And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life.

Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you.

Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered.

Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil.

My son, give attention to my wisdom; let your ear be turned to my teaching:

So that you may be ruled by a wise purpose, and your lips may keep knowledge.

She never keeps her mind on the road of life; her ways are uncertain, she has no knowledge.

Give ear to me then, my sons, and do not put away my words from you.

For fear that you may give your honour to others, and your wealth to strange men:

And strange men may be full of your wealth, and the fruit of your work go to the house of others;

And you will be full of grief at the end of your life, when your flesh and your body are wasted;

I did not give attention to the voice of my teachers, my ear was not turned to those who were guiding me!

Let water from your store and not that of others be your drink, and running water from your fountain.

Let not your springs be flowing in the streets, or your streams of water in the open places.

Let blessing be on your fountain; have joy in the wife of your early years.

As a loving hind and a gentle doe, let her breasts ever give you rapture; let your passion at all times be moved by her love.

Why let yourself, my son, go out of the way with a strange woman, and take another woman in your arms?

For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he puts all his goings in the scales.

My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,

You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.

Do this, my son, and make yourself free, because you have come into the power of your neighbour; go without waiting, and make a strong request to your neighbour.

Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;

Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?

Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man

Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:

A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;

My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:

Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.

In your walking, it will be your guide; when you are sleeping, it will keep watch over you; when you are awake, it will have talk with you.

For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life.

Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.

Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?

He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.

Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;

Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.

Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:

So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.

Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.

Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.

So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;

Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.

For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.

Where the roads go into the town her cry goes out, at the doorways her voice is loud:

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

For good faith goes out of my mouth, and false lips are disgusting to me.

All the words of my mouth are righteousness; there is nothing false or twisted in them.

They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge.

For wisdom is better than jewels, and all things which may be desired are nothing in comparison with her.

The fear of the Lord is seen in hating evil: pride, a high opinion of oneself, the evil way, and the false tongue, are unpleasing to me.

Wise design and good sense are mine; reason and strength are mine.

Through me chiefs have authority, and the noble ones are judging in righteousness.

Those who have given me their love are loved by me, and those who make search for me with care will get me.

Wealth and honour are in my hands, even wealth without equal and righteousness.

When there was no deep I was given birth, when there were no fountains flowing with water.

Before the mountains were put in their places, before the hills was my birth:

When he had not made the earth or the fields or the dust of the world.

When he made strong the skies overhead: when the fountains of the deep were fixed:

Give ear to me then, my sons: for happy are those who keep my ways.

Happy is the man who gives ear to me, watching at my doors day by day, keeping his place by the pillars of my house.

But he who does evil to me, does wrong to his soul: all my haters are in love with death.

Do not say sharp words to a man of pride, or he will have hate for you; make them clear to a wise man, and you will be dear to him.

For by me your days will be increased, and the years of your life will be long.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if your heart is full of pride, you only will have the pain of it.

But he does not see that the dead are there, that her guests are in the deep places of the underworld.

Blessings are on the head of the upright, but the face of sinners will be covered with sorrow.

He whose ways are upright will go safely, but he whose ways are twisted will be made low.

Hate is a cause of violent acts, but all errors are covered up by love.

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

The lips of the upright man have knowledge of what is pleasing, but twisted are the mouths of evil-doers.

Scales of deceit are hated by the Lord, but a true weight is his delight.

With his mouth the evil man sends destruction on his neighbour; but through knowledge the upright are taken out of trouble.

When things go well for the upright man, all the town is glad; at the death of sinners, there are cries of joy.

The uncontrolled are hated by the Lord, but those whose ways are without error are his delight

The purposes of upright men are right, but the designs of evil-doers are deceit.

The words of sinners are destruction for the upright; but the mouth of upright men is their salvation.

Evil-doers are overturned and never seen again, but the house of upright men will keep its place.

An upright man has thought for the life of his beast, but the hearts of evil-doers are cruel.

The way of the foolish man seems right to him? but the wise man gives ear to suggestions.

There are some whose uncontrolled talk is like the wounds of a sword, but the tongue of the wise makes one well again.

True lips are certain for ever, but a false tongue is only for a minute.

Deceit is in the heart of those whose designs are evil, but for those purposing peace there is joy.

False lips are hated by the Lord, but those whose acts are true are his delight.

A wise son is a lover of teaching, but the ears of the haters of authority are shut to sharp words.

He who keeps a watch on his mouth keeps his life; but he whose lips are open wide will have destruction.

Righteousness keeps safe him whose way is without error, but evil-doers are overturned by sin.

A man will give his wealth in exchange for his life; but the poor will not give ear to sharp words.

He who goes on his way in righteousness has before him the fear of the Lord; but he whose ways are twisted gives him no honour.

Where there are no oxen, their food-place is clean; but much increase comes through the strength of the ox.

Foolish behaviour is the heritage of the simple, but men of good sense are crowned with knowledge.

The knees of the evil are bent before the good; and sinners go down in the dust at the doors of the upright.

Will not the designers of evil come into error? But mercy and good faith are for the designers of good.

He who is hard on the poor puts shame on his Maker; but he who has mercy on those who are in need gives him honour.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Before the Lord are the underworld and destruction: how much more, then, the hearts of the children of men!

The heart of the man of good sense goes in search of knowledge, but foolish things are the food of the unwise.

All the days of the troubled are evil; but he whose heart is glad has an unending feast.

Better is a simple meal where love is, than a fat ox and hate with it.

Thorns are round the way of the hater of work; but the road of the hard worker becomes a highway.

Where there are no wise suggestions, purposes come to nothing; but by a number of wise guides they are made certain.