Proverbs 1

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

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

³to receive instruction in wise dealing , in righteousness , justice , and equity ;

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

⁵Let the wise hear and increase in learning , and the one who understands obtain guidance ,

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

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

⁸Hear , my son , your father’s instruction , and forsake not your mother’s teaching ,

⁹for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck .

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

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

¹²like Sheol let us swallow them alive , and whole , like those who go down to the pit ;

¹³we shall find all precious goods , we shall fill our houses with plunder ;

¹⁴throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse —

¹⁵my son , do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths ,

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

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

¹⁸but these men lie in wait for their own blood ; they set an ambush for their own lives .

¹⁹Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain ; it takes away the life of its possessors .

²⁰Wisdom cries aloud in the street , in the markets she raises her voice ;

²¹at the head of the noisy streets she cries out ; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks :

²²How long , O simple ones , will you love being simple ? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge ?

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

²⁴Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded ,

²⁵because you have ignored all my counsel would have none of my reproof ,

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

²⁷when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind , when distress and anguish come upon you.

²⁸Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer ; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

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

³⁰would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof ,

³¹therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way , and have their fill of their own devices .

³²For the simple are killed by their turning away , and the complacency of fools destroys them;

³³but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease , without dread of disaster .