A little folding of the hands to 'sleep: II So shall thy poverty come as a 'robber, And thy want as 3an armed man.

12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity; He walketh with a froward mouth;

1 Heb. lie down.

2 Or, rover

3 Heb. a man

with a shield.

13 He winketh with his eyes, he 'speaketh with his Or, shuffleth feet,

He 'maketh signs with his fingers;

14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth evil

continually;

He 'soweth discord.

15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly;

On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

16 There be six things which the LORD hateth ;

5 Or, teacheth

6 Heb. letteth

loose.

Yea, seven which are an abomination 'unto him: 7 Heb. of his

17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,

And hands that shed innocent blood;

18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, Feet that be swift in running to mischief;

19 A false witness that uttereth lies,

6

And he that soweth discord among brethren.

20 My son, keep the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the 'law of thy mother:

21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, Tie them about thy neck.

22 When thou walkest, it shall lead thee;

12

soul.

8 Heb.

breatheth out.

9 Or, teaching

10 Heb. liest down.

When thou 10 sleepest, it shall watch over thee; And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 23 For "the commandment is a lamp; and the "Or, their law is light; And reproofs of instruction are the way of life: 12 Or, their

24 To keep thee from the evil woman,

From the flattery of the stranger's tongue.

25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

commandment

teaching

For on account of a whorish woman a man is 26 brought to a piece of bread:

1 Heb. a man's And 'the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.

wife.

2 Heb. held innocent.

3 Heb. heart.

Can a man take fire in his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?
Or can one walk upon hot coals,
And his feet not be scorched?

So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife;
Whosoever toucheth her shall not be un-
punished.

Men do not despise a thief, if he steal
To satisfy his soul when he is hungry:

27

28

29

30

But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold ;

31

He shall give all the substance of his house.
He that committeth adultery with a woman is 32
void of "understanding:

He doeth it that would destroy his own soul.

Wounds and dishonour shall he get;

33

And his reproach shall not be wiped away.

For jealousy is the rage of a man;

34

And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
He will not regard any ransom;

35

Neither will he rest content, though thou givest
many gifts.

My son, keep my words,

And lay up my commandments with thee.
Keep my commandments and live;

*Or, teaching And my law as the apple of thine eye.
Bind them upon thy fingers;

Write them upon the table of thine heart.
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister;

Or, familiar And call understanding thy 'kinswoman: friend

I 7

2

3

4

That they may keep thee from the strange 5

woman,

Heb. maketh From the stranger which 'flattereth with her

smooth her

words.

words.

For at the window of my house

6

I looked forth through my lattice; 7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths,

A young man void of understanding, 8 Passing through the street near her corner, And he went the way to her house;

9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the 'blackness of night and the darkness. 10 And, behold, there met him a woman

With the attire of an harlot, and 'wily of heart.

II She is 'clamorous and wilful;

Her feet abide not in her house:

12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places,

And lieth in wait at every corner.

13 So she caught him, and kissed him,

4

1 Heb. pupil (of the eye).

2 Or, close Heb. guarded. 3 Or,

turbulent

4

hardened her face, and said.

And with an impudent face she said unto him: Heb. She 14 Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.

15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee,

Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

5 Or, were due from me

6

16 I have spread my couch with 'carpets of tapestry, Or, cushions With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.

17 I have 'perfumed my bed

With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the

morning;

Let us solace ourselves with loves.

19 For the goodman is not at home,

He is gone a long journey :

20 He hath taken a bag of money with him;

He will come home at the full moon.

21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield,

With the flattering of her lips she forceth him

away.

22 He goeth after her 'straightway,

VOL. III.

7 Or, sprinkled

8 Heb. suddenly.

S

1 Or, one in fetters

The text is probably

corrupt.

As an ox goeth to the slaughter,

Or as 'fetters to the correction of the fool;
Till an arrow strike through his liver;
As a bird hasteth to the snare,

And knoweth not that it is for his life.
Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me,
And attend to the words of my mouth.
Let not thine heart decline to her ways,
Go not astray in her paths.

For she hath cast down many wounded:
Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.

Or, the grave Her house is the way to 2Sheol,
Going down to the chambers of death.

Doth not wisdom cry,

And understanding put forth her voice?
In the top of high places by the way,
Where the paths meet, she standeth;
Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,

At the coming in at the doors, she crieth
aloud:

Unto you, O men, I call;

And my voice is to the sons of men.

3 Or, prudence O ye simple, understand 'subtilty ;

23

24

25

26

27

I 8

2

3

5

And, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
Hear, for I will speak excellent things;
And the opening of my lips shall be right
things.

6

7

4 Or, are righteousness

• See Job xxviii. 18.

For my mouth shall utter truth;

And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are in righteous- 8

ness;

There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
They are all plain to him that understandeth,
And right to them that find knowledge.
Receive my instruction, and not silver;
And knowledge rather than choice gold.
For wisdom is better than 'rubies ;

And all the things that may be desired are not

to be compared unto her.

12 I wisdom have made 'subtilty my dwelling,

And find out 'knowledge and discretion. 13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil : Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the froward mouth, do I hate. 14 Counsel is mine, and 'sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might.

15 By me kings reign,

And princes decree justice.

16 By me 'princes rule,

And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

17 I love them that love me;

* Many ancient authorities read, of

And those that seek me 'diligently shall find me. righteousness.

18 Riches and honour are with me;

Yea, 'durable riches and righteousness.

19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold;

And my 'revenue than choice silver.

20 I walk in the way of righteousness,

In the midst of the paths of judgement:

21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance,

And that I may fill their treasuries.

6 Or, early

7 Or, ancient

8 Or, increase

22 The LORD 'possessed me "in the beginning of Or, formed

his way,

"Before his works of old.

23 I was set up from everlasting, from the begin

ning,

Or ever the earth was.

24 When there were no depths, I was brought

forth;

When there were no fountains abounding with

water.

25 Before the mountains were settled,

Before the hills was I brought forth:

26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor

the fields,

9

10 Or, as

11 Or, The first

of