Proverbs 1

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

2To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

3To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;footnote a

4To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.footnote b

5A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

6To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.footnote c

7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.footnote d

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

9For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.footnote e

10My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

11If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

12Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

13We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

14Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

15My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

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

17Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.footnote f

18And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

19So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

20Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:footnote g

21She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

22How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

24Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

28Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

29For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

30They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

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

32For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.footnote h

33But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

The Beginning of Knowledge

1These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David,king of Israel, 2for gaining wisdom and discipline,for comprehending words of insight, 3and for receiving instruction in wise livingand in righteousness, justice, and equity. 4To impart prudence to the simplefootnote aand knowledge and discretion to the young, 5let the wise listen and gain instruction,and the discerning acquire wise counsel 6by understanding the proverbs and parables,the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,but foolsfootnote bdespise wisdom and discipline.

The Enticement of Sin

8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,and do not forsake the teaching of your mother. 9For they are a garland of grace on your headand a pendant around your neck.

10My son, if sinners entice you,do not yield to them. 11If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood,let us ambush the innocent without cause, 12let us swallow them alive like Sheol,and whole like those descending into the Pit. 13We will find all manner of precious goods;we will fill our houses with plunder. 14Throw in your lot with us;let us all share one purse”— 15my son, do not walk the road with themor set foot upon their path. 16For their feet run to evil,and they are swift to shed blood. 17How futile it is to spread the netwhere any bird can see it! 18But they lie in wait for their own blood;they ambush their own lives. 19Such is the fate of all who are greedy,whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.

Wisdom Calls Aloud

20Wisdom calls out in the street,she lifts her voice in the square; 21in the main concoursefootnote cshe cries aloud,at the city gates she makes her speech:

22“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways?How long will scoffers delight in their scornand fools hate knowledge? 23If you had repented at my rebuke,then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you;I would have made my words known to you. 24Because you refused my call,and no one took my outstretched hand, 25because you neglected all my counsel,and wanted none of my correction, 26in turn I will mock your calamity;I will sneer when terror strikes you, 27when your dread comes like a storm,and your destruction like a whirlwind,when distress and anguish overwhelm you.

28Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me. 29For they hated knowledgeand chose not to fear the LORD. 30They accepted none of my counsel;they despised all my reproof. 31So they will eat the fruit of their own way,and be filled with their own devices. 32For the waywardness of the simple will slay them,and the complacency of fools will destroy them. 33But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety,secure from the fear of evil.”