1 ¶ The 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 chastening; to understand prudent words;

To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding,

3 t o receive the chastening of prudence, justice, judgment, and equity;

To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity;

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

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

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

A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,

6 T o understand a parable and the interpretation; the words of the wise and their enigmas.

To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.

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

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Shun Evil Counsel

8 M y son, hearken unto the chastening of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother;

9 F or they shall be an increase of grace unto thy head and protection about thy neck.

For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.

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

My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.

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

If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for 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 alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;

13 W e shall find all kinds of riches, we shall fill our houses with spoil.

We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil;

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

Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse”—

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

My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path;

16 F or their feet shall run to evil and make haste to shed blood.

For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.

17 S urely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird;

18 A nd they lay in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own souls.

But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives.

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

So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners. The Call of Wisdom

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

Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.

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

She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words:

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

“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge.

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

Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

24 B ecause I have called and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one responded;

Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,

25 f or because ye have disregarded all my counsel and rejected my reproof:

Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke,

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

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes,

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

When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.

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

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

29 B ecause they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord,

30 T hey rejected my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.

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

Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.

32 F or the rest of the ignorant shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33 B ut whosoever hearkens unto me shall dwell safely and shall rest from the fear of evil.

But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.”