Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death;

They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.

If you are looking for her as for silver, and searching for her as for stored-up wealth;

Have no envy of the violent man, or take any of his ways as an example.

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

As a loving hind and a gentle doe, let her breasts ever give you rapture; let your passion at all times be moved by her love.

You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.

But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house.

Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;

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

Then I was by his side, as a master workman: and I was his delight from day to day, playing before him at all times;

Like acid drink to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes, so is the hater of work to those who send him.

A man may be acting as if he had wealth, but have nothing; another may seem poor, but have great wealth.

The property of a man of wealth is his strong town, and it is as a high wall in the thoughts of his heart.

Twisted is the way of him who is full of crime; but as for him whose heart is clean, his work is upright.

The evil-doer will be given as a price for the life of the good man, and the worker of deceit in the place of the upright.

The evil-doer makes his face hard, but as for the upright, he gives thought to his way.

For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.

Say not, I will do to him as he has done to me; I will give the man the reward of his work.

As the cold of snow in the time of grain-cutting, so is a true servant to those who send him; for he gives new life to the soul of his master.

As clouds and wind without rain, so is one who takes credit for an offering he has not given.

If you have honey, take only as much as is enough for you; for fear that, being full of it, you may not be able to keep it down.

As the north wind gives birth to rain, so is an angry face caused by a tongue saying evil secretly.

As cold water to a tired soul, so is good news from a far country.

As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.

A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.

As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,

He who gives a blessing to his friend with a loud voice, getting up early in the morning, will have it put to his account as a curse.

Those who have no respect for the law give praise to the evil-doer; but such as keep the law are against him.

As for the man whose ear is turned away from hearing the law, even his prayer is disgusting.

He who takes from his father or his mother what is theirs by right, and says, It is no sin; is the same as a taker of life.