Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

So are the ways of everyone that is greedy of gain; which takes away the life of its owners.

When your terror comes as desolation, and your destruction comes as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish comes upon you.

If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures;

He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a shield to them that walk uprightly.

When wisdom enters into your heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto your soul;

Whose ways are crooked, and who are perverse in their paths:

Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

For whom the LORD loves he corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delights.

Happy is the man that finds wisdom, and the man that gets understanding.

For the gain from it is better than the gain from silver, and the profit thereof than fine gold.

She is more precious than rubies: and all the things you can desire are not to be compared unto her.

Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor.

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is everyone that retains her.

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

For the perverse is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesses the habitation of the just.

The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the recompense of fools.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.

Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is your life.

For they sleep not, unless they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause someone to fall.

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.

The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

For the lips of an immoral woman drop as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

Let her be as the loving deer and graceful doe; let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and be ravished always with her love.

Deliver yourself as a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Perversity is in his heart, he devises evil continually; he sows discord.

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will prey upon his precious life.

So is he that goes in to his neighbor's wife; whosoever touches her shall not be innocent.

Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

But if he is found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give up all the goods of his house.

Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of your eye.

(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

Now is she outside, now in the streets, and lies in wait at every corner.)

Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us delight ourselves with love.

For my husband is not at home, he has gone on a long journey:

He goes after her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

Till an arrow strikes through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life.

Her house is the way to sheol, going down to the chambers of death.

Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.

For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the perverse mouth, do I hate.

Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the first of the dust of the world.

Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.

Blessed is the man that hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Whosoever is simple, let him turn in here: as for him that lacks understanding, she says to him,

Reprove not a scoffer, lest he hate you: rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

If you are wise, you shall be wise for yourself: but if you scoff, you alone shall bear it.

A foolish woman is boisterous: she is simple, and knows nothing.

Whosoever is simple, let him turn in here: and as for him that lacks understanding, she says to him,

Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father: but a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

He that gathers in summer is a wise son: but he that sleeps in harvest is a son that causes shame.

The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.

The wise in heart will heed commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.

The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

In the lips of him that has understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the ruin of the poor is their poverty.

He is in the way of life that keeps instruction: but he that refuses reproof goes astray.

He that hides hatred with lying lips, and he that utters a slander, is a fool.

In the multitude of words there lacks not sin: but he that refrains his lips is wise.

The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is of little worth.

It is as sport to a fool to do wrong: but a man of understanding has wisdom.

As the whirlwind passes, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.

A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

When pride comes, then comes shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked comes in his stead.

When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.

By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

He that is void of wisdom despises his neighbor: but a man of understanding holds his peace.

A talebearer reveals secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit conceals the matter.

Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

He that is surety for a stranger shall suffer for it: and he that hates being surety is secure.

The merciful man does good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubles his own flesh.

As righteousness leads to life: so he that pursues evil pursues it to his own death.

They that are of a perverse heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.

As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a beautiful woman who is without discretion.

The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

There is one that scatters, and yet increases; and there is one that withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty.

He that trusts in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

He that troubles his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise.

Whosoever loves instruction loves knowledge: but he that hates reproof is senseless.

A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that makes ashamed is like rottenness in his bones.

A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.

He that is despised, and has a servant, is better than he that honors himself, and lacks bread.

He that tills his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that follows vain persons is void of understanding.