Proverbs 1

1 These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,

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

2 for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,

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

3 and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.

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

4 To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,

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

5 let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel

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

6 by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

6 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, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

7 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 the teaching of your mother.

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

9 For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.

9 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 yield to them.

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

11 If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,

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

12 let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit.

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

13 We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.

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

14 Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—

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

15 my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.

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

16 For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.

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

17 How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!

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

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

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

19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.

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

20 Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;

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

21 in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:

21 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, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?

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

23 If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.

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

24 Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,

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

25 because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,

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

26 in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,

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

27 when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.

27 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 on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.

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

29 For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.

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

30 They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.

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

31 So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

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

32 For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

32 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 in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”

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