The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

When wisdome entreth into thine heart, and knowledge deliteth thy soule,

Then shall counsell preserue thee, and vnderstanding shall keepe thee,

And deliuer thee from the euill way, and from the man that speaketh froward things,

And from them that leaue the wayes of righteousnes to walke in the wayes of darkenes:

Which reioyce in doing euill, and delite in the frowardnesse of the wicked,

Whose wayes are crooked and they are lewde in their paths.

And it shall deliuer thee from the strange woman, euen from the stranger, which flattereth with her wordes.

Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the couenant of her God.

Surely her house tendeth to death, and her paths vnto the dead.

All they that goe vnto her, returne not againe, neither take they holde of the wayes of life.

Therefore walke thou in the way of good men, and keepe the wayes of the righteous.

For the iust shall dwell in the land, and the vpright men shall remaine in it.

But the wicked shalbe cut off from ye earth, and the transgressours shalbe rooted out of it.

My sonne, forget not thou my Lawe, but let thine heart keepe my commandements.

For they shall increase the length of thy dayes and the yeeres of life, and thy prosperitie.

Let not mercie and trueth forsake thee: binde them on thy necke, and write them vpon the table of thine heart.

So shalt thou finde fauour and good vnderstanding in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and leane not vnto thine owne wisdome.

In all thy wayes acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy wayes.

Be not wise in thine owne eyes: but feare the Lord, and depart from euill.

So health shalbe vnto thy nauel, and marowe vnto thy bones.

Honour the Lord with thy riches, and with the first fruites of all thine increase.

So shall thy barnes be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall burst with newe wine.

My sonne, refuse not the chastening of the Lord, neither be grieued with his correction.

For the Lord correcteth him, whome he loueth, euen as the father doeth the childe in whom he deliteth.

Blessed is the man that findeth wisedome, and the man that getteth vnderstanding.

For the marchandise thereof is better then the marchandise of siluer, and the gaine thereof is better then golde.

It is more precious then pearles: and all things that thou canst desire, are not to be compared vnto her.

Length of dayes is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.

Her wayes are wayes of pleasure, and all her pathes prosperitie.

She is a tree of life to them that lay holde on her, and blessed is he that retaineth her.

The Lord by wisdome hath layde the foundation of the earth, and hath stablished the heauens through vnderstanding.

By his knowledge the depthes are broken vp, and the cloudes droppe downe the dewe.

My sonne, let not these things depart from thine eyes, but obserue wisdome, and counsell.

So they shalbe life to thy soule, and grace vnto thy necke.

Then shalt thou walke safely by thy way: and thy foote shall not stumble.

If thou sleepest, thou shalt not bee afraide, and when thou sleepest, thy sleepe shalbe sweete.

Thou shalt not feare for any sudden feare, neither for the destruction of the wicked, when it commeth.

For the Lord shall be for thine assurance, and shall preserue thy foote from taking.

Withhold not the good from the owners thereof, though there be power in thine hand to doe it.

Say not vnto thy neighbour, Go and come againe, and to morow wil I giue thee, if thou now haue it.

Intend none hurt against thy neighbour, seeing he doeth dwell without feare by thee.

Striue not with a man causelesse, when he hath done thee no harme.

Bee not enuious for the wicked man, neither chuse any of his wayes.

For the frowarde is abomination vnto the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous.

The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.

With the scornefull he scorneth, but hee giueth grace vnto the humble.

The wise shall inherite glorie: but fooles dishonour, though they be exalted.

Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.

For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.

For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,

When he taught me, and sayde vnto me, Let thine heart holde fast my woordes: keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue.

Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.

Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.

Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.

Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.

She shall giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shall giue thee a crowne of glorie.

Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.

I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.

Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.

Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.

Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.

Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.

For they can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.

For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence.

But the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more vnto the perfite day.

The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.

My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.

Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine heart.

For they are life vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their flesh.

Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.

Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.

Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.

Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.

Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.

My sonne, hearken vnto my wisedome, and incline thine eare vnto my knowledge.

That thou maiest regarde counsell, and thy lippes obserue knowledge.

For the lippes of a strange woman drop as an honie combe, and her mouth is more soft then oyle.

But the end of her is bitter as wormewood, and sharpe as a two edged sworde.

Her feete goe downe to death, and her steps take holde on hell.

She weigheth not the way of life: her paths are moueable: thou canst not knowe them.

Heare yee me nowe therefore, O children, and depart not from the wordes of my mouth.

Keepe thy way farre from her, and come not neere the doore of her house,

Least thou giue thine honor vnto others, and thy yeeres to the cruell:

Least the stranger should be silled with thy strength, and thy labours bee in the house of a stranger,

And thou mourne at thine end, (when thou hast consumed thy flesh and thy bodie)

And say, How haue I hated instruction, and mine heart despised correction!

And haue not obeied the voyce of them that taught mee, nor enclined mine eare to them that instructed me!

I was almost brought into all euil in ye mids of the Congregation and assemblie.

Drinke the water of thy cisterne, and of the riuers out of the middes of thine owne well.

Let thy fountaines flow foorth, and the riuers of waters in the streetes.

But let them bee thine, euen thine onely, and not the strangers with thee.

Let thy fountaine be blessed, and reioyce with the wife of thy youth.

Let her be as the louing hinde and pleasant roe: let her brests satisfie thee at all times, and delite in her loue continually.

For why shouldest thou delite, my sonne, in a strange woman, or embrace the bosome of a stranger?

For the waies of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his pathes.

His owne iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe, and he shall be holden with the cordes of his owne sinne.

Hee shall die for fault of instruction, and shall goe astray through his great follie.

My sonne, if thou be surety for thy neighbour, and hast striken hands with the stranger,

Thou art snared with the wordes of thy mouth: thou art euen taken with the woordes of thine owne mouth.