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].

So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
Greed takes away the lives of its possessors.

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.

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

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

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

Her ways are highways of pleasantness and favor,
And all her paths are peace.

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

For they are life to those who find them,
And healing and health to all their flesh.

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

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].

If you have been snared with the words of your lips,
If you have been trapped by the speech of your mouth,

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

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

For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching [of the law] is light,
And reproofs (rebukes) for discipline are the way of life,

Say to [skillful and godly] wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And regard understanding and intelligent insight as your intimate friends;

For she has cast down many [mortally] wounded;
Indeed, all who were killed by her were strong.

“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 straightforward to him who understands [with an open and willing mind],
And right to those who find knowledge and live by it.

“For wisdom is better than rubies;
And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

“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,

“Now therefore, O sons, listen to me,
For blessed [happy, prosperous, to be admired] are they who keep my ways.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself [for your own benefit];
If you scoff [thoughtlessly ridicule and disdain], you alone will pay the penalty.

“Stolen waters (pleasures) are sweet [because they are forbidden];
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

But he does not know that the spirits of the dead are there,
And that her guests are [already] in the depths of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

Treasures of wickedness and ill-gotten gains do not profit,
But righteousness and moral integrity in daily life rescues from death.

Blessings are on the head of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God],
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

On the lips of the discerning, [skillful and godly] wisdom is found,
But discipline and the rod are for the back of the one who is without common sense and understanding.

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

When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

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.

A false balance and dishonest business practices are extremely offensive to the Lord,
But an accurate scale is His delight.

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.

The righteousness of the upright will rescue them,
But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.

When it goes well for the righteous, the city rejoices,
And when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

The wicked man earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness and lives his life with integrity will have a true reward [that is both permanent and satisfying].

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!

There is the one who [generously] scatters [abroad], and yet increases all the more;
And there is the one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want and poverty.

If the righteous will be rewarded on the earth [with godly blessings],
How much more [will] the wicked and the sinner [be repaid with punishment]!

The thoughts and purposes of the [consistently] righteous are just (honest, reliable),
But the counsels and schemes of the wicked are deceitful.

The wicked are overthrown [by their evil] and are no more,
But the house of the [consistently] righteous will stand [securely].

A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal,
But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Lying lips are extremely disgusting to the Lord,
But those who deal faithfully are His delight.

In the way of righteousness is life,
And in its pathway there is no death [but immortality—eternal life].

Righteousness (being in right standing with God) guards the one whose way is blameless,
But wickedness undermines and overthrows the sinner.

Abundant food is in the fallow (uncultivated) ground of the poor,
But [without protection] it is swept away by injustice.

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
But much revenue [because of good crops] comes by the strength of the ox.

Fools mock sin [but sin mocks the fools],
But among the upright there is good will and the favor and blessing of God.

The naive [are unsophisticated and easy to exploit and] inherit foolishness,
But the sensible [are thoughtful and far-sighted and] are crowned with knowledge.

A calm and peaceful and tranquil heart is life and health to the body,
But passion and envy are like rottenness to the bones.

Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Watching the evil and the good [in all their endeavors].

The way [of life] of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the Lord,
But He loves one who pursues righteousness [personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character].

Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the abyss, the place of eternal punishment) lie open before the Lord—
How much more the hearts and inner motives of the children of men.

All the days of the afflicted are bad,
But a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of the circumstances].

Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated,
But with many counselors they are established and succeed.

Evil plans and thoughts of the wicked are exceedingly vile and offensive to the Lord,
But pure words are pleasant words to Him.

All the ways of a man are clean and innocent in his own eyes [and he may see nothing wrong with his actions],
But the Lord weighs and examines the motives and intents [of the heart and knows the truth].

The Lord has made everything for its own purpose,
Even the wicked [according to their role] for the day of evil.

Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income [gained] with injustice.

A divine decision [given by God] is on the lips of the king [as His representative];
His mouth should not be unfaithful or unjust in judgment.

A just balance and [honest] scales are the Lord’s;
All the weights of the bag are His concern [established by His eternal principles].

It is repulsive [to God and man] for kings to behave wickedly,
For a throne is established on righteousness (right standing with God).

Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And he who speaks right is loved.

The wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweet speech increases persuasiveness and learning [in both speaker and listener].

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweet and delightful to the soul and healing to the body.

The silver-haired head is a crown of splendor and glory;
It is found in the way of righteousness.

The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the Lord.

Grandchildren are the crown of aged men,
And the glory of children is their fathers [who live godly lives].

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous
Are both repulsive to the Lord.

[Skillful and godly] wisdom is in the presence of a person of understanding [and he recognizes it],
But the eyes of a [thickheaded] fool are on the ends of the earth.

The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters [copious and difficult to fathom];
The fountain of [mature, godly] wisdom is like a bubbling stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving].

A fool’s mouth is his ruin,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.

The words of a whisperer (gossip) are like dainty morsels [to be greedily eaten];
They go down into the innermost chambers of the body [to be remembered and mused upon].

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.

All the brothers of a poor man hate him;
How much more do his friends abandon him!
He pursues them with words, but they are gone.

A foolish (ungodly) son is destruction to his father,
And the contentions of a [quarrelsome] wife are like a constant dripping [of water].

House and wealth are the inheritance from fathers,
But a wise, understanding, and sensible wife is [a gift and blessing] from the Lord.

Many plans are in a man’s mind,
But it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand (be carried out).

That which is desirable in a man is his loyalty and unfailing love,
But it is better to be a poor man than a [wealthy] liar.

Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
And beatings for the backs of [thickheaded] fools.

The righteous man who walks in integrity and lives life in accord with his [godly] beliefs—
How blessed [happy and spiritually secure] are his children after him [who have his example to follow].

Differing weights [one for buying and another for selling] and differing measures,
Both of them are detestable and offensive to the Lord.

There is gold, and an abundance of pearls,
But the lips of knowledge are a vessel of preciousness [the most precious of all].

Plans are established by counsel;
So make war [only] with wise guidance.

Differing weights are detestable and offensive to the Lord,
And fraudulent scales are not good.

Man’s steps are ordered and ordained by the Lord.
How then can a man [fully] understand his way?

The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He turns it whichever way He wishes.

Haughty and arrogant eyes and a proud heart,
The lamp of the wicked [their self-centered pride], is sin [in the eyes of God].

The righteous one keeps an eye on the house of the wicked—
How the wicked are cast down to ruin.

There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise [who prepare for the future],
But a short-sighted and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.

The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But deliverance and victory belong to the Lord.

A prudent and far-sighted person sees the evil [of sin] and hides himself [from it],
But the naive continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin].

Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate [for their lack of honor and their wrong-doing traps them];
He who guards himself [with godly wisdom] will be far from them and avoid the consequences they suffer.

When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is [set] before you;

For you will put a knife to your throat
If you are a man of great appetite.

And by knowledge its rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.