1The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.

2To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:

3To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:

4To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:

5(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:)

6To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.

7The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.

8My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:

9For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.

10My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.

11If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;

12Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death;

13Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;

14Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:

15My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:

16For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.

17Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:

18And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.

19Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.

20Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;

21Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:

22How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?

23Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.

24Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;

25You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:

26So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;

27When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.

28Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:

29For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:

30They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.

31So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.

32For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.

33But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.