English Standard Version

King James Bible

1The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

1The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

2To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,

2To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

3to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

3To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

4to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—

4To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

5Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

5A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

6to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.

6To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,

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

9for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

9For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

10My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

10My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

11If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason;

11If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

12like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

12Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

13we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder;

13We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

14throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—

14Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

15my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths,

15My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

16for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

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

17For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird,

17Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

18but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.

18And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

19Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.

19So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

20Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;

20Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

21She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

22“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

22How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

23Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

24Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

24Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,

25But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you,

26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.

27When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

28Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

28Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

29Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,

29For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

30would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof,

30They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

31therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.

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

32For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;

32For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

33But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.