The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction
And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.

My son, do not walk in the way with them.
Keep your feet from their path,

My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,

My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;

My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His reproof,

For whom the Lord loves He reproves,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

My son, let them not vanish from your sight;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion,

When I was a son to my father,
Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,

Hear, my son, and accept my sayings
And the years of your life will be many.

My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.

My son, give attention to my wisdom,
Incline your ear to my understanding;

For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress
And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

His own iniquities will capture the wicked,
And he will be held with the cords of his sin.

My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor,
Have given a pledge for a stranger,

Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself;
Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor.

My son, observe the commandment of your father
And do not forsake the teaching of your mother;

My son, keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.

The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.

As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout
So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

A wise son accepts his father’s discipline,
But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

He who withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

Fools mock at sin,
But among the upright there is good will.

Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.

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

A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.

A foolish son is a grief to his father
And bitterness to her who bore him.

A foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping.

Discipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire his death.

He who assaults his father and drives his mother away
Is a shameful and disgraceful son.

Cease listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart,
I am pure from my sin”?

Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
The lamp of the wicked, is sin.

My son, if your heart is wise,
My own heart also will be glad;

Listen, my son, and be wise,
And direct your heart in the way.

The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.

Give me your heart, my son,
And let your eyes delight in my ways.

The devising of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

My son, eat honey, for it is good,
Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;

My son, fear the Lord and the king;
Do not associate with those who are given to change,

For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.

Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest,
So honor is not fitting for a fool.

Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
That I may reply to him who reproaches me.

When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen,
And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

He who keeps the law is a discerning son,
But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father.

Correct your son, and he will give you comfort;
He will also delight your soul.

He who pampers his slave from childhood
Will in the end find him to be a son.

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle.The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

Who has ascended into heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name or His son’s name?
Surely you know!

What, O my son?
And what, O son of my womb?
And what, O son of my vows?

She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.