may the wise hear and increase learning, and the one who understands gain direction,

If they say - Come with us, - Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us watch in secret for him who is needlessly innocent;

Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, as those who go down to the pit;

So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence;
It takes away the life of its possessors.

Because I called out and you refused me, I stretched out my hand, yet there is none who heeds.

“But he who listens to me shall live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

He keeps watch on the ways which are right, and takes care of those who have the fear of him.

To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things;

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

Who delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;

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

To deliver you from the strange woman,
From the adulteress who flatters with her words;

Who is forsaking the guide of her youth, And the covenant of her God hath forgotten.

None who go to her return again,
Nor do they reach the paths of life.

So that you will walk on the road of those who are good, and the paths of those who are righteous you shall keep.

For those who are upright will dwell [in the] land, and those who are blameless will remain in it.

And those who are wicked will be cut off from the land, and those who are treacherous will be uprooted from it.

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

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.

Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
Who lives securely beside you.

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

He mocks those who mock,
but gives grace to the humble.

Do not enter the path of the wicked or walk in the way of those who are evil.

For they are life to those who find them
And health to all their body.

I did not give attention to the voice of my teachers, my ear was not turned to those who were guiding me!

They should be for you alone and not for strangers who are with you.

For the ways of man are directly before the eyes of the Lord,
And He carefully watches all of his paths [all of his comings and goings].

Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her.

Who having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

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].

A worthless person, a wicked man,
Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth,

Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet,
Who points with his fingers;

Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil,
Who spreads strife.

A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.

So is the one who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her will not go unpunished.

Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:

The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense;
He who would destroy himself does it.

That they may keep you from an adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

and I saw among the naive -- I discerned among the youths -- a young man who lacked wisdom.

He hath taken the bag of money with him: who can tell when he cometh home?"

For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.

"It is you, O ye men," sayeth she, "whom I call! Unto you, O ye children of men, lift I up my voice.

You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment!

“They are all straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.

“By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.

“I love those who love me;
And those who diligently seek me will find me.

To endow those who love me with wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.

“Now therefore, O sons, listen to me,
For blessed are they who keep my ways.

“Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.

“For he who finds me finds life
And obtains favor from the Lord.

“But he who sins against me injures himself;
All those who hate me love death.”

“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks understanding she says,

He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.

Calling to those who pass by,
Who are making their paths straight:

“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks understanding she says,

Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.

The wise person accepts instructions, but the one who speaks foolishness will come to ruin.

He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will be ruined.

On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.

Those who are wise store up knowledge, but when the fool speaks, destruction is near.

He is on the path of life who heeds instruction,
But he who ignores reproof goes astray.

He who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And he who spreads slander is a fool.

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.

The tongue of the righteous is like precious silver (greatly valued);
The heart of the wicked is worth little.

Carrying out a wicked scheme is enjoyable to a fool, and so is wisdom for the one who has discernment.

Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him.

The hope of the righteous [those of honorable character and integrity] is joy,
But the expectation of the wicked [those who oppose God and ignore His wisdom] comes to nothing.

To the upright, the way of the LORD is a place of safety, but it's a place of ruin to those who practice evil.

The speech of the righteous bears the fruit of wisdom, but the one who speaks perversion will be destroyed.

When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then come dishonor and shame,
But with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind.

He who despises his neighbor lacks sense,
But a man of understanding keeps silent.

He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.

He who is guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it,
But he who hates being a guarantor is secure.

A woman who is full of grace is honoured, but a woman hating righteousness is a seat of shame: those hating work will undergo loss, but the strong keep their wealth.

The man who has mercy will be rewarded, but the cruel man is the cause of trouble to himself.

The wicked earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.

He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life,
And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

The perverse in heart are repulsive and shamefully vile to the Lord,
But those who are blameless and above reproach in their walk are His delight!

As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout
So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.

The generous man will be prosperous,
And he who waters will himself be watered.

He who withholds grain, the people will curse him,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

He who troubles his own house will inherit wind,
And the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who is wise wins souls.

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
But he who hates reproof is stupid.

A good man will obtain favor from the Lord,
But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.

A man will be commended according to his insight and sound judgment,
But the one who is of a perverse mind will be despised.

Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant
Than he who honors himself and lacks bread.

He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who pursues worthless things lacks sense.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

As for a fool, {on that very day} he makes his anger known, but he who ignores an insult [is] prudent.

He who speaks truth tells what is right,
But a false witness, deceit.