Proverbs 1
1 THE PROVERBS of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the words of understanding;
To know wisdom, and instruction:
3 To receive the discipline of wisdom, justice, and right, and equity;
To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:
4 To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion;
To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.
5 That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning, and the man of understanding may attain unto wise counsels;
A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth, shall possess governments.
6 To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
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 the foolish despise wisdom and discipline.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.
11 If they say: 'Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk for 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 up alive as the grave, and whole, as those that go down 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 shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.
14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse' —
Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them, restrain thy foot from their path;
My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.
16 For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 For in vain the net is spread in the eyes of any bird;
But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.
18 And these lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk for their own lives.
And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; it taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.
20 Wisdom crieth aloud in the streets, she uttereth her voice in the broad places;
Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 She calleth at the head of the noisy streets, at the entrances of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:
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, ye thoughtless, will ye love thoughtlessness? And how long will scorners delight them in scorning, 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 Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man attended,
Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof;
You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.
26 I also, in your calamity, will laugh, I will mock when your dread cometh;
I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.
27 When your dread cometh as a storm, and your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; when trouble and distress come upon 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 will they call me, but I will not answer, they will seek me earnestly, but they shall 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 that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD;
Because they have hated instruction and received not the fear of the Lord,
30 They would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof.
Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of 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 thoughtless shall slay them, and the confidence of fools shall destroy them.
The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil.'
But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.
