|
1.
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
|
|
2.
for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;
|
|
3.
for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;
|
|
4.
for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young--
|
|
5.
let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--
|
|
6.
for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
|
|
7.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
|
|
8.
Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
|
|
9.
They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
|
|
10.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
|
|
11.
If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul;
|
|
12.
let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
|
|
13.
we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
|
|
14.
throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"--
|
|
15.
my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
|
|
16.
for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.
|
|
17.
How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!
|
|
18.
These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!
|
|
19.
Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.
|
|
20.
Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
|
|
21.
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
|
|
22.
"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
|
|
23.
If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
|
|
24.
But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
|
|
25.
since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,
|
|
26.
I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you--
|
|
27.
when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
|
|
28.
"Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.
|
|
29.
Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,
|
|
30.
since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
|
|
31.
they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
|
|
32.
For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
|
|
33.
but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
|