Proverbs

1The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

2to know wisdom and instruction;to discern the words of understanding;

3to receive instruction in wise dealing,in righteousness, justice, and equity;

4to give prudence to the simple,knowledge and discretion to the young man—

5that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning;that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel;

6to understand a proverb and parables,the words and riddles of the wise.

7The fear of the LORDis the beginning of knowledge,but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

8My son, listen to your father’s instruction,and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching;

9for they will be a garland to grace your head,and chains around your neck.

10My son, if sinners entice you,don’t consent.

11If they say, “Come with us.Let’s lie in wait for blood. Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.

12Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol,and whole, like those who go down into the pit.

13We’ll find all valuable wealth.We’ll fill our houses with plunder.

14You shall cast your lot among us.We’ll all have one purse”—

15my son, don’t walk on the path with them.Keep your foot from their path,

16for their feet run to evil.They hurry to shed blood.

17For the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird;

18but these lay in wait for their own blood.They lurk secretly for their own lives.

19So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain.It takes away the life of its owners.

20Wisdom calls aloud in the street.She utters her voice in the public squares.

21She calls at the head of noisy places.At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:

22“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?

23Turn at my reproof.Behold,I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.

24Because I have called, and you have refused;I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;

25but you have ignored all my counsel,and wanted none of my reproof;

26I also will laugh at your disaster.I will mock when calamity overtakes you,

27when calamity overtakes you like a storm,when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you.

28Then they will call on me, but I will not answer.They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me,

29because they hated knowledge,and didn’t choose the fear of the LORD.

30They wanted none of my counsel.They despised all my reproof.

31Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way,and be filled with their own schemes.

32For the backsliding of the simple will kill them.The careless ease of fools will destroy them.

33But whoever listens to me will dwell securely,and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”

1The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.

2To know wisdom, and instruction:

3To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:

4To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.

5A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth, shall possess governments.

6He shall understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.

7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

9That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.

10My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.

11If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:

12Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit.

13We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.

14Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.

15My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.

16For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

17But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.

18And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.

19So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.

20Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:

22O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?

23Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.

24Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.

25You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.

26I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.

27When sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon you:

28Then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning and shall not find me:

29Because they have hated instruction and received not the fear of the Lord,

30Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.

31Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices.

32The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.