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[1]The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, who reigned in Israel;
[2]to know wisdom and instruction, and to perceive words of understanding;
[3]to receive also hard saying, and to understand true justice, and how to direct judgment;
[4]that he might give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man discernment and understanding.
[5]For by the hearing of these a wise man will be wiser, and man of understanding will gain direction;
[6]and will understand a parable, and a dark speech; the saying of the wise also, and riddles.
[7]The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and there is good understanding to all that practise it: and piety toward God is the beginning of discernment; but the ungodly will set at nought wisdom and instruction.
[8]Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and reject not the rules of thy mother.
[9]For thou shalt receive for thine head a crown of graces, and a chain of gold round thy neck.
[10]My son, let not ungodly men lead thee astray, neither consent thou to them.
[11]If they should exhort thee, saying, Come with us, partake in blood, and let us unjustly hide the just man in the earth:
[12]and let us swallow him alive, as Hades would, and remove the memorial of him from the earth:
[13]let us seize on his valuable property, and let us fill our houses with spoils:
[14]but do thou cast in thy lot with us, and let us all provide a common purse, and let us have one pouch:
[15]go not in the way with them, but turn aside thy foot from their paths:
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[17]for nets are not without cause spread for birds.
[18]For they that are concerned in murder store up evils for themselves; and the overthrow of transgressors is evil.
[19]These are the ways of all that perform lawless deeds; for by ungodliness they destroy their own life.
[20]Wisdom sings aloud in passages, and in the broad places speaks boldly.
[21]And she makes proclamation on the top of the walls, and sits by the gates of princes; and at the gates of the city boldly says,
[22]So long as the simple cleave to justice, they shall not be ashamed: but the foolish being lovers of haughtiness, having become ungodly have hated knowledge, and are become subject to reproofs.
[23]Behold, I will bring forth to you the utterance of my breath, and I will instruct you in my speech.
[24]Since I called, and ye did not hearken; and I spoke at length, and ye gave no heed;
[25]but ye set at nought my counsels, and disregarded my reproofs;
[26]therefore I also will laugh at your destruction; and I will rejoice against you when ruin comes upon you:
[27]yea when dismay suddenly comes upon you, and your overthrow shall arrive like a tempest; and when tribulation and distress shall come upon you, or when ruin shall come upon you.
[28]For it shall be that when ye call upon me, I will not hearken to you: wicked men shall seek me, but shall not find me.
[29]For they hated wisdom, and did not choose the word of the Lord:
[30]neither would they attend to my counsels, but derided my reproofs.
[31]Therefore shall they eat the fruits of their own way, and shall be filled with their own ungodliness.
[32]For because they wronged the simple, they shall be slain; and an inquisition shall ruin the ungodly.
[33]But he that hearkens to me shall dwell in confidence, and shall rest securely from all evil.
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