The Bishops' Bible
1568 Matthew Parker editor

Proverbs Chapter 1

Pro 1:1 The prouerbes of Solomon the sonne of Dauid, kyng of Israel:
Pro 1:2 To learne wisdome and instruction, & to perceaue the wordes of vnderstandyng,
Pro 1:3 To receaue the instruction of wisdome, iustice, iudgement, and equitie:
Pro 1:4 To geue wyt vnto the simple, and that the young men myght haue knowledge and vnderstandyng.
Pro 1:5 The wise man wyll geue eare, and wyll come by more wisdome, and he that is endued with vnderstanding shal attayne vnto [wise] counsayles.
Pro 1:6 To vnderstande a parable, and the interpretation therof, the wordes of the wise, and their darke speaches.
Pro 1:7 The feare of the Lorde is the begynnyng of knowledge: but fooles dispise wisdome and instruction.
Pro 1:8 My sonne, heare thy fathers doctrine, & forsake not the lawe of thy mother:
Pro 1:9 For they shalbe an encrease of grace vnto thy head, and [as] a chayne about thy necke.
Pro 1:10 My sonne, if sinners entice thee, consent not vnto them.
Pro 1:11 If they say, come with vs, let vs lay wayte for blood, and lurke priuily for the innocent without a cause:
Pro 1:12 Let vs swallowe them vp lyke the graue quicke and whole, as those that go downe into the pit:
Pro 1:13 So shall we finde all maner of costly riches, and fill our houses with spoyles:
Pro 1:14 Cast in thy lot among vs, and let vs all haue one purse.
Pro 1:15 My sonne, walke not thou with them, refrayne thy foote from their wayes.
Pro 1:16 For their feete runne to euyll, and are hasty to shed blood.
Pro 1:17 But [as] in vayne, the nette is layde foorth before the birdes eyes:
Pro 1:18 So these lay wayte for the blood of them, and lye priuily for their liues.
Pro 1:19 Such [are] the wayes of euery one that is greedie of gayne, who taketh away the life of the owner therof.
Pro 1:20 Wisdome cryeth without, and putteth foorth her voyce in the streetes:
Pro 1:21 She calleth before the congregation in the open gates, and sheweth her wordes through the citie, saying:
Pro 1:22 O ye children, howe long wyll ye loue childishnesse? howe long wyll the scorners delite in scornyng, and the vnwise hate knowledge?
Pro 1:23 O turne you at my correction: lo I wyll expresse my mynde vnto you, and make you vnderstande my wordes.
Pro 1:24 Because I haue called, and ye refused, I haue stretched out my hande, and no man regarded:
Pro 1:25 But all my counsels haue ye dispised, and set my correction at naught:
Pro 1:26 Therfore wyll I also laugh at your destruction, and mocke you, when the thyng that ye feare commeth vpon you,
Pro 1:27 Euen when the thyng that ye be afraide of falleth in sodenly like a storme, and your miserie lyke a tempest, yea when trouble and heauinesse commeth vpon you.
Pro 1:28 Then shall they call vpon me, but I wyll not aunswere: they shall seeke me early, but they shall not finde me:
Pro 1:29 And that because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the feare of the Lorde,
Pro 1:30 They woulde none of my counsayle, but dispised all my correction.
Pro 1:31 Therfore shall they eate of the fruite of their owne way, and be fylled with their owne inuentions.
Pro 1:32 For the turnyng away of the vnwise shall slay them, and the prosperitie of fooles shall destroy them.
Pro 1:33 But whoso hearkeneth vnto me, shal dwell safely, and be sure from any feare of euyll.