The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.

If they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood; Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;

For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.

For in vain is the net spread In the sight of any bird:

And these lay wait for their own blood; They lurk privily for their own lives.

I also will laugh in the day of your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

When your fear cometh as a storm, And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish come upon you.

For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah:

For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.

But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil.

Yea, if thou cry after discernment, And lift up thy voice for understanding;

If thou seek her as silver, And search for her as for hid treasures:

Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, And find the knowledge of God.

For Jehovah giveth wisdom; Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding:

He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to them that walk in integrity;

For wisdom shall enter into thy heart, And knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;

For her house inclineth unto death, And her paths unto the dead;

For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall remain in it.

For length of days, and years of life, And peace, will they add to thee.

Be not wise in thine own eyes; Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil:

For whom Jehovah loveth he reproveth; Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, And the profit thereof than fine gold.

Be not afraid of sudden fear, Neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh:

For Jehovah will be thy confidence, And will keep thy foot from being taken.

For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah; But his friendship is with the upright.

For I give you good doctrine; Forsake ye not my law.

For I was a son unto my father, Tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: Keep her; for she is thy life.

For they sleep not, except they do evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

Put away from thee a wayward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee.

For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil:

Remove thy way far from her, And come not nigh the door of her house;

Let them be for thyself alone, And not for strangers with thee.

For why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah; And he maketh level all his paths.

He shall die for lack of instruction; And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor, If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger;

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; And reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread; And the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.

Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?

For jealousy is the rage of a man; And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;

For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:

With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.

Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.

For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.

Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things.

For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

For wisdom is better than rubies; And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it.

The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate.

Now therefore, my'sons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that keep my ways.

For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah.

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: As for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

For by me thy days shall be multiplied, And the years of thy life shall be increased.

If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; And if thou scoffest, thou alone shalt bear it.

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither; And as for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,

In the lips of him that hath discernment wisdom is found; But a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

The lips of the righteous feed many; But the foolish die for lack of understanding.

The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

The fear of Jehovah prolongeth days; But the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it; But he that hateth suretyship is secure.

As a ring of gold in a swine's snout,'so is a fair woman that is without discretion.

The words of the wicked are of lying in wait for blood; But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

The lip of truth shall be established for ever; But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

Walk with wise men, and thou shalt be wise; But the companion of fools shall smart for it.

A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children; And the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous.

In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his pride; But the lips of the wise shall preserve them.

In the fear of Jehovah is strong confidence; And his children shall have a place of refuge.

The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life, That one may depart from the snares of death.

There is grievous correction for him that forsaketh the way; And he that hateth reproof shall die.

Better is little, with the fear of Jehovah, Than great treasure and trouble therewith.

Jehovah is far from the wicked; But he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

The fear of Jehovah is the instruction of wisdom; And before honor goeth humility.

Jehovah hath made everything for its own end; Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for; And by the fear of Jehovah men depart from evil.

It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness; For the throne is established by righteousness.

The appetite of the laboring man laboreth for him; For his mouth urgeth him thereto .

A worthless man deviseth mischief; And in his lips there is as a scorching fire.

The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; But Jehovah trieth the hearts.

Whoso rewardeth evil for good, Evil shall not depart from his house.

A friend loveth at all times; And a brother is born for adversity.

Also to punish the righteous is not good, Nor to smite the noble for their uprightness.

A fool's lips enter into contention, And his mouth calleth for stripes.

A man's gift maketh room for him, And bringeth him before great men.

All the brethren of the poor do hate him: How much more do his friends go far from him! He pursueth them with words, but they are gone.

Delicate living is not seemly for a fool; Much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

A man of great wrath shall bear the penalty; For if thou deliver him , thou must do it yet again.

The fear of Jehovah tendeth to life; And he that hath it'shall abide satisfied; He shall not be visited with evil.

Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And stripes for the back of fools.

It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; But every fool will be quarrelling.

Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge that is surety for foreigners.

Say not thou, I will recompense evil: Wait for Jehovah, and he will save thee.

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue Is a vapor driven to and fro by them that seek death.

The way of him that is laden with guilt is exceeding crooked; But as for the pure, his work is right.

The wicked is a ransom for the righteous; And the treacherous cometh in the stead of the upright.