Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is -- to all of us.'

My son, if thou dost accept my sayings, And my commands dost lay up with thee,

To cause thine ear to attend to wisdom, Thou inclinest thy heart to understanding,

For, if for intelligence thou callest, For understanding givest forth thy voice,

If thou dost seek her as silver, And as hid treasures searchest for her,

Then understandest thou fear of Jehovah, And knowledge of God thou findest.

Then understandest thou righteousness, And judgment, and uprightness -- every good path.

That thou dost go in the way of the good, And the paths of the righteous dost keep.

In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths.

My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,

Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.

If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.

Say not thou to thy friend, 'Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.

Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.

Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.

In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.

Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways are established.

The path of life -- lest thou ponder, Moved have her paths -- thou knowest not.

Lest thou give to others thy honour, And thy years to the fierce,

And thou hast howled in thy latter end, In the consumption of thy flesh and thy food,

And why dost thou magnify thyself, My son, with a stranger? And embrace the bosom of a strange woman?

My son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand,

Do this now, my son, and be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and strengthen thy friend,

Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?

In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked -- it talketh with thee.

He accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes!

Say to wisdom, 'My sister Thou art.' And cry to understanding, 'Kinswoman!'

If thou hast been wise, thou hast been wise for thyself, And thou hast scorned -- thyself bearest it.

Go from before a foolish man, Or thou hast not known the lips of knowledge.

In kindness and truth pardoned is iniquity, And in the fear of Jehovah Turn thou aside from evil.

A man of great wrath is bearing punishment, For, if thou dost deliver, yet again thou dost add.

Hear counsel and receive instruction, So that thou art wise in thy latter end.

Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes -- be satisfied with bread.

Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.

The bandages of a wound thou removest with the evil, Also the plagues of the inner parts of the heart!

For they are pleasant when thou dost keep them in thy heart, They are prepared together for thy lips.

That thy trust may be in Jehovah, I caused thee to know to-day, even thou.

Lest thou learn his paths, And have received a snare to thy soul.

Be not thou among those striking hands, Among sureties for burdens.

If thou hast nothing to pay, Why doth he take thy bed from under thee?

Hast thou seen a man speedy in his business? Before kings he doth station himself, He stations not himself before obscure men!

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which is before thee,

And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man of appetite.

Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.

Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that are sweet.

Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.

Thou with a rod smitest him, And his soul from Sheol thou deliverest.

Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,

Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,

And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.

For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance is in a multitude of counsellors.

Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,

If from delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter -- thou keepest back.

When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.

So is the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.

Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou art righteous,' Peoples execrate him -- nations abhor him.

Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field -- go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.

Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.

For better that he hath said to thee, 'Come thou up hither,' Than that he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.

Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush?

Honey thou hast found -- eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated with it, and hast vomited it.

For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee.

Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou be like to him -- even thou.

Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eyes, More hope of a fool than of him!

Boast not thyself of to-morrow, For thou knowest not what a day bringeth forth.

If thou dost beat the foolish in a mortar, Among washed things -- with a pestle, His folly turneth not aside from off him.

Thou hast seen a man hasty in his words! More hope of a fool than of him.

Who went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What is His name? and what His son's name? Surely thou knowest!

Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.

Accuse not a servant unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.

If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil -- hand to mouth!

Many are the daughters who have done worthily, Thou hast gone up above them all.'