The Beginning of Knowledge
1 Theproverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to thesimple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5 A wisemanwill hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
# The words of the wise and theirriddles.
7 The fear of theLordisthe beginning of knowledge,
Butfools despise wisdom and instruction.
Shun Evil Counsel
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9 For theywillbeagraceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
# Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
# Let uslie in wait toshedblood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
# And whole,like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find allkindsof precious possessions,
We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15 My son,do not walk in the way with them,
# Keep your foot from their path;
16 For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;
18 But they lie in wait for theirownblood,
They lurk secretly for theirownlives.
19 Soarethe ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.
The Call of Wisdom
20 Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke;
# SurelyI will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because youdisdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 Whenyour terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Thenthey will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because theyhated knowledge
# And did notchoose the fear of theLord,
30 They would have none of my counsel
Anddespised my every rebuke.
31 Thereforethey shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwellsafely,
# Andwill be secure, without fear of evil.”