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1:1  The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
1:2  to acquire wisdom and discipline, to understand the words of insight,
1:3  to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and fairness,
1:4  to give discernment to the naïve, knowledge and discretion to the youth
1:5  (let the wise listen and increase learning and the discerning obtain wise counsel)
1:6  to understand a proverb and a puzzle, the sayings of the wise and their riddles.
1:7  The fear of Adonai is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
1:8  Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and forsake not your mother’s teaching.
1:9  For they are a garland of grace for your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
1:10  My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in.
1:11  Suppose they say: “Come with us! Let’s lie in wait for blood! Let’s ambush the innocent—for no reason!
1:12  Let’s swallow them alive like Sheol— still healthy, as they go down to the Pit!
1:13  We’ll find all sorts of valuable things, we’ll fill our homes with loot!
1:14  Throw your lot in with us— we’ll all have one wallet.”
1:15  My son, do not go along with them, keep your foot from their path—
1:16  for their feet run to evil and they are swift to shed blood.
1:17  Surely it is useless to spread a net in the eyes of all winged creatures!
1:18  But they lie in wait for their own blood. They ambush their own lives.
1:19  Such is the fate of all gaining by violence. It takes the life of its possessor.
1:20  Wisdom calls aloud in the streets, she raises her voice in public squares.
1:21  She cries out above the commotion. At the entrances of the city gates, she utters her speech:
1:22  “How long will you naïve ones love simplicity, you scoffers delight in scoffing, and you fools hate knowledge?
1:23  You are repulsed at my rebuke. Behold, I pour out my heart to you. I will make my words known to you.
1:24  Because you refused when I called, and did not pay attention when I stretched out my hand,
1:25  since you ignore all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,
1:26  I in turn will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when dread comes on you,
1:27  when your terror comes like a storm and your calamity sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when trouble and distress overwhelm you!
1:28  Then they will cry out to me, but I will not answer! They will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
1:29  Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of Adonai,
1:30  they would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof,
1:31  so they will eat the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own schemes.
1:32  For the backsliding of the naïve will kill them and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
1:33  But whoever pays attention to me will live securely, and be free from the fear of evil.”