Proverbs 7

1 MY SON, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments [for use when needed] and treasure them.2 Keep my commandments and live, and keep my law and teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye.3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.4 Say to skillful and godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend--5 That they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adventuress who flatters with and makes smooth her words.6 For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice.7 And among the simple (empty-headed and emptyhearted) ones, I perceived among the youths a young man void of good sense,8 Sauntering through the street near the [loose woman’s] corner; and he went the way to her house9 In the twilight, in the evening; night black and dense was falling [over the young man’s life].10 And behold, there met him a woman, dressed as a harlot and sly and cunning of heart.11 She is turbulent and willful; her feet stay not in her house;12 Now in the streets, now in the marketplaces, she sets her ambush at every corner.13 So she caught him and kissed him and with impudent face she said to him,14 Sacrifices of peace offerings were due from me; this day I paid my vows.15 So I came forth to meet you [that you might share with me the feast from my offering]; diligently I sought your face, and I have found you.16 I have spread my couch with rugs and cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of fine linen of Egypt.17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us console and delight ourselves with love.19 For the man is not at home; he is gone on a long journey;20 He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed [at the full moon].21 With much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him [to overcome his conscience and his fears] and forces him along.22 Suddenly he [yields and] follows her reluctantly like an ox moving to the slaughter, like one in fetters going to the correction [to be given] to a fool or like a dog enticed by food to the muzzle 23 Till a dart [of passion] pierces and inflames his vitals; then like a bird fluttering straight into the net [he hastens], not knowing that it will cost him his life.24 Listen to me now therefore, O you sons, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.25 Let not your heart incline toward her ways, do not stray into her paths.26 For she has cast down many wounded; indeed, all her slain are a mighty host. 27 Her house is the way to Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead), going down to the chambers of death.

Proverbs 8

1 DOES NOT skillful and godly Wisdom cry out, and understanding raise her voice [in contrast to the loose woman]?2 On the top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet, stands Wisdom [skillful and godly];3 At the gates at the entrance of the town, at the coming in at the doors, she cries out:4 To you, O men, I call, and my voice is directed to the sons of men.5 O you simple and thoughtless ones, understand prudence; you [self-confident] fools, be of an understanding heart. 6 Hear, for I will speak excellent and princely things; and the opening of my lips shall be for right things.7 For my mouth shall utter truth, and wrongdoing is detestable and loathsome to my lips.8 All the words of my mouth are righteous (upright and in right standing with God); there is nothing contrary to truth or crooked in them.9 They are all plain to him who understands [and opens his heart], and right to those who find knowledge [and live by it].10 Receive my instruction in preference to [striving for] silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold,11 For skillful and godly Wisdom is better than rubies or pearls, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. 12 I, Wisdom [from God], make prudence my dwelling, and I find out knowledge and discretion. 13 The reverent fear and worshipful awe of the Lord [includes] the hatred of evil; pride, arrogance, the evil way, and perverted and twisted speech I hate.14 I have counsel and sound knowledge, I have understanding, I have might and power.15 By me kings reign and rulers decree justice. 16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges and governors of the earth.17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me. 18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation, and right standing with God). 19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than refined gold, and my increase than choice silver.20 I [Wisdom] walk in the way of righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation), in the midst of the paths of justice,21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit [true] riches and that I may fill their treasuries.22 The Lord formed and brought me [Wisdom] forth at the beginning of His way, before His acts of old.23 I [Wisdom] was inaugurated and ordained from everlasting, from the beginning, before ever the earth existed. 24 When there were no deeps, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains laden with water.25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth, 26 While as yet He had not made the land or the fields or the first of the dust of the earth.27 When He prepared the heavens, I [Wisdom] was there; when He drew a circle upon the face of the deep and stretched out the firmament over it,28 When He made firm the skies above, when He established the fountains of the deep,29 When He gave to the sea its limit and His decree that the waters should not transgress [across the boundaries set by] His command, when He appointed the foundations of the earth--30 Then I [Wisdom] was beside Him as a master and director of the work; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing before Him always, 31 Rejoicing in His inhabited earth and delighting in the sons of men. 32 Now therefore listen to me, O you sons; for blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not refuse or neglect it.34 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.35 For whoever finds me [Wisdom] finds life and draws forth and obtains favor from the Lord.36 But he who misses me or sins against me wrongs and injures himself; all who hate me love and court death.

Proverbs 9

1 WISDOM HAS built her house; she has hewn out and set up her seven [perfect number of] pillars.2 She has killed her beasts, she has mixed her [spiritual] wine; she has also set her table. 3 She has sent out her maids to cry from the highest places of the town:4 Whoever is simple (easily led astray and wavering), let him turn in here! As for him who lacks understanding, [God’s] Wisdom says to him,5 Come, eat of my bread and drink of the [spiritual] wine which I have mixed. 6 Leave off, simple ones [forsake the foolish and simpleminded] and live! And walk in the way of insight and understanding.7 He who rebukes a scorner heaps upon himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man gets for himself bruises.8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man (one upright and in right standing with God) and he will increase in learning.10 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding.11 For by me [Wisdom from God] your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased.12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scorn, you alone will bear it and pay the penalty.13 The foolish woman is noisy; she is simple and open to all forms of evil, she [willfully and recklessly] knows nothing whatever [of eternal value].14 For she sits at the door of her house or on a seat in the conspicuous places of the town,15 Calling to those who pass by, who go uprightly on their way:16 Whoever is simple (wavering and easily led astray), let him turn in here! And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,17 Stolen waters (pleasures) are sweet [because they are forbidden]; and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. 18 But he knows not that the shades of the dead are there [specters haunting the scene of past transgressions], and that her invited guests are [already sunk] in the depths of Sheol (the lower world, Hades, the place of the dead).

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