For they shalt be an ornament of grace to thy head, and chains about thy neck.

Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

Surely in vain the net is 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 every one that is greedy of gain; who taketh away the life of its owners.

Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools 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.

Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

But whoever hearkeneth to me shall dwell in safety, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

When wisdom entereth into thy heart, and knowledge is pleasant to thy soul;

Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;

Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:

That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

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

So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the LORD with all thy heart; and lean not to thy own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct thy paths.

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

So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

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

Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor.

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: but thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

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

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

Say not to thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

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

Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.

She shall give to thy head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

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

Let them not depart from thy eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.

Let thy eyes look right on, and let thy eyelids look straight before thee.

Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labors be in the house of a stranger;

And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

Drink waters out of thy own cistern, and running waters out of thy own well.

Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

Let them be only thy own, and not for strangers with thee.

His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be held with the cords of his sins.

He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

Provideth her provisions in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth, and thy want as an armed man.

Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

These six things doth the LORD hate: yes, seven are an abomination to him:

A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

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

Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

So he that goeth in to his neighbor's wife; whoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

Men do not despise a thief, if he stealeth to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

But whoever committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

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

In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to him,

He goeth after her quickly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

She standeth on the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.

O ye simple, understand wisdom: and ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

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

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.

I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment.

The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:

When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:

When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;

Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

Whoever is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

To call passengers who go right on their ways:

Whoever is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.

In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that restraineth his lips is wise.