Prov 1
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The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, who reigned in Israel;
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to know wisdom and instruction, and to perceive words of understanding;
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to receive also Gr. turnings; q. d. knotty words; See Heb. hard saying, and to understand true justice, and how to direct
judgement;
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that he might give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man Or, discretion discernment and understanding.
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For by the hearing of these a wise man will be wiser, and man of understanding will
gain direction;
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and will understand a parable, and a dark speech; the saying of the wise also, and
riddles.
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The fear of the Lord is the Or, sum, or, top beginning of wisdom; and there is good understanding to all that practise it:
and
piety toward God is the beginning of discernment; but the ungodly will set at nothing
wisdom and instruction.
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Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, and reject not the rules of your mother.
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For you shall receive for your head a crown of graces, and a chain of gold round your
neck.
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My son, let not ungodly men lead you astray, neither consent you to them.
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If they should exhort you, saying, Come with us, partake in blood, and let us unjustly
hide the just man in the earth:
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and let us swallow him alive, as Hades would, and remove the memorial of him from
the earth:
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let us seize on his valuable property, and let us fill our houses with spoils:
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but do you cast in your lot with us, and let us all provide a common purse, and let
us have one pouch:
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go not in the way with them, but turn aside your foot from their paths:
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Alex. For their feet run to do evil, and are swift to shed blood.
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for nets are not without cause spread for birds.
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For they that are concerned in murder store up evils for themselves; and the overthrow
of transgressors is evil.
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These are the ways of all that perform lawless deeds; for by ungodliness they destroy
their own life.
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Wisdom sings aloud in passages, and in the broad places speaks boldly.
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And she makes proclamation on the top of the walls, and sits by the gates of princes;
and at the gates of the city boldly says,
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So long as the simple cleave to justice, they shall not be ashamed: but the foolish
being lovers of haughtiness, having become ungodly have hated knowledge, and are become
subject to reproofs.
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Behold, I will bring forth to you the utterance of my breath, and I will instruct
you in my speech.
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Since I called, and you did not hearken; and I spoke at length, and you gave no heed;
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but you set at nothing my counsels, and disregarded my reproofs;
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therefore I also will laugh at your destruction; and I will rejoice against you when
ruin comes upon you:
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yea when dismay suddenly comes upon you, and your overthrow shall arrive like a tempest;
and when tribulation and distress shall come upon you, or when ruin shall come upon
you.
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For it shall be that when you call upon me, I will not hearken to you: wicked men
shall seek me, but shall not find me.
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For they hated wisdom, and did not choose the word of the Lord:
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neither would they attend to my counsels, but derided my reproofs.
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Therefore shall they eat the fruits of their own way, and shall be filled with their
own ungodliness.
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For because they wronged the simple, they shall be slain; and an inquisition shall
ruin the ungodly.
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But he who hearkens to me shall dwell in Gr. hope; See Ps. 16 confidence, and shall rest securely from all evil.