To know [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction;
To discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight,

That prudence (good judgment, astute common sense) may be given to the naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled],
And knowledge and discretion (intelligent discernment) to the youth,

That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:

To understand a proverb and a figure [of speech] or an enigma with its interpretation,
And the words of the wise and their riddles [that require reflection].

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

That he may guard the paths of justice, And preserve the way of his saints.

So you will walk in the way of good men [that is, those of personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character],
And keep to the paths of the righteous.

My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

May loyal love and truth not forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them upon your heart.

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

She is of more value than jewels, and nothing for which you may have a desire is fair in comparison with her.

My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

Hear, my'sons, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding:

For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

May they not escape from your {sight}; keep them in [the] midst of your heart.

May your eyes look forward and your gaze be straight before you.

May the path of your foot be balanced and all your ways be sure.

My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

For fear that you may give your honour to others, and your wealth to strange men:

And strange men may be full of your wealth, and the fruit of your work go to the house of others;

And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

“I was almost in total ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

Let thy wells flow out abroad, that there may be rivers of water in the streets:

May they be yours alone, and not for strangers [who are] with you.

May your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth.

[She is] a deer of love and a doe of grace; may her breasts satisfy you {always}; by her love may you be intoxicated continually.

And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

That they may lead thee where thou goest, preserve thee when thou art asleep, and that when thou awakest, thou mayest talk of them.

that they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the harlot:

Do not desire her beauty in your heart; may she not capture you with her eyelashes.

Because, for the sake of an impure woman, a man may be brought even to a cake of bread, - and, a man's wife, for a precious soul, may hunt!

May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?

Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?

But if he may be gotten, he restoreth again seven times as much, or else he maketh recompense with all the goods of his house.

Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.

My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

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

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:

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

For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

“So I came out to meet you [that you might share with me the feast of my offering],
Diligently I sought your face and I have found you.

I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

My husband isn’t home;
he went on a long journey.

Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

May your heart not turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her path.

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

Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

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 froward or perverse in them.

Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.

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

I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge and discretion.

The fear of the Lord is seen in hating evil: pride, a high opinion of oneself, the evil way, and the false tongue, are unpleasing to me.

Counsel belongs to me, along with sound judgment. I am understanding. Power belongs to me.

By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.

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

That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

From eternal days I was given my place, from the birth of time, before the earth was.

Before the mountains were put in their places, before the hills was my birth:

Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.

Take my teaching and be wise; do not let it go.

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

For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

Abandon your foolish ways so that you may live, and proceed in the way of understanding."

For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

"Whoever is simple, may he turn here!" As for he who lacks {sense}, she says to him,

He that walketh uprightly, may walk securely, but, he that maketh crooked his ways, shall be found out.

A man may give freely, and still his wealth will be increased; and another may keep back more than is right, but only comes to be in need.

The talking of the ungodly is how they may lay wait for blood; but the mouth of the righteous will deliver them.

When anxiety is in the heart of a man, one may bow him down, but, a good word, maketh him glad.

On the road of righteousness is life, and [on] the way of the path, [may there be] no death.