1The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2For knowing wisdom and discipline, for understanding words of insight;
3for receiving the discipline of prudence—righteousness, justice, and equity;
4for giving shrewdness to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion;
5let the wise hear and increase in learning, and let the discerning acquire guidance—
6for understanding a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and discipline fools despise.
8Hear, my son, the discipline of your father, and do not forsake the instruction of your mother;
9for they are a garland of grace for your head, and pendants for your neck.
10My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
11If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause;
12let us swallow them alive like Sheol, whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13we will find all kinds of precious wealth, we will fill our houses with plunder;
14throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—
15my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their path.
16For their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed blood.
17For in vain is the net spread out in the sight of any bird.
18But these lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
19Such are the paths of everyone greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owner.
20Wisdom cries aloud in the street; in the squares she raises her voice.
21At the head of the noisy streets she calls out; at the entrances of the gates in the city she speaks her words:
22“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity, and scoffers delight in their scoffing, and fools hate knowledge?
23Turn to my reproof! Behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.
24Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid heed,
25and you neglected all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,
26I in turn will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes,
27when your dread comes like a storm, and your calamity arrives like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
28Then they will call to me, but I will not answer; they will seek me eagerly, but will not find me.
29Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,
30they would have none of my counsel; they spurned all my reproof.
31So they will eat from the fruit of their way, and they will be filled with their own schemes.
32For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety and be at ease, without dread of evil.
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