(The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)

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

Fear of Jehovah is a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!

If they say, 'Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,

We swallow them as Sheol -- alive, And whole -- as those going down to the pit,

Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is -- to all of us.'

Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.

Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,

When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.

And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And is quiet from fear of evil!'

If thou dost seek her as silver, And as hid treasures searchest for her,

For wisdom cometh into thy heart, And knowledge to thy soul is pleasant,

Whose paths are crooked, Yea, they are perverted in their ways.

Who is forsaking the guide of her youth, And the covenant of her God hath forgotten.

Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.

Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.

For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.

For better is her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold -- her increase.

Precious she is above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her.

Length of days is in her right hand, In her left are wealth and honour.

A tree of life she is to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her is happy.

For Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.

Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand is toward God to do it.

For an abomination to Jehovah is the perverted, And with the upright is His secret counsel.

The curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth.

Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!

The first thing is wisdom -- get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.

In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.

Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she is thy life.

And the path of the righteous is as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,

The way of the wicked is as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.

For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And smoother than oil is her mouth,

And her latter end is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a sword with mouths.

As a little thing I have been all evil, In the midst of an assembly and a company.

For over-against the eyes of Jehovah are the ways of each, And all his paths He is pondering.

His own iniquities do capture the wicked, And with the ropes of his sin he is holden.

Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.

Go unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise;

And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.

Frowardness is in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth.

Therefore suddenly cometh his calamity, Instantly he is broken -- and no healing.

For a lamp is the command, And the law a light, And a way of life are reproofs of instruction,

So is he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent.

They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry,

He who committeth adultery with a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it.

A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away,

For jealousy is the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance.

Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of thine eye.

Noisy she is, and stubborn, In her house her feet rest not.

For the man is not in his house, He hath gone on a long journey.

He is going after her straightway, As an ox unto the slaughter he cometh, And as a fetter unto the chastisement of a fool,

Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it is for its life.

Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice is unto the sons of men.

Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips is uprightness.

For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips is wickedness.

In righteousness are all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.

For better is wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.

The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.

Mine is counsel and substance, I am understanding, I have might.

Better is my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.

Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.

For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!

Who is simple? let him turn aside hither.' Whoso lacketh heart: she hath said to him,

The instructor of a scorner Is receiving for it -- shame, And a reprover of the wicked -- his blemish.

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee, Give reproof to the wise, and he loveth thee.

Give to the wise, and he is wiser still, Make known to the righteous, And he increaseth learning.

The commencement of wisdom is the fear of Jehovah, And a knowledge of the Holy Ones is understanding.

If thou hast been wise, thou hast been wise for thyself, And thou hast scorned -- thyself bearest it.

A foolish woman is noisy, Simple, and hath not known what.

Who is simple? let him turn aside hither.' And whoso lacketh heart -- she said to him,

'Stolen waters are sweet, And hidden bread is pleasant.'

Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son causeth a father to rejoice, And a foolish son is an affliction to his mother.

Poor is he who is working -- a slothful hand, And the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Whoso is gathering in summer is a wise son, Whoso is sleeping in harvest is a son causing shame.

The remembrance of the righteous is for a blessing, And the name of the wicked doth rot.

The wise in heart accepteth commands, And a talkative fool kicketh.

Whoso is walking in integrity walketh confidently, And whoso is perverting his ways is known.

Whoso is winking the eye giveth grief, And a talkative fool kicketh.

A fountain of life is the mouth of the righteous, And the mouth of the wicked cover doth violence.

In the lips of the intelligent is wisdom found, And a rod is for the back of him who is lacking understanding.

The wise lay up knowledge, and the mouth of a fool is near ruin.

The wealth of the rich is his strong city, The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

The wage of the righteous is for life, The increase of the wicked for sin.

A traveller to life is he who is keeping instruction, And whoso is forsaking rebuke is erring.

Whoso is covering hatred with lying lips, And whoso is bringing out an evil report is a fool.

In the abundance of words transgression ceaseth not, And whoso is restraining his lips is wise.

The tongue of the righteous is chosen silver, The heart of the wicked -- as a little thing.

To execute inventions is as play to a fool, And wisdom to a man of understanding.

The feared thing of the wicked it meeteth him, And the desire of the righteous is given.

As the passing by of a hurricane, So the wicked is not, And the righteous is a foundation age-during.

As vinegar to the teeth, And as smoke to the eyes, So is the slothful to those sending him.

The hope of the righteous is joyful, And the expectation of the wicked perisheth.

The way of Jehovah is strength to the perfect, And ruin to workers of iniquity.

The righteous to the age is not moved, And the wicked inhabit not the earth.

The mouth of the righteous uttereth wisdom, And the tongue of frowardness is cut out.

Balances of deceit are an abomination to Jehovah, And a perfect weight is His delight.

Pride hath come, and shame cometh, And with the lowly is wisdom.

The righteous from distress is drawn out, And the wicked goeth in instead of him.

In the good of the righteous a city exulteth, And in the destruction of the wicked is singing.