Proverbs 7; Proverbs 8; Proverbs 9

Proverbs 7

1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my precepts with thee. Son,

2 Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live: and my law as the apple of thy eye:

3 Bind it upon thy fingers, write it upon the tables of thy heart.

4 Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,

5 That she may keep thee from the woman that is not thine, and from the stranger who sweeteneth her words.

6 For I looked out of the window of my house through the lattice,

7 And I see little ones, I behold a foolish young man,

8 Who passeth through the street by the corner, and goeth nigh the way of her house,

9 In the dark when it grows late, in the darkness and obscurity of the night.

10 And behold a woman meeteth him in harlot’s attire, prepared to deceive souls: talkative and wandering,

11 Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,

12 Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.

13 And catching the young man, she kisseth him, and with an impudent face, flattereth, saying:

14 I vowed victims for prosperity, this day I have paid my vows.

15 Therefore I am come out to meet thee, desirous to see thee, and I have found thee.

16 I have woven my bed with cords, I have covered it with painted tapestry, brought from Egypt.

17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18 Come, let us be inebriated with the breasts, and let us enjoy the desired embraces, till the day appear.

19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a very long journey.

20 He took with him a bag of money: he will return home the day of the full moon.

21 She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.

22 Immediately he followeth her as an ox led to be a victim, and as a lamb playing the wanton, and not knowing that he is drawn like a fool to bonds,

23 Till the arrow pierce his liver: as if a bird should make haste to the snare, and knoweth not that his life is in danger.

24 Now, therefore, my son, hear me, and attend to the words of my mouth.

25 Let not thy mind be drawn away in her ways: neither be thou deceived with her paths.

26 For she hath cast down many wounded, and the strongest have been slain by her.

27 Her house is the way to hell, reaching even to the inner chambers of death.

Proverbs 8

1 Doth not wisdom cry aloud, and prudence put forth her voice?

2 Standing in the top of the highest places by the way, in the midst of the paths,

3 Beside the gates of the city, in the very doors she speaketh, saying:

4 O ye men, to you I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.

5 O little ones understand subtlety, and ye unwise, take notice.

6 Hear, for I will speak of great things: and my lips shall be opened to preach right things.

7 My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate wickedness.

8 All my words are just, there is nothing wicked, nor perverse in them.

9 They are right to them that understand, and just to them that find knowledge.

10 Receive my instruction, and not money: choose knowledge rather than gold.

11 For wisdom is better than all the most precious things: and whatsoever may be desired cannot be compared to it.

12 I, wisdom, dwell in counsel, and am present in learned thoughts.

13 The fear of the Lord hateth evil; I hate arrogance, and pride, and every wicked way, and a mouth with a double tongue.

14 Counsel and equity is mine, prudence is mine, strength is mine.

15 By me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things.

16 By me princes rule, and the mighty decree justice.

17 I love them that love me: and they that in the morning early watch for me, shall find me.

18 With me are riches and glory, glorious riches and justice.

19 For my fruit is better than gold and the precious stone, and my blossoms than choice silver.

20 I walk in the way of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment,

21 That I may enrich them that love me, and may fill their treasures.

22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning.

23 I was set up from eternity, and of old, before the earth was made.

24 The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived, neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out.

25 The mountains, with their huge bulk, had not as yet been established: before the hills, I was brought forth:

26 He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world.

27 When he prepared the heavens, I was present: when with a certain law, and compass, he enclosed the depths:

28 When he established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters:

29 When he compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the waters that they should not pass their limits: when he balanced the foundations of the earth;

30 I was with him forming all things: and was delighted every day, playing before him at all times;

31 Playing in the world: and my delights were to be with the children of men.

32 Now, therefore, ye children, hear me: blessed are they that keep my ways.

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

34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors.

35 He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord.

36 But he that shall sin against me shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death.

Proverbs 9

1 Wisdom hath built herself a house, she hath hewn her out seven pillars.

2 She hath slain her victims, mingled her wine, and set forth her table.

3 She hath sent her maids to invite to the tower, and to the walls of the city:

4 Whosoever is a little one, let him come to me. And to the unwise she said:

5 Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine which I have mingled for you.

6 Forsake childishness, and live, and walk by the ways of prudence.

7 He that teacheth a scorner, doth an injury to himself; and he that rebuketh a wicked man, getteth himself a blot.

8 Rebuke not a scorner, lest he hate thee. Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

9 Give an occasion to a wise man, and wisdom shall be added to him. Teach a just man, and he shall make haste to receive it.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is prudence.

11 For by me shall thy days be multiplied, and years of life shall be added to thee.

12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be so to thyself: and if a scorner, thou alone shalt bear the evil.

13 A foolish woman and clamorous, and full of allurements, and knowing nothing at all,

14 Sat at the door of her house, upon a seat, in a high place of the city,

15 To call them that pass by the way, and go on their journey:

16 He that is a little one, let him turn to me. And to the fool she said:

17 Stolen waters are sweeter, and hidden bread is more pleasant.

18 And he did not know that giants are there, and that her guests are in the depths of hell.