Noyes - Proverbs - 1

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

1:2  That one may learn wisdom and instruction, And receive words of understanding;

1:3  That one may gain the instruction of prudence, Justice, equity, and uprightness;

1:4  Which will give caution to the simple, To the young man wisdom and discretion;

1:5  Let the wise man hear, and he will increase his knowledge, And the man of understanding will gain wise counsels;

1:6  So as to understand a proverb and a deep maxim, The words of the wise and their dark sayings.

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

1:8  Hear, O my son! the instruction of thy father, And neglect not the teaching of thy mother!

1:9  For they shall be a graceful wreath for thy head, And a chain around 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 secretly for him who is innocent in vain;

1:12  Let us swallow them up alive, like the underworld, Yea, in full health, as those that go down into the pit;

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

1:14  Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse;"—

1:15  My son, walk thou not in their way, Refrain thy foot from their path!

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

1:17  For as the net is spread in vain Before the eyes of any bird,

1:18  So they lie in wait for their own blood; They lurk secretly for their own lives.

1:19  Such are the ways of every one greedy of unjust gain; It taketh away the life of the possessor thereof.

1:20  Wisdom crieth out in the highway; In the market-place she uttereth her voice;

1:21  At the head of the noisy streets she crieth aloud; At the entrances of the gates, throughout the city, she proclaimeth her words [saying]:

1:22  How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?

1:23  Turn ye at my reproof! Behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make known my words to you!

1:24  "Because I have called, and ye have refused,—Because I have stretched out my hand, and no one hath regarded.

1:25  Because ye have rejected all my counsel, And have slighted my rebuke,—

1:26  I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;

1:27  When your fear cometh upon you like a storm. And destruction overtaketh you like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.

1:28  Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer! They will seek me early, But they shall not find me!

1:29  Because they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of the LORD,—

1:30  Because they would not attend to my counsel, And have despised all my reproof,—

1:31  Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own devices;

1:32  Yea, the turning away of the simple shall slay them, And the carelessness of fools shall destroy them.

1:33  But whoso hearkeneth to me shall dwell securely, And shall not be disquieted with the fear of evil."