Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, as those who go down to the pit;

So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence;
It takes away the life of its possessors.

“But he who listens to me shall live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things;

From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;

Who delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;

Whose paths are crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;

To deliver you from the strange woman,
From the adulteress who flatters with her words;

None who go to her return again,
Nor do they reach the paths of life.

For whom the Lord loves He reproves,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.

For they are life to those who find them
And health to all their body.

A worthless person, a wicked man,
Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth,

Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet,
Who points with his fingers;

Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil,
Who spreads strife.

A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.

So is the one who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her will not go unpunished.

The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense;
He who would destroy himself does it.

That they may keep you from an adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

“They are all straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.

“By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.

“I love those who love me;
And those who diligently seek me will find me.

To endow those who love me with wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.

“Now therefore, O sons, listen to me,
For blessed are they who keep my ways.

“Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.

“For he who finds me finds life
And obtains favor from the Lord.

“But he who sins against me injures himself;
All those who hate me love death.”

“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks understanding she says,

He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.

Calling to those who pass by,
Who are making their paths straight:

“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks understanding she says,

Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.

He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will be ruined.

On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.

He is on the path of life who heeds instruction,
But he who ignores reproof goes astray.

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

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.

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

He who despises his neighbor lacks sense,
But a man of understanding keeps silent.

He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.

He who is guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it,
But he who hates being a guarantor is secure.

The wicked earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.

He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life,
And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout
So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.

The generous man will be prosperous,
And he who waters will himself be watered.

He who withholds grain, the people will curse him,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

He who troubles his own house will inherit wind,
And the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who is wise wins souls.

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

A good man will obtain favor from the Lord,
But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.

Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant
Than he who honors himself and lacks bread.

He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who pursues worthless things lacks sense.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

He who speaks truth tells what is right,
But a false witness, deceit.

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

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

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
But those who deal faithfully are His delight.

The one who guards his mouth preserves his life;
The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing;
Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.

Through insolence comes nothing but strife,
But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.

Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles,
But the one who gathers by labor increases it.

The one who despises the word will be in debt to it,
But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.

Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline,
But he who regards reproof will be honored.

He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will suffer harm.

He who withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.

A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,
But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.

The poor is hated even by his neighbor,
But those who love the rich are many.

He who despises his neighbor sins,
But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.

Will they not go astray who devise evil?
But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

A truthful witness saves lives,
But he who utters lies is treacherous.

He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.

He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,
But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,
But in the hearts of fools it is made known.

The king’s favor is toward a servant who acts wisely,
But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.

A fool rejects his father’s discipline,
But he who regards reproof is sensible.

The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves one who pursues righteousness.

Grievous punishment is for him who forsakes the way;
He who hates reproof will die.

A scoffer does not love one who reproves him,
He will not go to the wise.

Folly is joy to him who lacks sense,
But a man of understanding walks straight.

He who profits illicitly troubles his own house,
But he who hates bribes will live.

He who neglects discipline despises himself,
But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.

Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.

Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And he who speaks right is loved.

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who watches his way preserves his life.

He who gives attention to the word will find good,
And blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it,
But the discipline of fools is folly.

He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.

A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.

He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker;
He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.