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

2 T o know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding,

3 T o receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity;

4 T o give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion,

5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

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

7 T he fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. The Enticement of Sinners

8 H ear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

9 I ndeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.

10 M y son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.

11 I f they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;

12 L et us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit;

13 W e will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil;

14 T hrow in your lot with us, We shall all have one purse,”

15 M y son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path,

16 F or their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood.

17 I ndeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird;

18 B ut they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives.

19 S o are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors. Wisdom Warns

20 W isdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square;

21 A t the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:

22 “ How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge?

23 “ Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

24 “ Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;

25 A nd you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof;

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

27 W hen your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.

28 “ 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.

30 “ They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof.

31 “ So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices.

32 “ For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.

33 “ But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”