Wisdom cries aloud in the street; in the markets she raises her voice; on the top of the walls she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
"How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
Happy is the woman who finds wisdom, and the woman who gets understanding, for the gain from it is better than gain from silver and its profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Do not say to your neighbour, "Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it" -- when you have it with you.
Do not contend with a woman for no reason, when she has done you no harm.
Do not envy a woman of violence and do not choose any of her ways.
Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
Take heed to the path of your feet, then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer or ruler, she prepares her food in summer, and gathers her sustenance in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a vagabond, and want like an armed woman.
A worthless person, a wicked woman, goes about with crooked speech, winks with her eyes, scrapes with her feet, points with her finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon her suddenly; in a moment she will be broken beyond healing.
This is an abomination: a false witness who breathes out lies, and a woman who sows discord among sisters.
She who commits adultery has no sense; she who does it destroys herself.
She who corrects a scoffer gets herself abuse, and she who reproves a wicked woman incurs injury.
Do not reprove a scoffer, or she will hate you; reprove a wise woman, and she will love you.
Give instruction to a wise woman, and she will be still wiser; teach a righteous woman and she will increase in learning.
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
A foolish woman is noisy; she is wanton and knows no shame. She sits at the door of her house, she takes a seat on the high places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, Whoever is simple, let her turn in here!" And to her who is without sense she says, "Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." But she does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
She who walks in integrity walks securely, but she who perverts her ways will be found out.
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences.
Wise women lay up knowledge, but the babbling of a fool brings ruin near.
She who heeds instruction is on the path to life, but she who rejects reproof goes astray.
She who conceals hatred has lying lips, and she who utters slander is a fool.
When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but she who restrains her lips is prudent.
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the mind of the wicked is of little worth.
The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.
It is like sport to a fool to do wrong, but wise conduct is pleasure to a woman of understanding.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom.
With her mouth the godless woman would destroy her neighbour, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
She who belittles her neighbour lacks sense, but a woman of understanding remains silent.
She who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but she who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing hidden.
Where there is no guidance, a people falls; but in an abundance of counsellors there is safety.
A woman who is kind benefits herself, but a cruel woman hurts herself.
Like a gold ring in a swine's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.
She who diligently seeks good seeks favour, but evil comes to her who searches for it.
Better is a woman of humble standing who works for herself than one who plays the great woman but lacks bread.
The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent woman ignores an insult.
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan good have joy.
A prudent woman conceals her knowledge, but fools proclaim their folly.
Anxiety in a woman's heart weighs her down, but a good word makes her glad.
She who guards her mouth preserves her life; she who opens wide her lips comes to ruin.
The soul of the sluggard craves, and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
A righteous woman hates falsehood, but a wicked woman acts shamefully and disgracefully.
The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.
The simple believes everything, but the prudent looks where she is going.
A woman of quick temper acts foolishly, but a woman of discretion is patient.
She who is slow to anger has great understanding, but she who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
A tranquil mind gives life to the flesh, but passion makes the bones rot.
She who oppresses a poor woman insults her Maker, but she who is kind to the needy honours her.
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
A gentle tongue is a tree of life.
A scoffer does not like to be reproved.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it.
A hot-tempered woman stirs up strife, but she who is slow to anger quiets contention.
Without counsel plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed.
The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
She who ignores instruction despises herself, but she who heeds admonition gains understanding.
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
The wise of heart is called a woman of discernment, and pleasant speech increases persuasiveness.
Wisdom is a fountain of life to her who has it, but folly is the chastisement of fools.
The mind of the wise makes her speech judicious, and adds persuasiveness to her lips.
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
A worthless woman plots evil, and her speech is like a scorching fire.
A perverse woman spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.
She who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and she who rules her spirit than she who takes a city.
She who forgives an offence seeks love, but she who repeats a matter alienates a friend.
If a woman returns evil for good, evil will not depart from her house.
The beginning of strife is like letting out water; so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
She who restrains her words has knowledge, and she who has a cool spirit is a woman of understanding.
Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when she closes her lips, she is deemed intelligent.
She who is estranged seeks pretexts to break out against all sound judgement.
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing her opinion.
When wickedness comes, contempt comes also; and with dishonour comes disgrace.
If one gives answer before she hears, it is her folly and shame.
A woman's spirit will endure sickness; but a broken spirit who can bear?
She who states her case first seems right, until the other comes and examines her.
There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a sister.
Good sense makes a woman slow to anger, and it is her glory to overlook an offence.
Who can say, "I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin"?
Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a woman, but afterward her mouth will be full of gravel.
The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but every one who is hasty comes only to want.
A prudent woman sees danger and hides herself; but the simple go on, and suffer for it.
Drive out scoffing, and strife will go out, and quarrelling and abuse will cease.
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for she will despise the wisdom of your words.
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when she stumbles.
Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked; for the evil woman has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
Answer not a fool according to her folly, lest you be like her yourself.
She who meddles in a quarrel not her own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
Like a madwoman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, is the woman who deceives her neighbour and says, "I am only joking!"
For lack of wood the fire goes out; and where there is no whisperer, quarrelling ceases.
As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome woman for kindling strife.
A flattering mouth works ruin.
Iron sharpens iron, and one woman sharpens another.
If a wise woman has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.