My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,

so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and thou apply thy heart to understanding;

yea, if thou criest after discernment and liftest up thy voice to understanding;

if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures:

then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God.

Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.

that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, And keep the paths of the righteous.

and thou shalt find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

She is more precious than rubies; and all the things thou canst desire are not equal unto her.

Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, and thy foot shall not stumble;

when thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid, but thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet.

Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.

Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

that thou mayest keep reflection, and that thy lips may preserve knowledge.

lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;

and thou mourn in thine end, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed;

and thou say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof!

As a lovely hind and a graceful roe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times: be thou ravished continually with her love.

And why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

My son, if thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand for a stranger,

thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, since thou hast come into the hand of thy friend: go, humble thyself, and be urgent with thy friend.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise:

How long, sluggard, wilt thou lie down? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

when thou walkest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

he will not regard any ransom, neither will he rest content though thou multipliest thy gifts.

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call intelligence thy kinswoman:

If thou art wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself; and if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

Go from the presence of a foolish man, in whom thou perceivest not the lips of knowledge.

A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment; for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.

Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee: they shall be together fitted on thy lips.

that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest carry back words of truth to them that send thee?

lest thou learn his paths, and get a snare to thy soul.

if thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

Hast thou seen a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before the mean.

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well who is before thee;

and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.

wilt thou set thine eyes upon it, it is gone; for indeed it maketh itself wings and it flieth away as an eagle towards the heavens.

Eat thou not the food of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties.

Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou vomit up, and thou wilt have wasted thy sweet words.

Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die:

thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol.

Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day;

Thou, my son, hear and be wise, and direct thy heart in the way.

and thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, and as he that lieth down upon the top of a mast:

Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;

For with good advice shalt thou make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

If thou losest courage in the day of trouble, thy strength is small.

If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth it; and he rendereth to man according to his work.

so consider wisdom for thy soul; if thou hast found it, there shall be a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;

Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and wouldest thou deceive with thy lips?

for better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes see.

Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.

Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be surfeited therewith, and vomit it.

for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and Jehovah shall reward thee.

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

Hast thou seen a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope of a fool than of him.

Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day will bring forth.

If thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his folly depart from him.

Hast thou seen a man hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

Who hath ascended up into the heavens, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a mantle? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?

Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Speak not too much about a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.

thou takest hold of the lizard with the hands, yet is she in kings' palaces.

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay the hand upon thy mouth.

Many daughters have done worthily, but thou excellest them all.