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.

“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,

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).

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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].

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]!”

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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:

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

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.