But [when these people set a trap for others] they lie in wait for their own blood;
They set an ambush for their own lives [and rush to their destruction].

“Because I called and you refused [to answer],
I stretched out my hand and no one has paid attention [to my offer];

To keep you from the way of evil and the evil man,
From the man who speaks perverse things;

From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;

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;

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 quarrel with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.

Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.

Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not go the way of evil men.

For the ways of man are directly before the eyes of the Lord,
And He carefully watches all of his paths [all of his comings and goings].

The iniquities done by a wicked man will trap him,
And he will be held with the cords of his sin.

So your poverty will come like an approaching prowler who walks [slowly, but surely]
And your need [will come] like an armed man [making you helpless].

A worthless person, a wicked man,
Is one who walks with a perverse (corrupt, vulgar) mouth.

For on account of a prostitute one is reduced to a piece of bread [to be eaten up],
And the immoral woman hunts [with a hook] the precious life [of a man].

Can a man take fire to his chest
And his clothes not be burned?

People do not despise a thief if he steals
To satisfy himself when he is hungry;

For jealousy enrages the [wronged] husband;
He will not spare [the guilty one] on the day of vengeance.

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

In the twilight, in the evening;
In the black and dark night.

“For my husband is not at home.
He has gone on a long journey;

He has taken a bag of money with him,
And he will come home on the appointed day.”

“To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is directed to the sons of men.

Rejoicing in the world, His inhabited earth,
And having my delight in the sons of men.

“Blessed [happy, prosperous, to be admired] is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.

He who corrects and instructs a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man gets insults for himself.

Do not correct a scoffer [who foolishly ridicules and takes no responsibility for his error] or he will hate you;
Correct a wise man [who learns from his error], and he will love you.

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

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life and his words of wisdom are a source of blessing,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence and evil.

Wise men store up and treasure knowledge [in mind and heart],
But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.

The rich man’s wealth is his fortress;
The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

Engaging in evil is like sport to the fool [who refuses wisdom and chases sin],
But to a man of understanding [skillful and godly] wisdom brings joy.

What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous [for the blessings of God] will be granted.

When the wicked man dies, his expectation will perish;
And the hope of [godless] strong men perishes.

With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge and discernment the righteous will be rescued.

He who despises his neighbor lacks sense,
But a man of understanding keeps silent.

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

The merciful and generous man benefits his soul [for his behavior returns to bless him],
But the cruel and callous man does himself harm.

The wicked man earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness and lives his life with integrity will have a true reward [that is both permanent and satisfying].

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.

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 not be established by wickedness,
But the root of the [consistently] righteous will not be moved.

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 righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal,
But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

The wicked desire the plunder of evil men,
But the root of the righteous yields richer fruit.

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].

The [arrogant] fool’s anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense],
But a prudent man ignores an insult.

A shrewd man is reluctant to display his knowledge [until the proper time],
But the heart of [over-confident] fools proclaims foolishness.

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,
But a good (encouraging) word makes it glad.

The righteous man is a guide to his neighbor,
But the way of the wicked leads them astray.

The lazy man does not catch and roast his prey,
But the precious possession of a [wise] man is diligence [because he recognizes opportunities and seizes them].

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

A righteous man hates lies,
But a wicked man is loathsome, and he acts shamefully.

There is one who pretends to be rich, yet has nothing at all;
Another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

The ransom for a man’s life is his wealth,
But the poor man does not even have to listen to a rebuke or threats [from the envious].

Every prudent and self-disciplined man acts with knowledge,
But a [closed-minded] fool [who refuses to learn] displays his foolishness [for all to see].

He who walks [as a companion] with wise men will be wise,
But the companions of [conceited, dull-witted] fools [are fools themselves and] will experience harm.

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.

In the mouth of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God] is a rod for his back,
But the lips of the wise [when they speak with godly wisdom] will protect them.

Leave the presence of a [shortsighted] fool,
For you will not find knowledge or hear godly wisdom from his lips.

There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him,
But its end is the way of death.

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 naive or inexperienced person [is easily misled and] believes every word he hears,
But the prudent man [is discreet and astute and] considers well where he is going.

A wise man suspects danger and cautiously avoids evil,
But the fool is arrogant and careless.

A quick-tempered man acts foolishly and without self-control,
And a man of wicked schemes is hated.

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

Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the abyss, the place of eternal punishment) lie open before the Lord—
How much more the hearts and inner motives of the children of men.

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
But he who is slow to anger and patient calms disputes.

A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man despises his mother.

Foolishness is joy to him who is without heart and lacks [intelligent, common] sense,
But a man of understanding walks uprightly [making his course straight].

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 plans and reflections of the heart belong to man,
But the [wise] answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

All the ways of a man are clean and innocent in his own eyes [and he may see nothing wrong with his actions],
But the Lord weighs and examines the motives and intents [of the heart and knows the truth].

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.

When a man’s ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life],
But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.

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

The wrath of a king is like a messenger of death,
But a wise man will appease it.

There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him,
But its end is the way of death.

A worthless man devises and digs up evil,
And the words on his lips are like a scorching fire.

A perverse man spreads strife,
And one who gossips separates intimate friends.

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

Grandchildren are the crown of aged men,
And the glory of children is their fathers [who live godly lives].

A reprimand goes deeper into one who has understanding and a teachable spirit
Than a hundred lashes into a fool.

A rebellious man seeks only evil;
Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

Let a man meet a [ferocious] bear robbed of her cubs
Rather than the [angry, narcissistic] fool in his folly.

Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom,
When he has no common sense or even a heart for it?

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

A wicked man receives a bribe from the [hidden] pocket
To pervert the ways of justice.

[Skillful and godly] wisdom is in the presence of a person of understanding [and he recognizes it],
But the eyes of a [thickheaded] fool are on the ends of the earth.

He who has knowledge restrains and is careful with his words,
And a man of understanding and wisdom has a cool spirit (self-control, an even temper).

Even a [callous, arrogant] fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips he is regarded as sensible (prudent, discreet) and a man of understanding.

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

The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters [copious and difficult to fathom];
The fountain of [mature, godly] wisdom is like a bubbling stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving].

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

The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall [of protection] in his own imagination and conceit.

The spirit of a man sustains him in sickness,
But as for a broken spirit, who can bear it?

A man’s gift [given in love or courtesy] makes room for him
And brings him before great men.