Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching,

My son, if sinners entice you,
don’t be persuaded.

Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

my son, don’t travel that road with them
or set foot on their path,

Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:

For her house leads down to death
And her paths lead to the dead;

My son, don’t forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commands;

Don't let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding.

Don’t consider yourself to be wise;
fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

My son, don't despise Yahweh's discipline, neither be weary of his reproof:

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

Maintain your competence and discretion.
My son, don’t lose sight of them.

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

Don’t fear sudden danger
or the ruin of the wicked when it comes,

When it is in your power,
don’t withhold good from the one it belongs to.

Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go away! Come back later.
I’ll give it tomorrow”—when it is there with you.

Don’t plan any harm against your neighbor,
for he trusts you and lives near you.

Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

Don’t envy a violent man
or choose any of his ways;

for I am giving you good instruction.
Don’t abandon my teaching.

Get wisdom, get understanding;
don’t forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.

Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you;
love her, and she will guard you.

Hold on to instruction; don’t let go.
Guard it, for it is your life.

Don’t set foot on the path of the wicked;
don’t proceed in the way of evil ones.

Avoid it; don’t travel on it.
Turn away from it, and pass it by.

For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to 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.

But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;
they don’t know what makes them stumble.

My son, listen to my words; bow down your ear to my sayings.

Don’t lose sight of them;
keep them within your heart.

Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly,
and don’t let your lips talk deviously.

Don’t turn to the right or to the left;
keep your feet away from evil.

Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

So now, my sons, listen to me,
and don’t turn away from the words of my mouth.

Keep your way far from her.
Don’t go near the door of her house.

so that you don't give your honor to others, and waste your best years;

so that strangers don't enrich themselves at your expense, and your work won't end up the possession of foreigners.

and I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor bowed down my ears to those who taught me!

Don’t give sleep to your eyes
or slumber to your eyelids.

How long, sluggard, wilt thou lie down? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

“Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to lie down and rest”—

My son, keep your father’s command,
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching.

In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked -- it talketh with thee.

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

for on account of a prostitute one is brought down to a loaf of bread, but the wife of another man preys on your precious life.

People don’t despise the thief if he steals
to satisfy himself when he is hungry.

For at the window of my house, through my lattice, I looked down.

Crossing the street near her corner,
he strolled down the road to her house

She is loud and defiant. Her feet don't stay in her house.

Come, let's make love until dawn; let's comfort ourselves with love,

Don’t let your heart turn aside to her ways;
don’t stray onto her paths.

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

Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Beside the gates, at the entrance to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

Listen to instruction and be wise;
don’t ignore it.

She has sent out her maidens, she calls
From the highest places of the city:

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

She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by the high and conspicuous places of the city,

But they consider not that death is there, and that her guests go down to hell.

The wise person accepts commands, but the chattering fool will be brought down.

Those who wink their eyes are trouble makers, and the mocking fool will be brought down.

The property of the man of wealth is his strong town: the poor man's need is his destruction.

The mouth of the righteous flows with [skillful and godly] wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.

Riches don't profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

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

By the blessing of the upright is a city exalted, And by the mouth of the wicked thrown down.

A man will be praised in the measure of his wisdom, but a wrong-minded man will be looked down on.

Look: what a fool taketh in hand, he thinketh it well done; but he that is wise, will be counseled.

Sorrow in the heart of a man boweth down, And a good word maketh him glad.

Righteousness protects the blameless, but wickedness brings down the sinner.

There is a glad dawn for the upright man, but the light of the sinner will be put out.

The heritage of the good man is handed down to his children's children; and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the upright man.

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

The evil bow down before the good; And the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.

Don’t those who plan evil go astray?
But those who plan good find loyalty and faithfulness.

The wicked is thrust down in his evil-doing; But the righteous hath a refuge in his death.

A soft answer putteth down displeasure, but froward words provoke anger.

A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life,
But a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit.

For the discerning the path of life leads upward,
so that he may avoid going down to Sheol.

The house of the proud Jehovah pulleth down, And He setteth up the border of the widow.

Good the cast down of spirit with the humble more than to divide the spoil with the proud.

A violent person entices his neighbor, and leads him down a path that is terrible.

He who is slow to be angry is better than a man of war, and he who has control over his spirit than he who takes a town.

Rebuke cometh down on the intelligent More than a hundred stripes on a fool.

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

The property of a man of wealth is his strong town, and it is as a high wall in the thoughts of his heart.

The gift of a man, maketh room for him, and, before great men, setteth him down.

A brother wounded is like a strong town, and violent acts are like a locked tower.

By his foolish behaviour a man's ways are turned upside down, and his heart is bitter against the Lord.

Discipline your son while there is hope;
don’t be intent on killing him.

A witness of Belial scorneth judgment, and the mouth of the wicked swalloweth down iniquity.

Don’t love sleep, or you will become poor;
open your eyes, and you’ll have enough to eat.

He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore don't keep company with him who opens wide his lips.

Don’t say, “I will avenge this evil!”
Wait on the Lord, and He will rescue you.

The snare of man swallowing down the holy thing, after the vows for seeking.

The violence done by the wicked will drag them away because they refuse to do what is right.

The righteous one keeps an eye on the house of the wicked—
How the wicked are cast down to ruin.

When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous (the upright, the one in right standing with God),
But to the evildoers it is disaster.

The man who wandereth from the way of discretion, in the gathered host of the shades, shall settle down.