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 That one may learn wisdom and instruction, And receive words of understanding;
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3 That one may gain the instruction of prudence, Justice, equity, and uprightness;
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 Which will give caution to the simple, To the young man wisdom and discretion;
To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 Let the wise man hear, and he will increase his knowledge, And the man of understanding will gain wise counsels;
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels:
6 So as to understand a proverb and a deep maxim, The words of the wise and their dark sayings.
To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, O my son! the instruction of thy father, And neglect 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 graceful wreath for thy head, And a chain around thy neck.
For they shall be an ornament of grace to thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not!
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
11 If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us lurk secretly for him who is innocent in vain;
If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause:
12 Let us swallow them up alive, like the underworld, Yea, in full health, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all kinds of precious substance, We shall fill our houses with spoil;
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
14 Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse;”—
Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
15 My son, walk thou not in their way, Refrain thy foot from their path!
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; keep 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 For as the net is spread in vain Before the eyes of any bird,
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
18 So they lie in wait for their own blood; They lurk secretly for their own lives.
And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of every one greedy of unjust gain; It taketh away the life of the possessor thereof.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; who taketh away the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom crieth out in the highway; In the market-place she uttereth her voice;
Wisdom crieth outside; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 At the head of the noisy streets she crieth aloud; At the entrances of the gates, throughout the city, she proclaimeth her words [[saying]]:
She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn ye 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 to you my words.
24 “Because I have called, and ye have refused, —Because I have stretched out my hand, and no one hath regarded.
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 Because ye have rejected all my counsel, And have slighted my rebuke, —
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and rejected my reproof:
26 I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear cometh upon you like a storm. And destruction overtaketh you like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer! They will seek me early, But they shall not find me!
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 Because they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of the LORD, —
Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
30 Because they would not attend to my counsel, And have despised all my reproof, —
They rejected my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own devices;
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 Yea, the turning away of the simple shall slay them, And the carelessness of fools shall destroy them.
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth to me shall dwell securely, And shall not be disquieted with the fear of evil.”
But whoever hearkeneth to me shall dwell in safety, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
