71 My son , keep my words And treasure my commandments within you. 2 Keep my commandments and live , And my teaching as the apple of your eye . 3 Bind them on your fingers ; Write them on the tablet of your heart . 4 Say to wisdom , "You are my sister ," And call understanding your intimate friend ; 5 That they may keep you from an adulteress , From the foreigner who flatters with her words .
6 For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice , 7 And I saw among the naive , And discerned among the youths A young man lacking sense , 8 Passing through the street near her corner ; And he takes the way to her house , 9 In the twilight , in the evening e , In the middle of the night and in the darkness . 10 And behold , a woman comes to meet him, Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart . 11 She is boisterous and rebellious , Her feet do not remain at home ; 12 She is now in the streets , now in the squares , And lurks by every corner . 13 So she seizes him and kisses him And with a brazen face she says to him: 14 "I was due to offer peace offerings ; Today I have paid my vows . 15 "Therefore e I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly , and I have found you. 16 "I have spread my couch with coverings , With colored linens of Egypt . 17 "I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh , aloes and cinnamon . 18 "Come , let us drink our fill of love until morning ; Let us delight ourselves with caresses . 19 "For my husband is not at home , He has gone on a long e journey ; 20 He has taken a bag of money with him, At the full moon he will come home ." 21 With her many persuasions she entices him; With her flattering lips she seduces him. 22 Suddenly he follows e her As an ox goes to the slaughter , Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool , 23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver ; As a bird hastens to the snare , So he does not know that it will cost him his life .
24 Now therefore, my sons , listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth . 25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways , Do not stray into her paths . 26 For many are the victims she has cast down , And numerous are all her slain . 27 Her house is the way to Sheol , Descending to the chambers of death .
81 Does not wisdom call , And understanding lift up her voice ? 2 On top of the heights beside the way , Where the paths meet , she takes her stand ; 3 Beside the gates , at the opening to the city , At the entrance of the doors , she cries out: 4 "To you, O men , I call , And my voice is to the sons of men . 5 "O naive ones , understand prudence ; And, O fools , understand wisdom . 6 "Listen , for I will speak noble things ; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things . 7 "For my mouth will utter truth ; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips . 8 "All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness ; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them. 9 "They are all straightforward to him who understands , And right to those who find knowledge . 10 "Take my instruction and not silver , And knowledge rather than choicest gold . 11 "For wisdom is better than jewels ; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.
12 "I, wisdom , dwell with prudence , And I find knowledge and discretion . 13 "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil ; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth , I hate . 14 " Counsel is mine and sound wisdom ; I am understanding , power is mine. 15 "By me kings reign , And rulers decree justice . 16 "By me princes rule , and nobles , All who judge rightly . 17 "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me. 18 " Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness . 19 "My fruit is better than gold , even pure gold , And my yield better than choicest silver . 20 "I walk in the way of righteousness , In the midst of the paths of justice , 21 To endow those who love me with wealth , That I may fill their treasuries .
22 "The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way , Before His works of old . 23 "From everlasting I was established , From the beginning , from the earliest times of the earth . 24 "When there were no depths I was brought forth , When there were no springs abounding with water . 25 " Before the mountains were settled , Before the hills I was brought forth ; 26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields , Nor the first dust of the world . 27 "When He established the heavens , I was there , When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep , 28 When He made firm the skies above e , When the springs of the deep became fixed , 29 When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His command , When He marked out the foundations of the earth ; 30 Then I was beside Him, as a master workman ; And I was daily His delight , Rejoicing always e before Him, 31 Rejoicing in the world , His earth , And having my delight in the sons of men .
32 "Now therefore, O sons , listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways . 33 " Heed instruction and be wise , And do not neglect it. 34 " Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates , Waiting at my doorposts . 35 "For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the Lord . 36 "But he who sins against me injures himself ; All those who hate me love death ."
91 Wisdom has built her house , She has hewn out her seven pillars ; 2 She has prepared her food , she has mixed her wine ; She has also set her table ; 3 She has sent out her maidens , she calls From the tops of the heights of the city : 4 " Whoever is naive , let him turn in here !" To him who lacks understanding she says , 5 "Come , eat of my food And drink of the wine I have mixed . 6 "Forsake your folly and live , And proceed in the way of understanding ." 7 He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself. 8 Do not reprove a scoffer , or he will hate you, Reprove a wise man and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser , Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning . 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom , And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding . 11 For by me your days will be multiplied , And years of life will be added to you. 12 If you are wise , you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff , you alone will bear it.
13 The woman of folly is boisterous , She is naive and knows nothing e . 14 She sits at the doorway of her house , On a seat by the high places of the city , 15 Calling to those who pass by, Who are making their paths straight : 16 " Whoever is naive , let him turn in here ," And to him who lacks understanding she says , 17 "Stolen water is sweet ; And bread eaten in secret is pleasant ." 18 But he does not know that the dead are there , That her guests are in the depths of Sheol .
