Proverbs 1:4-25

⁴To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:

⁵(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:)

⁶To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.

⁷The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.

⁸My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:

⁹For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.

¹⁰My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.

¹¹If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;

¹²Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death;

¹³Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;

¹⁴Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:

¹⁵My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:

¹⁶For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.

¹⁷Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:

¹⁸And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.

¹⁹Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.

²⁰Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;

²¹Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:

²²How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?

²³Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.

²⁴Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;

²⁵You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words: