For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.

If they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood; Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;

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

And these lay wait for their own blood; They lurk privily for their own lives.

Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:

For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah:

They would none of my counsel; They despised all my reproof.

Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices.

None that go unto her return again, Neither do they attain unto the paths of life:

For length of days, and years of life, And peace, will they add to thee.

So shall they be life unto thy soul, And grace to thy neck.

For they sleep not, except they do evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

The way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble.

For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.

That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.

They are all plain to him that understandeth, And right to them that find knowledge.

Now therefore, my'sons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that keep my ways.

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.

They that are perverse in heart are an abomination to Jehovah; But such as are perfect in their way are his delight.

Lying lips are an abomination to Jehovah; But they that deal truly are his delight.

Do they not err that devise evil? But mercy and truth'shall be to them that devise good.

Where there is no counsel, purposes are disappointed; But in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

Righteous lips are the delight of kings; And they love him that speaketh right.

The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

All the brethren of the poor do hate him: How much more do his friends go far from him! He pursueth them with words, but they are gone.

The violence of the wicked shall sweep them away, Because they refuse to do justice.

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, If they be established together upon thy lips.

Be not desirous of his dainties; Seeing they are deceitful food.

They that tarry long at the wine; They that go to seek out mixed wine.

They have stricken me,'shalt thou say , and I was not hurt; They have beaten me, and I felt it not: When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts.

A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; But a fool's vexation is heavier than they both.

They that forsake the law praise the wicked; But such as keep the law contend with them.

Evil men understand not justice; But they that seek Jehovah understand all things.

When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase.

The bloodthirsty hate him that is perfect; And as for the upright, they seek his life.

There are four things which are little upon the earth, But they are exceeding wise:

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

The conies are but a feeble folk, Yet make they their houses in the rocks;

The locusts have no king, Yet go they forth all of them by bands;

Lest they drink, and forget the law, And pervert the justice due to any that is afflicted.