1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

2 To know wisdom and discipline, to understand words of insight,

To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

3 To receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity,

To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

4 To give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—

To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

5 Let the wise hear and increase their learning, and the one who understands gain guidance,

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

6 To understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.

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

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching,

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

9 For they will be a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

11 If they say, 'Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without cause;'

If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

12 Like Sheol, we will swallow them alive, whole, like those who go down to the pit;

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

13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth; we will fill our houses with plunder.

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

14 Cast your lot among us; we will all have one purse.

Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

15 My son, do not walk in the way with them; keep your foot away from their paths,

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

16 For their feet run to evil; they hasten to shed blood.

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

17 Surely in vain is the net spread in sight of any bird,

Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

18 But these men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.

And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

19 Such are the ways of everyone who gains unjust profit; it takes away the life of its owners.

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

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the streets; in the public squares, she raises her voice.

Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21 At the head of the noisy streets, she calls out; at the city gates, she makes her speech.

She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

22 How long, simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23 If you turn at my correction, behold, I will pour out my Spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

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

24 Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand, but no one paid attention,

Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25 And you ignored all my advice and would have none of my correction,

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

26 I too will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you,

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27 When your terror comes like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.

When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

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

Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,

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

30 They would have none of my counsel and despised all my correction.

They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

31 Therefore they will eat the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own schemes.

Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32 For the turning away of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 But whoever listens to me will dwell securely and be at ease, without fear of harm.

But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.