Proverbs 6:12–8:36
12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
Walks with a perverse mouth;
13 fHe winks with his eyes,
He 7shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;
14 Perversity is in his heart,
gHe devises evil continually,
hHe sows discord.
15 Therefore his calamity shall come isuddenly;
Suddenly he shall jbe broken kwithout remedy.
16 These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to 8Him:
mA lying tongue,
nHands that shed innocent blood,
18 oA heart that devises wicked plans,
pFeet that are swift in running to evil,
19 qA false witness who speaks lies,
And one who rsows discord among brethren.
20 sMy son, keep your father’s command,
And do not forsake the law of your mother.
21 tBind them continually upon your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 uWhen you roam, 1they will lead you;
When you sleep, vthey will keep you;
And when you awake, they will speak with you.
23 wFor the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 xTo keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattering tongue of a seductress.
25 yDo not lust after her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.
26 For zby means of a harlot
A man is reduced to a crust of bread;
aAnd 2an adulteress will bprey upon his precious life.
27 Can a man take fire to his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?
And his feet not be seared?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
30 People do not despise a thief
If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.
31 Yet when he is found, che must restore sevenfold;
He may have to give up all the substance of his house.
32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman dlacks understanding;
He who does so destroys his own soul.
33 Wounds and dishonor he will get,
And his reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For ejealousy is a husband’s fury;
Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will 3accept no recompense,
Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.
7 My son, keep my words, And atreasure my commands within you.
2 bKeep my commands and live,
cAnd my law as the apple of your eye.
3 dBind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your nearest kin,
5 eThat they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.
6 For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
I perceived among the 1youths,
A young man fdevoid 2of understanding,
8 Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
9 gIn the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
11 hShe was loud and rebellious,
iHer feet would not stay at home.
12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him and kissed him;
With an 3impudent face she said to him:
14 “I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
16 I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of jEgyptian linen.
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For 4my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money 5with him,
And will come home 6on the appointed day.”
21 7With kher enticing speech she caused him to yield,
lWith her flattering lips she 8seduced him.
22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or 9as a fool to the correction of the 1stocks,
23 Till an arrow struck his liver.
mAs a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it 2would cost his life.
24 Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
26 For she has cast down many wounded,
And nall who were slain by her were strong men.
27 oHer house is the way to 3hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.
8 Does not awisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the 1high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you 2simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak of bexcellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 cFor wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 dThe fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
ePride and arrogance and the evil way
And fthe perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, gI have strength.
15 hBy me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of 3the earth.
17 iI love those who love me,
And jthose who seek me diligently will find me.
18 kRiches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I 4traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.
22 “The lLord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 mI have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 nBefore the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the 5fields,
Or the 6primal dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 oWhen He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When pHe marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 qThen I was beside Him as 7a master craftsman;
rAnd I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And smy delight was with the sons of men.
32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For tblessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 uBlessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And vobtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me wwrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”