Let us swallow them alive like Sheol (the place of the dead),
Even whole, as those who go down to the pit [of death];

And you treated all my counsel as nothing
And would not accept my reprimand,

When your dread and panic come like a storm,
And your disaster comes like a whirlwind,
When anxiety and distress come upon you [as retribution].

If you seek skillful and godly wisdom as you would silver
And search for her as you would hidden treasures;

For those whom the Lord loves He corrects,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey [like a honeycomb]
And her speech is smoother than oil;

But in the end she is bitter like [the extract of] wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.

Should your springs (children) be dispersed,
As streams of water in the streets?

Let her be as a loving hind and graceful doe,
Let her breasts refresh and satisfy you at all times;
Always be exhilarated and delight in her love.

Tear yourself away like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter
And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

For on account of a prostitute one is reduced to a piece of bread [to be eaten up],
And the immoral woman hunts [with a hook] the precious life [of a man].

Keep my commandments and live,
And keep my teaching and law as the apple of your eye.

Say to [skillful and godly] wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And regard understanding and intelligent insight as your intimate friends;

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

While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,
Or the first of the dust of the earth.

Then I was beside Him, as a master craftsman;
And I was daily His delight;
Rejoicing before Him always,

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

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

The tongue of the righteous is like precious silver (greatly valued);
The heart of the wicked is worth little.

Engaging in evil is like sport to the fool [who refuses wisdom and chases sin],
But to a man of understanding [skillful and godly] wisdom brings joy.

Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him to work.

He who goes about as a gossip reveals secrets,
But he who is trustworthy and faithful keeps a matter hidden.

The perverse in heart are repulsive and shamefully vile to the Lord,
But those who are blameless and above reproach in their walk are His delight!

As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,
So is a beautiful woman who is without discretion [her lack of character mocks her beauty].

The fruit of the [consistently] righteous is a tree of life,
And he who is wise captures and wins souls [for God—he gathers them for eternity].

A virtuous and excellent wife [worthy of honor] is the crown of her husband,
But she who shames him [with her foolishness] is like rottenness in his bones.

A man will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words,
And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him [as a harvest].

He who walks [as a companion] with wise men will be wise,
But the companions of [conceited, dull-witted] fools [are fools themselves and] will experience harm.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain];
But the hearts of [shortsighted] fools are not so.

The wrath of a king is like a messenger of death,
But a wise man will appease it.

In the light of the king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud bringing the spring rain.

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweet and delightful to the soul and healing to the body.

A worthless man devises and digs up evil,
And the words on his lips are like a scorching fire.

He who [slyly] winks his eyes does so to plot perverse things;
And he who compresses his lips [as if in a secret signal] brings evil to pass.

A bribe is like a bright, precious stone in the eyes of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.

The beginning of strife is like letting out water [as from a small break in a dam; first it trickles and then it gushes];
Therefore abandon the quarrel before it breaks out and tempers explode.

A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.

To show respect to the wicked person is not good,
Nor to push aside and deprive the righteous of justice.

The words of a whisperer (gossip) are like dainty morsels [to be greedily eaten];
They go down into the innermost chambers of the body [to be remembered and mused upon].

The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall [of protection] in his own imagination and conceit.

The king’s wrath terrifies like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is as [refreshing and nourishing as] dew on the grass.

The lazy man buries his hand in the [food] dish,
But will not even bring it to his mouth again.

The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
Whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

He who goes about as a gossip reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with a gossip [who talks freely or flatters].

The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He turns it whichever way He wishes.

The way of the guilty is [exceedingly] crooked,
But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.

A wicked man puts on a bold face,
But as for the upright, he considers, directs, and establishes his way [with the confidence of integrity].

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior—one who manipulates].
He says to you, “Eat and drink,”
Yet his heart is not with you [but it is begrudging the cost].

She lurks and lies in wait like a robber [who waits for prey],
And she increases the faithless among men.

And you will be [as unsteady] as one who lies down in the middle of the sea,
And [as vulnerable to disaster] as one who lies down on the top of a ship’s mast, saying,

“They struck me, but I was not hurt!
They beat me, but I did not feel it!
When will I wake up?
I will seek more wine.”

Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;

Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will pay the man back for his deed.”

Then your poverty will come as a robber,
And your want like an armed man.

As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the hearts and minds of kings are unsearchable.

Have you found [pleasure sweet like] honey? Eat only as much as you need,
Otherwise, being filled excessively, you vomit it.

Like a dog that returns to his vomit
Is a fool who repeats his foolishness.

As the door turns on its hinges,
So does the lazy person on his bed [never getting out of it].

Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,
That I may reply to him who reproaches (reprimands, criticizes) me.

He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning,
It will be counted as a curse to him [for it will either be annoying or his purpose will be suspect].

Whoever attempts to restrain her [criticism] might as well try to stop the wind,
And grasps oil with his right hand.

As in water face reflects face,
So the heart of man reflects man.

The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold [to separate the impurities of the metal],
And each is tested by the praise given to him [and his response to it, whether humble or proud].

The wicked flee when no one pursues them,
But the righteous are as bold as a lion.

He who robs his father or his mother
And says, “This is no sin,”
Is [not only a thief but also] the companion of a man who destroys.

Surely I am more brutish and stupid than any man,
And I do not have the understanding of a man [for I do not know what I do not know].

There is a generation (class of people) whose teeth are like swords
And whose jaw teeth are like knives,
To devour the afflicted from the earth
And the needy from among men.

Give strong drink [as medicine] to him who is ready to pass away,
And wine to him whose life is bitter.

She comforts, encourages, and does him only good and not evil
All the days of her life.

She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry.
Her clothing is linen, pure and fine, and purple [wool].