“But whoever listens to me (Wisdom) will live securely and in confident trust
And will be at ease, without fear or dread of evil.”

Then you will understand the [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome]
And discover the knowledge of God.

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

Who leaves the companion (husband) of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God.

So you will walk in the way of good men [that is, those of personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character],
And keep to the paths of the righteous.

For the upright [those who are in right standing with God] will live in the land
And those [of integrity] who are blameless [in God’s sight] will remain in it;

But the wicked will be cut off from the land
And the treacherous shall be [forcibly] uprooted and removed from it.

So find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God’s word and life’s experiences],

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due [its rightful recipients],
When it is in your power to do it.

The wise will inherit honor and glory,
But dishonor and shame is conferred on fools.

For I give you good doctrine;
Do not turn away from my instruction.

“Get [skillful and godly] wisdom! Acquire understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

“The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]!
And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation].

I have instructed you in the way of [skillful and godly] wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.

And strangers will be filled with your strength
And your hard-earned wealth will go to the house of a foreigner [who does not know God];

My son, be guided by your father’s [God-given] commandment (instruction)
And do not reject the teaching of your mother;

When you walk about, they (the godly teachings of your parents) will guide you;
When you sleep, they will keep watch over you;
And when you awake, they will talk to you.

Wounds and disgrace he will find,
And his reproach (blame) will not be blotted out.

And among the naive [the inexperienced and gullible],
I saw among the youths
A young man lacking [good] sense,

“All the words of my mouth are in righteousness (upright, in right standing with God);
There is nothing contrary to truth or perverted (crooked) in them.

“I, [godly] wisdom, reside with prudence [good judgment, moral courage and astute common sense],
And I find knowledge and discretion.

“Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring wealth and righteousness (right standing with God).

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

Give instruction to a wise man and he will become even wiser;
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

For by me (wisdom from God) your days will be multiplied,
And years of life shall be increased.

Blessings are on the head of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God],
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

The wages of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God] is [a worthwhile, meaningful] life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.

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

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.

The mouth of the righteous flows with [skillful and godly] wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.

Riches will not provide security in the day of wrath and judgment,
But righteousness rescues from death.

By the blessing [of the influence] of the upright the city is exalted,
But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.

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

He who is steadfast in righteousness attains life,
But he who pursues evil attains his own death.

The desire of the righteous brings only good,
But the expectation of the wicked brings wrath.

The people curse him who holds back grain [when the public needs it],
But a blessing [from God and man] is upon the head of him who sells it.

He who diligently seeks good seeks favor and grace,
But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

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 good man will obtain favor from the Lord,
But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

A man will be commended according to his insight and sound judgment,
But the one who is of a perverse mind will be despised.

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 speaks truth [when he testifies] tells what is right,
But a false witness utters deceit [in court].

From the fruit of his mouth a [wise] man enjoys good,
But the desire of the treacherous is for violence.

Whoever despises the word and counsel [of God] brings destruction upon himself,
But he who [reverently] fears and respects the commandment [of God] will be rewarded.

Good understanding wins favor [from others],
But the way of the unfaithful is hard [like barren, dry soil].

Adversity pursues sinners,
But the [consistently] upright will be rewarded with prosperity.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for [the hands of] the righteous.

The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,
But the foolishness of [shortsighted] fools is deceit.

Fools mock sin [but sin mocks the fools],
But among the upright there is good will and the favor and blessing of God.

The backslider in heart will have his fill with his own [rotten] ways,
But a good man will be satisfied with his ways [the godly thought and action which his heart pursues and in which he delights].

The evil will bow down before the good,
And the wicked [will bow down] at the gates of the righteous.

He who despises his neighbor sins [against God and his fellow man],
But happy [blessed and favored by God] is he who is gracious and merciful to the poor.

Do they not go astray who devise evil and wander from the way of righteousness?
But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Watching the evil and the good [in all their endeavors].

There is severe discipline for him who turns from the way [of righteousness];
And he who hates correction will die.

A man has joy in giving an appropriate answer,
And how good and delightful is a word spoken at the right moment—how good it is!

The light of the eyes rejoices the hearts of others,
And good news puts fat on the bones.

By mercy and lovingkindness and truth [not superficial ritual] wickedness is cleansed from the heart,
And by the fear of the Lord one avoids evil.

Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income [gained] with injustice.

It is repulsive [to God and man] for kings to behave wickedly,
For a throne is established on righteousness (right standing with God).

How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

He who pays attention to the word [of God] will find good,
And blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who trusts [confidently] in the Lord.

A violent and exceedingly covetous man entices his neighbor [to sin],
And leads him in a way that is not good.

Whoever returns evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.

A man lacking common sense gives a pledge
And becomes guarantor [for the debt of another] in the presence of his neighbor.

He who loves transgression loves strife and is quarrelsome;
He who [proudly] raises his gate seeks destruction [because of his arrogant pride].

He who has a crooked mind finds no good,
And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil.

A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing,
But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

It is also not good to fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

He who [willfully] separates himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire,
He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

When the wicked man comes [to the depth of evil], contempt [of all that is pure and good] also comes,
And with inner baseness (dishonor) comes outer shame (scorn).

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

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous runs to it and is safe and set on high [far above evil].

A man’s stomach will be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth;
He will be satisfied with the consequence of his words.

He who finds a [true and faithful] wife finds a good thing
And obtains favor and approval from the Lord.

Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,
And he who hurries with his feet [acting impulsively and proceeding without caution or analyzing the consequences] sins (misses the mark).

He who gains wisdom and good sense loves (preserves) his own soul;
He who keeps understanding will find good and prosper.

Good sense and discretion make a man slow to anger,
And it is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment].

Plans are established by counsel;
So make war [only] with wise guidance.

Differing weights are detestable and offensive to the Lord,
And fraudulent scales are not good.

A wise king sifts out the wicked [from among the good]
And drives the [threshing] wheel over them [to separate the chaff from the grain].

The spirit (conscience) of man is the lamp of the Lord,
Searching and examining all the innermost parts of his being.

Haughty and arrogant eyes and a proud heart,
The lamp of the wicked [their self-centered pride], is sin [in the eyes of God].

When the scoffer is punished, the naive [observes the lesson and] becomes wise;
But when the wise and teachable person is instructed, he receives knowledge.

When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous (the upright, the one in right standing with God),
But to the evildoers it is disaster.

The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
And the treacherous in the place of the upright [for they fall into their own traps].

He who earnestly seeks righteousness and loyalty
Finds life, righteousness, and honor.

A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches;
And favor is better than silver and gold.

He who oppresses or exploits the poor to get more for himself
Or who gives to the rich [to gain influence and favor], will only come to poverty.

Do not rob the poor because he is poor [and defenseless],
Nor crush the afflicted [by legal proceedings] at the gate [where the city court is held],

Or you will learn his [undisciplined] ways
And get yourself trapped [in a situation from which it is hard to escape].

Surely there is a future [and a reward],
And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.

Buy truth, and do not sell it;
Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who sires a wise child will have joy in him.

Through [skillful and godly] wisdom a house [a life, a home, a family] is built,
And by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation],

Wisdom is too exalted for a [hardened, arrogant] fool;
He does not open his mouth in the gate [where the city’s rulers sit in judgment].

My son, eat honey, because it is good,
And the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.

Know that [skillful and godly] wisdom is [so very good] for your life and soul;
If you find wisdom, then there will be a future and a reward,
And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.