored.

Go to the ant, O lazy man;

Consider her ways, and be wise;

She having no chief,

Overseer, nor ruler,

Provides her food in the summer,

And gathers supplies in the harvest.

How long will you lie down, O lazy man?
When will you arise from your slumber?
Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty,
Open your eyes and you shall have plenty.

Wealth adds many friends,

But from the poor-his friend draws away!

333. THE ACQUISITION OF WEALTH

The reward of humility and reverence for the Lord Is riches and honor and life.

The blessing of the Lord makes a man rich,

And he adds no sorrow with it.

One man disperses his wealth, yet grows rich,
Another withholds too much, yet comes to want.
Wealth quickly acquired grows less,

But what is slowly amassed increases.
In all labor there is profit,

But mere talk tends only to penury.
He who acquires wealth by fraud
Pursues a bubble into deadly snares.
An honest man shall be abundantly blessed,
But haste to get rich shall be punished.

334. THE RELATIve Value of Wealth

Better is a poor man who lives a blameless life
Than one who is dishonest, though he be rich.
Better is a little with righteousness

Than great revenues with injustice.

Better is a modest spirit with the humble,
Than to divide spoil with the arrogant.
A good name is better than great riches,
More highly esteemed than silver and gold.

Treasures unjustly acquired profit nothing,
But righteousness delivers from death.
He who trusts in riches shall fail,
But the upright flourish like a green leaf.

Toil not that you may become rich;
Cease through your own understanding.
Should you set your eyes upon it, it is gone!

For riches take their flight,

Like an eagle that soars toward heaven.
Better is little with reverence for the Lord
Than great treasure and trouble as well.

Two things I ask of thee,

Deny me them not ere I die:

Put far from me deceit and lying,

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

Provide me with the food that I need,

That I may not be filled to the full and deny thee, And say, 'Who is the Lord?'

Or else be poor and steal,

And profane the name of my God.

MAN IN HIS LEGAL RELATIONS

335. DUTIES OF WITNESSES AND JUDGES I

Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, And do not deceive with your lips.

Say not: 'I will do to him as he did to me,

I will pay back the man for his deed.'

A reliable witness saves lives,

But he who tells lies is a deceiver.
He who speaks truth promotes justice,
But a false witness sets forth deceit.
A false witness shall not go unpunished,
Nor shall he who tells lies

escape.

T

He who is greedy of gain brings trouble on his own house, But he who hates bribes shall live.

To show partiality is not good;

I

For a piece of bread a man may do wrong.

The man who says to the wicked, 'You are right';
Nations will curse him; peoples denounce him;
But it will be well with those who reprove,

The blessing of prosperity shall rest upon them,
He kisses the lips.

Who gives an honest answer.

Open your mouth for the dumb;
Uphold the rights of the suffering;
Open your mouth and judge justly;
Give justice to the poor and needy.

336. DANGERS OF ACTING AS BONDSMAN

Be not one of those who pledge themselves,
Or of those who are bondsmen for others' debts;
If you have nothing with which to pay,

Why should your bed be taken from under you?

My son,

if you have become bondsman for your neighbor, If you have pledged yourself for another, Have snared yourself with your lips, Trapped yourself by your spoken words, Then do this, my son, and be free, For you are in your neighbor's power: Go, humble yourself,

And importune your neighbor.

Give no sleep to your eyes,

Nor slumber to your eyelids.

Free yourself as a gazelle from the trap,
And as a bird from the hand of the hunter.

337. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF RULERS

The ruler who faithfully judges the poor,-
His throne shall be established forever.
It is a shame for rulers to do wrong;
For a throne is established by doing right.

When the righteous rule the people rejoice,
But when wicked men govern the people sigh.
If a ruler listens to falsehood,

All of his courtiers are wicked.

A ruler by justice establishes a land;
But he who exacts gifts ruins it.

338. THE DUTIES OF CITIZENS

Claim not honor in a ruler's presence,
And stand not in the place of great men;

For it is better that you be told 'Come up here,'

Than that you should be humbled before the prince.

Scornful men kindle discord in a city,

But wise men turn aside wrath.
Righteousness exalts a nation,

But sin is the ruin of peoples.