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

to know wisdom and chastening; to understand prudent words;

to receive the chastening of prudence, justice, judgment, and equity;

to give prudence to the simple, and to the young men knowledge and council.

If the wise will hear them, doctrine shall increase, and the man of understanding shall acquire wise counsel:

To understand a parable and the interpretation; the words of the wise and their enigmas.

¶ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and chastening.

My son, hearken unto the chastening of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

For they shall be an increase of grace unto thy head and protection about thy neck.

10 ¶ My son, if sinners entice thee, do not consent.

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

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

13 We shall find all kinds of riches, we shall fill our houses with spoil.

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

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

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

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

18 And they lay in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own souls.

19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain which takes away the life of those who possess it.

20 ¶ Wisdom cries without; she utters her voice in the streets:

21 She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the entrance to the gates of the city she utters her words, saying,

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

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

24 Because I have called and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one responded;

25 for because ye have disregarded all my counsel and rejected my reproof:

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear comes upon you;

27 when what you have feared comes as destruction, and your calamity comes as a whirlwind; when tribulation and anguish come upon you.

28 Then they shall 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:

30 They rejected my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

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

32 For the rest of the ignorant shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 But whosoever hearkens unto me shall dwell safely and shall rest from the fear of evil.

Purpose and Theme

The proverbs(A) of Solomon(B) son of David, king of Israel:(C)

for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a](D)
    knowledge and discretion(E) to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning,(F)
    and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,(G)
    the sayings and riddles(H) of the wise.[b](I)

The fear of the Lord(J) is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools[c] despise wisdom(K) and instruction.(L)

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

Listen, my son,(M) to your father’s(N) instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(O)
They are a garland to grace your head
    and a chain to adorn your neck.(P)

10 My son, if sinful men entice(Q) you,
    do not give in(R) to them.(S)
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
    let’s lie in wait(T) for innocent blood,
    let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow(U) them alive, like the grave,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;(V)
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
    and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
    we will all share the loot(W)”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
    do not set foot(X) on their paths;(Y)
16 for their feet rush into evil,(Z)
    they are swift to shed blood.(AA)
17 How useless to spread a net
    where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait(AB) for their own blood;
    they ambush only themselves!(AC)
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
    it takes away the life of those who get it.(AD)

Wisdom’s Rebuke

20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,(AE)
    she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[d] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

22 “How long will you who are simple(AF) love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate(AG) knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse(AH) to listen when I call(AI)
    and no one pays attention(AJ) when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh(AK) when disaster(AL) strikes you;
    I will mock(AM) when calamity overtakes you(AN)
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster(AO) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;(AP)
    they will look for me but will not find me,(AQ)
29 since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.(AR)
30 Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,(AS)
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.(AT)
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;(AU)
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety(AV)
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”(AW)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:4 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
  2. Proverbs 1:6 Or understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles
  3. Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
  4. Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners