The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.

For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.

Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.

Doth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice?

On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth;

Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:

Unto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men.

O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.

Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things.

For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

They are all plain to him that understandeth, And right to them that find knowledge.

Receive my instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than choice gold.

For wisdom is better than rubies; And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it.

I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge [and] discretion.

The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate.

Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might.

By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.

By me princes rule, And nobles, [even] all the judges of the earth.

I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me.

Riches and honor are with me; [Yea], durable wealth and righteousness.

My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver.

I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice;

That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.

Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.

When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.

Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;

While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,

When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong,

When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth;

Then I was by him, [as] a master workman; And I was daily [his] delight, Rejoicing always before him,

Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men.

Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that keep my ways.

Hear instruction, and be wise, And refuse it not.

Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah.

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.

Wisdom hath builded her house; She hath hewn out her seven pillars:

She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; She hath also furnished her table:

She hath sent forth her maidens; She crieth upon the highest places of the city:

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: As for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,

Come, eat ye of my bread, And drink of the wine which I have mingled.

Leave off, ye simple ones, and live; And walk in the way of understanding.

He that correcteth a scoffer getteth to himself reviling; And he that reproveth a wicked man [getteth] himself a blot.

Reprove not a scoffer, lest he hate thee: Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.

Give [instruction] to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

For by me thy days shall be multiplied, And the years of thy life shall be increased.

If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; And if thou scoffest, thou alone shalt bear it.

The foolish woman is clamorous; [She is] simple, and knoweth nothing.

And she sitteth at the door of her house, On a seat in the high places of the city,

To call to them that pass by, Who go right on their ways:

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither; And as for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,

Stolen waters are sweet, And bread [eaten] in secret is pleasant.

But he knoweth not that the dead are there; That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father; But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; But righteousness delivereth from death.

Jehovah will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish; But he thrusteth away the desire of the wicked.

He becometh poor that worketh with a slack hand; But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son; [But] he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

Blessings are upon the head of the righteous; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

The memory of the righteous is blessed; But the name of the wicked shall rot.

The wise in heart will receive commandments; But a prating fool shall fall.

He that walketh uprightly walketh surely; But he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow; But a prating fool shall fall.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

Hatred stirreth up strifes; But love covereth all transgressions.

In the lips of him that hath discernment wisdom is found; But a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

Wise men lay up knowledge; But the mouth of the foolish is a present destruction.

The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: The destruction of the poor is their poverty.

The labor of the righteous [tendeth] to life; The increase of the wicked, to sin.

He is in the way of life that heedeth correction; But he that forsaketh reproof erreth.

He that hideth hatred is of lying lips; And he that uttereth a slander is a fool.

In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression; But he that refraineth his lips doeth wisely.

The tongue of the righteous is [as] choice silver: The heart of the wicked is little worth.

The lips of the righteous feed many; But the foolish die for lack of understanding.

The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich; And he addeth no sorrow therewith.

It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness; And [so is] wisdom to a man of understanding.

The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more; But the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, So is the sluggard to them that send him.

The fear of Jehovah prolongeth days; But the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

The hope of the righteous [shall be] gladness; But the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

The way of Jehovah is a stronghold to the upright; But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.

The righteous shall never be removed; But the wicked shall not dwell in the land.

The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wisdom; But the perverse tongue shall be cut off.

The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable; But the mouth of the wicked [speaketh] perverseness.

A false balance is an abomination to Jehovah; But a just weight is his delight.

When pride cometh, then cometh shame; But with the lowly is wisdom.

The integrity of the upright shall guide them; But the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.

Riches profit not in the day of wrath; But righteousness delivereth from death.

The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way; But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them; But the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity.

When a wicked man dieth, [his] expectation shall perish; And the hope of iniquity perisheth.

The righteous is delivered out of trouble; And the wicked cometh in his stead.

With his mouth the godless man destroyeth his neighbor; But through knowledge shall the righteous be delivered.

When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth; And when the wicked perish, there is shouting.

By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted; But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.