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

2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for
understanding words of insight;

3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent
life, doing what is right and just and fair;

4 for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young-

5 let the wise listen and add to their
learning, and let the discerning get
guidance-

6 for understanding proverbs and
parables, the sayings and riddles of the
wise.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge, but fools despise wisdom
and discipline. Exhortations to Embrace
Wisdom

8 Listen, my son, to your father's
instruction and do not forsake your
mother's teaching.

9 They will be a garland to grace your
head and a chain to adorn your neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not
give in to them.

11 If they say, "Come along with us; let's
lie in wait for someone's blood, let's
waylay some harmless soul;

12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to
the pit;

13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;

14 throw in your lot with us, and we will
share a common purse"-

15my son, do not go along with them, do
not set foot on their paths;

16 for their feet rush into sin, they are
swift to shed blood.

17 How useless to spread a net in full
view of all the birds!

18 These men lie in wait for their own
blood; they waylay only themselves!

19 Such is the end of all who go after illgotten
gain; it takes away the lives of
those who get it.

20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she
raises her voice in the public squares;

21 at the head of the noisy streets she
cries out, in the gateways of the city she
makes her speech:

22 "How long will you simple ones love
your simple ways? How long will
mockers delight in mockery and fools
hate knowledge?

23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I
would have poured out my heart to you
and made my thoughts known to you.

24 But since you rejected me when I
called and no one gave heed when I
stretched out my hand,

25 since you ignored all my advice and
would not accept my rebuke,

26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I
will mock when calamity overtakes you-

27 when calamity overtakes you like a
storm, when disaster sweeps over you
like a whirlwind, when distress and
trouble overwhelm you.

28 "Then they will call to me but I will not
answer; they will look for me but will not
find me.

29 Since they hated knowledge and did
not choose to fear the Lord ,

30 since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,

31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and
be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

32 For the waywardness of the simple will
kill them, and the complacency of fools
will destroy them;

33 but whoever listens to me will live in
safety and be at ease, without fear of
harm."