Proverbs
1
- The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king
of Israel:
- for attaining wisdom and discipline; for
understanding words of insight;
- for acquiring a disciplined and prudent
life, doing what is right and just and fair;
- for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge
and discretion to the young --
- let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance --
- for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
- The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
- Listen, my son, to your father's instruction
and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
- They will be a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.
- My son, if sinners entice you, do not give
in to them.
- If they say, "Come along with us; let's
lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul;
- let's swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
- we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
- throw in your lot with us, and we will share
a common purse" --
- my son, do not go along with them, do not
set foot on their paths;
- for their feet rush into sin, they are swift
to shed blood.
- How useless to spread a net in full view
of all the birds !
- These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they waylay only themselves !
- Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten
gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.
- Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises
her voice in the public squares;
- at the head of the noisy streets she cries
out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
- "How long will you simple ones love
your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate
knowledge ?
- If you had responded to my rebuke, I would
have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
- But since you rejected me when I called
and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
- since you ignored all my advice and would
not accept my rebuke,
- I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I
will mock when calamity overtakes you --
- when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble
overwhelm you.
- "Then they will call to me but I will
not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.
- Since they hated knowledge and did not choose
to fear the LORD,
- since they would not accept my advice and
spurned my rebuke,
- they will eat the fruit of their ways and
be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
- For the waywardness of the simple will kill
them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
- but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm."
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