Chapter 1

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

To know² wisdom and instruction; to perceive⁵³ the words of understanding;

To receive² the instruction of wisdom,⁵³ justice, and judgment, and equity;

To give² subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

A wise [man] will hear,⁴ and will increase⁵⁵ learning; and a man of understanding¹² shall attain⁴ unto wise counsels:

To understand⁵³ a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise¹ wisdom and instruction.

My son, hear³ the instruction of thy father, and forsake⁴ not the law of thy mother:

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

My son, if sinners entice¹⁷ thee, consent⁴ thou not.

If they say,⁴ Come³ with us, let us lay wait⁴ for blood, let us lurk privily⁴ for the innocent without cause:

Let us swallow them up⁴ alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down⁶ into the pit:

We shall find⁴ all precious substance, we shall fill¹⁷ our houses with spoil:

Cast⁵⁵ in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

My son, walk⁴ not thou in the way with them; refrain³ thy foot from their path:

For their feet run⁴ to evil, and make haste¹⁷ to shed² blood.

Surely in vain the net is spread³⁰ in the sight of any bird. ³⁶⁷¹

And they lay wait⁴ for their [own] blood; they lurk privily⁴ for their [own] lives.

So [are] the ways of every one that is greedy⁶ of gain; [which] taketh away⁴ the life of the owners thereof.

Wisdom crieth⁴ without; she uttereth⁴ her voice in the streets:

She crieth⁴ in the chief place of concourse,⁶ in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth⁴ her words, [saying],

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love⁴ simplicity? and the scorners⁵ delight¹ in their scorning, and fools hate⁴ knowledge?

Turn⁴ you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out⁵⁵ my spirit unto you, I will make known⁵⁵ my words unto you.

Because I have called,¹ and ye refused;¹⁷ I have stretched out¹ my hand, and no man regarded;⁵⁶

But ye have set at nought⁴ all my counsel, and would¹ none of my reproof:

I also will laugh⁴ at your calamity; I will mock⁴ when your fear cometh;²

When your fear cometh² as desolation, ⁷⁵⁸⁴ and your destruction cometh⁴ as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh² upon you.

Then shall they call⁴ upon me, but I will not answer;⁴ they shall seek me early,¹⁷ but they shall not find⁴ me:

For that they hated¹ knowledge, and did not choose¹ the fear of the LORD:

They would¹ none of my counsel: they despised¹ all my reproof.

Therefore shall they eat⁴ of the fruit of their own way, and be filled⁴ with their own devices.

For the turning away of the simple shall slay⁴ them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy¹⁷ them.

But whoso hearkeneth⁶ unto me shall dwell⁴ safely, and shall be quiet⁴⁰ from fear of evil.