Proverbs 1; Proverbs 2; Proverbs 3

Proverbs 1

1 The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel,

2 To know wisdom, and instruction:

3 To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:

4 To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.

5 A wise man shall hear, and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth shall possess governments.

6 He shall understand a parable and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

9 That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.

10 My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.

11 If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:

12 Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit.

13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.

14 Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.

15 My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.

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

17 But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.

18 And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.

19 So the ways of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.

20 Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21 At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:

22 O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?

23 Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.

24 Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.

25 You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.

26 I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.

27 When sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon you:

28 Then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning, and shall not find me:

29 Because they have hated instruction, and received not the fear of the Lord,

30 Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.

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

32 The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.

Proverbs 2

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee,

2 That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: incline thy heart to know prudence.

3 For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:

4 If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure:

5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God:

6 Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge.

7 He wilt keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity,

8 Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints.

9 Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path.

10 If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:

11 Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee,

12 That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:

13 Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways:

14 Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in the most wicked things:

15 Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.

16 That thou mayst be delivered from the strange woman, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words;

17 And forsaketh the guide of her youth,

18 And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell.

19 None that go in unto her, shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life.

20 That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.

21 For they that are upright, shall dwell in the earth; and the simple shall continue in it.

22 But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly, shall be taken away from it.

Proverbs 3

1 My son, forget not my law, and let thy heart keep my commandments.

2 For they shall add to thee length of days, and years of life, and peace.

3 Let not mercy aud truth leave thee, put them about thy neck, and write them in the tables of thy heart.

4 And thou shalt find grace, and good understanding before God and men.

5 Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence.

6 In all thy ways think on him, and he will direct thy steps.

7 Be not wise in thy own conceit: fear God, and depart from evil:

8 For it shall be health to thy navel, and moistening to thy bones.

9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits;

10 And thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall run over with wine.

11 My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when thou art chastised by him:

12 For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself.

13 Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and is rich in prudence:

14 The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chief and purest gold:

15 She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired, are not to be compared to her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.

17 Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her: and he that shall retain her is blessed.

19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, hath established the heavens by prudence.

20 By his wisdom the depths have broken out, and the clouds grow thick with dew.

21 My son, let not these things depart from thy eyes: keep the law and counsel:

22 And there shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy mouth.

23 Then shalt thou walk confidently in thy way, and thy foot shall not stumble:

24 If thou sleep, thou shalt not fear: thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, nor of the power of the wicked falling upon thee.

26 For the Lord will be at thy side, and will keep thy foot that thou be not taken.

27 Do not withhold him from doing good, who is able: if thou art able, do good thyself also.

28 Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again: and to morrow I will give to thee: when thou canst give at present.

29 Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.

30 Strive not against a man without cause, when he hath done thee no evil.

31 Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways.

32 For every mocker is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is with the simple.

33 Want is from the Lord in the house of the wicked: but the habitations of the just shall be blessed.

34 He shall scorn the scorners, and to the meek he will give grace.

35 The wise shall possess glory: the promotion of fools is disgrace.