Proverbs 1

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

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for attaining wisdom of discipline;

for understanding words of insight;

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for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,

doing what is right and just and fair;

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for giving prudence to the simple,

knowledge and discretion to the young -

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let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance -

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for understanding proverbs and parables,

the sayings and riddles of the wise.

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The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

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Listen, my son, to your father's instruction

and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

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They will be a garland to grace your head and chain

to adorn your neck.

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

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If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for

someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul;

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let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole,

like those who go down to the pit;

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we will get all sorts of valuable things and

fill our houses with plunder;

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throw in your lot with us,

and we will share a common purse" -

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my son, do not go along with them,

do not set foot on their paths;

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

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

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These men lie in wait for their own blood;

they waylay only themselves!

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Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;

it takes away the lives of those who get it.

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Wisdom calls aloud in the street,

she raises her voice in the public squares;

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at the head of the noisy streets she cries out in

the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

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"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?

How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

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If you had responded to rebuke, I would have poured out

my heart to you and made my thought known to you.

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But since you rejected me when I called and

no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,

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

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I in turn will laugh at your disaster;

I will mock when calamity overtakes you -

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when calamity overtakes you like a storm,

when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,

when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

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"Then they will call to me but  will not answer;

they will look for me but will not find me.

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Since they hated knowledge and

did not choose to fear theLORD,

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since they would not accept my advice

and spurned my rebuke.

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they will eat the fruit of their ways

and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

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For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,

and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

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but whoever listens to me will live in safety

and be at ease, without fear of harm."