Proverbs 1

1 The Prouerbes of Salomon the sonne of Dauid king of Israell: 2 too lerne wisdome instruccion, vnderstanding prudence, 3 righteousnesse, iudgement & equite. 4 That the very babes might haue wit, and that yongmen might haue knowlege & vnderstanding. 5 By hearing, the wyse man shall come by more wysedome: & by experience 6 he shalbe more apte to vnderstande a parable, & the interpretacion therof, 'fee wordes of the wise, & the darke speaches of the same. 7 The feare of the Lord is the begynnynge of wysdome. But fooles despise wysdome & destruccion. 8 My sonne, heare thy fathers doctryne, & forsake not the lawe of thy mother: 9 for that shall bryng grace vnto thy head, & shall be a cheyne about thy necke. 10 My sonne, consent not vnto sinners, 11 if they entise 'fee, & say: come with vs, let vs leye wayte for bloud, and lurke preuely for 'fee innocent without a cause: 12 let vs swalow them vp like 'fee hel, let vs deuour them quicke & whole, as those 'fet go doune into the pyt. 13 So shal we finde al maner of costely riches, & fil our houses wt spoiles. 14 Cast in thy lot among vs, we shall haue all one purse. 15 My sonne, walke not thou with them, refrayn thy fote from their ways. 16 For their fete runne to euel, & are hasty to shed bloud. 17 But in vayn is 'fee net laied forth before 'fee byrdes eyes. 18 Yea, they themselfes laye wayte one for anothers bloud, & one of them wolde sley another. 19 These are 'fee ways of all suche as be couetous, 'fet one wolde rauish anothers life. 20 Wisdome crieth without, & putteth forth her voyce in the stretes. 21 She calleth before 'fee congregacion in the open gates, & sheweth her wordes thorow the citie, saying: 22 O ye chyldren, how longe will ye loue chyldyshnesse? how long wil the, scorners delite in scorning & the vnwise be enemies vnto knowlege? 23 O turne you vnto my correccion: lo. I wil expres my mynde vnto you, & make you vnderstande my wordes. 24 Seing then that I haue called & ye refused it: I haue stretched out my hand, & no man regarded it, 25 but all my counsayls haue ye despysed, & set my corrections at naught. 26 Therfore shall I also laugh in your destruccion, & mocke you, when the thyng that ye feare cometh vpon you: 27 euen when 'fee thing that ye be afrayed of, falleth in sodenly lyke a storme, & your miseri like a tempest: yea, when trouble & heuinesse commeth vpon you. 28 Then shal they call vpon me, but I will not heare: they shal seke me early, but thei shal not find me: 29 And 'fet because thei hated knowlege, & receyued not the feare of 'fee Lord, 30 but abhorred my counsail, & despised my correction. 31 Therfore shal they eate the frutes of their owne way, & be filled with their oune counsayls: 32 for the turning away of the vnwyse shal sley them, & the prosperitie of foles shalbe their owne destruccion. 33 But who so harkeneth vnto me shal dwel safely, and haue ynough without any feare of euell.