Noyes Translation
1869 by George Noyes

Proverbs Chapter 1

Pro 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
Pro 1:2 That one may learn wisdom and instruction, And receive words of understanding;
Pro 1:3 That one may gain the instruction of prudence, Justice, equity, and uprightness;
Pro 1:4 Which will give caution to the simple, To the young man wisdom and discretion;
Pro 1:5 Let the wise man hear, and he will increase his knowledge, And the man of understanding will gain wise counsels;
Pro 1:6 So as to understand a proverb and a deep maxim, The words of the wise and their dark sayings.
Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Pro 1:8 Hear, O my son! the instruction of thy father, And neglect not the teaching of thy mother!
Pro 1:9 For they shall be a graceful wreath for thy head, And a chain around thy neck.
Pro 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not!
Pro 1:11 If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us lurk secretly for him who is innocent in vain;
Pro 1:12 Let us swallow them up alive, like the underworld, Yea, in full health, as those that go down into the pit;
Pro 1:13 We shall find all kinds of precious substance, We shall fill our houses with spoil;
Pro 1:14 Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse;"––
Pro 1:15 My son, walk thou not in their way, Refrain thy foot from their path!
Pro 1:16 For their feet run to evil, And make haste to shed blood.
Pro 1:17 For as the net is spread in vain Before the eyes of any bird,
Pro 1:18 So they lie in wait for their own blood; They lurk secretly for their own lives.
Pro 1:19 Such are the ways of every one greedy of unjust gain; It taketh away the life of the possessor thereof.
Pro 1:20 Wisdom crieth out in the highway; In the market–place she uttereth her voice;
Pro 1:21 At the head of the noisy streets she crieth aloud; At the entrances of the gates, throughout the city, she proclaimeth her words [saying]:
Pro 1:22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
Pro 1:23 Turn ye at my reproof! Behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make known my words to you!
Pro 1:24 "Because I have called, and ye have refused,––Because I have stretched out my hand, and no one hath regarded.
Pro 1:25 Because ye have rejected all my counsel, And have slighted my rebuke,––
Pro 1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
Pro 1:27 When your fear cometh upon you like a storm. And destruction overtaketh you like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
Pro 1:28 Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer! They will seek me early, But they shall not find me!
Pro 1:29 Because they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of the LORD,––
Pro 1:30 Because they would not attend to my counsel, And have despised all my reproof,––
Pro 1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own devices;
Pro 1:32 Yea, the turning away of the simple shall slay them, And the carelessness of fools shall destroy them.
Pro 1:33 But whoso hearkeneth to me shall dwell securely, And shall not be disquieted with the fear of evil."