With three things my spirit is pleased, which are approved before God and men:

The concord of brethren, and the love of neighbours, and man and wife that agree well together.

Three sorts my soul hateth, and I am greatly grieved at their life:

A poor man that is proud: a rich man that is a liar: an old man that is a fool, and doting.

The things that thou hast not gathered in thy youth, how shalt thou find them in thy old age?

O how comely is judgment for a grey head, and for ancients to know counsel!

O how comely is wisdom for the aged, and understanding and counsel to men of honour!

Much experience is the crown of old men, and the fear of God is their glory.

Nine things that are not to be imagined by the heart have I magnified, and the tenth I will utter to men with my tongue.

A man that hath joy of his children: and he that liveth and seeth the fall of his enemies.

Blessed is he that dwelleth with a wise woman, and that hath not slipped with his tongue, and that hath not served such as are unworthy of him.

Blessed is he that findeth a true friend, and that declareth justice to an ear that heareth.

How great is he that findeth wisdom and knowledge! but there is none above him that feareth the Lord.

The fear of God hath set itself above all things:

Blessed is the man, to whom it is given to have the fear of God: he that holdeth it, to whom shall he be likened?

The fear of God is the beginning of his love: and the beginning of faith is to be fast joined unto it.

The sadness of the heart is every plague: and the wickedness of a woman is all evil.

And a man will choose any plague, but the plague of the heart:

And any wickedness, but the wickedness of a woman:

And any affliction, but the affliction from them that hate him:

And any revenge, but the revenge of enemies.

There is no head worse than the head of a serpent:

And there is no anger above the anger of a woman. It will be more agreeable to abide with a lion and a dragon, than to dwell with a wicked woman.

The wickedness of a woman changeth her face: and she darkeneth her countenance as a bear: and sheweth it like sackcloth. In the midst of her neighbours,

Her husband groaned, and hearing he sighed a little.

All malice is short to the malice of a woman, let the lot of sinners fall upon her.

As the climbing of a sandy way is to the feet of the aged, so is a wife full of tongue to a quiet man.

Look not upon a woman’s beauty, and desire not a woman for beauty.

A woman’s anger, and impudence, and confusion is great.

A woman, if she have superiority, is contrary to her husband.

A wicked woman abateth the courage, and maketh a heavy countenance, and a wounded heart.

Feeble hands, and disjointed knees, a woman that doth not make her husband happy.

From the woman came the beginning of sin, and by her we all die.

Give no issue to thy water, no, not a little: nor to a wicked woman liberty to gad abroad.

If she walk not at thy hand, she will confound thee in the sight of thy enemies.

Cut her off from thy flesh, lest she always abuse thee.

Happy is the husband of a good wife: for the number of his years is double.

A virtuous woman rejoiceth her husband, and shall fulfil the years of his life in peace.

A good wife is a good portion, she shall be given in the portion of them that fear God, to a man for his good deeds.

Rich or poor, if his heart is good, his countenance shall be cheerful at all times.

Of three things my heart hath been afraid, and at the fourth my face hath trembled:

The accusation of a city, and the gathering together of the people:

And a false calumny, all are more grievous than death.

A jealous woman is the grief and mourning of the heart.

With a jealous woman is a scourge of the tongue which communicateth with all.

As a yoke of oxen that is moved to and fro, so also is a wicked woman: he that hath hold of her, is as he that taketh hold of a scorpion.

A drunken woman is a great wrath: and her reproach and shame shall not be hid.

The fornication of a woman shall be known by the haughtiness of her eyes and by her eyelids.

On a daughter that turneth not away herself, set a strict watch: lest finding an opportunity she abuse herself.

Take heed of the impudence of her eyes, and wonder not if she slight thee.

She will open her mouth as a thirsty traveller to the fountain, and will drink of every water near her, and will sit down by every hedge, and open her quiver against every arrow, until she fail.

The grace of a diligent woman shall delight her husband, and shall fat his bones.

Her discipline is the gift of God.

Such is a wise and silent woman, and there is nothing so much worth as a well instructed soul.

A holy and shamefaced woman is grace upon grace.

And no price is worthy of a continent soul.

As the sun when it riseth to the world in the high places of God, so is the beauty of a good wife for the ornament of her house.

As the lamp shining upon the holy candlestick, so is the beauty of the face in a ripe age,

As golden pillars upon bases of silver, so are the firm feet upon the soles of a steady woman.

As everlasting foundations upon a solid rock, so the commandments of God in the heart of a holy woman.

At two things my heart is grieved, and the third bringeth anger upon me.

A man of war fainting through poverty, and a man of sense despised:

And he that passeth over from justice to sin, God hath prepared such an one for the sword.

Two sorts of callings have appeared to me hard and dangerous: a merchant is hardly free from negligence: and a huckster shall not be justified from the sins of the lips.

Through poverty many have sinned: and he that seeketh to be enriched, turneth away his eye.

As a stake sticketh fast in the midst of the joining of stones, so also in the midst of selling and buying, sin shall stick fast.

Sin shall be destroyed with the sinner.

Unless thou hold thyself diligently in the fear of the Lord, thy house shall quickly be overthrown.

As when one sifteth with a sieve, the dust will remain: so will the perplexity of a man in his thoughts.

The furnace trieth the potter’s vessels, and the trial of affliction just men.

As the dressing of a tree sheweth the fruit thereof, so a word out of the thought of the heart of man.

Praise not a man before he speaketh, for this is the trial of men.

If thou followest justice, thou shalt obtain her: and shalt put her on as a long robe of honour, and thou shalt dwell with her: and she shall protect thee for ever, and in the day of acknowledgment thou shalt find a strong foundation.

Birds resort unto their like: so truth will return to them that practise her.

The lion always lieth in wait for prey: so do sins for them that work iniquities.

A holy man continueth in wisdom as the sun: but a fool is changed as the moon.

In the midst of the unwise keep in the word till its time: but be continually among men that think.

The discourse of sinners is hateful, and their laughter is at the pleasures of sin.

The speech that sweareth much shall make the hair of the head stand upright: and its irreverence shall make one stop his ears.

In the quarrels of the proud is the shedding of blood: and their cursing is a grievous hearing.

He that discloseth the secret of a friend loseth his credit, and shall never find a friend to his mind.

Love thy neighbour, and be joined to him with fidelity.

But if thou discover his secrets, follow no more after him.

For as a man that destroyeth his friend, so is he that destroyeth the friendship of his neighbour.

And as one that letteth a bird go out of his hand, so hast thou let thy neighbour go, and thou shalt not get him again.

Follow after him no more, for he is gone afar off, he is fled, as a roe escaped out of the snare because his soul is wounded.

Thou canst no more bind him up. And of a curse there is reconciliation:

But to disclose the secrets of a friend, leaveth no hope to an unhappy soul.

He that winketh with the eye forgeth wicked things, and no man will cast him off:

In the sight of thy eyes he will sweeten his mouth, and will admire thy words: but at the last he will writhe his mouth, and on thy words he will lay a stumblingblock.

I have hated many things but not like him, and the Lord will hate him.

If one cast a stone on high, it will fall upon his own head: and the deceitful stroke will wound the deceitful.

He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that setteth a stone for his neighbour, shall stumble upon it: and he that layeth a snare for another, shall perish in it.

A mischievous counsel shall be rolled back upon the author, and he shall not know from whence it cometh to him.

Mockery and reproach are of the proud, and vengeance as a lion shall lie in wait for him.

They shall perish in a snare that are delighted with the fall of the just: and sorrow shall consume them before they die.

Anger and fury are both of them abominable, and the sinful man shall be subject to them.

He that seeketh to revenge himself, shall find vengeance from the Lord, and he will surely keep his sins in remembrance.

Forgive thy neighbour if he hath hurt thee: and then shall thy sins be forgiven to thee when thou prayest.

Man to man reserveth anger, and doth he seek remedy of God?

He hath no mercy on a man like himself, and doth he entreat for his own sins?

He that is but flesh, nourisheth anger, and doth he ask forgiveness of God? who shall obtain pardon for his sins?

Remember thy last things, and let enmity cease:

For corruption and death hang over in his commandments.

Remember the fear of God, and be not angry with thy neighbour.

Remember the covenant of the most High, and overlook the ignorance of thy neighbour.

Refrain from strife, and thou shalt diminish thy sins.

For a passionate man kindleth strife, and a sinful man will trouble his friends, and bring in debate in the midst of them that are at peace.

For as the wood of the forest is, so the fire burneth, and as a man’s strength is, so shall his anger be, and according to his riches he shall increase his anger.

A hasty contention kindleth a fire and a hasty quarrel sheddeth blood and a tongue that beareth witness bringeth death.

If thou blow the spark, it shall burn as a fire: and if thou spit upon it, it shall be quenched: both come out of the mouth.

The whisperer and the double tongue is accursed: for he hath troubled many that were at peace.

The tongue of a third person hath disquieted many, and scattered them from nation to nation.

It hath destroyed the strong cities of the rich, and hath overthrown the houses of great men.

It hath cut in pieces the forces of people, and undone strong nations.

The tongue of a third person hath cast out valiant women, and deprived them of their labours.

He that hearkeneth to it, shall never have rest, neither shall he have a friend in whom he may repose.

The stroke of a whip maketh a blue mark: but the stroke of the tongue will break the bones.

Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not so many as have perished by their own tongue.

Blessed is he that is defended from a wicked tongue, that hath not passed into the wrath thereof, and that hath not drawn the yoke thereof, and hath not been bound in its bands.

For its yoke is a yoke of iron: and its bands are bands of brass.

The death thereof is a most evil death: and hell is preferable to it.

Its continuance shall not be for a long time, but it shall possess the ways of the unjust: and the just shall not be burnt with its flame.

They that forsake God shall fall into it, and it shall burn in them, and shall not be quenched, and it shall be sent upon them as a lion, and as a leopard it shall tear them.

Hedge in thy ears with thorns, hear not a wicked tongue, and make doors and bars to thy mouth.

Melt down thy gold and silver, and make a balance for thy words, and a just bridle for thy mouth:

And take heed lest thou slip with thy tongue, and fall in the sight of thy enemies who lie in wait for thee, and thy fall be incurable unto death.