So that your ear gives attention to wisdom, and your heart is turned to knowledge;

So that you may go in the way of good men, and keep in the footsteps of the upright.

For trading in it is better than trading in silver, and its profit greater than bright gold.

She is of more value than jewels, and nothing for which you may have a desire is fair in comparison with her.

Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:

And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life:

So that you may be ruled by a wise purpose, and your lips may keep knowledge.

For honey is dropping from the lips of the strange woman, and her mouth is smoother than oil;

For fear that you may give your honour to others, and your wealth to strange men:

Let water from your store and not that of others be your drink, and running water from your fountain.

He will come to his end for need of teaching; he is so foolish that he will go wandering from the right way.

So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.

Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.

For wisdom is better than jewels, and all things which may be desired are nothing in comparison with her.

My fruit is better than gold, even than the best gold; and my increase is more to be desired than silver.

So that I may give my lovers wealth for their heritage, making their store-houses full.

When he put a limit to the sea, so that the waters might not go against his word: when he put in position the bases of the earth:

But he does not see that the dead are there, that her guests are in the deep places of the underworld.

A man may give freely, and still his wealth will be increased; and another may keep back more than is right, but only comes to be in need.

He who is of low position and has a servant, is better than one who has a high opinion of himself and is in need of bread.

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great wealth together with trouble.

Better is a simple meal where love is, than a fat ox and hate with it.

Better is a little with righteousness, than great wealth with wrongdoing.

How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! and to get knowledge is more to be desired than silver.

Better it is to have a gentle spirit with the poor, than to take part in the rewards of war with men of pride.

He who is slow to be angry is better than a man of war, and he who has control over his spirit than he who takes a town.

Better a bit of dry bread in peace, than a house full of feasting and violent behaviour.

A word of protest goes deeper into one who has sense than a hundred blows into a foolish man.

It is better to come face to face with a bear whose young ones have been taken away than with a foolish man acting foolishly.

How will money in the hand of the foolish get him wisdom, seeing that he has no sense?

There are friends who may be a man's destruction, but there is a lover who keeps nearer than a brother.

Better is the poor man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are twisted.

Let your ear be open to suggestion and take teaching, so that at the end you may be wise.

The ornament of a man is his mercy, and a poor man is better than one who is false.

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

It is better to be living in an angle of the house-top, than with a bitter-tongued woman in a wide house.

It is better to be living in a waste land, than with a bitter-tongued and angry woman.

A good name is more to be desired than great wealth, and to be respected is better than silver and gold.

So that your faith may be in the Lord, I have made them clear to you this day, even to you.

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.

In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.

For fear that the Lord may see it, and it may be evil in his eyes, and his wrath may be turned away from him.

Put your work in order outside, and make it ready in the field; and after that, see to the building of your house.

For it is better to have it said to you, Come up here; than for you to be put down in a lower place before the ruler.

If you have honey, take only as much as is enough for you; for fear that, being full of it, you may not be able to keep it down.

It is better to be living in an angle of the house-top, than with a bitter-tongued woman in a wide house.

Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.

The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.

A stone has great weight, and sand is crushing; but the wrath of the foolish is of greater weight than these.

Better is open protest than love kept secret.

Do not give up your friend and your father's friend; and do not go into your brother's house in the day of your trouble: better is a neighbour who is near than a brother far off.

My son, be wise and make my heart glad, so that I may give back an answer to him who puts me to shame.

Better is the poor man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are not straight.

He who is ever desiring wealth goes running after money, and does not see that need will come on him.

He who says words of protest to a man will later have more approval than one who says smooth words with his tongue.

Have you seen a man who is quick with his tongue? There is more hope for a foolish man than for him.

For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:

I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.

For fear that if I am full, I may be false to you and say, Who is the Lord? or if I am poor, I may become a thief, using the name of my God wrongly.

Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which is the destruction of kings.

For fear that through drinking they may come to have no respect for the law, wrongly judging the cause of those who are in trouble.

Who may make discovery of a woman of virtue? For her price is much higher than jewels.

She sees that her marketing is of profit to her: her light does not go out by night.

Unnumbered women have done well, but you are better than all of them.