The Beginning of Knowledge

1The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, who reigned in Israel;

2to know wisdom and instruction, and to perceive words of understanding;

3to receive also hard saying, and to understand true justice, and how to direct judgment;

4that he might give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man discernment and understanding.

5For by the hearing of these a wise man will be wiser, and man of understanding will gain direction;

6and will understand a parable, and a dark speech; the saying of the wise also, and riddles.

7The 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.

The Enticement of Sin

8Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and reject not the rules of thy mother.

9For thou shalt receive for thine head a crown of graces, and a chain of gold round thy neck.

10My son, let not ungodly men lead thee astray, neither consent thou to them.

11If they should exhort thee, saying, Come with us, partake in blood, and let us unjustly hide the just man in the earth:

12and let us swallow him alive, as Hades would, and remove the memorial of him from the earth:

13let us seize on his valuable property, and let us fill our houses with spoils:

14but do thou cast in thy lot with us, and let us all provide a common purse, and let us have one pouch:

15go not in the way with them, but turn aside thy foot from their paths:

17for nets are not without cause spread for birds.

18For they that are concerned in murder store up evils for themselves; and the overthrow of transgressors is evil.

19These are the ways of all that perform lawless deeds; for by ungodliness they destroy their own life.

Wisdom Calls Aloud

20Wisdom sings aloud in passages, and in the broad places speaks boldly.

21And 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,

22So 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.

23Behold, I will bring forth to you the utterance of my breath, and I will instruct you in my speech.

24Since I called, and ye did not hearken; and I spoke at length, and ye gave no heed;

25but ye set at nought my counsels, and disregarded my reproofs;

26therefore I also will laugh at your destruction; and I will rejoice against you when ruin comes upon you:

27yea 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.

28For 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.

29For they hated wisdom, and did not choose the word of the Lord:

30neither would they attend to my counsels, but derided my reproofs.

31Therefore shall they eat the fruits of their own way, and shall be filled with their own ungodliness.

32For because they wronged the simple, they shall be slain; and an inquisition shall ruin the ungodly.

33But he that hearkens to me shall dwell in confidence, and shall rest securely from all evil.