Proverbs 1
1 The Parables of Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel,
The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To knowe wisdome, and instruction, to vnderstand ye wordes of knowledge,
That one may learn wisdom and instruction, And receive words of understanding;
3 To receiue instruction to do wisely, by iustice and iudgement and equitie,
That one may gain the instruction of prudence, Justice, equity, and uprightness;
4 To giue vnto the simple, sharpenesse of wit, and to the childe knowledge and discretion.
Which will give caution to the simple, To the young man wisdom and discretion;
5 A wise man shall heare and increase in learning, and a man of vnderstanding shall attayne vnto wise counsels,
Let the wise man hear, and he will increase his knowledge, And the man of understanding will gain wise counsels;
6 To vnderstand a parable, and the interpretation, the wordes of ye wise, and their darke sayings.
So as to understand a proverb and a deep maxim, The words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 The feare of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fooles despise wisedome and instruction.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My sonne, heare thy fathers instruction, and forsake not thy mothers teaching.
Hear, O my son! the instruction of thy father, And neglect not the teaching of thy mother!
9 For they shalbe a comely ornament vnto thine head, and as chaines for thy necke.
For they shall be a graceful wreath for thy head, And a chain around thy neck.
10 My sonne, if sinners doe intise thee, consent thou not.
My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not!
11 If they say, Come with vs, we will lay waite for blood, and lie priuilie for the innocent without a cause:
If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us lurk secretly for him who is innocent in vain;
12 We wil swallow them vp aliue like a graue euen whole, as those that goe downe into the pit: (Sheol h7585)
Let us swallow them up alive, like the underworld, Yea, in full health, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall finde all precious riches, and fill our houses with spoyle:
We shall find all kinds of precious substance, We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast in thy lot among vs: we will all haue one purse:
Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse;”—
15 My sonne, walke not thou in the way with them: refraine thy foote from their path.
My son, walk thou not in their way, Refrain thy foot from their path!
16 For their feete runne to euill, and make haste to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, And make haste to shed blood.
17 Certainely as without cause the net is spred before the eyes of all that hath wing:
For as the net is spread in vain Before the eyes of any bird,
18 So they lay waite for blood and lie priuily for their liues.
So they lie in wait for their own blood; They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 Such are the wayes of euery one that is greedy of gaine: he would take away the life of the owners thereof.
Such are the ways of every one greedy of unjust gain; It taketh away the life of the possessor thereof.
20 Wisdome cryeth without: she vttereth her voyce in the streetes.
Wisdom crieth out in the highway; In the market-place she uttereth her voice;
21 She calleth in the hye streete, among the prease in the entrings of the gates, and vttereth her wordes in the citie, saying,
At the head of the noisy streets she crieth aloud; At the entrances of the gates, throughout the city, she proclaimeth her words [[saying]]:
22 O ye foolish, howe long will ye loue foolishnes? and the scornefull take their pleasure in scorning, and the fooles hate knowledge?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
23 (Turne you at my correction: loe, I will powre out my mind vnto you, and make you vnderstand my wordes)
Turn ye at my reproof! Behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make known my words to you!
24 Because I haue called, and ye refused: I haue stretched out mine hand, and none woulde regarde.
“Because I have called, and ye have refused, —Because I have stretched out my hand, and no one hath regarded.
25 But ye haue despised all my counsell, and would none of my correction.
Because ye have rejected all my counsel, And have slighted my rebuke, —
26 I will also laugh at your destruction, and mocke, when your feare commeth.
I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 Whe your feare cometh like sudden desolation, and your destruction shall come like a whirle wind: whe affliction and anguish shall come vpon you,
When your fear cometh upon you like a storm. And destruction overtaketh you like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then shall they call vpon me, but I will not answere: they shall seeke me early, but they shall not finde me,
Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer! They will seek me early, But they shall not find me!
29 Because they hated knowledge, and did not chuse the feare of the Lord.
Because they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of the LORD, —
30 They would none of my counsell, but despised all my correction.
Because they would not attend to my counsel, And have despised all my reproof, —
31 Therefore shall they eate of ye fruite of their owne way, and be filled with their owne deuises.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own devices;
32 For ease slaieth the foolish, and the prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them.
Yea, the turning away of the simple shall slay them, And the carelessness of fools shall destroy them.
33 But he that obeyeth me, shall dwell safely, and be quiet from feare of euill.
But whoso hearkeneth to me shall dwell securely, And shall not be disquieted with the fear of evil.”
