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¹The Parables of Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel,

²To knowe wisdome, and instruction, to vnderstand ye wordes of knowledge,

³To receiue instruction to do wisely, by iustice and iudgement and equitie,

⁴To giue vnto the simple, sharpenesse of wit, and to the childe knowledge and discretion.

⁵A wise man shall heare and increase in learning, and a man of vnderstanding shall attayne vnto wise counsels,

⁶To vnderstand a parable, and the interpretation, the wordes of ye wise, and their darke sayings.

⁷The feare of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fooles despise wisedome and instruction.

⁸My sonne, heare thy fathers instruction, and forsake not thy mothers teaching.

⁹For they shalbe a comely ornament vnto thine head, and as chaines for thy necke.

¹⁰My sonne, if sinners doe intise thee, consent thou not.

¹¹If they say, Come with vs, we will lay waite for blood, and lie priuilie for the innocent without a cause:

¹²We wil swallow them vp aliue like a graue euen whole, as those that goe downe into the pit:

¹³We shall finde all precious riches, and fill our houses with spoyle:

¹⁴Cast in thy lot among vs: we will all haue one purse:

¹⁵My sonne, walke not thou in the way with them: refraine thy foote from their path.

¹⁶For their feete runne to euill, and make haste to shed blood.

¹⁷Certainely as without cause the net is spred before the eyes of all that hath wing:

¹⁸So they lay waite for blood and lie priuily for their liues.

¹⁹Such are the wayes of euery one that is greedy of gaine: he would take away the life of the owners thereof.

²⁰Wisdome cryeth without: she vttereth her voyce in the streetes.

²¹She calleth in the hye streete, among the prease in the entrings of the gates, and vttereth her wordes in the citie, saying,

²²O ye foolish, howe long will ye loue foolishnes? and the scornefull take their pleasure in scorning, and the fooles hate knowledge?

²³(Turne you at my correction: loe, I will powre out my mind vnto you, and make you vnderstand my wordes)

²⁴Because I haue called, and ye refused: I haue stretched out mine hand, and none woulde regarde.

²⁵But ye haue despised all my counsell, and would none of my correction.

²⁶I will also laugh at your destruction, and mocke, when your feare commeth.

²⁷Whe your feare cometh like sudden desolation, and your destruction shall come like a whirle wind: whe affliction and anguish shall come vpon you,

²⁸Then shall they call vpon me, but I will not answere: they shall seeke me early, but they shall not finde me,

²⁹Because they hated knowledge, and did not chuse the feare of the Lord.

³⁰They would none of my counsell, but despised all my correction.

³¹Therefore shall they eate of ye fruite of their owne way, and be filled with their owne deuises.

³²For ease slaieth the foolish, and the prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them.

³³But he that obeyeth me, shall dwell safely, and be quiet from feare of euill.