15 Whose ways are crooked, and he correcteth! even as a father the they froward in their paths: 18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. 19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. 20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. b21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it, wo 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. d M CHAP. III. Y son, forget not my law; but let thy heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee. d 3 Let not merey and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thy heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. d 5 Trust in the LORD with all b6 In all thy ways acknowledge E14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. t 19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. 20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. d 21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: 22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. b 23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. 24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh, b 26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. d 27 Withhold not good from b 10 So shall thy barns be filled them to whom it is due, when it is with plenty, and thy presses shall in the power of thy hand to do it. burst out with new wine. P 28 Say not unto thy neighbour, d 11 ¶ My son, despise not the chas- Go, and come again, and to-mor tening of the LORD; neither be wea-row I will give; when thou hast it ry of his correction. by thee. 12 For whom the LORD loveth p 29 Devise not evil against thy 703 neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. p 30 ¶ Strive not with a man with- c 32 For the froward is abomina-evil men. c 33 The curse of the LORD is 15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. 16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of vio 35 The wise shall inherit glory:lence. but shame shall be the promotion of 4* 18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. darkness: they know not at what in-c 19 The way of the wicked is as they stumble. tend to know understanding. f 3 For I was my father's son, ten- my mother. 4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. d 5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. d 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting get understanding. e 20 ¶ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let thera not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. d23 Keep thy heart with all di ligence; for out of it are the issues of life. e 24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eye-lids look straight before thee. 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, E8 Exalt her, and she shall pro-and let all thy ways be established. mote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. 9 She shall give to thy head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. d 10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. 11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. 12 When thou goest, thy steps 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. CHAP. V. e M'dom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: Y son, attend unto my wis 2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. w 3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as a honey-comb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: 4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. 7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. p & Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house. Mthy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, son, if thou be surety for 2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 3 Do this now, my son, and de9 Lest thou give thine honour un-liver thyself, when thou art come to others, and thy years unto the into the hand of thy friend; go humcruel : ble thyself, and make sure thy friend. 10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; w 11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed. 12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; 13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! 14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. i 15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. 16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. 17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee. d 18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 19 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. p 20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? 4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. 5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. i6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise: 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. p 9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. 12 TA naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. 13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; c 14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. 15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. 16 These six things doth the LORD hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pou-c 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, dereth all his goings. and hands that shed innocent blood, w 22¶ His own iniquities shall take c 18 A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in som; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts. running to mischief, c 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren. e 20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother; 21 Bind them continually upon thy heart, and tie them about thy neck. e CHAP. VII. M Y son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. o 3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart. b22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest it shall e 4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my keep thee: and when thou awakest, sister, and call understanding thy it shall talk with thee. kinswoman: t 23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: c 24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. p 5 Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 26 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. i 27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? i 28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? 5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. 6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement. 7 And beheld among the simple ones, 1 discerned among the youthis, a young man void of understanding, 8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, 9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: s 10 And behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and subtile of heart. 11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: 12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every 29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever touch-corner.) eth her shall not be innocent. 30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; L31 But if he be found, he shall restore seven-fold; he shall give all the substance of his house. 13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, 14 I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows. 15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. p 32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh under- 16 I have decked my bed with standing he that doeth it, destroy-coverings of tapestry, with carved eth his own soul. works, with fine linen of Egypt. 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 20 33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. k 34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. 19 For the good man is not at 35 He will not regard any ran-home, he is gone a long journey; 20 He hath taken a bag of money | 11 For wisdom is better than ruwith him, and will come home at bies; and all the things that may be the day appointed. desired are not to be compared to it. 12 I Wisdom dwell with pru 21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flat-dence, and find out knowledge of tering of her lips she forced him. witty inventions. 22 He goeth after her straight-e 13 The fear of the LORD is to way, as an ox goeth to the slaugh- hate evil pride, and arrogancy, ter, or as a fool to the correction of and the evil way, and the froward the stocks; mouth, do I hate. 23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. e 24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. 25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. 26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. w 27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. CHAP. VIII. E 14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. 16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. b 17 I love them that love me : and those that seek me early shall find me. 18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue EDOTH not wisdom cry? and than choice silver. voice? understanding put forth herb 20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: 2 She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. 3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors: 4 Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. 5 O ye simple, understand wisdom and ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. 6 Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. 7 For my mouth shall speak truth: and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. 9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. e 10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. 21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. 22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. E 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth. 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. S27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth : 28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29 When he gave to the sea his |