Proverbs 1 (Brenton)

1The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, who reigned in Israel;These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,

2to know wisdom and instruction, and to perceive words of understanding;for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,

3to receive also hard sayings, and to understand true justice, and how to direct judgment;and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.

4that he might give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man discernment and understanding.To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,

5For by the hearing of these a wise man will be wiser, and the man of understanding will gain direction;let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel

6and will understand a parable, and a dark speech; the sayings of the wise also, and riddles.by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

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 fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

8Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and reject not the rules of thy mother.Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.

9For thou shalt receive for thine head a crown of graces, and a chain of gold round thy neck.For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.

10My son, let not ungodly men lead thee astray, neither consent thou to them.My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield 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:If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,

12and let us swallow him alive, as Hades would, and remove the memorial of him from the earth:let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit.

13let us seize on his valuable property, and let us fill our houses with spoils:We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.

14but do thou cast in thy lot with us, and let us all provide a common purse, and let us have one pouch:Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—

15go not in the way with them, but turn aside thy foot from their paths:my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.

17for nets are not without cause spread for birds.How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!

18For they that are concerned in murder store up evils for themselves; and the overthrow of transgressors is evil.But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.

19These are the ways of all that perform lawless deeds; for by ungodliness they destroy their own life.Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.

20Wisdom sings aloud in passages, and in the broad places speaks boldly.Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;

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,in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:

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.“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?

23Behold, I will bring forth to you the utterance of my breath, and I will instruct you in my speech.If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.

24Since I called, and ye did not hearken; and I spoke at length, and ye gave no heed;Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,

25but ye set at nought my counsels, and disregarded my reproofs;because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,

26therefore I also will laugh at your destruction; and I will rejoice against you when ruin comes upon you:in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes 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.when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm 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.Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.

29For they hated wisdom, and did not choose the word of the Lord:For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.

30neither would they attend to my counsels, but derided my reproofs.They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.

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

32For because they wronged the simple, they shall be slain; and an inquisition shall ruin the ungodly.For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

33But he that hearkens to me shall dwell in confidence, and shall rest securely from all evil.But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”

Proverbs 1

The Beginning of Knowledge

The Enticement of Sin

Wisdom Calls Aloud

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