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¹ The proverbs of Shlomo the son of David,
king of Isra'el,
² are for learning about wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words expressing deep insight;
³ for gaining an intelligently disciplined life,
doing what is right, just and fair;
⁴ for endowing with caution those who don't think
and the young person with knowledge and discretion.
⁵ Someone who is already wise
will hear and learn still more;
someone who already understands
will gain the ability to counsel well;
⁶ he will understand proverbs, obscure expressions,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.

⁷ The fear of Adonai is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

⁸ My son, heed the discipline of your father,
and do not abandon the teaching of your mother;
⁹ they will be a garland to grace your head,
a medal of honor for your neck.

¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice you,
don't go along with them.
¹¹ Suppose they say, "Come with us:
we'll ambush somebody and kill him,
we'll waylay some harmless soul, just for fun;
¹² we'll swallow him alive, like Sh'ol,
whole, like those who descend to the pit;
¹³ we'll find everything he has of value,
we'll fill our homes with loot!
¹⁴ Throw in your lot with us;
we'll share a common purse" —
¹⁵ my son, don't go along with them,
don't set foot on their path;
¹⁶ Their feet run to evil,
they rush to shed blood.
¹⁷ For in vain is the net baited
if any bird can see it;
¹⁸ rather, they are ambushing themselves
to shed their own blood, waylaying themselves.
¹⁹ So are the ways of all greedy for gain —
it takes the lives of those who get it.

²⁰ Wisdom calls aloud in the open air
and raises her voice in the public places;
²¹ she calls out at streetcorners
and speaks out at entrances to city gates:
²² "How long, you whose lives have no purpose,
will you love thoughtless living?
How long will scorners find pleasure in mocking?
How long will fools hate knowledge?
²³ Repent when I reprove —
I will pour out my spirit to you,
I will make my words known to you.
²⁴ Because you refused when I called,
and no one paid attention when I put out my hand,
²⁵ but instead you neglected my counsel
and would not accept my reproof;
²⁶ I, in turn, will laugh at your distress,
and mock when terror comes over you —
²⁷ yes, when terror overtakes you like a storm
and your disaster approaches like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble assail you.
²⁸ Then they will call me, but I won't answer;
they will seek me earnestly, but they won't find me.
²⁹ Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of Adonai,
³⁰ they refused my counsel
and despised my reproof.
³¹ So they will bear the consequences of their own way
and be overfilled with their own schemes.
³² For the aimless wandering of the thoughtless will kill them,
and the smug overconfidence of fools will destroy them;
³³ but those who pay attention to me will live securely,
untroubled by fear of misfortune."