The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.

For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.

If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;

For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.

And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.

So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;

When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.

Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:

For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to 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 back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.

But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.

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;

Then the fear of the Lord will be clear to you, and knowledge of God will be yours.

For the Lord gives wisdom; out of his mouth come knowledge and reason:

He has salvation stored up for the upright, he is a breastplate to those in whom there is no evil;

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

For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul;

For her house is on the way down to death; her footsteps go down to the shades:

For the upright will be living in the land, and the good will have it for their heritage.

For they will give you increase of days, years of life, and peace.

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

Put no high value on your wisdom: let the fear of the Lord be before you, and keep yourself from evil:

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

For trading in it is better than trading in silver, and its profit greater than bright gold.

She is of more value than jewels, and nothing for which you may have a desire is fair in comparison with her.

So they will be life for your soul, and grace 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.

Have no fear of sudden danger, or of the storm which will come on evil-doers:

For the Lord will be your hope, and will keep your foot from being taken in the net.

Do not make evil designs against your neighbour, when he is living with you without fear.

Do not take up a cause at law against a man for nothing, if he has done you no wrong.

For the wrong-hearted man is hated by the Lord, but he is a friend to the upright.

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

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

For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother.

Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life.

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

For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.

For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.

Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you.

For honey is dropping from the lips of the strange woman, and her mouth is smoother than oil;

Go far away from her, do not come near the door of her house;

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

Let them be for yourself only, not for other men with you.

For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he puts all his goings in the scales.

He will come to his end for need of teaching; he is so foolish that he will go wandering from the right way.

My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,

Do this, my son, and make yourself free, because you have come into the power of your neighbour; go without waiting, and make a strong request to your neighbour.

Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her.

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 rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life.

Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.

For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life.

May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?

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.

For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy.

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

So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.

For the master of the house is away on a long journey:

With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.

For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.

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.

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.

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

So that I may give my lovers wealth for their heritage, making their store-houses full.

Give ear to me then, my sons: for happy are those who keep my ways.

For whoever gets me gets life, and grace from the Lord will come to him.

He who gives teaching to a man of pride gets shame for himself; he who says sharp words to a sinner gets a bad name.

Do not say sharp words to a man of pride, or he will have hate for you; make them clear to a wise man, and you will be dear to him.

The fear of the Lord is the start of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One gives a wise mind

For by me your days will be increased, and the years of your life will be long.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if your heart is full of pride, you only will have the pain of it.

The Lord will not let the upright be in need of food, but he puts far from him the desire of the evil-doers.

In the lips of him who has knowledge wisdom is seen; but a rod is ready for the back of him who is without sense.

The lips of the upright man give food to men, but the foolish come to death for need of sense.

When the storm-wind is past, the sinner is seen no longer, but the upright man is safe for ever.

The fear of the Lord gives long life, but the years of the evil-doer will be cut short.

The way of the Lord is a strong tower for the upright man, but destruction to the workers of evil.

When things go well for the upright man, all the town is glad; at the death of sinners, there are cries of joy.

He who makes himself responsible for a strange man will undergo much loss; but the hater of such undertakings will be safe.

So righteousness gives life; but he who goes after evil gets death for himself.

Certainly the evil-doer will not go free from punishment, but the seed of the upright man will be safe.

The desire of the upright man is only for good, but wrath is waiting for the evil-doer.

He who keeps back grain will be cursed by the people; but a blessing will be on the head of him who lets them have it for a price.

He who, with all his heart, goes after what is good is searching for grace; but he who is looking for trouble will get it.

The troubler of his house will have the wind for his heritage, and the foolish will be servant to the wise-hearted.

The words of sinners are destruction for the upright; but the mouth of upright men is their salvation.

An upright man has thought for the life of his beast, but the hearts of evil-doers are cruel.

The resting-place of the sinner will come to destruction, but the root of upright men is for ever.

True lips are certain for ever, but a false tongue is only for a minute.

Deceit is in the heart of those whose designs are evil, but for those purposing peace there is joy.

A man will get good from the fruit of his lips, but the desire of the false is for violent acts.

A man will give his wealth in exchange for his life; but the poor will not give ear to sharp words.

There is a glad dawn for the upright man, but the light of the sinner will be put out.