For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.

If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;

For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.

And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.

Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:

For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:

They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.

So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.

For they will give you increase of days, years of life, and peace.

So they will be life for your soul, and grace for your neck.

For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.

The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.

For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.

They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.

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

They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge.

When there is no helping suggestion the people will have a fall, but with a number of wise guides they will be safe.

Where there are no wise suggestions, purposes come to nothing; but by a number of wise guides they are made certain.

Unequal weights and unequal measures, they are all disgusting to the Lord.

By their violent acts the evil-doers will be pulled away, because they have no desire to do what is right.

A wise man goes up into the town of the strong ones, and overcomes its strength in which they put their faith.

The offering of evil-doers is disgusting: how much more when they give it with an evil purpose!

Do not take away the property of the poor man because he is poor, or be cruel to the crushed ones when they come before the judge:

They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.

The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.

With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;

Because of the sin of the land, its troubles are increased; but by a man of wisdom and knowledge they will be put out like a fire.

When evil men are in power, wrongdoing is increased; but the upright will have pleasure when they see their downfall.

There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:

The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer;

The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;

The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;

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.