Fear of Jehovah is a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!

'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?

Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,

And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.

Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.

They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,

By His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew.

Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.

For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.

For, a son I have been to my father -- tender, And an only one before my mother.

In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.

For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.

The way of the wicked is as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.

The path of life -- lest thou ponder, Moved have her paths -- thou knowest not.

And hast said, 'How have I hated instruction, And reproof hath my heart despised,

And I have not hearkened to the voice of my directors, And to my teachers have not inclined mine ear.

As a little thing I have been all evil, In the midst of an assembly and a company.

For, at a window of my house, Through my casement I have looked out,

Sacrifices of peace-offerings are by me, To-day I have completed my vows.

Therefore I have come forth to meet thee, To seek earnestly thy face, and I find thee.

I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.

The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.

Mine is counsel and substance, I am understanding, I have might.

And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!

'Come, eat of my bread, And drink of the wine I have mingled.

No iniquity is desired by the righteous, And the wicked have been full of evil.

The simple have inherited folly, And the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The evil have bowed down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

The words of a tale-bearer are as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down to the inner parts of the heart.

Many entreat the face of the noble, And all have made friendship to a man of gifts.

All the brethren of the poor have hated him, Surely also his friends have been far from him, He is pursuing words -- they are not!

Judgments have been prepared for scorners, And stripes for the back of fools!

Who saith, 'I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?'

The spoil of the wicked catcheth them, Because they have refused to do judgment.

The desire of the slothful slayeth him, For his hands have refused to work.

Rich and poor have met together, The Maker of them all is Jehovah.

The prudent hath seen the evil, and is hidden, And the simple have passed on, and are punished.

The eyes of Jehovah have kept knowledge, And He overthroweth the words of the treacherous.

Have I not written to thee three times With counsels and knowledge?

Lest thou learn his paths, And have received a snare to thy soul.

Remove not a border of olden times, That thy fathers have made.

Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it is lying food.

Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,

They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake -- I seek it yet again!'

And lo, it hath gone up -- all of it -- thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.

And I see -- I -- I do set my heart, I have seen -- I have received instruction,

For better that he hath said to thee, 'Come thou up hither,' Than that he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.

Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, Lest he be satiated with thee, and have hated thee.

Weak have been the two legs of the lame, And a parable in the mouth of fools.

The words of a tale-bearer are as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down to the inner parts of the heart.

The prudent hath seen the evil, he is hidden, The simple have passed on, they are punished.

The wicked have fled and there is no pursuer. And the righteous as a young lion is confident.

The poor and the man of frauds have met together, Jehovah is enlightening the eyes of them both.

Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: -- I have wearied myself for God, I have wearied myself for God, and am consumed.

For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.

Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.

Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not from me before I die.

Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, 'Who is Jehovah?' And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.

To the leech are two daughters, 'Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said 'Sufficiency;'

Three things have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:

So -- the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, 'I have not done iniquity.'

Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.

Her sons have risen up, and pronounce her happy, Her husband, and he praiseth her,

Many are the daughters who have done worthily, Thou hast gone up above them all.'