140:1<To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David.> O Lord, take me out of the power of the evil man; keep me safe from the violent man: 140:2For their hearts are full of evil designs; and they are ever making ready causes of war. 140:3Their tongues are sharp like the tongue of a snake; the poison of snakes is under their lips. (Selah.) 140:4O Lord, take me out of the hands of sinners; keep me safe from the violent man: for they are designing my downfall. 140:5The men of pride have put secret cords for my feet; stretching nets in my way, so that they may take me with their tricks. (Selah.) 140:6I have said to the Lord, You are my God: give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my prayer. 140:7O Lord God, the strength of my salvation, you have been a cover over my head in the day of the fight. 140:8O Lord, give not the wrongdoer his desire; give him no help in his evil designs, or he may be uplifted in pride. (Selah.) 140:9As for those who come round me, let their heads be covered by the evil of their lips. 140:10Let burning flames come down on them: let them be put into the fire, and into deep waters, so that they may not get up again. 140:11Let not a man of evil tongue be safe on earth: let destruction overtake the violent man with blow on blow. 140:12I am certain that the Lord will take care of the cause of the poor, and of the rights of those who are troubled. 140:13Truly, the upright will give praise to your name: the holy will have a place in your house.
141:1<A Psalm. Of David.> Lord, I have made my cry to you; come to me quickly; give ear to my voice, when it goes up to you. 141:2Let my prayer be ordered before you like a sweet smell; and let the lifting up of my hands be like the evening offering. 141:3O Lord, keep a watch over my mouth; keep the door of my lips. 141:4Keep my heart from desiring any evil thing, or from taking part in the sins of the evil-doers with men who do wrong: and let me have no part in their good things. 141:5Let the upright give me punishment; and let the god-fearing man put me in the right way; but I will not let the oil of sinners come on my head: when they do evil I will give myself to prayer. 141:6When destruction comes to their judges by the side of the rock, they will give ear to my words, for they are sweet. 141:7Our bones are broken up at the mouth of the underworld, as the earth is broken by the plough. 141:8But my eyes are turned to you, O Lord God: my hope is in you; let not my soul be given up to death. 141:9Keep me from the net which they have put down for me, and from the designs of the workers of evil. 141:10Let the sinners be taken in the nets which they themselves have put down, while I go free.
142:1<Maschil. Of David. A prayer when he was in the hole of the rock.> The sound of my cry went up to the Lord; with my voice I made my prayer for grace to the Lord. 142:2I put all my sorrows before him; and made clear to him all my trouble. 142:3When my spirit is overcome, your eyes are on my goings; nets have been secretly placed in the way in which I go. 142:4Looking to my right side, I saw no man who was my friend: I had no safe place; no one had any care for my soul. 142:5I have made my cry to you, O Lord; I have said, You are my safe place, and my heritage in the land of the living. 142:6Give ear to my cry, for I am made very low: take me out of the hands of my haters, for they are stronger than I. 142:7Take my soul out of prison, so that I may give praise to your name: the upright will give praise because of me; for you have given me a full reward.
143:1<A Psalm. Of David.> Let my prayer come to you, O Lord; give ear to my requests for your grace; keep faith with me, and give me an answer in your righteousness; 143:2Let not your servant come before you to be judged; for no man living is upright in your eyes. 143:3The evil man has gone after my soul; my life is crushed down to the earth: he has put me in the dark, like those who have long been dead. 143:4Because of this my spirit is overcome; and my heart is full of fear. 143:5I keep in mind the early days of the past, giving thought to all your acts, even to the work of your hands. 143:6My hands are stretched out to you: my soul is turned to you, like a land in need of water. (Selah.) 143:7Be quick in answering me, O Lord, for the strength of my spirit is gone: let me see your face, so that I may not be like those who go down into the underworld. 143:8Let the story of your mercy come to me in the morning, for my hope is in you: give me knowledge of the way in which I am to go; for my soul is lifted up to you. 143:9O Lord, take me out of the hands of my haters; my soul is waiting for you. 143:10Give me teaching so that I may do your pleasure; for you are my God: let your good Spirit be my guide into the land of righteousness. 143:11Give me life, O Lord, because of your name; in your righteousness take my soul out of trouble. 143:12And in your mercy put an end to my haters, and send destruction on all those who are against my soul; for I am your servant.
144:1<A Psalm. Of David.> Praise be to the God of my strength, teaching my hands the use of the sword, and my fingers the art of fighting: 144:2He is my strength, and my Rock; my high tower, and my saviour; my keeper and my hope: he gives me authority over my people. 144:3Lord, what is man, that you keep him in mind? or the son of man that you take him into account? 144:4Man is like a breath: his life is like a shade which is quickly gone. 144:5Come down, O Lord, from your heavens: at your touch let the mountains give out smoke. 144:6With your storm-flames send them in flight: send out your arrows for their destruction. 144:7Put out your hand from on high; make me free, take me safely out of the great waters, and out of the hands of strange men; 144:8In whose mouths are false words, and whose right hand is a right hand of deceit. 144:9I will make a new song to you, O God; I will make melody to you on an instrument of ten cords. 144:10It is God who gives salvation to kings; and who kept his servant David from the wounding sword. 144:11Make me free, and take me out of the hands of strange men, in whose mouths are false words, and whose right hand is a right hand of deceit. 144:12Our sons are like tall young plants; and our daughters like the shining stones of a king's house; 144:13Our store-houses are full of all good things; and our sheep give birth to thousands and ten thousands in our fields. 144:14Our oxen are well weighted down; our cows give birth safely; there is no going out, and there is no cry of sorrow in our open places. 144:15Happy is the nation whose ways are so ordered: yes, happy is the nation whose God is the Lord.
145:1<A Song of praise. Of David.> Let me give glory to you, O God, my King; and blessing to your name for ever and ever. 145:2Every day will I give you blessing, praising your name for ever and ever. 145:3Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his power may never be searched out. 145:4One generation after another will give praise to your great acts, and make clear the operation of your strength. 145:5My thoughts will be of the honour and glory of your rule, and of the wonder of your works. 145:6Men will be talking of the power and fear of your acts; I will give word of your glory. 145:7Their sayings will be full of the memory of all your mercy, and they will make songs of your righteousness. 145:8The Lord is full of grace and pity; not quickly angry, but great in mercy. 145:9The Lord is good to all men; and his mercies are over all his works. 145:10All the works of your hands give praise to you, O Lord; and your saints give you blessing. 145:11Their words will be of the glory of your kingdom, and their talk of your strength; 145:12So that the sons of men may have knowledge of his acts of power, and of the great glory of his kingdom. 145:13Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and your rule is through all generations. 145:14The Lord is the support of all who are crushed, and the lifter up of all who are bent down. 145:15The eyes of all men are waiting for you; and you give them their food in its time. 145:16By the opening of your hand, every living thing has its desire in full measure. 145:17The Lord is upright in all his ways, and kind in all his works. 145:18The Lord is near all those who give honour to his name; even to all who give honour to him with true hearts. 145:19To his worshippers, he will give their desire; their cry comes to his ears, and he gives them salvation. 145:20The Lord will keep all his worshippers from danger; but he will send destruction on all sinners. 145:21My mouth will give praise to the Lord; let all flesh be blessing his holy name for ever and ever.
146:1Let the Lord be praised. Give praise to the Lord, O my soul. 146:2While I have breath I will give praise to the Lord: I will make melody to my God while I have my being. 146:3Put not your faith in rulers, or in the son of man, in whom there is no salvation. 146:4Man's breath goes out, he is turned back again to dust; in that day all his purposes come to an end. 146:5Happy is the man who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: 146:6Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all things in them; who keeps faith for ever: 146:7Who gives their rights to those who are crushed down; and gives food to those who are in need of it: the Lord makes the prisoners free; 146:8The Lord makes open the eyes of the blind; the Lord is the lifter up of those who are bent down; the Lord is a lover of the upright; 146:9The Lord takes care of those who are in a strange land; he gives help to the widow and to the child who has no father; but he sends destruction on the way of sinners. 146:10The Lord will be King for ever; your God, O Zion, will be King through all generations. Praise be to the Lord.
147:1Give praise to the Lord; for it is good to make melody to our God; praise is pleasing and beautiful. 147:2The Lord is building up Jerusalem; he makes all the outlaws of Israel come together. 147:3He makes the broken-hearted well, and puts oil on their wounds. 147:4He sees the number of the stars; he gives them all their names. 147:5Great is our Lord, and great his power; there is no limit to his wisdom. 147:6The Lord gives help to the poor in spirit; but he sends sinners down in shame. 147:7Make songs of praise to the Lord; make melody to our God with instruments of music. 147:8By his hand the heaven is covered with clouds and rain is stored up for the earth; he makes the grass tall on the mountains. 147:9He gives food to every beast, and to the young ravens in answer to their cry. 147:10He has no delight in the strength of a horse; he takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. 147:11The Lord takes pleasure in his worshippers, and in those whose hope is in his mercy. 147:12Give praise to the Lord, O Jerusalem; give praise to your God, O Zion. 147:13He has made strong the iron bands of your doors; he has sent blessings on your children inside your walls. 147:14He gives peace in all your land, making your stores full of fat grain. 147:15He sends out his orders to the earth; his word goes out quickly. 147:16He gives snow like wool; he sends out ice-drops like dust. 147:17He sends down ice like raindrops: water is made hard by his cold. 147:18At the outgoing of his word, the ice is turned to water; when he sends out his wind, there is a flowing of waters. 147:19He makes his word clear to Jacob, teaching Israel his laws and his decisions. 147:20He has not done these things for any other nation: and as for his laws, they have no knowledge of them. Let the Lord be praised.
148:1Give praise to the Lord. Let the Lord be praised from the heavens: give him praise in the skies. 148:2Give praise to him, all you his angels: give praise to him, all his armies. 148:3Give praise to him, you sun and moon: give praise to him, all you stars of light. 148:4Give praise to him, you highest heavens, and you waters which are over the heavens. 148:5Let them give praise to the name of the Lord: for he gave the order, and they were made. 148:6He has put them in their places for ever; he has given them their limits which may not be broken. 148:7Give praise to the Lord from the earth, you great sea-beasts, and deep places: 148:8Fire and rain of ice, snow and mists; storm-wind, doing his word: 148:9Mountains and all hills; fruit-trees and all trees of the mountains: 148:10Beasts and all cattle; insects and winged birds: 148:11Kings of the earth, and all peoples; rulers and all judges of the earth: 148:12Young men and virgins; old men and children: 148:13Let them give glory to the name of the Lord: for his name only is to be praised: his kingdom is over the earth and the heaven. 148:14He has put on high the horn of his people, for the praise of all his saints; even the children of Israel, a people which is near to him. Let the Lord be praised.
149:1Let the Lord be praised. Make a new song to the Lord, let his praise be in the meeting of his saints. 149:2Let Israel have joy in his maker; let the children of Zion be glad in their King. 149:3Let them give praise to his name in the dance: let them make melody to him with instruments of brass and corded instruments of music. 149:4For the Lord has pleasure in his people: he gives the poor in spirit a crown of salvation. 149:5Let the saints have joy and glory: let them give cries of joy on their beds. 149:6Let the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hands; 149:7To give the nations the reward of their sins, and the peoples their punishment; 149:8To put their kings in chains, and their rulers in bands of iron; 149:9To give them the punishment which is in the holy writings: this honour is given to all his saints. Praise be to the Lord.
150:1Let the Lord be praised. Give praise to God in his holy place: give him praise in the heaven of his power. 150:2Give him praise for his acts of power: give him praise in the measure of his great strength. 150:3Give him praise with the sound of the horn: give him praise with corded instruments of music. 150:4Give him praise with instruments of brass and in the dance: give him praise with horns and corded instruments. 150:5Give him praise with the loud brass: give him praise with the high-sounding brass. 150:6Let everything which has breath give praise to the Lord. Let the Lord be praised.
Proverbs
1:1The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel. 1:2To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason: 1:3To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour: 1:4To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose: 1:5(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:) 1:6To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings. 1:7The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching. 1:8My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother: 1:9For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck. 1:10My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them. 1:11If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause; 1:12Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; 1:13Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth; 1:14Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag: 1:15My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways: 1:16For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life. 1:17Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird: 1:18And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves. 1:19Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners. 1:20Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places; 1:21Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town: 1:22How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge? 1:23Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you. 1:24Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand; 1:25You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words: 1:26So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear; 1:27When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you. 1:28Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me: 1:29For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord: 1:30They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them. 1:31So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full. 1:32For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction. 1:33But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.
2:1My son, if you will take my words to your heart, storing up my laws in your mind; 2:2So that your ear gives attention to wisdom, and your heart is turned to knowledge; 2:3Truly, if you are crying out for good sense, and your request is for knowledge; 2:4If you are looking for her as for silver, and searching for her as for stored-up wealth; 2:5Then the fear of the Lord will be clear to you, and knowledge of God will be yours. 2:6For the Lord gives wisdom; out of his mouth come knowledge and reason: 2:7He has salvation stored up for the upright, he is a breastplate to those in whom there is no evil; 2:8He keeps watch on the ways which are right, and takes care of those who have the fear of him. 2:9Then you will have knowledge of righteousness and right acting, and upright behaviour, even of every good way. 2:10For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul; 2:11Wise purposes will be watching over you, and knowledge will keep you; 2:12Giving you salvation from the evil man, from those whose words are false; 2:13Who give up the way of righteousness, to go by dark roads; 2:14Who take pleasure in wrongdoing, and have joy in the evil designs of the sinner; 2:15Whose ways are not straight, and whose footsteps are turned to evil: 2:16To take you out of the power of the strange woman, who says smooth words with her tongue; 2:17Who is false to the husband of her early years, and does not keep the agreement of her God in mind: 2:18For her house is on the way down to death; her footsteps go down to the shades: 2:19Those who go to her do not come back again; their feet do not keep in the ways of life: 2:20So that you may go in the way of good men, and keep in the footsteps of the upright. 2:21For the upright will be living in the land, and the good will have it for their heritage. 2:22But sinners will be cut off from the land, and those whose acts are false will be uprooted.
3:1My son, keep my teaching in your memory, and my rules in your heart: 3:2For they will give you increase of days, years of life, and peace. 3:3Let not mercy and good faith go from you; let them be hanging round your neck, recorded on your heart; 3:4So you will have grace and a good name in the eyes of God and men. 3:5Put all your hope in God, not looking to your reason for support. 3:6In all your ways give ear to him, and he will make straight your footsteps. 3:7Put no high value on your wisdom: let the fear of the Lord be before you, and keep yourself from evil: 3:8This will give strength to your flesh, and new life to your bones. 3:9Give honour to the Lord with your wealth, and with the first-fruits of all your increase: 3:10So your store-houses will be full of grain, and your vessels overflowing with new wine. 3:11My son, do not make your heart hard against the Lord's teaching; do not be made angry by his training: 3:12For to those who are dear to him the Lord says sharp words, and makes the son in whom he has delight undergo pain. 3:13Happy is the man who makes discovery of wisdom, and he who gets knowledge. 3:14For trading in it is better than trading in silver, and its profit greater than bright gold. 3:15She is of more value than jewels, and nothing for which you may have a desire is fair in comparison with her. 3:16Long life is in her right hand, and in her left are wealth and honour. 3:17Her ways are ways of delight, and all her goings are peace. 3:18She is a tree of life to all who take her in their hands, and happy is everyone who keeps her. 3:19The Lord by wisdom put in position the bases of the earth; by reason he put the heavens in their place. 3:20By his knowledge the deep was parted, and dew came dropping from the skies. 3:21My son, keep good sense, and do not let wise purpose go from your eyes. 3:22So they will be life for your soul, and grace for your neck. 3:23Then you will go safely on your way, and your feet will have no cause for slipping. 3:24When you take your rest you will have no fear, and on your bed sleep will be sweet to you. 3:25Have no fear of sudden danger, or of the storm which will come on evil-doers: 3:26For the Lord will be your hope, and will keep your foot from being taken in the net. 3:27Do not keep back good from those who have a right to it, when it is in the power of your hand to do it. 3:28Say not to your neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when you have it by you at the time. 3:29Do not make evil designs against your neighbour, when he is living with you without fear. 3:30Do not take up a cause at law against a man for nothing, if he has done you no wrong. 3:31Have no envy of the violent man, or take any of his ways as an example. 3:32For the wrong-hearted man is hated by the Lord, but he is a friend to the upright. 3:33The curse of the Lord is on the house of the evil-doer, but his blessing is on the tent of the upright. 3:34He makes sport of the men of pride, but he gives grace to the gentle-hearted. 3:35The wise will have glory for their heritage, but shame will be the reward of the foolish.
4:1Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge: 4:2For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me. 4:3For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother. 4:4And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life: 4:5Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth. 4:6Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe. 4:7The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge. 4:8Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love. 4:9She will put a crown of grace on your head, giving you a head-dress of glory. 4:10Give ear, O my son, and let your heart be open to my sayings; and long life will be yours. 4:11I have given you teaching in the way of wisdom, guiding your steps in the straight way. 4:12When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall. 4:13Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life. 4:14Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men. 4:15Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way. 4:16For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall. 4:17The bread of evil-doing is their food, the wine of violent acts their drink. 4:18But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day. 4:19The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall. 4:20My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings. 4:21Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart. 4:22For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh. 4:23And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life. 4:24Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you. 4:25Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you. 4:26Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered. 4:27Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil.
5:1My son, give attention to my wisdom; let your ear be turned to my teaching: 5:2So that you may be ruled by a wise purpose, and your lips may keep knowledge. 5:3For honey is dropping from the lips of the strange woman, and her mouth is smoother than oil; 5:4But her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword; 5:5Her feet go down to death, and her steps to the underworld; 5:6She never keeps her mind on the road of life; her ways are uncertain, she has no knowledge. 5:7Give ear to me then, my sons, and do not put away my words from you. 5:8Go far away from her, do not come near the door of her house; 5:9For fear that you may give your honour to others, and your wealth to strange men: 5:10And strange men may be full of your wealth, and the fruit of your work go to the house of others; 5:11And you will be full of grief at the end of your life, when your flesh and your body are wasted; 5:12And you will say, How was teaching hated by me, and my heart put no value on training; 5:13I did not give attention to the voice of my teachers, my ear was not turned to those who were guiding me! 5:14I was in almost all evil in the company of the people. 5:15Let water from your store and not that of others be your drink, and running water from your fountain. 5:16Let not your springs be flowing in the streets, or your streams of water in the open places. 5:17Let them be for yourself only, not for other men with you. 5:18Let blessing be on your fountain; have joy in the wife of your early years. 5:19As a loving hind and a gentle doe, let her breasts ever give you rapture; let your passion at all times be moved by her love. 5:20Why let yourself, my son, go out of the way with a strange woman, and take another woman in your arms? 5:21For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he puts all his goings in the scales. 5:22The evil-doer will be taken in the net of his crimes, and prisoned in the cords of his sin. 5:23He will come to his end for need of teaching; he is so foolish that he will go wandering from the right way.
6:1My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another, 6:2You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you. 6:3Do this, my son, and make yourself free, because you have come into the power of your neighbour; go without waiting, and make a strong request to your neighbour. 6:4Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them; 6:5Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her. 6:6Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise: 6:7Having no chief, overseer, or ruler, 6:8She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting. 6:9How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep? 6:10A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep: 6:11Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man 6:12A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words; 6:13Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers; 6:14His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts. 6:15For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him. 6:16Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him: 6:17Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause; 6:18A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin; 6:19A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers. 6:20My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother: 6:21Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck. 6:22In your walking, it will be your guide; when you are sleeping, it will keep watch over you; when you are awake, it will have talk with you. 6:23For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life. 6:24They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman. 6:25Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner. 6:26For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life. 6:27May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing? 6:28Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned? 6:29So it is with him who goes in to his neighbour's wife; he who has anything to do with her will not go free from punishment. 6:30Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it: 6:31But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house. 6:32He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul. 6:33Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away. 6:34For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy. 6:35He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.
7:1My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you. 7:2Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes; 7:3Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart. 7:4Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend: 7:5So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth. 7:6Looking out from my house, and watching through the window, 7:7I saw among the young men one without sense, 7:8Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house, 7:9At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night. 7:10And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart; 7:11She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house. 7:12Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road. 7:13So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him: 7:14I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected. 7:15So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you. 7:16My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt; 7:17I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices. 7:18Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights. 7:19For the master of the house is away on a long journey: 7:20He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon. 7:21With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips. 7:22The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord; 7:23Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side. 7:24So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth; 7:25Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps. 7:26For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army. 7:27Her house is the way to the underworld, going down to the rooms of death.
8:1Is not wisdom crying out, and the voice of knowledge sounding? 8:2At the top of the highways, at the meeting of the roads, she takes her place; 8:3Where the roads go into the town her cry goes out, at the doorways her voice is loud: 8:4I am crying out to you, O men; my voice comes to the sons of men. 8:5Become expert in reason, O you simple ones; you foolish ones, take training to heart. 8:6Give ear, for my words are true, and my lips are open to give out what is upright. 8:7For good faith goes out of my mouth, and false lips are disgusting to me. 8:8All the words of my mouth are righteousness; there is nothing false or twisted in them. 8:9They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge. 8:10Take my teaching, and not silver; get knowledge in place of the best gold. 8:11For wisdom is better than jewels, and all things which may be desired are nothing in comparison with her. 8:12I, wisdom, have made wise behaviour my near relation; I am seen to be the special friend of wise purposes. 8:13The fear of the Lord is seen in hating evil: pride, a high opinion of oneself, the evil way, and the false tongue, are unpleasing to me. 8:14Wise design and good sense are mine; reason and strength are mine. 8:15Through me kings have their power, and rulers give right decisions. 8:16Through me chiefs have authority, and the noble ones are judging in righteousness. 8:17Those who have given me their love are loved by me, and those who make search for me with care will get me. 8:18Wealth and honour are in my hands, even wealth without equal and righteousness. 8:19My fruit is better than gold, even than the best gold; and my increase is more to be desired than silver. 8:20I go in the road of righteousness, in the way of right judging: 8:21So that I may give my lovers wealth for their heritage, making their store-houses full. 8:22The Lord made me as the start of his way, the first of his works in the past. 8:23From eternal days I was given my place, from the birth of time, before the earth was. 8:24When there was no deep I was given birth, when there were no fountains flowing with water. 8:25Before the mountains were put in their places, before the hills was my birth: 8:26When he had not made the earth or the fields or the dust of the world. 8:27When he made ready the heavens I was there: when he put an arch over the face of the deep: 8:28When he made strong the skies overhead: when the fountains of the deep were fixed: 8:29When he put a limit to the sea, so that the waters might not go against his word: when he put in position the bases of the earth: 8:30Then I was by his side, as a master workman: and I was his delight from day to day, playing before him at all times; 8:31Playing in his earth; and my delight was with the sons of men. 8:32Give ear to me then, my sons: for happy are those who keep my ways. 8:33Take my teaching and be wise; do not let it go. 8:34Happy is the man who gives ear to me, watching at my doors day by day, keeping his place by the pillars of my house. 8:35For whoever gets me gets life, and grace from the Lord will come to him. 8:36But he who does evil to me, does wrong to his soul: all my haters are in love with death.