How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?

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

She is a tree of life to all who take her in their hands, and happy is everyone who keeps her.

The curse of the Lord is on the house of the evil-doer, but his blessing is on the tent of the upright.

Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth.

The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.

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

The evil-doer will be taken in the net of his crimes, and prisoned in the cords of his sin.

A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;

Give ear, for my words are true, and my lips are open to give out what is upright.

They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge.

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.

Seated at the door of her house, in the high places of the town,

The memory of the upright is a blessing, but the name of the evil-doer will be turned to dust.

The mouth of the upright man is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the evil-doer is a bitter cup.

The work of the upright gives life: the increase of the evil-doer is a cause of sin.

The tongue of the upright man is like tested silver: the heart of the evil-doer is of little value.

The thing feared by the evil-doer will come to him, but the upright man will get his desire.

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

The hope of the upright man will give joy, but the waiting of the evil-doer will have its end in sorrow.

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

Scales of deceit are hated by the Lord, but a true weight is his delight.

The righteousness of the good man will make his way straight, but the sin of the evil-doer will be the cause of his fall.

At the death of an upright man his hope does not come to an end, but the hope of the evil-doer comes to destruction.

By the blessing of the upright man the town is made great, but it is overturned by the mouth of the evil-doer.

He who goes about talking of others makes secrets public, but the true-hearted man keeps things covered.

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.

The fruit of righteousness is a tree of life, but violent behaviour takes away souls.

If the upright man is rewarded on earth, how much more the evil-doer and the sinner!

The breathing out of true words gives knowledge of righteousness; but a false witness gives out deceit.

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

False lips are hated by the Lord, but those whose acts are true are his delight.

In the road of righteousness is life, but the way of the evil-doer goes to death.

The upright man is a hater of false words: the evil-doer gets a bad name and is put to shame.

Hope put off is a weariness to the heart; but when what is desired comes, it is a tree of life.

A true witness does not say what is false, but a false witness is breathing out deceit.

A true witness is the saviour of lives; but he who says false things is a cause of deceit.

A comforting tongue is a tree of life, but a twisted tongue is a crushing of the spirit.

The offering of the evil-doer is disgusting to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright man is his delight.

The way of the evil-doer is disgusting to the Lord, but he who goes after righteousness is dear to him.

The heart of the upright gives thought to his answer; but from the mouth of the evil-doer comes a stream of evil things.

True measures and scales are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are his work.

Lips of righteousness are the delight of kings; and he who says what is upright is dear to him.

He who gives a decision for the evil-doer and he who gives a decision against the upright, are equally disgusting to the Lord.

The lover of fighting is a lover of sin: he who makes high his doorway is looking for destruction.

When the evil-doer comes, a low opinion comes with him, and with the loss of honour comes shame.

To have respect for the person of the evil-doer is not good, or to give a wrong decision against the upright.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the upright man running into it is safe.

The man who first puts his cause before the judge seems to be in the right; but then his neighbour comes and puts his cause in its true light.

A brother wounded is like a strong town, and violent acts are like a locked tower.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and those to whom it is dear will have its fruit for their food.

To do what is right and true is more pleasing to the Lord than an offering.

A high look and a heart of pride, *** of the evil-doer is sin.

The desire of the evil-doer is fixed on evil: he has no kind feeling for his neighbour.

The Upright One, looking on the house of the evil-doer, lets sinners be overturned to their destruction.

The evil-doer will be given as a price for the life of the good man, and the worker of deceit in the place of the upright.

The evil-doer makes his face hard, but as for the upright, he gives thought to his way.

He whose heart is clean is dear to the Lord; for the grace of his lips the king will be his friend.

To make you see how certain are true words, so that you may give a true answer to those who put questions to you?

Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.

And by knowledge its rooms are full of all dear and pleasing things.

Do not keep a secret watch, O evil-doer, against the fields of the upright man, or send destruction on his resting-place:

He who says to the evil-doer, You are upright, will be cursed by peoples and hated by nations.

As the cold of snow in the time of grain-cutting, so is a true servant to those who send him; for he gives new life to the soul of his master.

A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.

Whoever keeps a fig-tree will have its fruit; and the servant waiting on his master will be honoured.

Those who have no respect for the law give praise to the evil-doer; but such as keep the law are against him.

The upright man gives attention to the cause of the poor: the evil-doer gives no thought to it.

The king who is a true judge in the cause of the poor, will be safe for ever on the seat of his power.