Man to vanity hath been like, His days are as a shadow passing by.

Because their mouth hath spoken vanity, And their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

Free me, and deliver me From the hand of sons of a stranger, Because their mouth hath spoken vanity, And their right hand is a right hand of falsehood,

Trust not in princes -- in a son of man, For he hath no deliverance.

O the happiness of him Who hath the God of Jacob for his help, His hope is on Jehovah his God,

For He did strengthen the bars of thy gates, He hath blessed thy sons in thy midst.

He hath not done so to any nation, As to judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye Jah!

They praise the name of Jehovah, For His name alone hath been set on high, His honour is above earth and heavens.

'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?

To deliver thee from the strange woman, From the stranger who hath made smooth her sayings,

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

For her house hath inclined unto death, And unto Rephaim her paths.

O the happiness of a man who hath found wisdom, And of a man who bringeth forth understanding.

If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.

For Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.

For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not some to stumble.

And hast said, 'How have I hated instruction, And reproof hath my heart despised,

Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler,

She doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food.

And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.

These six hath Jehovah hated, Yea, seven are abominations to His soul.

So is he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent.

To preserve thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.

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

For the man is not in his house, He hath gone on a long journey.

A bag of money he hath taken in his hand, At the day of the new moon he cometh to his house.'

Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it is for its life.

At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,

The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.

For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

Wisdom hath builded her house, She hath hewn out her pillars -- seven.

She hath slaughtered her slaughter, She hath mingled her wine, Yea, she hath arranged her table.

She hath sent forth her damsels, She crieth on the tops of the high places of the city:

Who is simple? let him turn aside hither.' Whoso lacketh heart: she hath said to him,

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

A foolish woman is noisy, Simple, and hath not known what.

And she hath sat at the opening of her house, On a throne -- the high places of the city,

And he hath not known that Rephaim are there, In deep places of Sheol her invited ones!

Pride hath come, and shame cometh, And with the lowly is wisdom.

In the death of a wicked man, hope perisheth, And the expectation of the iniquitous hath been lost.

Evil one suffereth when he hath been surety for a stranger, And whoso is hating suretyship is confident.

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

Better is the lightly esteemed who hath a servant, Than the self-honoured who lacketh bread.

The wicked hath desired the net of evil doers, And the root of the righteous giveth.

A wise son -- the instruction of a father, And a scorner -- he hath not heard rebuke.

The soul of the slothful is desiring, and hath not. And the soul of the diligent is made fat.

There is who is making himself rich, and hath nothing, Who is making himself poor, and wealth is abundant.

The ransom of a man's life are his riches, And the poor hath not heard rebuke.

Whoso is sparing his rod is hating his son, And whoso is loving him hath hastened him chastisement.

Every wise woman hath builded her house, And the foolish with her hands breaketh it down.

A scorner hath sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge to the intelligent is easy.

All things hath Jehovah wrought for Himself, And also the wicked worketh for a day of evil.

A labouring man hath laboured for himself, For his mouth hath caused him to bend over it.

A violent man enticeth his neighbour, And hath causeth him to go in a way not good.

Consulting his eyes to devise froward things, Moving his lips he hath accomplished evil.

Whoso is mocking at the poor Hath reproached his Maker, Whoso is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.

Whoso is begetting a fool hath affliction for it, Yea, the father of a fool rejoiceth not.

With the coming of the wicked come also hath contempt, And with shame -- reproach.

Righteous is the first in his own cause, His neighbour cometh and hath searched him.

Whoso hath found a wife hath found good, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

The wisdom of a man hath deferred his anger, And his glory is to pass over transgression.

The slothful hath hidden his hand in a dish, Even unto his mouth he bringeth it not back.

A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.

Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.

A snare to a man is he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.

Kindness and truth keep a king, And he hath supported by kindness his throne.

The soul of the wicked hath desired evil, Not gracious in his eyes is his neighbour.

A city of the mighty hath the wise gone up, And bringeth down the strength of its confidence.

All the day desiring he hath desired, And the righteous giveth and withholdeth not.

A wicked man hath hardened by his face, And the upright -- he prepareth his way.

The prudent hath seen the evil, and is hidden, And the simple have passed on, and are punished.

The good of eye -- he is blessed, For he hath given of his bread to the poor.

The slothful hath said, 'A lion is without, In the midst of the broad places I am slain.'

For Jehovah pleadeth their cause, And hath spoiled the soul of their spoilers.

For as he hath thought in his soul, so is he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart is not with thee.

My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,

Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.

Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?

When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.

Lest Jehovah see, and it be evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.

And lo, it hath gone up -- all of it -- thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.

And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!

For better that he hath said to thee, 'Come thou up hither,' Than that he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.

A thorn hath gone up into the hand of a drunkard, And a parable in the mouth of fools.

As a dog hath returned to its vomit, A fool is repeating his folly.

The slothful hath said, 'A lion is in the way, A lion is in the broad places.'

The slothful hath hid his hand in a dish, He is weary of bringing it back to his mouth.

So hath a man deceived his neighbour, And hath said, 'Am not I playing?'

The prudent hath seen the evil, he is hidden, The simple have passed on, they are punished.

Take his garment, when a stranger hath been surety, And for a strange woman pledge it.

Whoso is hiding her hath hidden the wind, And the ointment of his right hand calleth out.

Whoso is covering his transgressions prospereth not, And he who is confessing and forsaking hath mercy.

A stedfast man hath multiplied blessings, And whoso is hasting to be rich is not acquitted.

Whoso is giving to the poor hath no lack, And whoso is hiding his eyes multiplied curses.

A wise man is judged by the foolish man, And he hath been angry, And he hath laughed, and there is no rest.

Men of blood hate the perfect, And the upright seek his soul.

Who went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What is His name? and what His son's name? Surely thou knowest!

Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth -- it is not satisfied with water, And fire -- it hath not said, 'Sufficiency,'

So -- the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, 'I have not done iniquity.'

For three things hath earth been troubled, And for four -- it is not able to bear: