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

1:2  for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;

1:3  for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;

1:4  for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young-

1:5  let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-

1:6  for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.

1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

1:8  Listen, my son, to your father's instruction
and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

1:9  They will be a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.

1:10  My son, if sinners entice you,
do not give in to them.

1:11  If they say, "Come along with us;
let's lie in wait for someone's blood,
let's waylay some harmless soul;

1:12  let's swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

1:13  we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;

1:14  throw in your lot with us,
and we will share a common purse"-

1:15  my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;

1:16  for their feet rush into sin,
they are swift to shed blood.

1:17  How useless to spread a net
in full view of all the birds!

1:18  These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they waylay only themselves!

1:19  Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the lives of those who get it.

1:20  Wisdom calls aloud in the street,
she raises her voice in the public squares;

1:21  at the head of the noisy streets she cries out,
in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

1:22  "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?

1:23  If you had responded to my rebuke,
I would have poured out my heart to you
and made my thoughts known to you.

1:24  But since you rejected me when I called
and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,

1:25  since you ignored all my advice
and would not accept my rebuke,

1:26  I in turn will laugh at your disaster;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you-

1:27  when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

1:28  "Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me.

1:29  Since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the LORD,

1:30  since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,

1:31  they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

1:32  For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

1:33  but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm."