1A wise magistrate educates his people,

and the rule of an intelligent person is well ordered.

2As the people’s judge is, so are his officials;

as the ruler of the city is, so are all its inhabitants.*

3An undisciplined king ruins his people,

but a city becomes fit to live in through the understanding of its rulers.*

4The government of the earth is in the hand of the Lord,

and over it he will raise up the right leader for the time.*

5Human success is in the hand of the Lord,

and it is he who confers honor upon the lawgiver.h^,*

6Do not get angry with your neighbor for every injury,

and do not resort to acts of insolence.*

7Arrogance is hateful to the Lord and to mortals,

and injustice is outrageous to both.*

8Sovereignty passes from nation to nation

on account of injustice and insolence and wealth.i^,*

9How can dust and ashes be proud?

Even in life the human body is infested with worms.j^,*

10A long illness mocks the physician;

the king of today will die tomorrow.*

11For when humans die

they inherit maggots and vermink and worms.*

12The beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord;

the heart has withdrawn from its Maker.*

13For the beginning of pride is sin,

and the one who clings to it pours out abominations.

Therefore the Lord brought upon them unheard-of calamities

and destroyed them completely.l

14The Lord overthrew the thrones of rulers

and enthroned the lowly in their place.*

15The Lord plucked up the roots of the nationsm

and planted the humble in their place.

16The Lord laid waste the lands of the nations

and destroyed them to the foundations of the earth.*

17He removed some of them and destroyed them

and erased the memory of them from the earth.*

18Pride was not created for human beings

or violent anger for those born of women.

19Whose offspring are worthy of honor?

Human offspring.

Whose offspring are worthy of honor?

Those who fear the Lord.

Whose offspring are unworthy of honor?

Human offspring.

Whose offspring are unworthy of honor?

Those who break the commandments.*

20Among family members their leader is worthy of honor,

but those who fear the Lord are worthy of honor in his eyes.n

22The guest and the strangero and the poor—

their boast is the fear of the Lord.*

23It is not right to despise one who is intelligent but poor,

and it is not proper to honor one who is sinful.*

24The prince and the judge and the ruler are honored,

but none of them is greater than the one who fears the Lord.*

25Free people will serve a wise slave,

and an intelligent person will not complain.*

26Do not make a display of your wisdom when you do your work,

and do not extol yourself when you are in difficulty.

27Better those who work and have plenty

than those who boast and lack bread.*

28My child, honor yourself with humility,

and give yourself the esteem you deserve.*

29Who will acquit those who condemnp themselves,

and who will honor those who dishonor themselves?q

30The poor are honored for their knowledge,

while the rich are honored for their wealth.

31One who is honored in poverty, how much more in wealth!

And one dishonored in wealth, how much more in poverty!