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

² For the knowledge of wisdom and correction, for discerning the sayings of intelligence;

³ For receiving the correction of prudence, righteousness and justice, and equity;

⁴ For giving To the simple shrewdness, To the young man, knowledge and discretion.

⁵ A wise man, will hear, and will increase learning, and a, discreet man, wise counsels, will acquire,

⁶ By gaining discernment of proverb, and satire, the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

⁷ The reverence of Yahweh, is the beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and correction, the foolish have despised.

⁸ Hear, my son, the correction of thy father, and do not reject the instruction of thy mother;

⁹ For, a wreath of beauty, shall they be to thy head, and chains of ornament, to thy neck.

¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice thee, do not consent.

¹¹ If they say—Come with us,—Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us watch in secret for him who is needlessly innocent;

¹² Let us engulf them, like hades, alive, While in health, like them who are going down to the pit;

¹³ All costly substance, shall we find, We shall fill our houses with spoil;

¹⁴ Thy lot, shalt thou cast into our midst, One purse, shall there be, for us all.

¹⁵ My son, do not walk in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path.

¹⁶ For, their feet, to mischief, do run, and haste to the shedding of blood.

¹⁷ Surely, in vain, is spread the net, in the sight of aught that hath wings!

¹⁸ Yet, they, for their own blood, lie in wait, They watch in secret for their own life.

¹⁹ Such are the ways of every one that graspeth with greed, The life of the owners thereof, it taketh away!

²⁰ Wisdom, in the open place, soundeth forth, in the broadways, she raiseth her voice;

²¹ At the head of bustling streets, she crieth aloud,—at the openings of the gates in the city—her sayings, she doth utter:—

²² How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and, scoffers, in scoffing, delight them? and, dullards, hate knowledge?

²³ Will ye turn, at my reproof? Lo! I will pour out to you my spirit, I will make known my words to you.

²⁴ Because I called, and ye refused, I stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;

²⁵ But ye dismissed all my counsel, and, to my rebuke, would not yield,

²⁶ I also, at your calamity, will laugh, I will mock, when cometh your dread;

²⁷ When cometh as a crashing your dread, and, your calamity, as a storm-wind, overtaketh, when there come upon you, distress and anguish.

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

²⁹ Because they hated knowledge, and, the reverence of Yahweh, did not choose;

³⁰ Consented not to my counsel, disdained all my rebuke,

³¹ Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and, with their own counsels, be filled.

³² For, the turning away of the simple, will slay them,—and, the carelessness of dullards, will destroy them.

³³ Whereas, he that hearkeneth unto me, shall dwell safely, and be at rest, without dread of misfortune.