Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her.

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

Which no leader to her, scribe and ruler;

Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

Here are six things that the LORD hates seven, in fact, are detestable to him:

When you walk here and there, they will guide you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
when you wake up, they will talk to you.

To keep thee from the wicked woman, from the flattery of the tongue of her that is a stranger.

Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

Look! A woman makes her way to meet him, dressed as a prostitute and intending to entrap him.

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

At times she was in the streets, at times in the market places,
Lurking and setting her ambush at every corner.

And she laid hold on him, and kissed him, She hath hardened her face, and saith to him,

With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

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

so long till she hath wounded his liver with her dart: like as if a bird hasted to the snare, not knowing that the peril of his life lieth thereupon.

Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

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

Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?

On the top of high places by the way, at the cross-paths she taketh her stand.

Where the roads go into the town her cry goes out, at the doorways her voice is loud:

For wisdom is better than jewels, and all desires shall not compare with her.

Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,

“Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says,

For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

calling out to those who are passing by her in the way, who go straight on their way.

“Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks understanding (common sense), she says,

But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

A gracious and good woman attains honor,
And ruthless men attain riches [but not respect].

If the righteous receive what they are due here on earth, how much more will the wicked and the sinner.

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

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

Wisdom has her resting-place in the mind of the wise, but she is not seen among the foolish.

The hell with her pain is known to the LORD; how much more then the hearts of men?

A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man despises his mother.

A troublous soul disquieteth herself; for her own mouth hath brought her thereto.

Better he that is slow to anger, than a hero, and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that captureth a city.

Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

Death and life [are] in the {power} of the tongue, and those who love her will eat of her fruit.

The wrath of a king is a growl as of a young lion, And as dew on the herb his good-will.

O give ear unto good counsel, and be content to be reformed; that thou mayest be wise here after.

Hearken to thy father here, who begat thee, and despise not, when she is old, thy mother.

Let thy father and thy mother be glad, And let her that bare thee rejoice.

Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men.

If you say, "Look here, we didn't know about this," doesn't God, who examines motives, discern it? Doesn't the one who guards your soul know about it? Won't he repay each person according to what he has done?

Here are some more proverbs from wise people: It isn't good to show partiality in judgment.

Here are some more proverbs by Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.

For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.

As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that is causeless alighteth not.

As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.

Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.

By the rebellion of a land, her rulers increase, but by a person of intelligence who knows justice, it will last.

Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

The lion, hero among beasts, which turneth aside from the face of no one;

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

She makes linen robes and gets a price for them, and traders take her cloth bands for a price.

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Is there a thing, of which it can be said, See here, it is, new? Already, hath it been, for ages, it is something which was before us.

I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance -- herd and flock -- above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.

For there is a man who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, yet gives his legacy to one who has not labored for it. This too is vanity and a great evil.

There was a certain man—without a dependent, having neither a child nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “For whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity (a wisp of smoke, self-conceit); yes, it is a painful effort and an unhappy task.

Here was an incurable evil, I had seen under the sun, riches kept by the owner thereof, to his hurt;

Here is what I have seen to be good: it is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward.

Here is another misfortune that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] prevalent among humankind.

Moreover, he seeth not the Sun, and knoweth of no rest neither here nor there:

For wisdom is a defense, money is a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom is, She reviveth her possessors.

Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, - Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing long in his wickedness.

yea, and so deep that I might not reach unto her.

And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

There is a meaningless and futile thing which is done on the earth: that is, there are righteous men whose gain is as though they were evil, and evil men whose gain is as though they were righteous. I say that this too is futility (meaningless, vain).

For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they no longer have a reward [here], for the memory of them is forgotten.

Here was a misfortune I had seen under the sun, - a veritable mistake that was going forth from the presence of one who had power:

Wish the king no evil in thy thought, and speak no hurt of the rich in thy privy chamber; for a bird of the air shall betray thy voice, and with her feathers shall she betray thy words.

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

The Teacher searched to find appropriate expressions, and what is written here is right and truthful.