These proverbs are for gaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;

Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head
And ornaments about your neck.

Let us engulf them, like hades, alive, While in health, like them who are going down to the pit;

We will find and take all kinds of precious possessions,
We will fill our houses with spoil;

For their feet run to evil, and are hasty to shed blood.

But [when these people set a trap for others] they lie in wait for their own blood;
They set an ambush for their own lives [and rush to their destruction].

So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence;
It takes away the life of its possessors.

Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:

You have ignored all my counsel, and my reproof you are not willing [to accept].

And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.

Truly, if you are crying out for good sense, and your request is for knowledge;

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

He stores away sound wisdom for the righteous [those who are in right standing with Him];
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity [those of honorable character and moral courage],

He keeps watch on the ways which are right, and takes care of those who have the fear of him.

Then you will understand righteousness and justice [in every circumstance]
And integrity and every good path.

To keep you from the way of evil and the evil man,
From the man who speaks perverse things;

Who are forsaking paths of uprightness, To walk in ways of darkness,

Who are rejoicing to do evil, They delight in frowardness of the wicked,

Whose paths are crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;

for her house sinks to death, and to the dead are her paths.

So that you will walk on the road of those who are good, and the paths of those who are righteous you shall keep.

For the upright do inhabit the earth, And the perfect are left in it,

And the wicked from the earth are cut off, And treacherous dealers plucked out of it!

And filled are thy barns with plenty, And with new wine thy presses break forth.

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD, neither faint when thou are rebuked of him.

For to those who are dear to him the Lord says sharp words, and makes the son in whom he has delight undergo pain.

Wisdom is more worth than precious stones, and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.

Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.

By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

For the devious are an abomination to the Lord;
But He is intimate with the upright.

With those who scorn, he is scornful, but to those who are humble, he gives favor.

Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!

For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life are multiplied to thee.

Do not enter the path of the wicked or walk in the way of those who are evil.

For they cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.

But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness, and they do not know what they are stumbling over.

For they are life to those who find them
And health to all their body.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways are established.

For the lips of a harlot are a dropping honeycomb, and her throat is softer than oil.

Her feet are going down to death, Sheol do her steps take hold of.

She does not ponder the path of life;
Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.

And you groan at your final end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;

They should be for you alone and not for strangers who are with you.

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He watches all his paths.

My son, if you are surety for your friend, if you struck your palms with a stranger,

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

deceits are in his heart; he deviseth mischief at all times, he soweth discords.

There are six things which the Lord hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:

Eyes that are lofty, a tongue that is false, and hands shedding innocent blood;

A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;

In your walking, it will be your guide; when you are sleeping, it will keep watch over you; when you are awake, it will have talk with you.

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light;
And reproofs for discipline are the way of life

Doth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt?

Doth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched?

He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend;

So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.

Sacrifices of peace-offerings are by me, To-day I have completed my vows.

Come, we are filled with loves till the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.

For many are the victims she has cast down,
And numerous are all her slain.

Her houses are the way to hell, where men go down into the chambers of death.

You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment!

Give ear, for my words are true, and my lips are open to give out what is upright.

For good faith goes out of my mouth, and false lips are disgusting to me.

“All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.

“They are all straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.

For wisdom is better than jewels, and all things which may be desired are nothing in comparison with her.

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.

Wise design and good sense are mine; reason and strength are mine.

Through me chiefs have authority, and the noble ones are judging in righteousness.

Those who have given me their love are loved by me, and those who make search for me with care will get me.

“Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring wealth and righteousness.

I walk on the way of righteousness, along paths that are just,

Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights are with the sons of men.

“Now therefore, O sons, listen to me,
For blessed are they who keep my ways.

But he who does evil to me, does wrong to his soul: all my haters are in love with death.

For by me do thy days multiply, And added to thee are years of life.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

Calling to those who pass by,
Who are making their paths straight:

"Stolen waters are sweet, and the bread that is privily eaten, hath a good taste."

But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Treasures that are wickedly gotten, profit nothing; but righteousness delivereth from death.

Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

He whose ways are upright will go safely, but he whose ways are twisted will be made low.

Those who wink their eyes are trouble makers, and the mocking fool will be brought down.

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

On the lips of the discerning, [skillful and godly] wisdom is found,
But discipline and the rod are for the back of the one who is without common sense and understanding.

Those who are wise store up knowledge, but when the fool speaks, destruction is near.

The rich man's goods are his stronghold; but poverty oppresseth the poor.

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.

What the righteous person says is like precious silver; the thoughts of the wicked are compared to small things.

The thing that the ungodly are afraid of, shall come upon them; but the righteous shall have their desire.

When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

The fear of Jehovah addeth days, And the years of the wicked are shortened.

The hope of the righteous [those of honorable character and integrity] is joy,
But the expectation of the wicked [those who oppose God and ignore His wisdom] comes to nothing.