¹The wise woman builds her house,

but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

²Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,

but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

³A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,

but the lips of the wise protect them.

⁴Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,

but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.

⁵An honest witness does not deceive,

but a false witness pours out lies.

⁶The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,

but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.

⁷Stay away from a fool,

for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

⁸The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,

but the folly of fools is deception.

⁹Fools mock at making amends for sin,

but goodwill is found among the upright.

¹⁰Each heart knows its own bitterness,

and no-one else can share its joy.

¹¹The house of the wicked will be destroyed,

but the tent of the upright will flourish.

¹²There is a way that appears to be right,

but in the end it leads to death.

¹³Even in laughter the heart may ache,

and rejoicing may end in grief.

¹⁴The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,

and the good rewarded for theirs.

¹⁵The simple believe anything,

but the prudent give thought to their steps.

¹⁶The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,

but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

¹⁷A quick-tempered person does foolish things,

and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.

¹⁸The simple inherit folly,

but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good,

and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

²⁰The poor are shunned even by their neighbours,

but the rich have many friends.

²¹It is a sin to despise one’s neighbour,

but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.

²²Do not those who plot evil go astray?

But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.

²³All hard work brings a profit,

but mere talk leads only to poverty.

²⁴The wealth of the wise is their crown,

but the folly of fools yields folly.

²⁵A truthful witness saves lives,

but a false witness is deceitful.

²⁶Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,

and for their children it will be a refuge.

²⁷The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,

turning a person from the snares of death.

²⁸A large population is a king’s glory,

but without subjects a prince is ruined.

²⁹Whoever is patient has great understanding,

but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

³⁰A heart at peace gives life to the body,

but envy rots the bones.

³¹Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,

but whoever is kind to the needy honours God.

³²When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,

but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.

³³Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning

and even among fools she lets herself be known.

³⁴Righteousness exalts a nation,

but sin condemns any people.

³⁵A king delights in a wise servant,

but a shameful servant arouses his fury.

¹My son, pay attention to my wisdom,

turn your ear to my words of insight,

²that you may maintain discretion

and your lips may preserve knowledge.

³For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,

and her speech is smoother than oil;

⁴but in the end she is bitter as gall,

sharp as a double-edged sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death;

her steps lead straight to the grave.

⁶She gives no thought to the way of life;

her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.

⁷Now then, my sons, listen to me;

do not turn aside from what I say.

⁸Keep to a path far from her,

do not go near the door of her house,

⁹lest you lose your honour to others

and your dignity to one who is cruel,

¹⁰lest strangers feast on your wealth

and your toil enrich the house of another.

¹¹At the end of your life you will groan,

when your flesh and body are spent.

¹²You will say, ‘How I hated discipline!

How my heart spurned correction!

¹³I would not obey my teachers

or turn my ear to my instructors.

¹⁴And I was soon in serious trouble

in the assembly of God’s people.’

¹⁵Drink water from your own cistern,

running water from your own well.

¹⁶Should your springs overflow in the streets,

your streams of water in the public squares?

¹⁷Let them be yours alone,

never to be shared with strangers.

¹⁸May your fountain be blessed,

and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

¹⁹A loving doe, a graceful deer –

may her breasts satisfy you always,

may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

²⁰Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?

Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

²¹For your ways are in full view of the Lord,

and he examines all your paths.

²²The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;

the cords of their sins hold them fast.

²³For lack of discipline they will die,

led astray by their own great folly.

¹Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;

pay attention and gain understanding.

²I give you sound learning,

so do not forsake my teaching.

³For I too was a son to my father,

still tender, and cherished by my mother.

⁴Then he taught me, and he said to me,

‘Take hold of my words with all your heart;

keep my commands, and you will live.

⁵Get wisdom, get understanding;

do not forget my words or turn away from them.

⁶Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will watch over you.

⁷The beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom.

Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

⁸Cherish her, and she will exalt you;

embrace her, and she will honour you.

⁹She will give you a garland to grace your head

and present you with a glorious crown.’

¹⁰Listen, my son, accept what I say,

and the years of your life will be many.

¹¹I instruct you in the way of wisdom

and lead you along straight paths.

¹²When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;

when you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;

guard it well, for it is your life.

¹⁴Do not set foot on the path of the wicked

or walk in the way of evildoers.

¹⁵Avoid it, do not travel on it;

turn from it and go on your way.

¹⁶For they cannot rest until they do evil;

they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.

¹⁷They eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

¹⁹But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

they do not know what makes them stumble.

²⁰My son, pay attention to what I say;

turn your ear to my words.

²¹Do not let them out of your sight,

keep them within your heart;

²²for they are life to those who find them

and health to one’s whole body.

²³Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it.

²⁴Keep your mouth free of perversity;

keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead;

fix your gaze directly before you.

²⁶Give careful thought to the paths for your feet

and be steadfast in all your ways.

²⁷Do not turn to the right or the left;

keep your foot from evil.