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Proverbs 1

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

²That men may know wisdom and instruction, understand words of insight,

³receive instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity;

⁴that prudence may be given to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth--

⁵the wise man also may hear and increase in learning, and the man of understanding acquire skill,

⁶to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.

⁷The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and reject not your mother's teaching;

⁹for they are a fair garland 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 wantonly ambush the innocent;

¹²like Sheol let us swallow them alive and whole, like those who go down to the Pit;

¹³we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with spoil;

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 paths;

¹⁶for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

¹⁷For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird;

¹⁸but these men lie in wait for their own blood, they set an ambush for their own lives.

¹⁹Such are the ways of all who get gain by violence; it takes away the life of its possessors.

²⁰Wisdom cries aloud in the street; in the markets she raises her voice;

²¹on the top of the walls she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

²²"How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

²³Give heed to my reproof; behold, I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you.

²⁴Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

²⁵and you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,

²⁶I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes you,

²⁷when panic strikes you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.

²⁸Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

²⁹Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,

³⁰would have none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof,

³¹therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way and be sated with their own devices.

³²For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacence of fools destroys them;

³³but he who listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of evil."

Proverbs 1 (RSV)

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Proverbs

Chapter 1

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