1:1‡ ¤ The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel,

1:2To know wisdom, and instruction:

1:3To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:

1:4To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.

1:5A wise man shall hear, and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth shall possess governments.

1:6He shall understand a parable and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.

1:7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

1:8My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

1:9That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.

1:10My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.

1:11If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:

1:12Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit.

1:13We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.

1:14Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.

1:15My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.

1:16For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

1:17But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.

1:18And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.

1:19So the ways of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.

1:20Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:

1:21At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:

1:22O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?

1:23Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.

1:24Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.

1:25You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.

1:26I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.

1:27When sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon you:

1:28Then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning, and shall not find me:

1:29Because they have hated instruction, and received not the fear of the Lord,

1:30Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.

1:31Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices.

1:32The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

1:33But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.

2:1¤ My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee,

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

2:3For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:

2:4If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure:

2:5Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God:

2:6Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge.

2:7He wilt keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity,

2:8Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints.

2:9Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path.

2:10If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:

2:11Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee,

2:12That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:

2:13Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways:

2:14Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in the most wicked things:

2:15Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.

2:16That thou mayst be delivered from the strange woman, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words;

2:17And forsaketh the guide of her youth,

2:18And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell.

2:19None that go in unto her, shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life.

2:20That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.

2:21For they that are upright, shall dwell in the earth; and the simple shall continue in it.

2:22But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly, shall be taken away from it.

3:1¤ My son, forget not my law, and let thy heart keep my commandments.

3:2For they shall add to thee length of days, and years of life, and peace.

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

3:4And thou shalt find grace, and good understanding before God and men.

3:5Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence.

3:6In all thy ways think on him, and he will direct thy steps.

3:7Be not wise in thy own conceit: fear God, and depart from evil:

3:8For it shall be health to thy navel, and moistening to thy bones.

3:9Honour the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits;

3:10And thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall run over with wine.

3:11My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when thou art chastised by him:

3:12For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself.

3:13Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and is rich in prudence:

3:14The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chief and purest gold:

3:15She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired, are not to be compared to her.

3:16Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.

3:17Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable.

3:18She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her: and he that shall retain her is blessed.

3:19The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, hath established the heavens by prudence.

3:20By his wisdom the depths have broken out, and the clouds grow thick with dew.

3:21My son, let not these things depart from thy eyes: keep the law and counsel:

3:22And there shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy mouth.

3:23Then shalt thou walk confidently in thy way, and thy foot shall not stumble:

3:24If thou sleep, thou shalt not fear: thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

3:25Be not afraid of sudden fear, nor of the power of the wicked falling upon thee.

3:26For the Lord will be at thy side, and will keep thy foot that thou be not taken.

3:27Do not withhold him from doing good, who is able: if thou art able, do good thyself also.

3:28Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again: and to morrow I will give to thee: when thou canst give at present.

3:29Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.

3:30Strive not against a man without cause, when he hath done thee no evil.

3:31Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways.

3:32For every mocker is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is with the simple.

3:33Want is from the Lord in the house of the wicked: but the habitations of the just shall be blessed.

3:34He shall scorn the scorners, and to the meek he will give grace.

3:35The wise shall possess glory: the promotion of fools is disgrace.