Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God’s word and life’s experiences],

For wisdom’s profit is better than the profit of silver,
And her gain is better than fine gold.

She is more precious than rubies;
And nothing you can wish for compares with her [in value].

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

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is everyone who holds her tightly.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due [its rightful recipients],
When it is in your power to do it.

The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just and righteous.

The wise will inherit honor and glory,
But dishonor and shame is conferred on fools.

For I give you good doctrine;
Do not turn away from my instruction.

“The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]!
And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation].

I have instructed you in the way of [skillful and godly] wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.

Take hold of instruction; [actively seek it, grip it firmly and] do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your life.

For the wicked cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And they are deprived of sleep unless they make someone stumble and fall.

But the path of the just (righteous) is like the light of dawn,
That shines brighter and brighter until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day.

The way of the wicked is like [deep] darkness;
They do not know over what they stumble.

My son, be attentive to my wisdom [godly wisdom learned by costly experience],
Incline your ear to my understanding;

That you may exercise discrimination and discretion (good judgment),
And your lips may reserve knowledge and answer wisely [to temptation].

For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey [like a honeycomb]
And her speech is smoother than oil;

But in the end she is bitter like [the extract of] wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.

Should your springs (children) be dispersed,
As streams of water in the streets?

Let her be as a loving hind and graceful doe,
Let her breasts refresh and satisfy you at all times;
Always be exhilarated and delight in her love.

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].

Tear yourself away like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter
And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Go to the ant, O lazy one;
Observe her ways and be wise,

A worthless person, a wicked man,
Is one who walks with a perverse (corrupt, vulgar) mouth.

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

For on account of a prostitute one is reduced to a piece of bread [to be eaten up],
And the immoral woman hunts [with a hook] the precious life [of a man].

People do not despise a thief if he steals
To satisfy himself when he is hungry;

But when he is found, he must repay seven times [what he stole];
He must give all the property of his house [if necessary to meet his fine].

But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks common sense and sound judgment and an understanding [of moral principles];
He who would destroy his soul does it.

My son, keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you [so they are readily available to guide you].

Keep my commandments and live,
And keep my teaching and law as the apple of your eye.

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

And there a woman met him,
Dressed as a prostitute and sly and cunning of heart.

She was boisterous and rebellious;
She would not stay at home.

“Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning;
Let us console and delight ourselves with love.

“For my husband is not at home.
He has gone on a long journey;

Her house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.

“To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is directed to the sons of men.

“For my mouth will utter truth,
And wickedness is repulsive and loathsome 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.

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

“My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,
And my yield is better than choicest silver.

While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,
Or the first of the dust of the earth.

Then I was beside Him, as a master craftsman;
And I was daily His delight;
Rejoicing before Him always,

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

“Blessed [happy, prosperous, to be admired] is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.

“Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says,

Do not correct a scoffer [who foolishly ridicules and takes no responsibility for his error] or he will hate you;
Correct a wise man [who learns from his error], and he will love you.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will become even wiser;
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence],
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight.

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.

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

“Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks understanding (common sense), she says,

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

The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish [stubborn] son [who refuses to learn] is a grief to his mother.

He who gathers during summer and takes advantage of his opportunities is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps during harvest and ignores the moment of opportunity is a son who acts shamefully.

The memory of the righteous [person] is a [source of] blessing,
But the name of the wicked will [be forgotten and] rot [like a corpse].

The wise in heart [are willing to learn so they] will accept and obey commands (instruction),
But the babbling fool [who is arrogant and thinks himself wise] will come to ruin.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life and his words of wisdom are a source of blessing,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence and evil.

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.

Wise men store up and treasure knowledge [in mind and heart],
But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.

The rich man’s wealth is his fortress;
The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

He who learns from instruction and correction is on the [right] path of life [and for others his example is a path toward wisdom and blessing],
But he who ignores and refuses correction goes off course [and for others his example is a path toward sin and ruin].

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

When there are many words, transgression and offense are unavoidable,
But he who controls his lips and keeps thoughtful silence is wise.

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

Engaging in evil is like sport to the fool [who refuses wisdom and chases sin],
But to a man of understanding [skillful and godly] wisdom brings joy.

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

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 a stronghold to the upright,
But it is ruin to those who do evil.

The lips of the righteous know (speak) what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked knows (speaks) what is perverted (twisted).

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

The righteous is rescued from trouble,
And the wicked takes his place.

By the blessing [of the influence] of the upright the city is exalted,
But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.

He who goes about as a gossip reveals secrets,
But he who is trustworthy and faithful keeps a matter hidden.

Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm],
But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory.

He who puts up security and guarantees a debt for an outsider will surely suffer [for his foolishness],
But he who hates (declines) being a guarantor is secure [from its penalties].

A gracious and good woman attains honor,
And ruthless men attain riches [but not respect].

The merciful and generous man benefits his soul [for his behavior returns to bless him],
But the cruel and callous man does himself harm.

He who is steadfast in righteousness attains life,
But he who pursues evil attains 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 is without discretion [her lack of character mocks her beauty].

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.

The people curse him who holds back grain [when the public needs it],
But a blessing [from God and man] is upon the head of him who sells it.

He who leans on and trusts in and is confident in his riches will fall,
But the righteous [who trust in God’s provision] will flourish like a green leaf.

He who troubles (mismanages) his own house will inherit the wind (nothing),
And the foolish will be a servant to the wise-hearted.

The fruit of the [consistently] righteous is a tree of life,
And he who is wise captures and wins souls [for God—he gathers them for eternity].

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

A virtuous and excellent wife [worthy of honor] is the crown of her husband,
But she who shames him [with her foolishness] 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 [boastfully] honors himself [pretending to be what he is not] and lacks bread.

He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who follows worthless things lacks common sense and good judgment.

An evil man is [dangerously] ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous will escape from trouble.

A man will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words,
And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him [as a harvest].

The way of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God’s wisdom] is right in his own eyes,
But a wise and prudent man is he who listens to counsel.

The [arrogant] fool’s anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense],
But a prudent man ignores an insult.

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

Truthful lips will be established forever,
But a lying tongue is [credited] only for a moment.

Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.