The Way of Wisdom

9 Wisdom has abuilt her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars;

2 bShe has slaughtered her meat,

cShe has mixed her wine,

She has also 1furnished her table.

3 She has sent out her maidens,

She cries out from the highest places of the city,

4 “Whoever dis simple, let him turn in here!”

As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,

5 “Come, eeat of my bread

And drink of the wine I have mixed.

6 Forsake foolishness and live,

And go in the way of understanding.

7 “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,

And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.

8 fDo not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;

gRebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;

Teach a just man, hand he will increase in learning.

10 “The ifear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11 jFor by me your days will be multiplied,

And years of life will be added to you.

12 kIf you are wise, you are wise for yourself,

And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”

The Way of Folly

13 lA foolish woman is 2clamorous;

She is simple, and knows nothing.

14 For she sits at the door of her house,

On a seat mby the highest places of the city,

15 To call to those who pass by,

Who go straight on their way:

16 “Whoever nis 3simple, let him turn in here”;

And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,

17 “Stolen owater is sweet,

And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

18 But he does not know that pthe dead are there,

That her guests are in the depths of 4hell.

Wise Sayings of Solomon

10 The proverbs of aSolomon:

bA wise son makes a glad father,

But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

2 cTreasures of wickedness profit nothing,

dBut righteousness delivers from death.

3 eThe Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish,

But He casts away the desire of the wicked.

4 fHe who has a slack hand becomes poor,

But gthe hand of the diligent makes rich.

5 He who gathers in hsummer is a wise son;

He who sleeps in harvest is ia son who causes shame.

6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,

But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

7 jThe memory of the righteous is blessed,

But the name of the wicked will rot.

8 The wise in heart will receive commands,

kBut 1a prating fool will 2fall.

9 lHe who walks with integrity walks securely,

But he who perverts his ways will become known.

10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble,

But a prating fool will fall.

11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life,

But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

12 Hatred stirs up strife,

But mlove covers all sins.

13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,

But na rod is for the back of him who 3is devoid of understanding.

14 Wise people store up knowledge,

But othe mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

15 The prich man’s wealth is his strong city;

The destruction of the poor is their poverty.

16 The labor of the righteous leads to qlife,

The wages of the wicked to sin.

17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,

But he who refuses correction 4goes astray.

18 Whoever rhides hatred has lying lips,

And swhoever spreads slander is a fool.

19 tIn the multitude of words sin is not lacking,

But uhe who restrains his lips is wise.

20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;

The heart of the wicked is worth little.

21 The lips of the righteous feed many,

But fools die for lack of 5wisdom.

22 vThe blessing of the Lord makes one rich,

And He adds no sorrow with it.

23 wTo do evil is like sport to a fool,

But a man of understanding has wisdom.

24 xThe fear of the wicked will come upon him,

And ythe desire of the righteous will be granted.

25 When the whirlwind passes by, zthe wicked is no more,

But athe righteous has an everlasting foundation.

26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,

So is the lazy man to those who send him.

27 bThe fear of the Lord prolongs days,

But cthe years of the wicked will be shortened.

28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness,

But the dexpectation of the wicked will perish.

29 The way of the Lord is strength for the upright,

But edestruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

30 fThe righteous will never be removed,

But the wicked will not inhabit the 6earth.

31 gThe mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,

But the perverse tongue will be cut out.

32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,

But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

11 Dishonest a 1scales are an abomination to the Lord,

But a 2just weight is His delight.

2 When pride comes, then comes bshame;

But with the humble is wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright will guide cthem,

But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

4 dRiches do not profit in the day of wrath,

But erighteousness delivers from death.

5 The righteousness of the blameless will 3direct his way aright,

But the wicked will fall by his own fwickedness.

6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,

But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.

7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will gperish,

And the hope of the unjust perishes.

8 hThe righteous is delivered from trouble,

And it comes to the wicked instead.

9 The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor,

But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.

10 iWhen it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices;

And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.

11 By the blessing of the upright the city is jexalted,

But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

12 He who 4is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,

But a man of understanding holds his peace.

13 kA talebearer reveals secrets,

But he who is of a faithful spirit lconceals a matter.

14 mWhere there is no counsel, the people fall;

But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

15 He who is nsurety 5for a stranger will suffer,

But one who hates 6being surety is secure.

16 A gracious woman retains honor,

But ruthless men retain riches.

17 oThe merciful man does good for his own soul,

But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

18 The wicked man does deceptive work,

But phe who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.

19 As righteousness leads to qlife,

So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own rdeath.

20 Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord,

But the blameless in their ways are His delight.

21 sThough they join 7forces, the wicked will not go unpunished;

But tthe posterity of the righteous will be delivered.

22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,

So is a lovely woman who lacks 8discretion.

23 The desire of the righteous is only good,

But the expectation of the wicked uis wrath.

24 There is one who vscatters, yet increases more;

And there is one who withholds more than is right,

But it leads to poverty.

25 wThe generous soul will be made rich,

xAnd he who waters will also be watered himself.

26 The people will curse yhim who withholds grain,

But zblessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

27 He who earnestly seeks good 9finds favor,

aBut trouble will come to him who seeks evil.

28 bHe who trusts in his riches will fall,

But cthe righteous will flourish like foliage.

29 He who troubles his own house dwill inherit the wind,

And the fool will be eservant to the wise of heart.

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

And fhe who 1wins souls is wise.

31 gIf the righteous will be 2recompensed on the earth,

How much more the ungodly and the sinner.