Dreams Mean Nothing

¹ A man of no understanding has vain and false hopes, and dreams give wings to fools.

² As one who catches at a shadow and pursues the wind, so is he who gives heed to dreams.

³ The vision of dreams is this against that, the likeness of a face confronting a face.

⁴ From an unclean thing what will be made clean? And from something false what will be true?

⁵ Divinations and omens and dreams are folly, and like a woman in labour the mind has fantasies.

⁶ Unless they are sent from the Most High as a visitation, do not give your mind to them.

⁷ For dreams have deceived many, and those who put their hope in them have failed.

⁸ Without such deceptions the law will be fulfilled, and wisdom in a faithful mouth is perfection.

Experience as a Teacher

⁹ A travelled man knows many things, and one with much experience will speak with understanding.

¹⁰ The one who is untried knows few things,

¹¹ but he that has travelled acquires much cleverness.

¹² I have seen many things in my travels, and I understand more than I can express.

¹³ I have often been in danger of death, but have escaped because of these experiences.

Fear the Lord

¹⁴ The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live,

¹⁵ for their hope is in him who saves them.

¹⁶ He who fears the Lord will not be timid or play the coward, for he is his hope.

¹⁷ Blessed is the soul of the man who fears the Lord!

¹⁸ To whom does he look? And who is his support?

¹⁹ The eyes of the Lord are upon those who love him, a mighty protection and strong support, a shelter from the hot wind and a shade from noonday sun, a guard against stumbling and a defence against falling.

²⁰ He lifts up the soul and gives light to the eyes; he grants healing, life, and blessing.

Offering Sacrifices

²¹ If one sacrifices from what has been wrongfully obtained, the offering is blemished;

²² the gifts of the lawless are not acceptable.

²³ The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly; and he is not propitiated for sins by a multitude of sacrifices.

²⁴ Like one who slaughters a son in the presence of his father is the man who offers a sacrifice from the property of the poor.

²⁵ The bread of the needy is the life of the poor; whoever deprives them of it is a man of blood.

²⁶ To take away a neighbour’s living is to murder him;

²⁷ to deprive an employee of his wages is to shed blood.

²⁸ One builds and another tears down; what do they gain but toil?

²⁹ One prays and another curses; to whose voice will the Lord listen?

³⁰ If someone washes after touching a dead body and touches it again, what has he gained by his washing?

³¹ So if a man fasts for his sins and goes again and does the same things, who will listen to his prayer? And what has he gained by humbling himself?