JPS - Proverbs - 1

1:1  THE PROVERBS of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

1:2  To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the words of understanding;

1:3  To receive the discipline of wisdom, justice, and right, and equity;

1:4  To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion;

1:5  That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning, and the man of understanding may attain unto wise counsels;

1:6  To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

1:7  The fear of HaShem is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and discipline.

1:8  Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;

1:9  For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

1:10  My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

1:11  If they say: 'Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk for the innocent without cause;

1:12  Let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole, as those that go down into the pit;

1:13  We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;

1:14  Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse'--

1:15  My son, walk not thou in the way with them, restrain thy foot from their path;

1:16  For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

1:17  For in vain the net is spread in the eyes of any bird;

1:18  And these lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk for their own lives.

1:19  So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; it taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

1:20  Wisdom crieth aloud in the streets, she uttereth her voice in the broad places;

1:21  She calleth at the head of the noisy streets, at the entrances of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:

1:22  'How long, ye thoughtless, will ye love thoughtlessness? And how long will scorners delight them in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

1:23  Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

1:24  Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man attended,

1:25  But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof;

1:26  I also, in your calamity, will laugh, I will mock when your dread cometh;

1:27  When your dread cometh as a storm, and your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; when trouble and distress come upon you.

1:28  Then will they call me, but I will not answer, they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me.

1:29  For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of HaShem;

1:30  They would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof.

1:31  Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

1:32  For the waywardness of the thoughtless shall slay them, and the confidence of fools shall destroy them.

1:33  But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil.'