To receive instruction in wise behavior and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness,
Righteousness, justice, and integrity;

The wise will hear and increase their learning,
And the person of understanding will acquire wise counsel and the skill [to steer his course wisely and lead others to the truth],

To understand a proverb and a figure [of speech] or an enigma with its interpretation,
And the words of the wise and their riddles [that require reflection].

If they say, “Come with us;
Let us lie in wait to shed blood,
Let us ambush the innocent without cause;

We will find and take all kinds of precious possessions,
We will fill our houses with spoil;

Throw in your lot with us [they insist];
We will all have one money bag [in common],”

My son, do not walk on the road with them;
Keep your foot [far] away from their path,

Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any bird;

But [when these people set a trap for others] they lie in wait for their own blood;
They set an ambush for their own lives [and rush to their destruction].

Wisdom shouts in the street,
She raises her voice in the markets;

She calls out at the head of the noisy streets [where large crowds gather];
At the entrance of the city gates she speaks her words:

“How long, O naive ones [you who are easily misled], will you love being simple-minded and undiscerning?
How long will scoffers [who ridicule and deride] delight in scoffing,
How long will fools [who obstinately mock truth] hate knowledge?

I also will laugh at your disaster;
I will mock when your dread and panic come,

When your dread and panic come like a storm,
And your disaster comes like a whirlwind,
When anxiety and distress come upon you [as retribution].

“Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own [wicked] way
And be satiated with [the penalty of] their own devices.

“But whoever listens to me (Wisdom) will live securely and in confident trust
And will be at ease, without fear or dread of evil.”

He stores away sound wisdom for the righteous [those who are in right standing with Him];
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity [those of honorable character and moral courage],

Then you will understand righteousness and justice [in every circumstance]
And integrity and every good path.

From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;

Who find joy in doing evil
And delight in the perversity of evil,

Whose paths are crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;

So you will walk in the way of good men [that is, those of personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character],
And keep to the paths of the righteous.

For the upright [those who are in right standing with God] will live in the land
And those [of integrity] who are blameless [in God’s sight] will remain in it;

So find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.

Then your barns will be abundantly filled
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

For those whom the Lord loves He corrects,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is everyone who holds her tightly.

Then you will walk on your way [of life] securely
And your foot will not stumble.

When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the storm of the wicked when it comes [since you will be blameless];

For the Lord will be your confidence, firm and strong,
And will keep your foot from being caught [in a trap].

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due [its rightful recipients],
When it is in your power to do it.

Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.

Do not quarrel with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.

Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.

For the devious are repulsive to the Lord;
But His private counsel is with the upright [those with spiritual integrity and moral courage].

The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just and righteous.

Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners,
Yet He gives His grace [His undeserved favor] to the humble [those who give up self-importance].

The wise will inherit honor and glory,
But dishonor and shame is conferred on fools.

Hear, O children, the instruction of a father,
And pay attention [and be willing to learn] so that you may gain understanding and intelligent discernment.

When I was a son with my father (David),
Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother (Bathsheba),

“Prize wisdom [and exalt her], and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.

I have instructed you in the way of [skillful and godly] wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.

When you walk, your steps will not be impeded [for your path will be clear and open];
And when you run, you will not stumble.

Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not go the way of evil men.

Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.

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

But the path of the just (righteous) is like the light of dawn,
That shines brighter and brighter until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day.

Do not let them escape from your sight;
Keep them in the center of your heart.

Let your eyes look directly ahead [toward the path of moral courage]
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you [toward the path of integrity].

But in the end she is bitter like [the extract of] wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.

So that she does not think [seriously] about the path of life;
Her ways are aimless and unstable; you cannot know where her path leads.

Let your way [in life] be far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house [avoid even being near the places of temptation],

And strangers will be filled with your strength
And your hard-earned wealth will go to the house of a foreigner [who does not know God];

And you will groan when your life is ending,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;

“I was almost in total ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

Drink water from your own cistern [of a pure marriage relationship]
And fresh running water from your own well.

Should your springs (children) be dispersed,
As streams of water in the streets?

[Confine yourself to your own wife.] Let your children be yours alone,
And not the children of strangers with you.

Let your fountain (wife) be blessed [with the rewards of fidelity],
And rejoice in the wife of your youth.

Let her be as a loving hind and graceful doe,
Let her breasts refresh and satisfy you at all times;
Always be exhilarated and delight in her love.

Why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an immoral woman
And embrace the bosom of an outsider (pagan)?

The iniquities done by a wicked man will trap him,
And he will be held with the cords of his sin.

He will die for lack of instruction (discipline),
And in the greatness of his foolishness he will go astray and be lost.

Do this now, my son, and release yourself [from the obligation];
Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor,
Go humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor [to pay his debt and release you].

She prepares her food in the summer
And brings in her provisions [of food for the winter] in the harvest.

How long will you lie down, O lazy one?
When will you arise from your sleep [and learn self-discipline]?

So your poverty will come like an approaching prowler who walks [slowly, but surely]
And your need [will come] like an armed man [making you helpless].

Who perversely in his heart plots trouble and evil continually;
Who spreads discord and strife.

These six things the Lord hates;
Indeed, seven are repulsive to Him:

A proud look [the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others], a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,

A heart that creates wicked plans,
Feet that run swiftly to evil,

When you walk about, they (the godly teachings of your parents) will guide you;
When you sleep, they will keep watch over you;
And when you awake, they will talk to you.

Do not desire (lust after) her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her capture you with her eyelashes.

For on account of a prostitute one is reduced to a piece of bread [to be eaten up],
And the immoral woman hunts [with a hook] the precious life [of a man].

Can a man take fire to his chest
And his clothes not be burned?

Or can a man walk on hot coals
And his feet not be scorched?

People do not despise a thief if he steals
To satisfy himself when he is hungry;

But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks common sense and sound judgment and an understanding [of moral principles];
He who would destroy his soul does it.

For jealousy enrages the [wronged] husband;
He will not spare [the guilty one] on the day of vengeance.

My son, keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you [so they are readily available to guide you].

Bind them [securely] on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.

In the twilight, in the evening;
In the black and dark night.

She was boisterous and rebellious;
She would not stay at home.

At times she was in the streets, at times in the market places,
Lurking and setting her ambush at every corner.

“For my husband is not at home.
He has gone on a long journey;

Suddenly he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter [not knowing the outcome],
Or as one in stocks going to the correction [to be given] to a fool,

Does not wisdom call,
And understanding lift up her voice?

On the top of the heights beside the way,
Where the paths meet, wisdom takes her stand;

Beside the gates, at the entrance to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

“O you naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled], understand prudence and seek astute common sense;
And, O you [closed-minded, self-confident] fools, understand wisdom [seek the insight and self-discipline that leads to godly living].

“All the words of my mouth are in righteousness (upright, in right standing with God);
There is nothing contrary to truth or perverted (crooked) in them.

“Take my instruction rather than [seeking] silver,
And take knowledge rather than choicest gold,

“Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring wealth and righteousness (right standing with God).

“I, [Wisdom, continuously] walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,

“When there were no ocean depths I was born,
When there were no fountains and springs overflowing with water.