My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and my heart shall meditate on understanding.
1. Hear this, all you peoples; hearken, all you who dwell in the world, you of high degree and low, rich and poor together.
3. I will incline my ear to a proverb and set forth my riddle upon the harp.
4. Why should I be afraid in evil days, when the wickedness of those at my heels surrounds me.
5. The wickedness of those who put their trust in their goods, and boast of their great riches.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and my heart shall meditate on understanding.
6. We can never ransom ourselves, or deliver to God the price of our life.
7. For the ransom of our life is so great, that we should never have enough to pay it.
8. In order to live for ever and ever, and never see the grave.
9. For we see that the wise die also; like the dull and stupid they perish and leave their wealth to those who come after them.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and my heart shall meditate on understanding.
10. Their graves shall be their homes for ever, their dwelling places from generation to generation, though they call the lands after their own names.
11. Even though honored, they cannot live for ever; they are like the beasts that perish.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and my heart shall meditate on understanding.