4My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment,H8085H1121H4148H1H7181H3045H9982for I am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions.H5414H2896H3948H5800H84513For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child.H1H1121H7390H3173H6440H5174My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live.H3384H559H3820H8551H1697H8104H4687H24215Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.H7069H2451H7069H998H7911H5186H561H63106Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you.H5800H8104H157H53417Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.H2451H7225H7069H2451H7075H9988If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you.H5549H7311H3513H22639She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown.”H5414H7218H3880H2580H5850H8597H404210My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life.H8085H1121H3947H561H8141H2416H723511I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths.H3384H1870H2451H1869H3476H457012When you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t stumble.H3212H6806H3334H7323H378213Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life.H2388H4148H7503H5341H241614Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers.H935H734H7563H833H1870H745115Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.H6544H5674H7847H567416For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day. They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.H3462H7489H8142H1497H3782H378217They eat the food of wickedness and drink the wine of violence!H3898H3899H7562H8354H3196H255518The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.H734H6662H5051H216H215H1980H3559H311719But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.H1870H7563H653H3045H378220My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words.H1121H7181H1697H5186H241H56121Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart,H3868H5869H8104H8432H382422for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.H2416H4672H4832H132023Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.H5341H3820H4929H8444H241624Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech.H5493H6143H6310H3891H8193H736825Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.H5869H5027H5227H6079H347426Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.H6424H4570H7272H1870H355927Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.H5186H3225H8040H5493H7272H7451
Avoid Immoral Women
5My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel.H1121H7181H2451H5186H241H83942Then you will show discernment, and your lips will express what you’ve learned.H8104H4209H8193H5341H18473For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil.H8193H2114H5197H5317H2441H2509H80814But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword.H319H4751H3939H2299H6310H27195Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.H7272H3381H4194H6806H8551H75856For she cares nothing about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.H6424H734H2416H4570H5128H30457So now, my sons, listen to me. Never stray from what I am about to say.H8085H1121H5493H561H63108Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house!H7368H1870H7368H7126H6607H10049If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.H5414H1935H312H8141H39410Strangers will consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.H2114H7646H3581H6089H1004H523711In the end you will groan in anguish when disease consumes your body.H5098H319H1320H7607H361512You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings!H559H8130H4148H3820H5006H843313Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?H8085H6963H3384H5186H241H392514I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.”H4592H7451H8432H6951H571215Drink water from your own well—share your love only with your wife.H8354H4325H953H5140H8432H87516Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone?H4599H6327H2351H6388H4325H733917You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers.H211418Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.H4726H1288H8055H802H527119She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.H158H365H2580H3280H1717H7301H6256H7686H8548H16020Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman, or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?H1121H7686H2114H2263H2436H523721For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.H1870H376H5227H5869H3068H6424H457022An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.H5771H3920H7563H8551H2256H240323He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.H4191H4148H7230H200H7686
Lessons for Daily Life
6My child①, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—/ ①Hebrew My sonH1121H6148H7453H8628H3709H21142if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—H3369H561H6310H3920H561H63103follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased.H6213H645H1121H5337H935H3709H7453H3212H7511H7292H74534Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.H5414H8142H5869H8572H60795Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.H5337H6643H3027H6833H3027H33536Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!H3212H5244H6102H7200H1870H24497Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work,H7101H7860H49108they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.H3559H3899H7019H103H3978H71059But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?H7901H6102H6965H814210A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—H4592H8142H4592H8572H4592H2264H3027H790111then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.H7389H935H1980H4270H4043H37612What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars,H1100H120H205H376H1980H6143H631013signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.H7169H5869H4448H7272H3384H67614Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble.H8419H3820H2790H7451H6256H7971H4066H409015But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.H343H935H6597H6621H7665H483216There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests.H8337H3068H8130H7651H8441H531517haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent,H7311H5869H8267H3956H3027H8210H5355H181818a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong,H3820H2790H205H4284H7272H4116H7323H745119a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.H8267H5707H6315H3577H7971H4090H25120My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.H1121H5341H1H4687H5203H8451H51721Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck.H7194H8548H3820H6029H162122When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you.H1980H5148H7901H8104H6974H787823For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life.H4687H5216H8451H216H8433H4148H1870H241624It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.H8104H7451H802H2513H3956H523725Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.H2530H3308H3824H3947H607926For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.H1157H2181H802H3603H3899H802H376H6679H3368H531527Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire?H376H2846H784H2436H899H831328Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet?H376H1980H1513H7272H355429So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished.H935H7453H802H5060H535230Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving.H936H1590H1589H4390H5315H745631But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house.H4672H7999H7659H5414H1952H100432But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself.H5003H802H2638H3820H6213H7843H531533He will be wounded and disgraced. His shame will never be erased.H5061H7036H4672H2781H422934For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.H7068H2534H1397H2550H3117H535935He will accept no compensation, nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.H5375H6440H3724H14H7235H7810
149Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.H1984H3050H7891H3068H2319H7892H8416H6951H26232O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.H3478H8055H6213H1121H6726H1523H44283Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp.H1984H8034H4234H2167H8596H36584For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.H3068H7521H5971H6286H6035H34445Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.H2623H5937H3519H7442H49046Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—H7319H410H1627H6374H2719H30277to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,H6213H5360H1471H8433H38168to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains,H631H4428H2131H3513H3525H12709to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones. Praise the Lord!H6213H4941H3789H1926H2623H1984H3050
Unknown
, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment,H8085
