⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.

⁷ Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
    Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
⁸ Then you will have healing for your body
    and strength for your bones.

⁹ Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the best part of everything you produce.
¹⁰ Then he will fill your barns with grain,
    and your vats will overflow with good wine.

¹¹ My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t be upset when he corrects you.
¹² For the Lord corrects those he loves,
    just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.^[b]

¹³ Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,
    the one who gains understanding.
¹⁴ For wisdom is more profitable than silver,
    and her wages are better than gold.
¹⁵ Wisdom is more precious than rubies;
    nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶ She offers you long life in her right hand,
    and riches and honor in her left.
¹⁷ She will guide you down delightful paths;
    all her ways are satisfying.
¹⁸ Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
    happy are those who hold her tightly.

¹⁹ By wisdom the Lord founded the earth;
    by understanding he created the heavens.
²⁰ By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth,
    and the dew settles beneath the night sky.

²¹ My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.
    Hang on to them,
²² for they will refresh your soul.
    They are like jewels on a necklace.
²³ They keep you safe on your way,
    and your feet will not stumble.
²⁴ You can go to bed without fear;
    you will lie down and sleep soundly.
²⁵ You need not be afraid of sudden disaster
    or the destruction that comes upon the wicked,
²⁶ for the Lord is your security.
    He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.

²⁷ Do not withhold good from those who deserve it
    when it’s in your power to help them.
²⁸ If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say,
    “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”

²⁹ Don’t plot harm against your neighbor,
    for those who live nearby trust you.
³⁰ Don’t pick a fight without reason,
    when no one has done you harm.

³¹ Don’t envy violent people
    or copy their ways.
³² Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord,
    but he offers his friendship to the godly.

³³ The Lord curses the house of the wicked,
    but he blesses the home of the upright.

³⁴ The Lord mocks the mockers
    but is gracious to the humble.^[c]

³⁵ The wise inherit honor,
    but fools are put to shame!

⁴ My father taught me,
“Take my words to heart.
    Follow my commands, and you will live.
⁵ Get wisdom; develop good judgment.
    Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
⁶ Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.
    Love her, and she will guard you.
⁷ Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
    And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
⁸ If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.
    Embrace her, and she will honor you.
⁹ She will place a lovely wreath on your head;
    she will present you with a beautiful crown.”

¹⁰ My child,^[e] listen to me and do as I say,
    and you will have a long, good life.
¹¹ I will teach you wisdom’s ways
    and lead you in straight paths.
¹² When you walk, you won’t be held back;
    when you run, you won’t stumble.
¹³ Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go.
    Guard them, for they are the key to life.

¹⁴ Don’t do as the wicked do,
    and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
¹⁵ Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.
    Turn away and keep moving.
¹⁶ For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day.
    They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
¹⁷ They eat the food of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence!

¹⁸ The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
    which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
    They have no idea what they are stumbling over.

²⁰ My child, pay attention to what I say.
    Listen carefully to my words.
²¹ Don’t lose sight of them.
    Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
²² for they bring life to those who find them,
    and healing to their whole body.

²³ Guard your heart above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

²⁴ Avoid all perverse talk;
    stay away from corrupt speech.

²⁵ Look straight ahead,
    and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
²⁶ Mark out a straight path for your feet;
    stay on the safe path.
²⁷ Don’t get sidetracked;
    keep your feet from following evil.

⁷ So now, my sons, listen to me.
    Never stray from what I am about to say:
⁸ Stay away from her!
    Don’t go near the door of her house!
⁹ If you do, you will lose your honor
    and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.
¹⁰ Strangers will consume your wealth,
    and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
¹¹ In the end you will groan in anguish
    when disease consumes your body.
¹² You will say, “How I hated discipline!
    If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
¹³ Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers?
    Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?
¹⁴ I have come to the brink of utter ruin,
    and now I must face public disgrace.”

¹⁵ Drink water from your own well—
    share your love only with your wife.^[g]
16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,
    having sex with just anyone?^[h]
17 You should reserve it for yourselves.
    Never share it with strangers.

¹⁸ Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
    Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
¹⁹ She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
    Let her breasts satisfy you always.
    May you always be captivated by her love.
²⁰ Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,
    or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?

²¹ For the Lord sees clearly what a man does,
    examining every path he takes.
²² An evil man is held captive by his own sins;
    they are ropes that catch and hold him.
²³ He will die for lack of self-control;
    he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

⁶ Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
    Learn from their ways and become wise!
⁷ Though they have no prince
    or governor or ruler to make them work,
⁸ they labor hard all summer,
    gathering food for the winter.
⁹ But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?
    When will you wake up?
¹⁰ A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest—
¹¹ then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
    scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

¹² What are worthless and wicked people like?
    They are constant liars,
¹³ signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye,
    a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.
¹⁴ Their perverted hearts plot evil,
    and they constantly stir up trouble.
¹⁵ But they will be destroyed suddenly,
    broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.

¹⁶ There are six things the Lord hates—
    no, seven things he detests:
¹⁷ haughty eyes,
    a lying tongue,
    hands that kill the innocent,
¹⁸ a heart that plots evil,
    feet that race to do wrong,
¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies,
    a person who sows discord in a family.

²⁰ My son, obey your father’s commands,
    and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
²¹ Keep their words always in your heart.
    Tie them around your neck.
²² When you walk, their counsel will lead you.
    When you sleep, they will protect you.
    When you wake up, they will advise you.
²³ For their command is a lamp
    and their instruction a light;
their corrective discipline
    is the way to life.
²⁴ It will keep you from the immoral woman,
    from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.
²⁵ Don’t lust for her beauty.
    Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.
²⁶ For a prostitute will bring you to poverty,^[j]
    but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.
²⁷ Can a man scoop a flame into his lap
    and not have his clothes catch on fire?
²⁸ Can he walk on hot coals
    and not blister his feet?
²⁹ So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife.
    He who embraces her will not go unpunished.

³⁰ Excuses might be found for a thief
    who steals because he is starving.
³¹ But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole,
    even if he has to sell everything in his house.
³² But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool,
    for he destroys himself.
³³ He will be wounded and disgraced.
    His shame will never be erased.
³⁴ For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious,
    and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
³⁵ He will accept no compensation,
    nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.

⁴ Love wisdom like a sister;
    make insight a beloved member of your family.
⁵ Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman,
    from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.

⁶ While I was at the window of my house,
    looking through the curtain,
⁷ I saw some naive young men,
    and one in particular who lacked common sense.
⁸ He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman,
    strolling down the path by her house.
⁹ It was at twilight, in the evening,
    as deep darkness fell.
¹⁰ The woman approached him,
    seductively dressed and sly of heart.
¹¹ She was the brash, rebellious type,
    never content to stay at home.
¹² She is often in the streets and markets,
    soliciting at every corner.
¹³ She threw her arms around him and kissed him,
    and with a brazen look she said,
¹⁴ “I’ve just made my peace offerings
    and fulfilled my vows.
¹⁵ You’re the one I was looking for!
    I came out to find you, and here you are!
¹⁶ My bed is spread with beautiful blankets,
    with colored sheets of Egyptian linen.
¹⁷ I’ve perfumed my bed
    with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
¹⁸ Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning.
    Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses,
¹⁹ for my husband is not home.
    He’s away on a long trip.
²⁰ He has taken a wallet full of money with him
    and won’t return until later this month.^[l]”

²¹ So she seduced him with her pretty speech
    and enticed him with her flattery.
²² He followed her at once,
    like an ox going to the slaughter.
He was like a stag caught in a trap,^[m]
23     awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart.
He was like a bird flying into a snare,
    little knowing it would cost him his life.

²⁴ So listen to me, my sons,
    and pay attention to my words.
²⁵ Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her.
    Don’t wander down her wayward path.
²⁶ For she has been the ruin of many;
    many men have been her victims.
²⁷ Her house is the road to the grave.^[n]
    Her bedroom is the den of death.

¹² “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment.
    I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.
¹³ All who fear the Lord will hate evil.
    Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance,
    corruption and perverse speech.
¹⁴ Common sense and success belong to me.
    Insight and strength are mine.
¹⁵ Because of me, kings reign,
    and rulers make just decrees.
¹⁶ Rulers lead with my help,
    and nobles make righteous judgments.^[o]

¹⁷ “I love all who love me.
    Those who search will surely find me.
¹⁸ I have riches and honor,
    as well as enduring wealth and justice.
¹⁹ My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold,
    my wages better than sterling silver!
²⁰ I walk in righteousness,
    in paths of justice.
²¹ Those who love me inherit wealth.
    I will fill their treasuries.

²² “The Lord formed me from the beginning,
    before he created anything else.
²³ I was appointed in ages past,
    at the very first, before the earth began.
²⁴ I was born before the oceans were created,
    before the springs bubbled forth their waters.
²⁵ Before the mountains were formed,
    before the hills, I was born—
²⁶ before he had made the earth and fields
    and the first handfuls of soil.
²⁷ I was there when he established the heavens,
    when he drew the horizon on the oceans.
²⁸ I was there when he set the clouds above,
    when he established springs deep in the earth.
²⁹ I was there when he set the limits of the seas,
    so they would not spread beyond their boundaries.
And when he marked off the earth’s foundations,
³⁰     I was the architect at his side.
I was his constant delight,
    rejoicing always in his presence.
³¹ And how happy I was with the world he created;
    how I rejoiced with the human family!

³² “And so, my children,^[p] listen to me,
    for all who follow my ways are joyful.
³³ Listen to my instruction and be wise.
    Don’t ignore it.
³⁴ Joyful are those who listen to me,
    watching for me daily at my gates,
    waiting for me outside my home!
³⁵ For whoever finds me finds life
    and receives favor from the Lord.
³⁶ But those who miss me injure themselves.
    All who hate me love death.”

9 Wisdom has built her house;
    she has carved its seven columns.
² She has prepared a great banquet,
    mixed the wines, and set the table.
³ She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come.
    She calls out from the heights overlooking the city.
⁴ “Come in with me,” she urges the simple.
    To those who lack good judgment, she says,
⁵ “Come, eat my food,
    and drink the wine I have mixed.
⁶ Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live;
    learn to use good judgment.”

⁷ Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return.
    Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt.
⁸ So don’t bother correcting mockers;
    they will only hate you.
But correct the wise,
    and they will love you.
⁹ Instruct the wise,
    and they will be even wiser.
Teach the righteous,
    and they will learn even more.

¹⁰ Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
    Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

¹¹ Wisdom will multiply your days
    and add years to your life.
¹² If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.
    If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.

A wise child^[r] brings joy to a father;
    a foolish child brings grief to a mother.

² Tainted wealth has no lasting value,
    but right living can save your life.

³ The Lord will not let the godly go hungry,
    but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.

⁴ Lazy people are soon poor;
    hard workers get rich.

⁵ A wise youth harvests in the summer,
    but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.

⁶ The godly are showered with blessings;
    the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

⁷ We have happy memories of the godly,
    but the name of a wicked person rots away.

⁸ The wise are glad to be instructed,
    but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.

⁹ People with integrity walk safely,
    but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.

¹⁰ People who wink at wrong cause trouble,
    but a bold reproof promotes peace.^[s]

¹¹ The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain;
    the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

¹² Hatred stirs up quarrels,
    but love makes up for all offenses.

¹³ Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding,
    but those lacking sense will be beaten with a rod.

¹⁴ Wise people treasure knowledge,
    but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.

¹⁵ The wealth of the rich is their fortress;
    the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

¹⁶ The earnings of the godly enhance their lives,
    but evil people squander their money on sin.

¹⁷ People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life,
    but those who ignore correction will go astray.

¹⁸ Hiding hatred makes you a liar;
    slandering others makes you a fool.

¹⁹ Too much talk leads to sin.
    Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.

²⁰ The words of the godly are like sterling silver;
    the heart of a fool is worthless.

²¹ The words of the godly encourage many,
    but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.

²² The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich,
    and he adds no sorrow with it.

²³ Doing wrong is fun for a fool,
    but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.

²⁴ The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled;
    the hopes of the godly will be granted.

²⁵ When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away,
    but the godly have a lasting foundation.

²⁶ Lazy people irritate their employers,
    like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.

²⁷ Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life,
    but the years of the wicked are cut short.

²⁸ The hopes of the godly result in happiness,
    but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.

²⁹ The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity,
    but it destroys the wicked.

³⁰ The godly will never be disturbed,
    but the wicked will be removed from the land.

³¹ The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice,
    but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.

³² The lips of the godly speak helpful words,
    but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.

11 The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales,
    but he delights in accurate weights.

² Pride leads to disgrace,
    but with humility comes wisdom.

³ Honesty guides good people;
    dishonesty destroys treacherous people.

⁴ Riches won’t help on the day of judgment,
    but right living can save you from death.

⁵ The godly are directed by honesty;
    the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.

⁶ The godliness of good people rescues them;
    the ambition of treacherous people traps them.

⁷ When the wicked die, their hopes die with them,
    for they rely on their own feeble strength.

⁸ The godly are rescued from trouble,
    and it falls on the wicked instead.

⁹ With their words, the godless destroy their friends,
    but knowledge will rescue the righteous.

¹⁰ The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed;
    they shout for joy when the wicked die.

¹¹ Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper,
    but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.

¹² It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor;
    a sensible person keeps quiet.

¹³ A gossip goes around telling secrets,
    but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

¹⁴ Without wise leadership, a nation falls;
    there is safety in having many advisers.

¹⁵ There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt;
    it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt.

¹⁶ A gracious woman gains respect,
    but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷ Your kindness will reward you,
    but your cruelty will destroy you.

¹⁸ Evil people get rich for the moment,
    but the reward of the godly will last.

¹⁹ Godly people find life;
    evil people find death.

²⁰ The Lord detests people with crooked hearts,
    but he delights in those with integrity.

²¹ Evil people will surely be punished,
    but the children of the godly will go free.

²² A beautiful woman who lacks discretion
    is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.

²³ The godly can look forward to a reward,
    while the wicked can expect only judgment.

²⁴ Give freely and become more wealthy;
    be stingy and lose everything.

²⁵ The generous will prosper;
    those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

²⁶ People curse those who hoard their grain,
    but they bless the one who sells in time of need.

²⁷ If you search for good, you will find favor;
    but if you search for evil, it will find you!

²⁸ Trust in your money and down you go!
    But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.

²⁹ Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind.
    The fool will be a servant to the wise.

³⁰ The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life;
    a wise person wins friends.^[t]

³¹ If the righteous are rewarded here on earth,
    what will happen to wicked sinners?^[u]

12 To learn, you must love discipline;
    it is stupid to hate correction.

² The Lord approves of those who are good,
    but he condemns those who plan wickedness.

³ Wickedness never brings stability,
    but the godly have deep roots.

⁴ A worthy wife is a crown for her husband,
    but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.

⁵ The plans of the godly are just;
    the advice of the wicked is treacherous.

⁶ The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush,
    but the words of the godly save lives.

⁷ The wicked die and disappear,
    but the family of the godly stands firm.

⁸ A sensible person wins admiration,
    but a warped mind is despised.

⁹ Better to be an ordinary person with a servant
    than to be self-important but have no food.

¹⁰ The godly care for their animals,
    but the wicked are always cruel.

¹¹ A hard worker has plenty of food,
    but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.

¹² Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot,
    but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit.

¹³ The wicked are trapped by their own words,
    but the godly escape such trouble.

¹⁴ Wise words bring many benefits,
    and hard work brings rewards.

¹⁵ Fools think their own way is right,
    but the wise listen to others.

¹⁶ A fool is quick-tempered,
    but a wise person stays calm when insulted.

¹⁷ An honest witness tells the truth;
    a false witness tells lies.

¹⁸ Some people make cutting remarks,
    but the words of the wise bring healing.

¹⁹ Truthful words stand the test of time,
    but lies are soon exposed.

²⁰ Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil;
    joy fills hearts that are planning peace!

²¹ No harm comes to the godly,
    but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²² The Lord detests lying lips,
    but he delights in those who tell the truth.

²³ The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge,
    but fools broadcast their foolishness.

²⁴ Work hard and become a leader;
    be lazy and become a slave.

²⁵ Worry weighs a person down;
    an encouraging word cheers a person up.

²⁶ The godly give good advice to their friends;^[v]
    the wicked lead them astray.

²⁷ Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch,
    but the diligent make use of everything they find.

²⁸ The way of the godly leads to life;
    that path does not lead to death.