The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

Let not thy heart turn unto her ways, Do not wander in her paths,

For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty [are] all her slain ones.

The ways of Sheol — her house, Going down unto inner chambers of death!

Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?

At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,

At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,

'Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] unto the sons of men.

Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,

Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.

For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips [is] wickedness.

In righteousness [are] all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.

All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.

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

For better [is] wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.

I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.

The fear of Jehovah [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.

Mine [is] counsel and substance, I [am] understanding, I have might.

By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,

By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.

I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.

Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.

Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.

In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,

To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.

Jehovah possessed me — the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.

From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.

In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,

Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.

While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.

In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,

In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,

In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,

Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight — day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,

Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.

And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.

Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.

O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.

For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!

Wisdom hath builded her house, She hath hewn out her pillars — seven.

She hath slaughtered her slaughter, She hath mingled her wine, Yea, she hath arranged her table.

She hath sent forth her damsels, She crieth on the tops of the high places of the city:

'Who [is] simple? let him turn aside hither.' Whoso lacketh heart: she hath said to him,

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

Forsake ye, the simple, and live, And be happy in the way of understanding.

The instructor of a scorner Is receiving for it — shame, And a reprover of the wicked — his blemish.

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee, Give reproof to the wise, and he loveth thee.

Give to the wise, and he is wiser still, Make known to the righteous, And he increaseth learning.

The commencement of wisdom [is] the fear of Jehovah, And a knowledge of the Holy Ones [is] understanding.

For by me do thy days multiply, And added to thee are years of life.

If thou hast been wise, thou hast been wise for thyself, And thou hast scorned — thyself bearest [it].

A foolish woman [is] noisy, Simple, and hath not known what.

And she hath sat at the opening of her house, On a throne — the high places of the city,

To call to those passing by the way, Who are going straight [on] their paths.

'Who [is] simple? let him turn aside hither.' And whoso lacketh heart — she said to him,

'Stolen waters are sweet, And hidden bread is pleasant.'

And he hath not known that Rephaim [are] there, In deep places of Sheol her invited ones!

Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son causeth a father to rejoice, And a foolish son [is] an affliction to his mother.

Treasures of wickedness profit not, And righteousness delivereth from death.

Jehovah causeth not the soul of the righteous to hunger, And the desire of the wicked He thrusteth away.

Poor [is] he who is working — a slothful hand, And the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Whoso is gathering in summer [is] a wise son, Whoso is sleeping in harvest [is] a son causing shame.

Blessings [are] for the head of the righteous, And the mouth of the wicked cover doth violence.

The remembrance of the righteous [is] for a blessing, And the name of the wicked doth rot.

The wise in heart accepteth commands, And a talkative fool kicketh.

Whoso is walking in integrity walketh confidently, And whoso is perverting his ways is known.

Whoso is winking the eye giveth grief, And a talkative fool kicketh.

A fountain of life [is] the mouth of the righteous, And the mouth of the wicked cover doth violence.

Hatred awaketh contentions, And over all transgressions love covereth.

In the lips of the intelligent is wisdom found, And a rod [is] for the back of him who is lacking understanding.

The wise lay up knowledge, and the mouth of a fool [is] near ruin.

The wealth of the rich [is] his strong city, The ruin of the poor [is] their poverty.

The wage of the righteous [is] for life, The increase of the wicked for sin.

A traveller to life [is] he who is keeping instruction, And whoso is forsaking rebuke is erring.

Whoso is covering hatred with lying lips, And whoso is bringing out an evil report is a fool.

In the abundance of words transgression ceaseth not, And whoso is restraining his lips [is] wise.

The tongue of the righteous [is] chosen silver, The heart of the wicked — as a little thing.

The lips of the righteous delight many, And fools for lack of heart die.

The blessing of Jehovah — it maketh rich, And He addeth no grief with it.

To execute inventions [is] as play to a fool, And wisdom to a man of understanding.

The feared thing of the wicked it meeteth him, And the desire of the righteous is given.

As the passing by of a hurricane, So the wicked is not, And the righteous is a foundation age-during.

As vinegar to the teeth, And as smoke to the eyes, So [is] the slothful to those sending him.

The fear of Jehovah addeth days, And the years of the wicked are shortened.

The hope of the righteous [is] joyful, And the expectation of the wicked perisheth.

The way of Jehovah [is] strength to the perfect, And ruin to workers of iniquity.

The righteous to the age is not moved, And the wicked inhabit not the earth.

The mouth of the righteous uttereth wisdom, And the tongue of frowardness is cut out.

The lips of the righteous know a pleasing thing, And the mouth of the wicked perverseness!

Balances of deceit [are] an abomination to Jehovah, And a perfect weight [is] His delight.

Pride hath come, and shame cometh, And with the lowly [is] wisdom.

The integrity of the upright leadeth them, And the perverseness of the treacherous destroyeth them.

Wealth profiteth not in a day of wrath, And righteousness delivereth from death.

The righteousness of the perfect maketh right his way, And by his wickedness doth the wicked fall.

The righteousness of the upright delivereth them, And in mischief the treacherous are captured.

In the death of a wicked man, hope perisheth, And the expectation of the iniquitous hath been lost.

The righteous from distress is drawn out, And the wicked goeth in instead of him.

With the mouth a hypocrite corrupteth his friend, And by knowledge the righteous are drawn out.

In the good of the righteous a city exulteth, And in the destruction of the wicked [is] singing.

By the blessing of the upright is a city exalted, And by the mouth of the wicked thrown down.