And there a woman met him,
Dressed as a prostitute and sly and cunning of heart.

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

Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

That is why I came out to meet you, to look for you, and I found you!

My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;

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

For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.

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

Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

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

Is not wisdom crying out, and the voice of knowledge sounding?

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

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

Take heed unto knowledge, O ye ignorant; be wise in heart, O ye fools.

Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips is uprightness.

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.

They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge.

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 wise behaviour my near relation; I am seen to be the special friend of wise purposes.

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

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

It is by me that kings reign
and rulers enact just law;

by me, princes lead,
as do nobles and all righteous judges.

Wealth and honor accompany me, as do enduring wealth and righteousness.

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

giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.

The Lord made me as the start of his way, the first of his works in the past.

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

Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;

As for the round compass of his world, I make it joyful: for my delight is to be among the children of men.

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

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.

And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!

She has put her fat beasts to death; her wine is mixed, her table is ready.

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

Come, take of my bread, and of my wine which is mixed.

The instructor of a scorner Is receiving for it -- shame, And a reprover of the wicked -- his blemish.

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

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 is understanding.

If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.

to call such as go by, and walk straight in their ways.

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

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

But they consider not that death is there, and that her guests go down to hell.

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

Wealth which comes from sin is of no profit, but righteousness gives salvation from death.

Poor is he who is working -- a slothful hand, And the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

Loving and favorable is the face of the righteous; but the forehead of the ungodly is past shame, and presumptuous.

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

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

Whoso is walking in integrity walketh confidently, And whoso is perverting his ways is known.

Whoso is winking the eye giveth grief, And a talkative fool kicketh.

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

Hate is a cause of violent acts, but all errors are covered up by love.

In the lips of him that hath 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 destruction of the poor is their poverty.

The wage of the righteous is for life, The increase of the wicked for sin.

He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

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

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

It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.

It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

The feared thing of the wicked it meeteth him, And the desire of the righteous is given.

As the whirlwind passeth, 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 hope of the righteous is joy; but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

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

The righteous to the age is not moved, And the wicked inhabit not the earth.

The mouth of the righteous uttereth wisdom, And the tongue of frowardness is cut out.

The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

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

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

Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath,
but righteousness rescues from death.

When an ungodly man dieth, his hope is gone; the confidence of riches shall perish.

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

Through the mouth of the dissembler is his neighbour destroyed; but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.

When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: 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 despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.

A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

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

He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure.

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

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

The wicked is getting a lying wage, And whoso is sowing righteousness -- a true reward.

As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.

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

Hand to hand, the wicked is not acquitted, And the seed of the righteous hath escaped.

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

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

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

A liberal soul is made fat, And whoso is watering, he also is watered.