for they [are] a garland of favor for your head, and pendants for your neck.

If they say, "Come with us! We shall lie in wait for blood; we shall ambush the innocent without cause.

for their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed blood,

They lie in wait for their [own] blood. They ambush their [own] lives.

then they will call me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but not find me.

Since they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,

they were not willing [to accept] my counsel, they despised all my reproof.

They shall eat from the fruit of their way, and they shall be sated from their own schemes,

those who are happy to do evil, [for] they delight in [the] deviousness of evil,

[Of] all who go to her, none shall return, nor do they reach paths of life.

For length of days, years of life, and peace they shall add to you.

My child, may they not escape from your {sight}; may you keep sound wisdom and prudence.

They shall be life for your soul and adornment for your neck.

They will inherit the honor of the wise, but stubborn fools, disgrace.

For they will not sleep if they have not done wrong, and they are robbed of their sleep if they do not cause stumbling.

For they ate the bread of wickedness, and they drank the wine of violence.

The way of the wicked ones [is] like deep darkness; they do not know what they stumble over.

May they not escape from your {sight}; keep them in [the] midst of your heart.

For they are life to those who find them and healing {to the entire body}.

May they be yours alone, and not for strangers [who are] with you.

An abomination of Yahweh are lips of deceit, but they who act faithfully [are] his delight.

Have they not erred, those who plan evil? But loyalty and faithfulness [belong to] those who plan good.

The heart of him who understands will seek knowledge, but the faces of fools, they will feed on folly.

The words of a whisper [are] like delicious morsels, and they themselves go down [to] inner parts of the body.

All the brothers of the poor, [if] they hate him, how much more will his friends keep away from him. He pursues [them with] words, [and] they are gone.

The scoffer you shall strike, and the simple, may they learn prudence, and reprove the intelligent [and] he will gain knowledge.

The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, for they refuse to do justice.

For [it is] pleasant if you guard them {within you}; together they will be ready upon your lips.

For the drunkard and gluttonous, they will become poor, and [with] rags, drowsiness will clothe them

"They struck me; I was not hurt. They beat me; I did not know [it]. When I will awake, I will continue; I will seek it again."

He who plans to do evil for himself, they will call [him] "master of mischief."

But they who rebuke will have delight, and upon them blessings of goodness will come.

The words of a whisperer [are] like delicious morsels, and they go down to the inner parts of the body.

Those who forsake instruction will praise the wicked, but they who guard instruction will struggle against them.

He who misleads the upright onto the way of evil, into his pits he will fall. But as for the blameless, they will inherit good.

Men of blood hate [the] blameless, and they seek the life of the upright.

As for a rod and reproof, they will give wisdom, but a neglected child is disgraced [by] his mother.

Discipline your children, and they will give you rest, and they will give delight to your soul.

[There is] a generation--how lofty [are] their eyes! And their eyelids they will lift.

For the leech, [there are] two daughters; "Give, give!" [they cry]. As for three of these, they are not satisfied; as for four, they do not say enough.

There [are] four small things on the earth, and they [are] {exceedingly wise}:

The ants [are] a people [who are] not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer;

the badgers [are] a people [who are] not mighty, yet they set their house on the rock;

Give to her from the fruit of her hand, and may they praise her works in the city gates.