Part 698

150:5. Praise him on high sounding cymbals: praise him on cymbals of joy: let every spirit praise the Lord. Alleluia.

THE BOOK OF PROVERBS

This Book is so called, because it consists of wise and weighty sentences: regulating the morals of men: and directing them to wisdom and virtue. And these sentences are also called PARABLES, because great truths are often couched in them under certain figures and similitudes.

Proverbs Chapter 1

The use and end of the proverbs. An exhortation to flee the company of the wicked: and to hearken to the voice of wisdom.

1:1. The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel,

1:2. To know wisdom, and instruction:

1:3. To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:

1:4. To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.

1:5. A wise man shall hear, and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth shall possess governments.

1:6. He shall understand a parable and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.

1:7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

1:8. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

1:9. That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.

1:10. My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.

1:11. If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:

1:12. Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit.

1:13. We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.

1:14. Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.

1:15. My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.

1:16. For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

1:17. But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.

1:18. And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.

1:19. So the ways of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.

1:20. Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:

1:21. At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:

1:22. O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?

1:23. Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.