1
How bitter, death, is the thought of you to those who are at peace among their possessions, to those who aren't anxiously distracted, who prosper at everything and still have the strength to enjoy good food.
2
Your sentence looks good, death, to a person who is needy and lacks strength, who is extremely old and anxious about everything, who is not compliant and whose endurance has failed.
3
Don't fear death's judgment; remember those who came before you and those who will come after you.
4
This is the Lord's judgment for all beings: Why should you reject the good pleasure of the Most High? Whether ten or one hundred or one thousand years, there's no arguing about life in the grave.
5
The children of sinners are detestable, and they live together in the neighborhoods of the ungodly.
6
The inheritance of sinners' children will be destroyed, and their offspring will always live in disgrace.
7
Children will blame an ungodly father, because they will be disgraced because of him.
8
How terrible it will be for you who are ungodly, who have abandoned the Law of the Most High!
9
When you are born, you are born to a curse, and when you die, you will leave a curse as your legacy.
10
Everything that's from the earth will go back to the earth; so the ungodly come from a curse and go to destruction.
11
Human beings show their grief in their bodies, but the no-good name of sinners will be erased.
12
Guard your reputation, for it will continue after you longer than one thousand great treasures of gold.
13
A good life has a limited number of days, but a good name will continue forever.
On shame
14 Hold on to your education in peace, my children. Hidden wisdom and an invisible treasure— of what use is either?
15
People who hide their foolishness are better than people who hide their wisdom.
16
Therefore, respect my judgment, because it isn't good to guard against every shame, and not everyone, in good faith, holds all the same things in good repute.
17
Be ashamed: of sexual immorality before your father and mother, of lying before a prince or leader,
18
of error before a judge and an official, of lawlessness before the assembly and the people, of injustice before a partner and friend,
19
of theft in the neighborhood where you are staying. Be ashamed: before the Lord's truth and covenant, of leaning on your elbow at meals, of showing contempt when receiving or giving,
20
of silence when people greet you, of looking at a female escort,
21
of turning away a relative, of depriving someone of a share or a gift, of staring at another man's wife,
22
of fooling around with his female servant— (and don't get near her bed), of reproachful words before friends (and don't criticize after you give),