Wine is a mocker, strong drink is riotous, and whoever is misled thereby is not wise.

[The drinker of] wine is a scoffer; [one who drinks] strong drink will cry out, and all who err therein [thinking that much wine will produce sound judgment] will not grow wise.

The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion: he who provokes him to anger forfeits his life.

As the roar of a young lion, so is the fear of the king [to his subject]; one who angers him diminishes [i.e., endangers] his soul.

It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will burst out.

A man's honor is to abstain from a quarrel, and [the shame of] every man [who does not abstain from it] will be revealed [through it].

The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.

Because of the [cold of] winter the sluggard will not plow [i.e., he will not engage in the study of Torah]. He will desire it at harvest time, but it will not be there.

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

[Like] deep waters is counsel in the heart of a man [i.e., the halachah is concealed in the heart of the sage], and the man of understanding [(a knowing disciple)] will draw them forth.

Most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

Many men call upon the man [in whom they trust for] lovingkindness, but who will find a man of trust?

The just man walks in his integrity: happy are his children after him.

He who walks in his innocence is a righteous man; fortunate are his sons after him.

A king that sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.

When the King sits on the seat of judgment, all evil is spread out before His eyes.

Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

Who can say: "My heart is clean"? "I have purified myself from my sin"?

Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike an abomination to the Lord.

A [large] stone and a [small] stone; a [large] measure and a [small] measure — both of them are the abomination of the L-rd.

Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

Even the youth in his youthful deeds can cause wonder as to whether his acts be pure and just.

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye: the Lord has made them both.

The hearing ear and the seeing eye — G-d made both of these [(and He desires an ear that hears mussar and an eye that sees the future)].

Do not love sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thy eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

Do not love sleep lest you grow poor. Open your eyes and be sated with bread.

It is bad, it is bad, says the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.

"Bad, bad," says the [prospective] buyer, but when he walks away [with purchase in hand], he vaunts himself [for his acumen]. [(One who acquires Torah under duress bemoans his hard lot, but when he emerges full of wisdom, his past suffering is a source of gratification to him.)]

There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

There is [much] gold and many pearls, but lips of wisdom are a precious vessel.

Take his garment when he has become surety for a stranger: and take his pledge on behalf of an alien woman.

Take [(without compunction)] the garment of him who goes security for a stranger, and take his security for an alien woman.

Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

The "bread of falsehood" [i.e., adultery] is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth will be filled with gravel.

Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice conduct war.

Thoughts [conceived] in counsel will endure, and wage war [against Satan] with stratagems [(of penitence, prayer, and fasting)].

He that goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets: therefore meddle not with him who prates with his lips.

The revealer of secrets, the bearer of tales, and the "smooth talker" — do not befriend them.

He who curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in utter darkness.

He who curses his father and his mother, his light [i.e., his soul] will flicker out in the pith of darkness [i.e., when evil befalls him].

An estate may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but its end shall not be blessed.

An inheritance pursued in haste in the beginning [e.g., that of the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuven (viz. Numbers 32:16)] will not be blessed in the end. [(They were exiled several years before the other tribes.)]

Do not say, I will repay evil; but wait on the Lord, and he will save thee.

Do not say: "I will repay evil [after its kind]." Hope in the L-rd and He will help you.

Divers weights are an abomination to the Lord; and a false balance is not good.

The abomination of the L-rd is a [large] stone and a [small] stone, and scales of deceit are not good [in His eyes].

Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?

A man's steps are from the L-rd, but what does a man know of his way?

It is a snare to a man rashly to declare, It is holy; and afterwards to probe his vows.

When a man stumbles [in sin], he undermines [his] holiness, and he must seek out vows [i.e., offerings through which to find atonement].

A wise king scatters the wicked, and drives the wheel over them.

The wise King scatters the wicked [(Pharaoh and his hosts)], and he turns the wheel [back] upon them [(recompensing them measure for measure)].

The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

The lamp of the L-rd is a man's soul [(it testifies concerning him in judgment)]; it seeks out all [his] hidden recesses.

Love and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upheld by loyalty.

Lovingkindness and truth guard a king, and he sustains his throne in lovingkindness.

The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.

The beauty of youths is their strength, and the glory of the old is [their] hoariness.

Bruises and wounds purge away evil: so do stripes which reach the inward parts.

Bruises [and] wounds [come upon] one who consecrates himself to evil, and "blows [in his] innards" [i.e., dropsy.]