For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,

For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,

For giving to simple ones -- prudence, To a youth -- knowledge and discretion.

For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

you shall throw your lot in our midst, there will be one purse for all of us."

For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

For in vain is the net spread In the sight of any bird:

And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
Greed takes away the lives of its possessors.

How long, ye simple, will ye love simplicity? and mockers delight to mock for them, and the foolish hate knowledge?

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;
they will search for me, but won’t find me.

For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

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

For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

So that your ear is attentive to [skillful and godly] wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding [seeking it conscientiously and striving for it eagerly];

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

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.

For wisdom shall enter into thy heart, And knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;

those who are happy to do evil, [for] they delight in [the] deviousness of evil,

For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

Put all your hope in God, not looking to your reason for support.

Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

it shall be health for thy navel, and moisture for thy bones.

For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

She is more precious than rubies;
And nothing you can wish for compares with her [in value].

She is a tree of life for those who seize her; those who take hold of her are considered happy.

They shall be life for your soul and adornment for your neck.

Then you will go safely on your way, and your feet will have no cause for slipping.

When you take your rest you will have no fear, and on your bed sleep will be sweet to you.

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Don’t plan any harm against your neighbor,
for he trusts you and lives near you.

Do not quarrel with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.

For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

As for the scornful, he shall laugh them to scorn, but he shall give grace unto the lowly.

The wise will have glory for their heritage, but shame will be the reward of the foolish.

For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

“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].

She will give a garland for your head; she shall bestow a crown of glory upon you."

Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way.

For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

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

Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

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

My son, be attentive to my wisdom [godly wisdom learned by costly experience],
Incline your ear to my understanding;

That thou mayest preserve discretion, - and, as for knowledge, that thy lips may guard it.

For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

Her feet go down to death;
her steps head straight for Sheol.

Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

For fear that you may give your honour to others, and your wealth to strange men:

For I did not obey my teachers and I did not heed my instructors.

Let them be for thyself alone, And not for strangers with thee.

For why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

He shall die for lack of instruction; And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

Do this now, my son, and be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and strengthen thy friend,

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands for rest--

A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;

For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

Don’t lust in your heart for her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyelashes.

For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

So it is with him who goes in to his neighbour's wife; he who has anything to do with her will not go free from punishment.

They will not despise a thief if he shall steal to fill up his soul; for he will be hungry.

For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

My son, keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you [so they are readily available to guide you].

For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.

So I came out to meet you,
to search for you, and I’ve found you.

For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

The bag of money he took in his hand, for [on] the day of the full moon he will come home."

With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

He went after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as stocks serve for the correction of the fool;

Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

“Take my instruction rather than [seeking] silver,
And take knowledge rather than choicest gold,

For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.