It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

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.

The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.

For the wrong-hearted man is hated by the Lord, but he is a friend to the upright.

The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Hear, O children, the instruction of a father,
And pay attention [and be willing to learn] so that you may gain understanding and intelligent discernment.

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

Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth.

The chief point of wisdom is that thou be willing to obtain wisdom, and before all thy goods to get the understanding.

Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love.

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

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.

Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

For they consume bread gotten by lawlessness, and, wine obtained by violence, they drink.

But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.

But the way of the ungodly is as the darkness, wherein men fall, or they be aware.

My child, be attentive to my words; to my sayings incline your ear.

Above all that must be guarded, keep thou thy heart, for, out of it, are the issues of life.

Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you.

Let your eyes look directly ahead [toward the path of moral courage]
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you [toward the path of integrity].

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

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

My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

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

Let your way [in life] be far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house [avoid even being near the places of temptation],

Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

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

And you will say, How was teaching hated by me, and my heart put no value on training;

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

Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

He will die for lack of instruction (discipline),
And in the greatness of his foolishness he will go astray and be lost.

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

If you have been snared with the words of your lips,
If you have been trapped by the speech of your mouth,

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, since thou hast come into the hand of thy friend: go, humble thyself, and be urgent with thy friend.

Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

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

so shall poverty come unto thee as one that travaileth by the way, and necessity like a weaponed man.

Who winks with his eyes [in mockery], who shuffles his feet [to signal],
Who points with his fingers [to give subversive instruction];

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

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

An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

by binding them to your heart continuously, fastening them around 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.

by keeping you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the loose woman.

Do not covet her beauty, in thy heart, neither let her take thee, by her eyelashes;

For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

They will not despise a thief if he shall steal to fill up his soul; for he will be hungry.

But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

Whoever commits adultery with a woman is out of his mind; by doing so he corrupts his own soul.

A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

For the jealousy and wrath of the man will not be intreated;

He will not accept any ransom [offered to buy him off from demanding full punishment];
Nor will he be satisfied though you offer him many gifts (bribes).

My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.

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:

That thou mayest be kept, from the woman that is a stranger, from the female unknown, who, with her speeches, doth flatter.

He was passing by the street near her corner, making his way along the road to her house

in the twilight of the evening, when it began now to be night and dark.

at one time outside, at another in the wide plazas, and by every corner she lies in wait.)

So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:

Sacrifices of peace-offerings are by me, To-day I have completed my vows.

Come, let us lie together, and take our pleasure till it be daylight.

Suddenly he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter [not knowing the outcome],
Or as one in stocks going to the correction [to be given] to a fool,

Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.

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

For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.

O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

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

For, faithfulness, shall my mouth softly utter, but, the abomination of my lips, shall be lawlessness;

In righteousness, shall be all the sayings of my mouth, nothing therein, shall be crafty or perverse;

“They are all straightforward to him who understands [with an open and willing mind],
And right to those who find knowledge and live by it.

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

I, wisdom, have made wise behaviour my near relation; I am seen to be the special friend of wise purposes.

I can give counsel, and be a guide: I have understanding, I have strength.

By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

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

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