Proverbs 1
1 The parables 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 know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
3 To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:
To receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness and judgment and equity;
4 To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion:
5 A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth, shall possess governments.
That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; and that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:
6 He shall understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.
To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: [but] the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.
For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
11 If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:
If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit. (Sheol h7585)
Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast in thy lot with 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 thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; 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 they make haste to shed blood.
17 But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.
For in vain is the net spread, in the eyes of any bird:
18 And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.
And these lay wait for their own blood, they lurk privily for their own lives.
19 So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; it taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
20 Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:
Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; she uttereth her voice in the broad places;
21 At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:
She crieth in the chief place of concourse; at the entering in of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:
22 O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and scorners delight them in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.
I also will laugh in [the day of] your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon you:
When your fear cometh as a storm, and your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning and shall not find me:
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:
29 Because they have hated instruction and received not the fear of the Lord,
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
30 Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.
They would none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof:
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil.
