³ Let love and faithfulness^(E) never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.^(F)
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.^(G)

⁵ Trust in the Lord^(H) with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths^(I) straight.^[a](J)

⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;^(K)
    fear the Lord^(L) and shun evil.^(M)
8 This will bring health to your body^(N)
    and nourishment to your bones.^(O)

⁹ Honor the Lord with your wealth,
    with the firstfruits^(P) of all your crops;
¹⁰ then your barns will be filled^(Q) to overflowing,
    and your vats will brim over with new wine.^(R)

¹¹ My son,^(S) do not despise the Lord’s discipline,^(T)
    and do not resent his rebuke,
¹² because the Lord disciplines those he loves,^(U)
    as a father the son he delights in.^[b](V)

¹³ Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,
¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.^(W)
15 She is more precious than rubies;^(X)
    nothing you desire can compare with her.^(Y)
16 Long life is in her right hand;^(Z)
    in her left hand are riches and honor.^(AA)
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peace.^(AB)
18 She is a tree of life^(AC) to those who take hold of her;
    those who hold her fast will be blessed.^(AD)

¹⁹ By wisdom^(AE) the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,^(AF)
    by understanding he set the heavens^(AG) in place;
²⁰ by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
    and the clouds let drop the dew.

²¹ My son,^(AH) do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,^(AI)
    preserve sound judgment and discretion;
²² they will be life for you,^(AJ)
    an ornament to grace your neck.^(AK)
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,^(AL)
    and your foot will not stumble.^(AM)
24 When you lie down,^(AN) you will not be afraid;^(AO)
    when you lie down, your sleep^(AP) will be sweet.
²⁵ Have no fear of sudden disaster
    or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
²⁶ for the Lord will be at your side^(AQ)
    and will keep your foot^(AR) from being snared.^(AS)

²⁷ Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to act.
²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor,
    “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
    when you already have it with you.^(AT)
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
    who lives trustfully near you.^(AU)
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
    when they have done you no harm.

³¹ Do not envy^(AV) the violent
    or choose any of their ways.

³² For the Lord detests the perverse^(AW)
    but takes the upright into his confidence.^(AX)
33 The Lord’s curse^(AY) is on the house of the wicked,^(AZ)
    but he blesses the home of the righteous.^(BA)
34 He mocks^(BB) proud mockers^(BC)
    but shows favor to the humble^(BD) and oppressed.
³⁵ The wise inherit honor,
    but fools get only shame.

¹² “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
    I possess knowledge and discretion.^(J)
13 To fear the Lord^(K) is to hate evil;^(L)
    I hate^(M) pride and arrogance,
    evil behavior and perverse speech.
¹⁴ Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
    I have insight, I have power.^(N)
15 By me kings reign
    and rulers^(O) issue decrees that are just;
¹⁶ by me princes govern,^(P)
    and nobles—all who rule on earth.^[b]
17 I love those who love me,^(Q)
    and those who seek me find me.^(R)
18 With me are riches and honor,^(S)
    enduring wealth and prosperity.^(T)
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;^(U)
    what I yield surpasses choice silver.^(V)
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,^(W)
    along the paths of justice,
²¹ bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
    and making their treasuries full.^(X)

²² “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,^[c][d]
    before his deeds of old;
²³ I was formed long ages ago,
    at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
²⁴ When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
    when there were no springs overflowing with water;^(Y)
25 before the mountains were settled in place,^(Z)
    before the hills, I was given birth,^(AA)
26 before he made the world or its fields
    or any of the dust of the earth.^(AB)
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,^(AC)
    when he marked out the horizon^(AD) on the face of the deep,
²⁸ when he established the clouds above^(AE)
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,^(AF)
29 when he gave the sea its boundary^(AG)
    so the waters would not overstep his command,^(AH)
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.^(AI)
30     Then I was constantly^[e] at his side.^(AJ)
I was filled with delight day after day,
    rejoicing always in his presence,
³¹ rejoicing in his whole world
    and delighting in mankind.^(AK)

³² “Now then, my children, listen^(AL) to me;
    blessed are^(AM) those who keep my ways.^(AN)
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
    do not disregard it.
³⁴ Blessed are those who listen^(AO) to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.
³⁵ For those who find me^(AP) find life^(AQ)
    and receive favor from the Lord.^(AR)
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;^(AS)
    all who hate me love death.”^(AT)

21 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
    that he channels toward all who please him.^(A)

² A person may think their own ways are right,
    but the Lord weighs the heart.^(B)

³ To do what is right and just
    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.^(C)

⁴ Haughty eyes^(D) and a proud heart—
    the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.

⁵ The plans of the diligent lead to profit^(E)
    as surely as haste leads to poverty.

⁶ A fortune made by a lying tongue
    is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.^[a](F)

⁷ The violence of the wicked will drag them away,^(G)
    for they refuse to do what is right.

⁸ The way of the guilty is devious,^(H)
    but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

⁹ Better to live on a corner of the roof
    than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.^(I)

¹⁰ The wicked crave evil;
    their neighbors get no mercy from them.

¹¹ When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
    by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.^(J)

¹² The Righteous One^[b] takes note of the house of the wicked
    and brings the wicked to ruin.^(K)

¹³ Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
    will also cry out^(L) and not be answered.^(M)

¹⁴ A gift given in secret soothes anger,
    and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.^(N)

¹⁵ When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
    but terror to evildoers.^(O)

¹⁶ Whoever strays from the path of prudence
    comes to rest in the company of the dead.^(P)

¹⁷ Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
    whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.^(Q)

¹⁸ The wicked become a ransom^(R) for the righteous,
    and the unfaithful for the upright.

¹⁹ Better to live in a desert
    than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.^(S)

²⁰ The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
    but fools gulp theirs down.

²¹ Whoever pursues righteousness and love
    finds life, prosperity^[c](T) and honor.^(U)

²² One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty^(V)
    and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.

²³ Those who guard their mouths^(W) and their tongues
    keep themselves from calamity.^(X)

²⁴ The proud and arrogant person^(Y)—“Mocker” is his name—
    behaves with insolent fury.

²⁵ The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,^(Z)
    because his hands refuse to work.
²⁶ All day long he craves for more,
    but the righteous^(AA) give without sparing.^(AB)

²⁷ The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable^(AC)—
    how much more so when brought with evil intent!^(AD)

²⁸ A false witness^(AE) will perish,^(AF)
    but a careful listener will testify successfully.

²⁹ The wicked put up a bold front,
    but the upright give thought to their ways.^(AG)

³⁰ There is no wisdom,^(AH) no insight, no plan
    that can succeed against the Lord.^(AI)

³¹ The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
    but victory rests with the Lord.^(AJ)