Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
That one may learn wisdom and instruction, And receive words of understanding;
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
That one may gain the instruction of prudence, Justice, equity, and uprightness;
4 To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
Which will give caution to the simple, To the young man wisdom and discretion;
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels:
Let the wise man hear, and he will increase his knowledge, And the man of understanding will gain wise counsels;
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
So as to understand a proverb and a deep maxim, The words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother:
Hear, O my son! the instruction of thy father, And neglect not the teaching of thy mother!
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace to your head, and chains about your neck.
For they shall be a graceful wreath for thy head, And a chain around thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, consent you not.
My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not!
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privately for the innocent without 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 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down 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 find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
We shall find all kinds of precious substance, We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us; let us all have one purse:
Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse;”—
15 My son, walk not you in the way with them; refrain your foot from their path:
My son, walk thou not in their way, Refrain thy foot from their path!
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, And make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
For as the net is spread in vain Before the eyes of any bird,
18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privately for their own lives.
So they lie in wait for their own blood; They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which takes 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 Wisdom cries without; she utters her voice in the streets:
Wisdom crieth out in the highway; In the market-place she uttereth her voice;
21 She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she utters her words, 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 How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make known my words to you.
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 have called, and you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
“Because I have called, and ye have refused, —Because I have stretched out my hand, and no one hath regarded.
25 But you have set at nothing all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
Because ye have rejected all my counsel, And have slighted my rebuke, —
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear comes;
I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear comes as desolation, and your destruction comes as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish comes on 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 on me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer! They will seek me early, But they shall not find me!
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Because they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of the LORD, —
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Because they would not attend to my counsel, And have despised all my reproof, —
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own devices;
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
Yea, the turning away of the simple shall slay them, And the carelessness of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoever listens to me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
But whoso hearkeneth to me shall dwell securely, And shall not be disquieted with the fear of evil.”
