Bible (King James Version, 1611)/Prouerbs

For other versions of this work, see Proverbs (Bible).

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¶ THE PROVERBES.

CHAP. I.

1 The vſe of the Prouerbes. 7 An exhortation to feare God and beleeue his word. 10 To auoyd the intiſings of ſinners. 20 Wiſdome complaineth of her contempt. 24 She threatneth her contemners.

HE Prouerbes of Solomon the ſonne of Dauid, King of Iſrael,

² To knowe wiſedome and inſtruction, to perceiue the words of vnderſtanding,

³ To receiue the inſtruction of wiſedome, inſtice, and iudgement ⁊ †† Hebr. equities. equitie,

⁴ To giue ſubtiltie to the ſimple, to the yong man knowledge and ǁǁ Or, aduiſement diſcretion.

⁵ A wiſe man wil heare, and wil increaſe learning: and a man of vnderſtanding ſhall attaine vnto wiſe counſels:

⁶To vnderſtand a prouerbe, and ǁǁ Or, an eloquent ſpeach. the interpretation; the wordes of the wiſe, and their darke ſayings.

⁷ ¶ ** Iob 28.28. pſal 111.10 prou.9.10. The feare of the Lord is ǁǁ Or, the principall part. the beginning of knowledge: but fooles deſpiſe wiſedome and inſtruction.

⁸ My ſonne, heare the inſtruction of thy father, and forſake not the law of thy mother.

⁹ For they shall be †† Hebr. an adding. an ornament of grace vnto thy head, and chaines about thy necke.

¹⁰ ¶ My ſonne, if ſinners entiſe thee, conſent thou not.

¹¹ If they ſay, Come with us, let vs lay wait for blood, let vs lurke priuily for the innocent without cauſe:

¹² Let vs ſwallow them vp alive, as the graue, and whole, as thoſe that goe downe into the pit:

¹³ Wee ſhall finde all precious ſubſtance, wee ſhall fill our houſes with ſpoile:

¹⁴ Caſt in thy lot among vs, let vs all haue one purſe:

¹⁵ My ſonne, walke not thou in the way with them; refraine thy foot from their path:

¹⁶ ** Iſa.59.7. rom.3.15. For their feete runne to euil, and make haſte to ſhed blood.

¹⁷ Surely in vaine the net is ſpread †† Hebr. is the eyes of euery thing that hath a wing. in the ſight of any bird.

¹⁸ And they lay wait for their owne blood, they lurke priuily for their owne liues.

¹⁹ So are the waies of euery one that is greedie of gaine: which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

²⁰ ¶ †† Hebr. wiſedomes, that is, excellent wiſedome. Wiſedome crieth without, ſhe ** Prou.8.1. vttereth her voice in the ſtreets:

²¹ Shee crieth in the chiefe place of concourſe, in the openings of the gates: in the city ſhe vttereth her wordes, ſaying,

²² How long, ye ſimple ones, will ye loue ſimplicitie? and the ſcorners delight in their ſcorning, and fooles hate knowledge?

²³ Turne you at my reproofe: behold, I will powre out my ſpirit vnto you, I will make knowen my wordes vnto you.

²⁴ ¶ ** Iſa.65.12. and 66.4. ier.7.13. ezech.8.18 Becauſe I haue called, and yee refuſed, I haue ſtretched out my hand, and no man regarded:

²⁵ But ye haue ſet at nought all my counſell, ⁊ would none of my reproofe:

²⁶ I alſo will laugh at your calamitie, I wil mocke when your feare commeth.

²⁷ ** Iob.27.9. iſa.1.15. ier.11.11. & 14.12. When your feare commeth as deſolation, and your deſtruction commeth as a whirlewinde; when diſtreſſe and anguiſh commeth vpon you:

²⁸ ** Micah.3.4 Then ſhall they call vpon mee, but I will not anſwere; they ſhall ſeeke me early, but they ſhall not finde me:

²⁹ For that they hated knowledge, and did not chooſe the feare of the Lord.

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

³¹ Therefore ſhall they eate of the fruite of their owne way, and be filled with their owne deuices.

³² For the ǁǁ Or, eaſe of the ſimple. turning away of the ſimple ſhall ſlay them, and the proſperity of fooles ſhall deſtroy them.

³³ But who ſo hearkneth vnto mee, ſhall dwell ſafely, and ſhall be quiet from feare of euil.

CHAP. II.

1 Wiſedome promiſeth godlineſſe to her children, 10 and ſafety from euill company, 20 and direction in good wayes.

Y ſonne, if thou wilt receiue my words, and hide my commaundements with thee;

² So that thou incline thine eare unto wiſedome, and apply thine heart to vnderſtanding:

³ Yea if thou cryeſt after knowledge, and †† Heb. giueſt thy voice lifteſt vp thy voyce for vnderſtanding:

⁴ ** Mat.13.44. If thou ſeekeſt her as ſiluer, and ſearcheſt for her, as for hid treaſures:

⁵ Then ſhalt thou vnderſtand the feare of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

⁶ ** Iam.1.5. 1.king.3.9. For the Lord giueth wiſedome: out of his mouth commeth knowledge, and vnderſtanding.

⁷ He layeth vp ſound wiſedome for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walke vprightly.

⁸ He keepeth the pathes of iudgement, and preſerueth the way of his Saints.

⁹ Then ſhalt thou vnderſtand righteouſneſſe, and iudgement, and equity; yea euery good path.

¹⁰ ¶ When wiſedome entreth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleaſant vnto thy ſoule;

¹¹ Diſcretion ſhall preſerue thee, vnderſtanding ſhall keepe thee:

¹² To deliuer thee from the way of the euill man, from the man that ſpeaketh froward things.

¹³ Who leaue the pathes of vprightneſſe, to walke in the wayes of darkeneſſe:

¹⁴ Who reioyce to doe euill, and delight in the frowardneſſe of the wicked.

¹⁵ Whoſe wayes are crooked, and they froward in their pathes.

¹⁶ To deliuer thee from the ſtrange woman, ** Prou. 5.3. and 7.5. euen from the ſtranger, which flattereth with her words:

¹⁷ Which forſaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the couenant of her God.

¹⁸ For her houſe inclineth vnto death, and her pathes vnto the dead:

¹⁹ None that goe vnto her, returne againe, neither take they hold of the pathes of life.

²⁰ That thou mayeſt walke in the way of good men, and keepe the pathes of the righteous.

²¹ ** Pſal.37.30. For the vpright ſhall dewll in the land, and the perfect ſhall remaine in it.

²² ** Iob.18.17. pſal.104.35. But the wicked ſhall be cut off from the earth, and the tranſgreſſours ſhalbe ǁǁ Or, pluckt vp. rooted out of it.

CHAP. III.

1 An exhortation to obedience, 5 to faith, 7 to mortification, 9 to deuotion, 11 to patience. 13 The happy gaine of wiſedome. 19 The power, 21 and the benefits of wiſedome. 27 An exhortation to charitableneſſe, 30 peaceableneſſe, 31 and contentedneſſe. 33 The curſed ſtate of the wicked.

Y ſonne, forget not my lawe; ** Deut.8.1. & 30.16. but let thine heart keepe my commaundements:

² For length of dayes, and †† Heb. yeeres of life. long life, and peace ſhall they adde to thee.

³ Let not mercy and trueth forſake thee: ** Exod. 13.9 duet.6.8. bind them about thy necke, write them vpon the table of thine heart.

⁴ ** Pſal. 111.10. So ſhalt thou find fauour, and ǁǁ Or, good ſucceſſe. good vnderſtanding in the fight of God, and man.

⁵ ¶ Truſt in the Lord with all thine heart; and leane not vnto thine owne vnderſtanding.

⁶ ** 1. Chron. 28.9. In all thy wayes acknowledge him, and he ſhall direct thy pathes.

⁷ ¶ ** Rom. 12.16. Be not wiſe in thine owne eyes: feare the Lord, and depart from euill.

⁸ It ſhalbe †† Hebr. medicine. health to thy nauill, and †† Hebr. watring, or moyſtning. marrow to thy bones.

⁹ ** Exod. 23.19. and 34.36. deut. 26.2. &c. mala. 3.10. &c. luke 14.13. Honour the Lord with thy ſubſtance, and with the firſt fruits of all thine increaſe.

¹⁰ ** Deut. 28.8. So ſhall thy barnes be filled with plenty, and thy preſſes ſhall burſt out with new wine.

¹¹ ¶ ** Iob 5.17. hebr. 12.5. apoc. 3.19. My ſonne, deſpiſe not the chaſtening of the Lord: neither be weary of this correction.

¹² For whom the Lord loueth, he correcteth, euen as a father the ſonne, in whom he delighteth.

¹³ ¶ Happy is the man that findeth wiſedome, and †† Hebr. the man that draweth out vnderſtanding. the man that getteth vnderſtanding.

¹⁴ ** Iob 28.15. &c. pſal. 19.10. pro.8.verſ.11. and 19. and 16.16. For the merchandiſe of it is better than the merchandiſe of ſiluer, and the gaine thereof, then fine gold.

¹⁵ She is more precious than Rubies: and all the things thou canſt deſire, are not to be compared vnto her.

¹⁶ Length of dayes is in her right hand: and in her left hand, riches and honour.

¹⁷ Her wayes are wayes of pleſantneſſe: and all her pathes are peace.

¹⁸ She is a tree of life, to them that lay hold vpon her: and happy is euery one that retaineth her.

¹⁹ The Lord by wiſdome hath founded the earth; by vnderſtanding hath he ǁǁ Or, prepared eſtabliſhed the heauens.

²⁰ By his knowledge the depthes are broken vp; and the cloudes droppe downe the dew.

²¹ ¶ My ſonne, let not them depart from thine eyes: keepe ſound wiſdome and diſcretion.

²² So ſhall they bee life vnto thy ſoule, and grace to thy necke.

²³ ** Pſal. 27.24. and 91.11. Then ſhalt thou walke in thy way ſafely, ⁊ thy foot ſhall not ſtumble.

²⁴ When thou lyeſt downe, thou ſhalt not be afraide: yea, thou ſhalt lye downe, and thy ſleepe ſhalbe ſweet. Page:BibleKJV1611-011.pdf/62 Page:BibleKJV1611-011.pdf/63

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