for they will be a garland of grace on your head
and a gold chain around your neck.

My son, if sinners entice you,
don’t be persuaded.

they will eat the fruit of their way
and be glutted with their own schemes.

But whoever listens to me will live securely
and be free from the fear of danger.”

but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous uprooted from it.

Don’t consider yourself to be wise;
fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

This will be healing for your body
and strengthening for your bones.

then your barns will be completely filled,
and your vats will overflow with new wine.

The Lord founded the earth by wisdom
and established the heavens by understanding.

By His knowledge the watery depths broke open,
and the clouds dripped with dew.

They will be life for you
and adornment for your neck.

When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
you will lie down, and your sleep will be pleasant.

for the Lord will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from a snare.

Listen, my sons, to a father’s discipline,
and pay attention so that you may gain understanding,

When you walk, your steps will not be hindered;
when you run, you will not stumble.

Avoid it; don’t travel on it.
Turn away from it, and pass it by.

My son, pay attention to my words;
listen closely to my sayings.

Carefully consider the path for your feet,
and all your ways will be established.

My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen closely to my understanding

They should be for you alone
and not for you to share with strangers.

Let your fountain be blessed,
and take pleasure in the wife of your youth.

A loving doe, a graceful fawn—
let her breasts always satisfy you;
be lost in her love forever.

Why, my son, would you be infatuated
with a forbidden woman
or embrace the breast of a stranger?

He will die because there is no discipline,
and be lost because of his great stupidity.

you have been trapped by the words of your lips—
ensnared by the words of your mouth.

Therefore calamity will strike him suddenly;
he will be shattered instantly—beyond recovery.

Can a man embrace fire
and his clothes not be burned?

Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much;
he must give up all the wealth in his house.

He will get a beating and dishonor,
and his disgrace will never be removed.

He will not be appeased by anything
or be persuaded by lavish gifts.

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Now, my sons, listen to me,
and pay attention to the words of my mouth.

Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced;
develop common sense, you who are foolish.

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

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

Listen to instruction and be wise;
don’t ignore it.

Anyone who listens to me is happy,
watching at my doors every day,
waiting by the posts of my doorway.

Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man, and he will learn more.

For by Wisdom your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.

She sits by the doorway of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,

calling to those who pass by,
who go straight ahead on their paths:

A wise heart accepts commands,
but foolish lips will be destroyed.

The one who lives with integrity lives securely,
but whoever perverts his ways will be found out.

A sly wink of the eye causes grief,
and foolish lips will be destroyed.

What the wicked dreads will come to him,
but what the righteous desire will be given to them.

The righteous will never be shaken,
but the wicked will not remain on the earth.

The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom,
but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

The righteousness of the upright rescues them,
but the treacherous are trapped by their own desires.

A city is built up by the blessing of the upright,
but it is torn down by the mouth of the wicked.

Be assured that the wicked
will not go unpunished,
but the offspring of the righteous will escape.

A generous person will be enriched,
and the one who gives a drink of water
will receive water.

The one who brings ruin on his household
will inherit the wind,
and a fool will be a slave
to someone whose heart is wise.

If the righteous will be repaid on earth,
how much more the wicked and sinful.

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Man cannot be made secure by wickedness,
but the root of the righteous is immovable.

Better to be dishonored, yet have a servant,
than to act important but have no food.

An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech,
but a righteous one escapes from trouble.

A man will be satisfied with good
by the words of his mouth,
and the work of a man’s hands will reward him.

One man pretends to be rich but has nothing;
another pretends to be poor but has great wealth.

Arrogance leads to nothing but strife,
but wisdom is gained by those who take advice.

Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle,
but whoever earns it through labor will multiply it.

The one who has contempt for instruction will pay the penalty,
but the one who respects a command will be rewarded.

Poverty and disgrace come to those
who ignore discipline,
but the one who accepts correction will be honored.

The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will stand.

Even in laughter a heart may be sad,
and joy may end in grief.

The evil bow before those who are good,
the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.

A poor man is hated even by his neighbor,
but there are many who love the rich.

The one who despises his neighbor sins,
but whoever shows kindness to the poor will be happy.

The wicked one is thrown down by his own sin,
but the righteous one has a refuge in his death.

One who listens to life-giving rebukes
will be at home among the wise.

Commit your activities to the Lord,
and your plans will be achieved.

Everyone with a proud heart is detestable to the Lord;
be assured, he will not go unpunished.

Wickedness is atoned for by loyalty and faithfulness,
and one turns from evil by the fear of the Lord.

When a man’s ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Better to be lowly of spirit with the humble
than to divide plunder with the proud.

The one who understands a matter finds success,
and the one who trusts in the Lord will be happy.

An evil man seeks only rebellion;
a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

It is not good to show partiality to the guilty
by perverting the justice due the innocent.

A man with many friends may be harmed,
but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.

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Discipline your son while there is hope;
don’t be intent on killing him.

Listen to counsel and receive instruction
so that you may be wise later in life.

What is desirable in a man is his fidelity;
better to be a poor man than a liar.

The one who lives with integrity is righteous;
his children who come after him will be happy.

Even a young man is known by his actions—
if his behavior is pure and upright.

Food gained by fraud is sweet to a man,
but afterward his mouth is full of gravel.

An inheritance gained prematurely
will not be blessed ultimately.

A man’s steps are determined by the Lord,
so how can anyone understand his own way?

The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
will himself also call out and not be answered.

A good name is to be chosen over great wealth;
favor is better than silver and gold.

The one who sows injustice will reap disaster,
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

A generous person will be blessed,
for he shares his food with the poor.

The slacker says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed in the public square!”

The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit;
a man cursed by the Lord will fall into it.

Listen closely, pay attention to the words of the wise,
and apply your mind to my knowledge.

I have instructed you today—even you—
so that your confidence may be in the Lord.

Don’t make friends with an angry man,
and don’t be a companion of a hot-tempered man,

Don’t be one of those who enter agreements,
who put up security for loans.

If you have no money to pay,
even your bed will be taken from under you.

Don’t let your heart envy sinners;
instead, always fear the Lord.

Listen, my son, and be wise;
keep your mind on the right course.

Buy—and do not sell—truth,
wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

You’ll be like someone sleeping out at sea
or lying down on the top of a ship’s mast.