1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: [12] 2 To know wisdom and instruction; To discern the words of understanding; [7] 3 To receive instruction in wise dealing, In righteousness and justice and equity; [7] 4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion: [9] 5 That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels: [10] 6 To understand a proverb, and a figure, The words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

[7] 7 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction. [13] 8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: [6] 9 For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck. [5] 10 My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not. [7] 11 If they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood; Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause; [7] 12 Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, And whole, as those that go down into the pit; [8] 13 We shall find all precious substance; We shall fill our houses with spoil; [7] 14 Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse: [7] 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path: [7] 16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. [7] 17 For in vain is the net spread In the sight of any bird: [7] 18 And these lay wait for their own blood; They lurk privily for their own lives. [7] 19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; It taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

[6] 20 Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; She uttereth her voice in the broad places; [5] 21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse; At the entrance of the gates, In the city, she uttereth her words: [6] 22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And scoffers delight them in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge? [7] 23 Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you. [13] 24 Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded; [11] 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof: [10] 26 I also will laugh in the day of your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; [10] 27 When your fear cometh as a storm, And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish come upon you. [11] 28 Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me: [7] 29 For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah: [6] 30 They would none of my counsel; They despised all my reproof. [5] 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices. [5] 32 For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them. [5] 33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil.

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