1
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
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Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
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Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
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That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
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For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
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And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
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Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
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In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
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And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
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She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
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Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
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So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
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I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
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Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
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I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
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I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
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Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
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For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
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He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
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With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
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He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
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Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
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Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
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Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
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For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
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Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
1
Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
2
She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.
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She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.
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Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.
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O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
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Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
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For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
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All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.
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They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
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Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
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For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
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I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
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The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
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Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
15
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
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By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
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I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
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Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
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My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
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I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
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That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.
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The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
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I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
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When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
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Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
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While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
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When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
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When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
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When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
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Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
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Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
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Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
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Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
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Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
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For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
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But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
1
Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:
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She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.
3
She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,
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Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
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Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.
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Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
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He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
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Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
9
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
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For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.
12
If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.
13
A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
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For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,
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To call passengers who go right on their ways:
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Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
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Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
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But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.
