winking his eyes, signaling with his feet,
and gesturing with his fingers.

He always plots evil with perversity in his heart—
he stirs up trouble.

arrogant eyes, a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,

a heart that plots wicked schemes,
feet eager to run to evil,

a lying witness who gives false testimony,
and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.

When you walk here and there, they will guide you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
when you wake up, they will talk to you.

For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light,
and corrective discipline is the way to life.

They will protect you from an evil woman,
from the flattering tongue of a stranger.

Don’t lust in your heart for her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyelashes.

For a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread,
but an adulteress goes after a precious life.

Can a man embrace fire
and his clothes not be burned?

Can a man walk on burning coals
without scorching his feet?

So it is with the one who sleeps with
another man’s wife;
no one who touches her will go unpunished.

The one who commits adultery lacks sense;
whoever does so destroys himself.

He will get a beating and dishonor,
and his disgrace will never be removed.

For jealousy enrages a husband,
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

Keep my commands and live;
protect my teachings
as the pupil of your eye.

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call understanding your relative.

She will keep you from a forbidden woman,
a stranger with her flattering talk.

At the window of my house
I looked through my lattice.

I saw among the inexperienced,
I noticed among the youths,
a young man lacking sense.

A woman came to meet him
dressed like a prostitute,
having a hidden agenda.

“I’ve made fellowship offerings;
today I’ve fulfilled my vows.

So I came out to meet you,
to search for you, and I’ve found you.

I’ve spread coverings on my bed—
richly colored linen from Egypt.

I’ve perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

My husband isn’t home;
he went on a long journey.

He took a bag of money with him
and will come home at the time of the full moon.”

He follows her impulsively
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer bounding toward a trap

until an arrow pierces its liver,
like a bird darting into a snare—
he doesn’t know it will cost him his life.

“People, I call out to you;
my cry is to mankind.

Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced;
develop common sense, you who are foolish.

Listen, for I speak of noble things,
and what my lips say is right.

All of them are clear to the perceptive,
and right to those who discover knowledge.

I, Wisdom, share a home with shrewdness
and have knowledge and discretion.

To fear the Lord is to hate evil.
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct,
and perverse speech.

I possess good advice and competence;
I have understanding and strength.

I love those who love me,
and those who search for me find me.

I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,

giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.

I was formed before ancient times,
from the beginning, before the earth began.

I was born
when there were no watery depths
and no springs filled with water.

I was delivered
before the mountains and hills were established,

I was there when He established the heavens,
when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,

when He set a limit for the sea
so that the waters would not violate His command,
when He laid out the foundations of the earth.

I was a skilled craftsman beside Him.
I was His delight every day,
always rejoicing before Him.

I was rejoicing in His inhabited world,
delighting in the human race.

“And now, my sons, listen to me;
those who keep my ways are happy.

Anyone who listens to me is happy,
watching at my doors every day,
waiting by the posts of my doorway.

For the one who finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord,

but the one who misses me harms himself;
all who hate me love death.”

“Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense, she says,

“Come, eat my bread,
and drink the wine I have mixed.

Leave inexperience behind, and you will live;
pursue the way of understanding.

The one who corrects a mocker
will bring dishonor on himself;
the one who rebukes a wicked man will get hurt.

Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you;
rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man, and he will learn more.

If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit;
if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences.”

She sits by the doorway of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,

calling to those who pass by,
who go straight ahead on their paths:

“Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense, she says,

Solomon’s proverbs:

A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son, heartache to his mother.

The son who gathers during summer is prudent;
the son who sleeps during harvest is disgraceful.

The remembrance of the righteous is a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.

A wise heart accepts commands,
but foolish lips will be destroyed.

The one who lives with integrity lives securely,
but whoever perverts his ways will be found out.

A sly wink of the eye causes grief,
and foolish lips will be destroyed.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,
but a rod is for the back of the one who lacks sense.

A rich man’s wealth is his fortified city;
the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

The one who follows instruction is on the path to life,
but the one who rejects correction goes astray.

The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

When there are many words, sin is unavoidable,
but the one who controls his lips is wise.

As shameful conduct is pleasure for a fool,
so wisdom is for a man of understanding.

Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
so the slacker is to the one who sends him on an errand.

The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the honorable,
but destruction awaits the malicious.

The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom,
but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath,
but righteousness rescues from death.

When the righteous thrive, a city rejoices,
and when the wicked die, there is joyful shouting.

A city is built up by the blessing of the upright,
but it is torn down by the mouth of the wicked.

Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks sense,
but a man with understanding keeps silent.

A gossip goes around revealing a secret,
but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.

If someone puts up security for a stranger,
he will suffer for it,
but the one who hates such agreements is protected.

A gracious woman gains honor,
but violent men gain only riches.

A kind man benefits himself,
but a cruel man brings disaster on himself.

The wicked man earns an empty wage,
but the one who sows righteousness, a true reward.

A beautiful woman who rejects good sense
is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.

A generous person will be enriched,
and the one who gives a drink of water
will receive water.

People will curse anyone who hoards grain,
but a blessing will come to the one who sells it.

The one who searches for what is good finds favor,
but if someone looks for trouble, it will come to him.

The one who brings ruin on his household
will inherit the wind,
and a fool will be a slave
to someone whose heart is wise.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
but violence takes lives.

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but one who hates correction is stupid.

The good person obtains favor from the Lord,
but He condemns a man who schemes.

A capable wife is her husband’s crown,
but a wife who causes shame
is like rottenness in his bones.

The words of the wicked are a deadly ambush,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.

A man is praised for his insight,
but a twisted mind is despised.

Better to be dishonored, yet have a servant,
than to act important but have no food.

A righteous man cares about his animal’s health,
but even the merciful acts of the wicked are cruel.

The one who works his land will have plenty of food,
but whoever chases fantasies lacks sense.