The aproverbs of Solomon
bthe son
of David
, king
of Israel
:
To know awisdom
and instruction
, To discern
the sayings
of bunderstanding
,
To areceive instruction
in wise
behavior
, bRighteousness
, justice
and equity
;
To give aprudence
to the 1naive
, To the youth
bknowledge
and discretion
,
A wise man
will hear
and aincrease
in learning
, And a bman of understanding
will acquire
wise
counsel
,
To understand a proverb
and a figure
, The words
of the wise
and their ariddles
.
aThe fear of the LORD
is the beginning
of knowledge
; Fools
despise
wisdom
and instruction
.
aHear, my son
, your father's
instruction
And bdo not forsake
your mother's
teaching
;
Indeed, they are a agraceful
wreath
to your head
And 1 bornaments
about your neck
.
My son, if
sinners
aentice
you, bDo not consent
.
If they say
, "Come
with us, Let us alie
in wait
for blood
, Let us bambush
the innocent
without
cause
;
Let us aswallow them alive
like Sheol
, Even whole
, as those who bgo
down
to the pit
;
We will find all
kinds of precious
wealth
, We will fill
our houses
with spoil
;
Throw in your lot
1with us, We shall all
have
one
purse
,"
My son, ado not walk
in the way
with them. bKeep
your feet
from their path
,
For atheir feet run
to evil
And they hasten
to shed
blood
.
Indeed, it is 1useless
to spread
the baited net
In the sight
of any
2bird
;
But they alie in wait
for their own blood
; They ambush
their own lives
.
So are the ways
of everyone
who agains
by violence
; It takes
away the life
of its possessors
.
aWisdom shouts
in the street
, She 1lifts
her voice
in the square
;
At the head of the noisy
streets she cries
out; At the entrance
of the gates
in the city
she utters
her sayings
:
"How long
, O 1 anaive
ones
, will you love
2being simple-minded
? And bscoffers
delight
themselves in scoffing
And fools
chate
knowledge
?
"Turn to my reproof
, Behold
, I will apour
out my spirit
on you; I will make
my words
known
to you.
"Because aI called
and you brefused
, I cstretched
out my hand
and no
one
paid
attention
;
And you aneglected all
my counsel
And did not bwant
my reproof
;
I will also alaugh
at your bcalamity
; I will mock
when your cdread
comes
,
When your dread comes
like a storm
And your calamity
comes
like a awhirlwind
, When distress
and anguish
come
upon you.
"Then they will acall
on me, but I will not answer
; They will bseek
me diligently
but they will not find
me,
Because they ahated
knowledge
And did not choose
the fear
of the LORD
.
"They awould not accept
my counsel
, They spurned
all
my reproof
.
"So they shall aeat of the fruit
of their own way
And be bsatiated
with their own devices
.
"For the awaywardness of the 1naive
will kill
them, And the complacency
of fools
will destroy
them.
"But ahe who listens to me shall 1live
securely
And will be at ease
from the dread
of evil
."