Read the Bible

¹ The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:² To know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;³ to receive instruction in prudence, justice, and judgment, and uprightness;⁴ to give sense to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man.⁵ The wise hears and increases learning, and the understanding ones gets wise counsel,⁶ to understand a proverb and an enigma; the words of the wise, and their acute sayings.

⁷ The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.⁸ My son, hear your father's instruction, and do not forsake the law of your mother;⁹ for they shall be an ornament of grace to your head, and chains for your neck.

¹⁰ My son, if sinners lure you, do not be willing.¹¹ If they say, Walk with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us secretly lurk for the innocent without cause,¹² let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those who go down into the Pit,¹³ we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder,¹⁴ cast in your lot among us, one purse shall be to all of us.¹⁵ My son, do not walk in the way with them! Hold back your foot from their path;¹⁶ for their feet run to evil and they haste to shed blood.¹⁷ For in vain the net is spread in the sight of every bird.¹⁸ And they lie in wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own souls.¹⁹ So are the ways of everyone who gets unjust gain; it takes away its owner's soul.

²⁰ Wisdom cries aloud outside; she gives her voice in the square;²¹ she calls at the head of places of commotion; in the opening of the gates, in the city she utters her words:²² Until when will you love to be simple, you simple ones? And will scorners desire scorn for themselves? And will fools hate knowledge?²³ Turn back at my warning; behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.²⁴ Because I called, and you refused; I stretch out a hand, and none inclines,²⁵ but you have ignored all my counsel, and you did not desire my warning.²⁶ I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your dread comes;²⁷ when your dread comes like a storm; and your calamity arrives like a tempest, when distress and anguish come on you.²⁸ Then they shall call on me, and I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.²⁹ Instead they hated knowledge and chose not the fear of Jehovah.³⁰ They did not desire my counsel; they despised all my reproof,³¹ and they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own lusts.³² For the going astray of the simple kills them, and the ease of fools destroys them.³³ But he who listens to me shall live securely and shall be at ease from the dread of evil.