Proverbs 1:4-29

⁴To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion;

⁵That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning, and the man of understanding may attain unto wise counsels;

⁶To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

⁷The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and discipline.

⁸Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;

⁹For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about 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 for the innocent without cause;

¹²Let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole, as those that go down into the pit;

¹³We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;

¹⁴Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse' —

¹⁵My son, walk not thou in the way with them, restrain thy foot from their path;

¹⁶For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

¹⁷For in vain the net is spread in the eyes of any bird;

¹⁸And these lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk for their own lives.

¹⁹So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; it taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

²⁰Wisdom crieth aloud in the streets, she uttereth her voice in the broad places;

²¹She calleth at the head of the noisy streets, at the entrances of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:

²²'How long, ye thoughtless, will ye love thoughtlessness? And how long will scorners delight them in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

²³Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

²⁴Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man attended,

²⁵But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof;

²⁶I also, in your calamity, will laugh, I will mock when your dread cometh;

²⁷When your dread cometh as a storm, and your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; when trouble and distress come upon you.

²⁸Then will they call me, but I will not answer, they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me.

²⁹For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD;