1The proverbs of Solomon the son of David , king of Israel : 2To know wisdom and instruction ; To discern the words of understanding; 3To receive instruction in wise dealing, In righteousness and justice and equity ; 4To give prudence to the simple , To the young man knowledge and discretion : 5That the wise man may hear , and increase in learning ; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels : 6To understand a proverb , and a figure , The words of the wise , and their dark sayings .
The Call of Wisdom
7The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge ; But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction . 8My son , hear the instruction of thy father , And forsake not the law of thy mother: 9For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head , And chains about thy neck . 10My son , if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not . 11If they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood ; Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause ; 12Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol , And whole , as those that go down into the pit ; 13We shall find all precious substance ; We shall fill our houses with spoil ; 14Thou shalt cast thy lot among us ; We will all have one purse :
The Consequences of Ignoring Wisdom
15My son , walk not thou in the way with them ; Refrain thy foot from their path : 16For their feet run to evil , And they make haste to shed blood . 17For in vain is the net spread In the sight of any bird : 18And these lay wait for their own blood ; They lurk privily for their own lives . 19So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain ; It taketh away the life of the owners thereof .
The Promise of Wisdom
20Wisdom crieth aloud in the street ; She uttereth her voice in the broad places ; 21She crieth in the chief place of concourse ; At the entrance of the gates , In the city , she uttereth her words: 22How long , ye simple ones , will ye love simplicity ? And scoffers delight them in scoffing , And fools hate knowledge ? 23Turn you at my reproof : Behold , I will pour out my spirit upon you ; I will make known my words unto you . 24Because I have called , and ye have refused ; I have stretched out my hand , and no man hath regarded ; 25But ye have set at nought all my counsel , And would none of my reproof : 26I also will laugh in the day of your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27When your fear cometh as a storm , And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind ; When distress and anguish come upon you . 28Then will they call upon me , but I will not answer ; They will seek me diligently , but they shall not find me : 29For that they hated knowledge , And did not choose the fear of Jehovah , 30They would none of my counsel , They despised all my reproof . 31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way , And be filled with their own devices . 32For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them , And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them . 33But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil .