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 perceive the words of understanding;

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

3 T o receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

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

4 T o give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

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

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

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

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

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

7 T he fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

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

8 M y son, hear the instruction 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 ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

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

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

My son, if sinners entice you, 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 lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

12 L et us swallow them up alive as the grave; 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 precious substance, 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, walk not thou 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 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 wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

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 taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

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

20 W isdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

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

21 S he crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth 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 fools hate knowledge?

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

23 T urn you 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 man regarded;

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

25 B ut ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of 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 cometh;

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

27 W hen your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh 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 shall they 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 F or that 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 would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

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

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

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

32 F or the turning away of the simple 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 whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

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