To understand a proverb and a figure [of speech] or an enigma with its interpretation,
And the words of the wise and their riddles [that require reflection].

Throw in your lot with us [they insist];
We will all have one money bag [in common],”

My son, do not walk on the road with them;
Keep your foot [far] away from their path,

For their feet run to evil,
And they hurry to shed blood.

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].

“Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own [wicked] way
And be satiated with [the penalty of] their own devices.

Whose paths are crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;

For length of days and years of life [worth living]
And tranquility and prosperity [the wholeness of life’s blessings] they will add to you.

For the wicked cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And they are deprived of sleep unless they make someone stumble and fall.

For they are life to those who find them,
And healing and health to all their flesh.

And strangers will be filled with your strength
And your hard-earned wealth will go to the house of a foreigner [who does not know God];

For at the window of my house
I looked out through my lattice.

Passing through the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house

And there a woman met him,
Dressed as a prostitute and sly and cunning of heart.

“All the words of my mouth are in righteousness (upright, in right standing with God);
There is nothing contrary to truth or perverted (crooked) in them.

That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth and true riches,
And that I may fill their treasuries.

“When there were no ocean depths I was born,
When there were no fountains and springs overflowing with water.

“When He established the heavens, I [Wisdom] was there;
When He drew a circle upon the face of the deep,

Calling to those who pass by,
Who are making their paths straight:

But he does not know that the spirits of the dead are there,
And that her guests are [already] in the depths of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

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

The righteousness of the blameless will smooth their way and keep it straight,
But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

The righteousness of the upright will rescue them,
But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.

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

When it goes well for the righteous, the city rejoices,
And when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm],
But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory.

The perverse in heart are repulsive and shamefully vile to the Lord,
But those who are blameless and above reproach in their walk are His delight!

There is the one who [generously] scatters [abroad], and yet increases all the more;
And there is the one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want and poverty.

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.

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

In the way of righteousness is life,
And in its pathway there is no death [but immortality—eternal life].

Desire realized is sweet to the soul;
But it is detestable to fools to turn away from evil [which they have planned].

Abundant food is in the fallow (uncultivated) ground of the poor,
But [without protection] it is swept away by injustice.

Fools mock sin [but sin mocks the fools],
But among the upright there is good will and the favor and blessing of God.

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

In all labor there is profit,
But mere talk leads only to poverty.

The crown of the wise is their wealth [of wisdom],
But the foolishness of [closed-minded] fools is [nothing but] folly.

In the [reverent] fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will [always] have a place of refuge.

The wicked is overthrown through his wrongdoing,
But the righteous has hope and confidence and a refuge [with God] even in death.

There is severe discipline for him who turns from the way [of righteousness];
And he who hates correction will die.

Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated,
But with many counselors they are established and succeed.

The Lord has made everything for its own purpose,
Even the wicked [according to their role] for the day of evil.

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.

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

It is also not good to fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

A brother offended is harder to win over than a fortified city,
And contentions [separating families] are like the bars of a castle.

The man of too many friends [chosen indiscriminately] will be broken in pieces and come to ruin,
But there is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother.

A foolish (ungodly) son is destruction to his father,
And the contentions of a [quarrelsome] wife are like a constant dripping [of water].

Discipline and teach your son while there is hope,
And do not [indulge your anger or resentment by imposing inappropriate punishment nor] desire his destruction.

There is gold, and an abundance of pearls,
But the lips of knowledge are a vessel of preciousness [the most precious of all].

The glory of young men is their [physical] strength,
And the honor of aged men is their gray head [representing wisdom and experience].

There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise [who prepare for the future],
But a short-sighted and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.

There is no [human] wisdom or understanding
Or counsel [that can prevail] against the Lord.

The lazy one [manufactures excuses and] says, “There is a lion outside!
I will be killed in the streets [if I go out to work]!”

Do not rob the poor because he is poor [and defenseless],
Nor crush the afflicted [by legal proceedings] at the gate [where the city court is held],

For the Lord will plead their case
And take the life of those who rob them.

For their Redeemer is strong and mighty;
He will plead their case against you.

Surely there is a future [and a reward],
And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.

For their minds plot violence,
And their lips talk of trouble [for the innocent].

Through [skillful and godly] wisdom a house [a life, a home, a family] is built,
And by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation],

For by wise guidance you can wage your war,
And in an abundance of [wise] counselors there is victory and safety.

Rescue those who are being taken away to death,
And those who stagger to the slaughter, Oh hold them back [from their doom]!

Know that [skillful and godly] wisdom is [so very good] for your life and soul;
If you find wisdom, then there will be a future and a reward,
And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.

For there will be no future for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

For their tragedy will rise suddenly,
And who knows the punishment that both [the Lord and the king] will bring on the rebellious?

Take away the dross from the silver,
And there comes out [the pure metal for] a vessel for the silversmith [to shape].

It is not good to eat much honey,
Nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.

Do you see a man [who is unteachable and] wise in his own eyes and full of self-conceit?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.

The lazy person [who is self-indulgent and relies on lame excuses] says, “There is a lion in the road!
A lion is in the open square [and if I go outside to work I will be killed]!”

For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no whisperer [who gossips], contention quiets down.

Whoever attempts to restrain her [criticism] might as well try to stop the wind,
And grasps oil with his right hand.

And there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
For the food of your household,
And for the maintenance of your maids.

A poor man who oppresses and exploits the lowly
Is like a sweeping rain which leaves no food.

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory and celebration;
But when the wicked rise [to prominence], men hide themselves.

He who gives to the poor will never want,
But he who shuts his eyes [from their need] will have many curses.

By his wicked plan an evil man is trapped,
But the righteous man sings and rejoices [for his plan brings good things to him].

If a wise man has a controversy with a foolish and arrogant man,
The foolish man [ignores logic and fairness and] only rages or laughs, and there is no peace (rest, agreement).

Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained;
But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].

Do you see a [conceited] man who speaks quickly [offering his opinions or answering without thinking]?
There is more hope for a [thickheaded] fool than for him.

There is a generation (class of people) that curses its father
And does not bless its mother.

There is a generation (class of people) that is pure in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its filthiness.

There is a generation (class of people)—oh, how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are raised in arrogance.

There is a generation (class of people) whose teeth are like swords
And whose jaw teeth are like knives,
To devour the afflicted from the earth
And the needy from among men.

The leech has two daughters,
“Give, give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied,
Four that do not say, “It is enough”:

There are three things which are too astounding and unexpectedly wonderful for me,
Four which I do not understand:

Under three things the earth is disquieted and quakes,
And under four it cannot bear up:

There are four things that are small on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:

The ants are not a strong people,
Yet they prepare their food in the summer;

The shephanim are not a mighty folk,
Yet they make their houses in the rocks;

There are three things which are stately in step,
Even four which are stately in their stride:

The strutting rooster, the male goat also,
And the king when his army is with him.

She comforts, encourages, and does him only good and not evil
All the days of her life.

She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And assigns tasks to her maids.

She sees that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out, but it burns continually through the night [she is prepared for whatever lies ahead].