Proverbs 1
1 The Parables of Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel,
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To knowe wisdome, and instruction, to vnderstand ye wordes of knowledge,
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 To receiue instruction to do wisely, by iustice and iudgement and equitie,
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 To giue vnto the simple, sharpenesse of wit, and to the childe knowledge and discretion.
For giving to simple ones — prudence, To a youth — knowledge and discretion.
5 A wise man shall heare and increase in learning, and a man of vnderstanding shall attayne vnto wise counsels,
(The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)
6 To vnderstand a parable, and the interpretation, the wordes of ye wise, and their darke sayings.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 The feare of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fooles despise wisedome and instruction.
Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
8 My sonne, heare thy fathers instruction, and forsake not thy mothers teaching.
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,
9 For they shalbe a comely ornament vnto thine head, and as chaines for thy necke.
For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10 My sonne, if sinners doe intise thee, consent thou not.
My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.
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, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
12 We wil swallow them vp aliue like a graue euen whole, as those that goe downe into the pit: (Sheol h7585)
We swallow them as Sheol — alive, And whole — as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall finde all precious riches, and fill our houses with spoyle:
Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Cast in thy lot among vs: we will all haue one purse:
Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is — to all of us.'
15 My sonne, walke not thou in the way with them: refraine thy foote from their path.
My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
16 For their feete runne to euill, and make haste to shed blood.
For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.
17 Certainely as without cause the net is spred before the eyes of all that hath wing:
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 So they lay waite for blood and lie priuily for their liues.
And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch 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.
So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.
20 Wisdome cryeth without: she vttereth her voyce in the streetes.
Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth 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 multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
22 O ye foolish, howe long will ye loue foolishnes? and the scornefull take their pleasure in scorning, and the fooles hate knowledge?
'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do 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 back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with 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 refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 But ye haue despised all my counsell, and would none of my correction.
And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
26 I will also laugh at your destruction, and mocke, when your feare commeth.
I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride 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 as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.
28 Then shall they call vpon me, but I will not answere: they shall seeke me early, but they shall not finde me,
Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.
29 Because they hated knowledge, and did not chuse the feare of the Lord.
Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
30 They would none of my counsell, but despised all my correction.
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 Therefore shall they eate of ye fruite of their owne way, and be filled with their owne deuises.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.
32 For ease slaieth the foolish, and the prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them.
For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
33 But he that obeyeth me, shall dwell safely, and be quiet from feare of euill.
And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'
