The Proverbs
1
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 2 For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence, 3 For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness, 4 For giving to simple ones — prudence, To a youth — knowledge and discretion. 5 (The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.) 6 For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings. 7 Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised! 8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother, 9 For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing. 11 If they say, 'Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause, 12 We swallow them as Sheol — alive, And whole — as those going down [to] the pit, 13 Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil, 14 Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is — to all of us.' 15 My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path, 16 For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird. 18 And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives. 19 So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh. 20 Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice, 21 At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith: 22 'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you. 24 Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending, 25 And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired. 26 I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh, 27 When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress. 28 Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not. 29 Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen. 30 They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof, 31 And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled. 32 For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them. 33 And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'