Proverbs 1
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
To know wisdom, and instruction:
3 and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.
To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:
4 To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,
To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.
5 let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth, shall possess governments.
6 by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
He shall understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.
11 If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:
12 let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. (Sheol h7585)
Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit. (Sheol h7585)
13 We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.
14 Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—
Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.
15 my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.
My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.
16 For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!
But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.
19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.
20 Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:
At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?
O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?
23 If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.
Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.
24 Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.
25 because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.
26 in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.
27 when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
When sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon you:
28 Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
Then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning and shall not find me:
29 For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.
Because they have hated instruction and received not the fear of the Lord,
30 They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.
31 So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”
But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.
