My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.

My son, if thou dost accept my sayings, And my commands dost lay up with thee,

Thoughtfulness doth watch over thee, Understanding doth keep thee,

To deliver thee from an evil way, From any speaking froward things,

To deliver thee from the strange woman, From the stranger who hath made smooth her sayings,

For length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee.

Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,

Say not thou to thy friend, 'Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.

Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee.

Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.

Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.

Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.

She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life are multiplied to thee.

In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.

Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,

Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Let them be to thee for thyself, And not to strangers with thee.

A hind of loves, and a roe of grace! Let her loves satisfy thee at all times, In her love magnify thyself continually.

In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked -- it talketh with thee.

To preserve thee from an evil woman, From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

Desire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids.

My son! keep my sayings, And my commands lay up with thee.

To preserve thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.

Therefore I have come forth to meet thee, To seek earnestly thy face, and I find thee.

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

For by me do thy days multiply, And added to thee are years of life.

Do not say, 'I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.

That thy trust may be in Jehovah, I caused thee to know to-day, even thou.

Have I not written to thee three times With counsels and knowledge?

To cause thee to know the certainty of sayings of truth, To return sayings of truth to those sending thee.

If thou hast nothing to pay, Why doth he take thy bed from under thee?

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which is before thee,

For as he hath thought in his soul, so is he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart is not with thee.

For their Redeemer is strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.

Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.

Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.

For better that he hath said to thee, 'Come thou up hither,' Than that he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.

Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush?

Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back.

Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, Lest he be satiated with thee, and have hated thee.

If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water.

For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee.

Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, A stranger, and not thine own lips.

Chastise thy son, and he giveth thee comfort, Yea, he giveth delights to thy soul.

Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.

Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not from me before I die.

Accuse not a servant unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.