Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts;

And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Deliver me, O Jehovah, from the evil man; Preserve me from the violent man:

Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from the violent man: Who have purposed to thrust aside my steps.

The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set gins for me. Selah

I said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God: Give ear unto the voice of my supplications, O Jehovah.

O Jehovah the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

As for the head of those that compass me about, Let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

Jehovah, I have called upon thee; make haste unto me: Give ear unto my voice, when I call unto thee.

Let my prayer be set forth as incense before thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; Keep the door of my lips.

Incline not my heart to any evil thing, To practise deeds of wickedness With men that work iniquity: And let me not eat of their dainties.

Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; And let him reprove me, it shall be as oil upon the head; Let not my head refuse it: For even in their wickedness shall my prayer continue.

Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock; And they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

For mine eyes are unto thee, O Jehovah the Lord: In thee do I take refuge; leave not my soul destitute.

Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, And from the gins of the workers of iniquity.

I cry with my voice unto Jehovah; With my voice unto Jehovah do I make supplication.

I pour out my complaint before him; I show before him my trouble.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walk Have they hidden a snare for me.

Look on my right hand, and see; For there is no man that knoweth me: Refuge hath failed me; No man careth for my soul.

I cried unto thee, O Jehovah; I said, Thou art my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.

Attend unto my cry; For I am brought very low: Deliver me from my persecutors; For they are stronger than I.

Bring my soul out of prison, That I may give thanks unto thy name: The righteous shall compass me about; For thou wilt deal bountifully with me.

Hear my prayer, O Jehovah; give ear to my supplications: In thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; He hath smitten my life down to the ground: He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is desolate.

I spread forth my hands unto thee: My soul thirsteth after thee, as a weary land. Selah

Make haste to answer me, O Jehovah; my spirit faileth: Hide not thy face from me, Lest I become like them that go down into the pit.

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; For in thee do I trust: Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; For I lift up my soul unto thee.

Deliver me, O Jehovah, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

Teach me to do thy will; For thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Quicken me, O Jehovah, for thy name's sake: In thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.

And in thy lovingkindness cut off mine enemies, And destroy all them that afflict my soul; For I am thy servant.

Blessed be Jehovah my rock, Who teacheth my hands to war, And my fingers to fight:

My lovingkindness, and my fortress, My high tower, and my deliverer; My shield, and he in whom I take refuge; Who subdueth my people under me.

Stretch forth thy hand from above; Rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, Out of the hand of aliens;

Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hand of aliens, Whose mouth speaketh deceit, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

I will extol thee, my God, O King; And I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

My mouth shall speak the praise of Jehovah; And let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Praise ye Jehovah. Praise Jehovah, O my soul.

While I live will I praise Jehovah: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:

My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not.

My son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path:

Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you.

Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded;

But ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof:

Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:

They would none of my counsel; They despised all my reproof.

But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil.

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And lay up my commandments with thee;

That he may guard the paths of justice, And preserve the way of his saints.

My son, forget not my law; But let thy heart keep my commandments:

My son, despise not the chastening of Jehovah; Neither be weary of his reproof:

My son, let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion:

Hear, my'sons, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding:

For I give you good doctrine; Forsake ye not my law.

For I was a son unto my father, Tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

And he taught me, and said unto me: Let thy heart retain my words; Keep my commandments, and live;

Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of thy life shall be many.

My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings.

My son, attend unto my wisdom; Incline thine ear to my understanding:

That thou mayest preserve discretion, And that thy lips may keep knowledge.

Now therefore, my'sons, hearken unto me, And depart not from the words of my mouth.

And say, How have I hated instruction, And my heart despised reproof;

Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

For why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor, If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger;

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, Seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbor: Go, humble thyself, and importune thy neighbor;

My son, keep the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:

My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.

Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding thy kinswoman:

That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.

For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;

Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.

I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.

I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

Now therefore, my'sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.

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

Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things.

For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

Receive my instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than choice gold.

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

I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge and discretion.

By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.

By me princes rule, And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me.

Riches and honor are with me; Yea , durable wealth and righteousness.

My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver.

That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.

Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.

Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men.

Now therefore, my'sons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that keep my ways.

Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah.

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.