wisdom is to hear gladly, and to have prudence rather than all goods.

Esteem her highly, and she shall exalt thee; and she shall make thee honourable where thou hearest her.

She shall beautifully adorn thy head, and shall adorn thee with a fair crown.

Hear therefore, my child, and receive my words, and thy years shall be many.

I will lead thee in the way of wisdom; I will guide thee in the paths of righteousness, 12. That when thou walkest, thy walk be not sore unto thee; and when thou runnest, that thou bump not against thyself.

Take hold of discipline, leave it not: keep it, for it is thy life.

Come not into the path of the wicked, neither tread thou in the way of the evil.

Let him go, and go not in: depart from him, and pass by.

For they sleep not, because they have done evil: neither do they rest, because they have done evil.

For they feed on ungodly bread, and drink of the wine of iniquity.

But the path of the righteous shineth as the light that goeth forth, and shineth unto the full day.

But the way of the wicked is as darkness, and they know not whither they shall fall.

My son, hearken unto my word, and incline thine ear unto my speech.

Let them not depart from thine eyes: keep them in thine heart.

For they are life to them that find them, and health to their whole body.

Take heed to thine heart with all diligence: for out of it cometh life.

Put away from thee the perverse mouth, and let the blasphemer be far from thee.

Let thine eyes look straight before thee, and let thine eyelids look right before thee.

Let thy foot go straight before thee, and thou shalt surely go.

Wilt thou not turn to the right hand, nor to the left: turn thy foot from evil.
(Proverbs)
Chapter 5
Warning against fornication. Exhortation to chastity.

My child, take heed to my wisdom; incline thine ear unto my doctrine, 2. That thou mayest keep good counsel, and that thy mouth may know the difference.

For the lips of the harlot are sweet as honeycomb, and her throat is smoother than oil, 4. But afterwards bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a twoedged sword.

their feet run down to death, their corridors attain hell.

She walketh not straight in the way of life: her footsteps are unsteady, that she knoweth not where she prayeth.

Obey me therefore, my children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

Let thy ways be far from her, and not nigh unto the door of her house, 9. That thou givest not thine honour to strangers, nor thy years to the cruel, 10. Lest strangers fill themselves with thy substance, and thy labour be not in another man’s house,

And afterward thou shalt groan, when thou hast consumed thy body and thy substance, 12. And say: Alas, how I have hated discipline, and my heart hated punishment, 13. And I have not hearkened unto the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear unto them that taught me.

I am come almost to all mischief in the sight of all people, and in the sight of all the nation.

Drink water out of thy pit, and rivers out of thy well.

Let thy fountains flow forth, and the rivers of water upon the streets.

But have them alone, and no stranger with thee.

Bless thy spring, and rejoice in the wife of thy youth.

She is as sweet as a hind, and as lovely as a deer. Let her love satisfy thee at all times, And rejoice in her love for ever.

My child, why wilt thou delight thyself in a stranger, and be in love with another?

For every man’s ways are straight before the LORD, and he hath utterly rejected all their courses.

The iniquity of the wicked shall take him, and he shall be held with the snare of his sin.

He shall die, because he will not be drawn: and for his great folly it shall not be well with him.
(Proverbs)
Chapter 6
Warning against infidelity in trade.

My child, become thou surety for thy neighbour, and have thine hand arrested with a stranger, 2. so thou art bound with the speech of thy, mouth, and captive with the speeches of thy mouth.

Do thou therefore, my child, and save thyself: for thou art come into thy neighbour’s hand: make haste, press, and drive thy neighbour.

Let not thine eyes sleep, nor let thine eyelids slumber.

Deliver thee as a deer from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the vulture.

Go unto the ant, thou sluggard, behold her ways, and learn.

Whether she have no prince, nor captain, nor lord,

For she maketh her bread in summer, and gathereth her meat in harvest.

How long have you been lying there, lazy one? When wilt thou rise from thy sleep?

Yea, sleep yet a little, slumber a little, clasp thy hands together a little, that thou mayest sleep,

Then poverty shall overtake thee as a footman, and want as a man armed.

A loose man, an evil man, prayeth with a perverse mouth,

Beckon with eyes, point with feet, point with fingers,
14: Seeketh always evil and perverseness in his heart, and maketh strife.

Therefore his accident shall come upon him suddenly, and shall be broken fast, that there shall be no help.

These six things hateth the LORD: and in the seventh he abhorreth: 17. High eyes, false tongues, hands that shed innocent blood;

heart, which dealeth wickedly; feet, which are nimble to do hurt; 19. False witness, one that speaketh lies boldly, and that causeth strife between brethren.

My child, keep the commandments of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother.

Bind them together upon thy heart every way, and hang them upon thy neck: 22. When thou walkest, that they may guide thee; when thou liest down, that they may preserve thee; when thou awakest, that they may be thy conversation.

For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light: and the chastening of correction is a way of life,

That thou mayest be preserved from the wicked woman, from the smooth tongue of strangers.

Let not their beauty lusteth in thine heart, neither be thou offended at their eyelids.

For a harlot deprivileth a man of his bread: but a wife feedeth the noble life.

Can any man also keep a fire in his bosom, that his garments burn not?

How shall a man walk upon coals, that his feet be not burned?

So goeth he that toucheth his neighbour’s wife: there is none unpunished that toucheth her.

It is not so great a reproach to a thief, if he steal, to satisfy his soul, because he hunger.

And if he be understood, he shall restore it sevenfold, and lay up all the substance of his house.

But he that committeth adultery with a woman is a fool: he bringeth his life to destruction.

And he shall be plagued with shame, and his reproach shall not be blotted out.

For the wrath of man is fierce, and spareth not in the time of vengeance.

And looketh not on any person to make reconciliation, and receiveth not, whether thou wilt give much.
(Proverbs)
Chapter 7
Description of adultery and warning against it.

My child, keep my speech, and hide my commandments from you.

Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live; and keep my law as the apple of thine eye.

Put them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart!

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call prudence thy friend, 5. That thou mayest be preserved from a strange woman, from another that speaketh evil words.

For at the window of my house I looked through the lattice, and saw among the silly ones 7. And perceived among the children a foolish youth,

Who walked in the street at a corner, and therefore stood in the way at her house, 9. At twilight, in the evening of the day, when it was night and dark.

And, behold, there met him a woman in whoredom, crafty,

Wild and unruly, that their feet cannot abide in their house.

Now she’s out, now in the alley, lurking on every corner.

And caught him, and kissed him brazenly, and said unto him: 14. I have paid peace offerings for myself this day, for my vows.

Therefore I went out to meet thee, to seek thy face early, and found thee.

I have beautifully decorated my bed with colorful carpets from Egypt.

I have sprinkled my camp with myrrh, and with aloes, and with the name of tin.

Come, let us strive enough until the morning, and let us cultivate love; 19. For the man is not at home, he has gone a far way;

He has taken the money bag with him; he will not come home until the feast.

She persuaded him with many words, and won him in with her smooth mouth.

He followed her straightway, as an ox is led to a meat-box, and as to a fetter, where fools are chastened,

Till she split his liver with the arrow, as a bird hasteth to the rope, and knoweth not that life is for him.

Obey me therefore, my children, and hearken unto the words of my mouth.

Let not thine heart be turned aside into their way, neither let thine heart be deceived into their paths.

For she hath wounded and killed many, and all mighty men are slain by her.

Her house are ways to hell, where one goeth down into the chamber of death.
(Proverbs)
Chapter 8
Of the essential wisdom, the Son of God,

Crieth not wisdom, and prudence is heard?

it stands publicly by the way and by the street.

At the gates of the city, as one entereth in at the door, she crieth out: 4. O ye men, I cry unto you, and call unto the people!

Mark, ye foolish, the wit; and ye fools,