And He has lifted up a horn for His people, Praise for all His godly ones; Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones.
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand,
A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.
Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.
When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast.
Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm.
Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.
Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention that you may gain understanding,
When I was a son to my father, Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,
“She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.”
Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you.
But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.
As a loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love.
For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?
For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths.
My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, Have given a pledge for a stranger,
Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
“A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest”--
Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man.
A worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth,
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil,
A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life
For on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread, And an adulteress hunts for the precious life.
Can a man take fire in his bosom And his clothes not be burned?
Or can a man walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched?
Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry;
The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it.
For jealousy enrages a man, And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
And I saw among the naive, And discerned among the youths A young man lacking sense,
And behold, a woman comes to meet him, Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart.
So she seizes him and kisses him And with a brazen face she says to him:
“For my husband is not at home, He has gone on a long journey;
He has taken a bag of money with him, At the full moon he will come home.”
Suddenly he follows her As an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool,
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.
“When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,
He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
She sits at the doorway of her house, On a seat by the high places of the city,
The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
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