MKJV - Proverbs - 1

1:1  The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

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

1:3  to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and uprightness;

1:4  to give sense to the simple, knowledge and judgment to the young man;

1:5  the wise hears and increases learning; and understanding ones gets wisdom;

1:6  to understand a proverb and its meaning; the words of the wise, and their acute sayings.

1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

1:8  My son, hear the instruction of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother;

1:9  for they shall be an ornament of grace to your head and chains around your neck.

1:10  My son, if sinners lure you, do not be willing.

1:11  If they say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, we will watch secretly for the innocent without cause;

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

1:13  we shall find all precious goods; we shall fill our houses with plunder;

1:14  cast in your lot among us, and let us have one purse.

1:15  My son, do not walk in the way with them! Keep back your foot from their path,

1:16  for their feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood.

1:17  Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird,

1:18  And they lie in wait for their own blood; they watch secretly for their own lives.

1:19  So are the ways of everyone who gains unjust gain; it takes away its owners' life.

1:20  Wisdom cries outside; she utters her voice in the streets;

1:21  she cries in the chief place of gathering, in the openings of the gates; in the city she utters her words, saying,

1:22  How long will you love simplicity, simple ones? And will scorners delight in their scorning? And will fools hate knowledge?

1:23  Turn at my warning; behold, I will pour out my Spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

1:24  Because I called, and you refused; I stretched out my hand, and no one paid attention;

1:25  but you have despised all my advice, and would have none of my warning.

1:26  I also will laugh at your trouble; I will mock when your fear comes;

1:27  when your fear comes as a wasting away, and your ruin comes like a tempest when trouble and pain come upon you.

1:28  Then they shall call upon me, and I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me;

1:29  instead they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD.

1:30  They would have none of my counsel; they despised all my correction,

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

1:32  For the turning away of the simple kills them, and the ease of fools destroys them.

1:33  But whoever listens to me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.