The Beginning of Knowledge
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 arighteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to athe simple,
knowledge and bdiscretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and aincrease in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
athe words of the wise and their briddles.
7 aThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 aHear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
9 for they are aa graceful garland for your head
and bpendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners aentice you,
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, alet us lie in wait for blood;
blet us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us aswallow them alive,
and whole, like bthose 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, ado not walk in the way with them;
bhold back your foot from their paths,
16 for atheir feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
17 aFor in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men alie in wait for their own blood;
they aset an ambush for their own lives.
19 aSuch are the ways of everyone who is bgreedy for unjust gain;
cit takes away the life of its possessors.
The Call of Wisdom
20 aWisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at athe 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,
behold, I will apour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 aBecause I have called and byou refused to listen,
have cstretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have aignored all my counsel
and bwould have none of my reproof,
26 I also awill laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when bterror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like aa storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 aThen they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they ahated knowledge
and bdid not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 awould have none of my counsel
and bdespised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat athe fruit of their way,
and have btheir fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by atheir turning away,
and bthe complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but awhoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be bat ease, without dread of disaster.”