1 T he proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

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

2 T o know wisdom and instruction; To discern the words of understanding;

to know wisdom and chastening; to understand prudent words;

3 T o receive instruction in wise dealing, In righteousness and justice and equity;

to receive the chastening of prudence, justice, judgment, and equity;

4 T o give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion:

to give prudence to the simple, and to the young men knowledge and council.

5 T hat the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:

If the wise will hear them, doctrine shall increase, and the man of understanding shall acquire wise counsel:

6 T o understand a proverb, and a figure, The words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

To understand a parable and the interpretation; the words of the wise and their enigmas.

7 T he fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

¶ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and chastening.

8 M y son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:

My son, hearken unto the chastening of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

9 F or they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.

For they shall be an increase of grace unto thy head and protection about thy neck.

10 M y son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not.

¶ My son, if sinners entice thee, do not consent.

11 I f they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood; Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;

If they say, Come with us, let us lay in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without cause.

12 L et us swallow them up alive as Sheol, And whole, as those that go down into the pit;

Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol and whole as those that go down into the pit;

13 W e shall find all precious substance; We shall fill our houses with spoil;

We shall find all kinds of riches, we shall fill our houses with spoil.

14 T hou 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 M y son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path:

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

16 F or their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.

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

17 F or in vain is the net spread In the sight of any bird:

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

18 A nd these lay wait for their own blood; They lurk privily for their own lives.

And they lay in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own souls.

19 S o are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; It taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain which takes away the life of those who possess it.

20 W isdom crieth aloud in the street; She uttereth her voice in the broad places;

¶ Wisdom cries without; she utters her voice in the streets:

21 S he crieth in the chief place of concourse; At the entrance of the gates, In the city, she uttereth her words:

She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the entrance to the gates of the city she utters her words, saying,

22 H ow long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And scoffers delight them in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?

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

23 T urn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you.

Return at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

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

Because I have called and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one responded;

25 B ut ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof:

for because ye have disregarded all my counsel and rejected my reproof:

26 I also will laugh in the day of your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear comes upon you;

27 W hen your fear cometh as a storm, And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish come upon you.

when what you have feared comes as destruction, and your calamity comes as a whirlwind; when tribulation and anguish come upon you.

28 T hen will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:

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

29 F or that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah:

Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

30 T hey would none of my counsel; They despised all my reproof.

They rejected my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

31 T herefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices.

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

32 F or the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.

For the rest of the ignorant shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 B ut whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil.

But whosoever hearkens unto me shall dwell safely and shall rest from the fear of evil.