Who can find a worthy wife? She is far more precious than pearls. | Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. |
Speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, and defend the rights of the destitute. | Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. |
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Speak out and pronounce righteous judgments; defend the rights of the wretched and the poor. | Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. |
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. | Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. |
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools are those who despise wisdom and instruction. | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. |
If you would seriously consider my reproof, I would pour out my thoughts to you and make my precepts known to you. | Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. |
For the Lord himself is the one who bestows wisdom; from his mouth come forth knowledge and understanding. | For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. |
He reserves his wisdom for the upright and is a shield to those who lead blameless lives. | He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. |
For he guards the paths of justice and keeps watch over the way of his faithful ones. | He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. |
Then you will understand equity and justice as well as righteousness—every good path. | Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. |
My son, do not forget my teaching, but cherish my commandments in your heart, for they will bring you length of days, more years of life, and an abundance of prosperity. | My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. |
Do not let kindness and fidelity leave you; fasten them around your neck and inscribe them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will gain favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. | Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. |
Trust wholeheartedly in the Lord rather than relying on your own intelligence. In everything you do, acknowledge him, and he will see that your paths are straight. | Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. |
Do not pride yourself on your own wisdom; fear the Lord and turn your back on evil. This will provide healing for your flesh and restore strength to your body. | Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. |
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops. | Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase. |
My son, do not ignore the Lord’s discipline or refuse to accept his rebuke. For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, just as a father chastises a beloved son. | My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. |
Blessed is the person who has found wisdom, the one who has gained understanding. | Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. |
Do not withhold kindness from anyone to whom it is due when it is in your power to grant it. | Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. |
Do not envy a violent man or choose to emulate any of his ways. For the perverse man is an abomination to the Lord whose friendship is bestowed only upon the upright. | Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. For the froward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous. |
Acquire wisdom and gain understanding; never forget or turn aside from my words. | Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. |
The beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom, and no matter what the cost, acquire understanding. | Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. |
Listen, my son, and take my words to heart, and the years of your life will be multiplied. | Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. |
I have instructed you in the ways of wisdom and led you along the paths of righteousness. | I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. |
My son, concentrate attentively on my words; pay heed to the instructions I pass on to you. Do not let them slip from your mind; keep them forever in your heart. | My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. |
Guard your heart with all possible vigilance, for from it flow the wellsprings of life. | Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. |