Proverbs 1:7-28

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!