And, lo, a woman to meet him -- (A harlot's dress, and watchful of heart,

She is loud and stubborn; her feet do not stay at her house.

And she laid hold on him, and kissed him, She hath hardened her face, and saith to him,

I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

My bed have I made to smell of Myrrh, Aloes, and Cinnamon.

My husband isn’t home;
he went on a long journey.

He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

For many are the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty are all her slain ones.

Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

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

Beside the gates at the entry to the city,
at the main entrance, she cries out:

Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.

Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced;
develop common sense, you who are foolish.

Give ear, for my words are true, and my lips are open to give out what is upright.

For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

“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.

They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

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

For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

I, wisdom, have made wise behaviour my near relation; I am seen to be the special friend of wise purposes.

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Counsel belongs to me, along with sound judgment. I am understanding. Power belongs to me.

By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.

I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.

Wealth and honor accompany me, as do enduring wealth and righteousness.

My fruit is better than gold, even than the best gold; and my increase is more to be desired than silver.

In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,

That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

When there were no ocean depths, I brought them to birth at a time when there were no springs.

Before the mountains were shaped, before there were hills, I was bringing them to birth.

When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight -- day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,

As for the round compass of his world, I make it joyful: for my delight is to be among the children of men.

And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.

“Heed (pay attention to) instruction and be wise,
And do not ignore or neglect it.

O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.

For whoever gets me gets life, and grace from the Lord will come to him.

but he that sinneth against me doeth violence to his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

She has put her fat beasts to death; her wine is mixed, her table is ready.

She has sent out her maidens, she calls
From the highest places of the city:

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee, Give reproof to the wise, and he loveth thee.

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and acknowledging the Holy One is understanding.

For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and years of life shall be added to thee.

If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage, but if you are a mocker, you alone must bear it.

The foolish woman is restless and noisy;
She is naive and easily misled and thoughtless, and knows nothing at all [of eternal value].

To call passengers who go right on their ways:

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

But he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son causeth a father to rejoice, And a foolish son is an affliction to his mother.

Treasures of wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.

The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.

He cometh to want that dealeth with a slack hand; but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

The one who gathers crops in the summer is a wise son, but the one who sleeps during the harvest is a son who brings shame to himself.

Blessings [belong] to the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

The memory of the upright is a blessing, but the name of the evil-doer will be turned to dust.

A heart of wisdom will heed commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.

The winking of an eye causes trouble, and the foolishness of lips comes to ruin.

In the lips of him that hath understanding a man shall find wisdom; but the rod belongeth to the back of the foolish.

Those who are wise lay up knowledge, but [to] the mouth of the fool, ruin draws near.

The rich hide within the fortress that is their wealth, but the poor are dismayed due to their poverty.

The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.

Keeping instruction is the path to life; but he that forsaketh reproof goeth astray.

Where there is much talk there will be no end to sin, but he who keeps his mouth shut does wisely.

What the righteous person says is like precious silver; the thoughts of the wicked are compared to small things.

The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.

The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow to it.

It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

What the wicked dreads will come to him,
but what the righteous desire will be given to them.

As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that 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.

The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

The righteous to the age is not moved, And the wicked inhabit not the earth.

The lips of the righteous are occupied in acceptable things; but the mouth of the ungodly taketh them to the worst.

A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

When the wicked man dies, his expectation will perish;
And the hope of [godless] strong men perishes.

When the righteous thrive, a city rejoices,
and when the wicked die, there is joyful shouting.

Without counsels do a people fall, And deliverance is in a multitude of counsellors.

He will suffer trouble when he loans to a stranger, but he who refuses a pledge is safe.

The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.

They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.

Hand to hand, the wicked is not acquitted, And the seed of the righteous hath escaped.

The desire of the righteous turns out well,
but the hope of the wicked leads to wrath.

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

The soul of blessing shall be made fat: also he watering, shall himself drink to the full.

People will curse anyone who hoards grain,
but a blessing will come to the one who sells it.

He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but he who inquires of evil, it will come to him.

He who puts his faith in wealth will come to nothing; but the upright man will be full of growth like the green leaf.

He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.