The Beginning of Knowledge

1 aThe proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2  To know wisdom and instruction,

to understand words of insight,

3  to receive instruction in wise dealing,

in brighteousness, justice, and equity;

4  to give prudence to cthe simple,

knowledge and ddiscretion to the youth—

5  Let the wise hear and eincrease in learning,

and the one who understands obtain guidance,

6  to understand a proverb and a saying,

fthe words of the wise and their griddles.

7  hThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Enticement of Sinners

8  iHear, my son, your father’s instruction,

and forsake not your mother’s teaching,

9  for they are ja graceful garland for your head

and kpendants for your neck.

10  My son, if sinners lentice you,

do not consent.

11  If they say, “Come with us, mlet us lie in wait for blood;

nlet us ambush the innocent without reason;

12  like Sheol let us oswallow them alive,

and whole, like pthose who go down to the pit;

13  we shall find all precious goods,

we shall fill our houses with plunder;

14  throw in your lot among us;

we will all have one purse”—

15  my son, qdo not walk in the way with them;

rhold back your foot from their paths,

16  for stheir feet run to evil,

and they make haste to shed blood.

17  tFor in vain is a net spread

in the sight of any bird,

18  but these men ulie in wait for their own blood;

they uset an ambush for their own lives.

19  vSuch are the ways of everyone who is wgreedy for unjust gain;

xit takes away the life of its possessors.

The Call of Wisdom

20  yWisdom cries aloud in the street,

in the markets she raises her voice;

21  at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;

at zthe entrance of the city gates she speaks:

22  “How long, O asimple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will bscoffers delight in their scoffing

and fools chate knowledge?

23  If you turn at my reproof,1

behold, I will dpour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you.

24  eBecause I have called and fyou refused to listen,

have gstretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

25  because you have hignored all my counsel

and iwould have none of my reproof,

26  I also jwill laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when kterror strikes you,

27  when terror strikes you like la storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

28  mThen they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

29  Because they chated knowledge

and ndid not choose the fear of the Lord,

30  hwould have none of my counsel

and idespised all my reproof,

31  therefore they shall eat othe fruit of their way,

and have ptheir fill of their own devices.

32  For the simple are killed by qtheir turning away,

and rthe complacency of fools destroys them;

33  but swhoever listens to me will dwell secure

and will be tat ease, without dread of disaster.”