Moral Benefits of Wisdom

1My son, if you accept my words

and store up my commands within you,

2turning your ear to wisdom

and applying your heart to understanding—

3indeed, if you call out for insight

and cry aloud for understanding,

4and if you look for it as for silver

and search for it as for hidden treasure,

5then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God.

6For the Lord gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7He holds success in store for the upright,

he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

8for he guards the course of the just

and protects the way of his faithful ones.

9Then you will understand what is right and just

and fair—every good path.

10For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11Discretion will protect you,

and understanding will guard you.

12Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,

from men whose words are perverse,

13who have left the straight paths

to walk in dark ways,

14who delight in doing wrong

and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

15whose paths are crooked

and who are devious in their ways.

16Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,

from the wayward woman with her seductive words,

17who has left the partner of her youth

and ignored the covenant she made before God.

18Surely her house leads down to death

and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

19None who go to her return

or attain the paths of life.

20Thus you will walk in the ways of the good

and keep to the paths of the righteous.

21For the upright will live in the land,

and the blameless will remain in it;

22but the wicked will be cut off from the land,

and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

Purpose and Theme

1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2for gaining wisdom and instruction;

for understanding words of insight;

3for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,

doing what is right and just and fair;

4for giving prudence to those who are simple,

knowledge and discretion to the young—

5let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance—

6for understanding proverbs and parables,

the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

but foolsdespise wisdom and instruction.

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction

and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

9They are a garland to grace your head

and a chain to adorn your neck.

10My son, if sinful men entice you,

do not give in to them.

11If they say, “Come along with us;

let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,

let’s ambush some harmless soul;

12let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13we will get all sorts of valuable things

and fill our houses with plunder;

14cast lots with us;

we will all share the loot”—

15my son, do not go along with them,

do not set foot on their paths;

16for their feet rush into evil,

they are swift to shed blood.

17How useless to spread a net

where every bird can see it!

18These men lie in wait for their own blood;

they ambush only themselves!

19Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;

it takes away the life of those who get it.

Wisdom’s Rebuke

20Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,

she raises her voice in the public square;

21on top of the wallshe cries out,

at the city gate she makes her speech:

22“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?

How long will mockers delight in mockery

and fools hate knowledge?

23Repent at my rebuke!

Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,

I will make known to you my teachings.

24But since you refuse to listen when I call

and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,

25since you disregard all my advice

and do not accept my rebuke,

26I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;

I will mock when calamity overtakes you—

27when calamity overtakes you like a storm,

when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,

when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28“Then they will call to me but I will not answer;

they will look for me but will not find me,

29since they hated knowledge

and did not choose to fear the Lord.

30Since they would not accept my advice

and spurned my rebuke,

31they will eat the fruit of their ways

and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

32For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,

and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33but whoever listens to me will live in safety

and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

1If only you were to me like a brother,

who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!

Then, if I found you outside,

I would kiss you,

and no one would despise me.

2I would lead you

and bring you to my mother’s house—

she who has taught me.

I would give you spiced wine to drink,

the nectar of my pomegranates.

3His left arm is under my head

and his right arm embraces me.

4Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:

Do not arouse or awaken love

until it so desires.

Friends

5Who is this coming up from the wilderness

leaning on her beloved?

She

Under the apple tree I roused you;

there your mother conceived you,

there she who was in labor gave you birth.

6Place me like a seal over your heart,

like a seal on your arm;

for love is as strong as death,

its jealousyunyielding as the grave.

It burns like blazing fire,

like a mighty flame.

7Many waters cannot quench love;

rivers cannot sweep it away.

If one were to give

all the wealth of one’s house for love,

itwould be utterly scorned.

Friends

8We have a little sister,

and her breasts are not yet grown.

What shall we do for our sister

on the day she is spoken for?

9If she is a wall,

we will build towers of silver on her.

If she is a door,

we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

She

10I am a wall,

and my breasts are like towers.

Thus I have become in his eyes

like one bringing contentment.

11Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon;

he let out his vineyard to tenants.

Each was to bring for its fruit

a thousand shekelsof silver.

12But my own vineyard is mine to give;

the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,

and two hundredare for those who tend its fruit.

He

13You who dwell in the gardens

with friends in attendance,

let me hear your voice!

She

14Come away, my beloved,

and be like a gazelle

or like a young stag

on the spice-laden mountains.

1How beautiful your sandaled feet,

O prince’s daughter!

Your graceful legs are like jewels,

the work of an artist’s hands.

2Your navel is a rounded goblet

that never lacks blended wine.

Your waist is a mound of wheat

encircled by lilies.

3Your breasts are like two fawns,

like twin fawns of a gazelle.

4Your neck is like an ivory tower.

Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon

by the gate of Bath Rabbim.

Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon

looking toward Damascus.

5Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.

Your hair is like royal tapestry;

the king is held captive by its tresses.

6How beautiful you are and how pleasing,

my love, with your delights!

7Your stature is like that of the palm,

and your breasts like clusters of fruit.

8I said, “I will climb the palm tree;

I will take hold of its fruit.”

May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,

the fragrance of your breath like apples,

9and your mouth like the best wine.

She

May the wine go straight to my beloved,

flowing gently over lips and teeth.

10I belong to my beloved,

and his desire is for me.

11Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside,

let us spend the night in the villages.

12Let us go early to the vineyards

to see if the vines have budded,

if their blossoms have opened,

and if the pomegranates are in bloom—

there I will give you my love.

13The mandrakes send out their fragrance,

and at our door is every delicacy,

both new and old,

that I have stored up for you, my beloved.

Friends

1Where has your beloved gone,

most beautiful of women?

Which way did your beloved turn,

that we may look for him with you?

She

2My beloved has gone down to his garden,

to the beds of spices,

to browse in the gardens

and to gather lilies.

3I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;

he browses among the lilies.

He

4You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling,

as lovely as Jerusalem,

as majestic as troops with banners.

5Turn your eyes from me;

they overwhelm me.

Your hair is like a flock of goats

descending from Gilead.

6Your teeth are like a flock of sheep

coming up from the washing.

Each has its twin,

not one of them is missing.

7Your temples behind your veil

are like the halves of a pomegranate.

8Sixty queens there may be,

and eighty concubines,

and virgins beyond number;

9but my dove, my perfect one, is unique,

the only daughter of her mother,

the favorite of the one who bore her.

The young women saw her and called her blessed;

the queens and concubines praised her.

Friends

10Who is this that appears like the dawn,

fair as the moon, bright as the sun,

majestic as the stars in procession?

He

11I went down to the grove of nut trees

to look at the new growth in the valley,

to see if the vines had budded

or the pomegranates were in bloom.

12Before I realized it,

my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people.

Friends

13Come back, come back, O Shulammite;

come back, come back, that we may gaze on you!

He

Why would you gaze on the Shulammite

as on the dance of Mahanaim?

He

1I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride;

I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.

I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;

I have drunk my wine and my milk.

Friends

Eat, friends, and drink;

drink your fill of love.

She

2I slept but my heart was awake.

Listen! My beloved is knocking:

“Open to me, my sister, my darling,

my dove, my flawless one.

My head is drenched with dew,

my hair with the dampness of the night.”

3I have taken off my robe—

must I put it on again?

I have washed my feet—

must I soil them again?

4My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;

my heart began to pound for him.

5I arose to open for my beloved,

and my hands dripped with myrrh,

my fingers with flowing myrrh,

on the handles of the bolt.

6I opened for my beloved,

but my beloved had left; he was gone.

My heart sank at his departure.

I looked for him but did not find him.

I called him but he did not answer.

7The watchmen found me

as they made their rounds in the city.

They beat me, they bruised me;

they took away my cloak,

those watchmen of the walls!

8Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you—

if you find my beloved,

what will you tell him?

Tell him I am faint with love.

Friends

9How is your beloved better than others,

most beautiful of women?

How is your beloved better than others,

that you so charge us?

She

10My beloved is radiant and ruddy,

outstanding among ten thousand.

11His head is purest gold;

his hair is wavy

and black as a raven.

12His eyes are like doves

by the water streams,

washed in milk,

mounted like jewels.

13His cheeks are like beds of spice

yielding perfume.

His lips are like lilies

dripping with myrrh.

14His arms are rods of gold

set with topaz.

His body is like polished ivory

decorated with lapis lazuli.

15His legs are pillars of marble

set on bases of pure gold.

His appearance is like Lebanon,

choice as its cedars.

16His mouth is sweetness itself;

he is altogether lovely.

This is my beloved, this is my friend,

daughters of Jerusalem.

He

1How beautiful you are, my darling!

Oh, how beautiful!

Your eyes behind your veil are doves.

Your hair is like a flock of goats

descending from the hills of Gilead.

2Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn,

coming up from the washing.

Each has its twin;

not one of them is alone.

3Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon;

your mouth is lovely.

Your temples behind your veil

are like the halves of a pomegranate.

4Your neck is like the tower of David,

built with courses of stone;

on it hang a thousand shields,

all of them shields of warriors.

5Your breasts are like two fawns,

like twin fawns of a gazelle

that browse among the lilies.

6Until the day breaks

and the shadows flee,

I will go to the mountain of myrrh

and to the hill of incense.

7You are altogether beautiful, my darling;

there is no flaw in you.

8Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,

come with me from Lebanon.

Descend from the crest of Amana,

from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon,

from the lions’ dens

and the mountain haunts of leopards.

9You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;

you have stolen my heart

with one glance of your eyes,

with one jewel of your necklace.

10How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride!

How much more pleasing is your love than wine,

and the fragrance of your perfume

more than any spice!

11Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride;

milk and honey are under your tongue.

The fragrance of your garments

is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride;

you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.

13Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates

with choice fruits,

with henna and nard,

14nard and saffron,

calamus and cinnamon,

with every kind of incense tree,

with myrrh and aloes

and all the finest spices.

15You area garden fountain,

a well of flowing water

streaming down from Lebanon.

She

16Awake, north wind,

and come, south wind!

Blow on my garden,

that its fragrance may spread everywhere.

Let my beloved come into his garden

and taste its choice fruits.