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

2 To know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

3 to receive instruction in wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man.

5 The wise hears and increases learning, and the one of understanding gets wise counsel,

6 to understand a proverb and an enigma; the words of the wise, and their difficult sayings.

7 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother;

9 for they shall be an ornament of grace to your head, and chains around your neck.

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

11 If they say, Walk with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause,

12 let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those who go down into the Pit,

13 we shall find all sorts of precious stuff, we shall fill our houses with plunder;

14 cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purse.

15 My son, do not walk in the way with them! Withhold your foot from their path;

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

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

18 And they lie in wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own souls.

19 So are the ways of everyone who gets unjust gain; it takes away the soul of its master.

20 Wisdom cries aloud outside; she utters her voice in the square;

21 she calls out over the tumult; at the openings of the gates, in the city she utters her words:

22 How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity; and those who scorn desire their scorning; and fools hate knowledge?

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

24 Because I have called, and you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one pays attention,

25 but you have ignored all my counsel, and have not desired my reproof:

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

27 when your terror comes like a storm; and your devastation arrives like a tempest, when distress and anguish come upon you.

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

29 Because they hated knowledge and chose not the fear of Jehovah.

30 They did not desire 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 devices.

32 For the turning away of the simple kills them, and the ease of fools destroys them.

33 But whoever listens to me shall live in confidence, and shall rest securely from the dread of evil.