Proverbs 1
1 The parables of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel,
The Parables of Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel,
2 in order to know wisdom and discipline,
To knowe wisdome, and instruction, to vnderstand ye wordes of knowledge,
3 to understand words of prudence, and to accept the instruction of doctrine, justice and judgment, and equity,
To receiue instruction to do wisely, by iustice and iudgement and equitie,
4 so as to give discernment to little ones, knowledge and understanding to adolescents.
To giue vnto the simple, sharpenesse of wit, and to the childe knowledge and discretion.
5 By listening, the wise shall become wiser and the intelligent shall possess governments.
A wise man shall heare and increase in learning, and a man of vnderstanding shall attayne vnto wise counsels,
6 He shall turn his soul to a parable and to its interpretation, to the words of the wise and their enigmas.
To vnderstand a parable, and the interpretation, the wordes of ye wise, and their darke sayings.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The foolish despise wisdom as well as doctrine.
The feare of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fooles despise wisedome and instruction.
8 Listen, my son, to the discipline of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother,
My sonne, heare thy fathers instruction, and forsake not thy mothers teaching.
9 so that grace may be added to your head and a collar to your neck.
For they shalbe a comely ornament vnto thine head, and as chaines for thy necke.
10 My son, if sinners should entice you, do not consent to them.
My sonne, if sinners doe intise thee, consent thou not.
11 If they should say: “Come with us. We will lie in wait for blood. We will lay traps against the innocent, without cause.
If they say, Come with vs, we will lay waite for blood, and lie priuilie for the innocent without a cause:
We wil swallow them vp aliue like a graue euen whole, as those that goe downe into the pit: (Sheol h7585)
13 We will discover every precious substance. We will fill our houses with spoils.
We shall finde all precious riches, and fill our houses with spoyle:
14 Cast your lot with us. One purse will be for us all.”
Cast in thy lot among vs: we will all haue one purse:
15 My son, do not walk with them. Preclude your feet from their paths.
My sonne, walke not thou in the way with them: refraine thy foote from their path.
16 For their feet rush to evil, and they hurry to shed blood.
For their feete runne to euill, and make haste to shed blood.
17 But a net is thrown in vain before the eyes of those who have wings.
Certainely as without cause the net is spred before the eyes of all that hath wing:
18 Likewise, they lie in ambush against their own blood, and they undertake deceits against their own souls.
So they lay waite for blood and lie priuily for their liues.
19 Thus, the ways of all those who are greedy seize the souls of those who possess.
Such are the wayes of euery one that is greedy of gaine: he would take away the life of the owners thereof.
20 Wisdom forewarns far and wide; she bestows her voice in the streets.
Wisdome cryeth without: she vttereth her voyce in the streetes.
21 She cries out at the head of crowds; at the entrance of the gates of the city, she offers her words, saying:
She calleth in the hye streete, among the prease in the entrings of the gates, and vttereth her wordes in the citie, saying,
22 “Little ones, how long will you choose to be childish, and how long will the foolish desire what is harmful to themselves, and how long will the imprudent hate knowledge?
O ye foolish, howe long will ye loue foolishnes? and the scornefull take their pleasure in scorning, and the fooles hate knowledge?
23 Be converted by my correction. Lo, I will offer my spirit to you, and I will reveal my words to you.
(Turne you at my correction: loe, I will powre out my mind vnto you, and make you vnderstand my wordes)
24 For I called, and you refused. I extended my hand, and there was no one who watched.
Because I haue called, and ye refused: I haue stretched out mine hand, and none woulde regarde.
25 You have despised all my counsels, and you have neglected my rebukes.
But ye haue despised all my counsell, and would none of my correction.
26 Similarly, I will ridicule you at your demise, and I will mock you, when that which you feared shall overcome you.
I will also laugh at your destruction, and mocke, when your feare commeth.
27 When sudden calamity rushes upon you, and your demise advances like a tempest, when tribulation and anguish overcome you,
Whe your feare cometh like sudden desolation, and your destruction shall come like a whirle wind: whe affliction and anguish shall come vpon you,
28 then they will call to me, and I will not heed, they will arise in the morning, and not find me.
Then shall they call vpon me, but I will not answere: they shall seeke me early, but they shall not finde me,
29 For they held hatred for discipline, and they would not accept the fear of the Lord;
Because they hated knowledge, and did not chuse the feare of the Lord.
30 they would not consent to my counsel, but they detracted from all of my corrections.
They would none of my counsell, but despised all my correction.
31 Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their way, and they shall have their fill of their own counsels.
Therefore shall they eate of ye fruite of their owne way, and be filled with their owne deuises.
32 The loathing of the little ones shall destroy them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall perish them.
For ease slaieth the foolish, and the prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them.
33 But whoever will listen to me shall rest without terror, and shall have full enjoyment of abundance, without fear of evils.”
But he that obeyeth me, shall dwell safely, and be quiet from feare of euill.
