Proverbs 1:1-33 KJ21

[1] The Proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: [2] to know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; [3] to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; [4] to give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man knowledge and discretion. [5] A wise man will hear and will increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsel [6] to understand a proverb and the interpretation, the words of the wise and their dark sayings. [7] The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. [8] My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother; [9] for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. [10] My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. [11] If they say, "Come with us; let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause; [12] let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole, as those that go down to the pit; [13] we shall find much precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil; [14] cast in thy lot among us, let us all have one purse" [15] my son, walk not thou in the way with them; restrain thy foot from their path; [16] for their feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood. [17] Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird! [18] And they lie in wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. [19] So are the ways of every one that is greedy for gain, which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. [20] Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets. [21] She crieth in the chief places of concourse, in the openings of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words, saying, [22] "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love to be simple, and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? [23] Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you; I will make known my words unto you. [24] "Because I have called and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand and no man heeded, [25] but ye have set at nought all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, [26] I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh, [27] when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you. [28] Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me, [29] because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD. [30] They would have none of my counsel, and they despised all my reproof: [31] therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own devices. [32] For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them; [33] but whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall have quiet from fear of evil."