2That one may learn wisdom and instruction, And receive words of understanding;
3That one may gain the instruction of prudence, Justice, equity, and uprightness;
4Which will give caution to the simple, To the young man wisdom and discretion;
5Let the wise man hear, and he will increase his knowledge, And the man of understanding will gain wise counsels;
6So as to understand a proverb and a deep maxim, The words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8Hear, O my son! the instruction of thy father, And neglect not the teaching of thy mother!
9For they shall be a graceful wreath for thy head, And a chain around thy neck.
10My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not!
11If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us lurk secretly for him who is innocent in vain;
12Let us swallow them up alive, like the underworld, Yea, in full health, as those that go down into the pit;
13We shall find all kinds of precious substance, We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse;”—
15My son, walk thou not in their way, Refrain thy foot from their path!
16For their feet run to evil, And make haste to shed blood.
17For as the net is spread in vain Before the eyes of any bird,
18So they lie in wait for their own blood; They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19Such are the ways of every one greedy of unjust gain; It taketh away the life of the possessor thereof.
20Wisdom crieth out in the highway; In the market-place she uttereth her voice;
21At the head of the noisy streets she crieth aloud; At the entrances of the gates, throughout the city, she proclaimeth her words saying:
22How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
23Turn ye at my reproof! Behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make known my words to you!
24“Because I have called, and ye have refused,—Because I have stretched out my hand, and no one hath regarded.
25Because ye have rejected all my counsel, And have slighted my rebuke,—
26I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
27When your fear cometh upon you like a storm. And destruction overtaketh you like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
28Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer! They will seek me early, But they shall not find me!
29Because they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of the LORD,—
30Because they would not attend to my counsel, And have despised all my reproof,—
Proverbs 1
Proverbs 1:2-30