Proverbs The prouerbes of Solomon the sonne of Dauid, kyng of Israel

Bishops⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ The prouerbes of Solomon the sonne of Dauid, kyng of Israel ² To learne wisdome and instruction, & to perceaue the wordes of vnderstandyng ³ To receaue the instruction of wisdome, iustice, iudgement, and equitie ⁴ To geue wyt vnto the simple, and that the young men myght haue knowledge and vnderstandyng ⁵ The wise man wyll geue eare, and wyll come by more wisdome, and he that is endued with vnderstanding shal attayne vnto [wise] counsayles ⁶ To vnderstande a parable, and the interpretation therof, the wordes of the wise, and their darke speaches ⁷ The feare of the Lorde is the begynnyng of knowledge: but fooles dispise wisdome and instruction ⁸ My sonne, heare thy fathers doctrine, & forsake not the lawe of thy mother ⁹ For they shalbe an encrease of grace vnto thy head, and [as] a chayne about thy necke ¹⁰ My sonne, if sinners entice thee, consent not vnto them ¹¹ If they say, come with vs, let vs lay wayte for blood, and lurke priuily for the innocent without a cause ¹² Let vs swallowe them vp lyke the graue quicke and whole, as those that go downe into the pit ¹³ So shall we finde all maner of costly riches, and fill our houses with spoyles ¹⁴ Cast in thy lot among vs, and let vs all haue one purse ¹⁵ My sonne, walke not thou with them, refrayne thy foote from their wayes ¹⁶ For their feete runne to euyll, and are hasty to shed blood ¹⁷ But [as] in vayne, the nette is layde foorth before the birdes eyes ¹⁸ So these lay wayte for the blood of them, and lye priuily for their liues ¹⁹ Such [are] the wayes of euery one that is greedie of gayne, who taketh away the life of the owner therof ²⁰ Wisdome cryeth without, and putteth foorth her voyce in the streetes ²¹ She calleth before the congregation in the open gates, and sheweth her wordes through the citie, saying ²² O ye children, howe long wyll ye loue childishnesse? howe long wyll the scorners delite in scornyng, and the vnwise hate knowledge ²³ O turne you at my correction: lo I wyll expresse my mynde vnto you, and make you vnderstande my wordes ²⁴ Because I haue called, and ye refused, I haue stretched out my hande, and no man regarded ²⁵ But all my counsels haue ye dispised, and set my correction at naught ²⁶ Therfore wyll I also laugh at your destruction, and mocke you, when the thyng that ye feare commeth vpon you ²⁷ Euen when the thyng that ye be afraide of falleth in sodenly like a storme, and your miserie lyke a tempest, yea when trouble and heauinesse commeth vpon you ²⁸ Then shall they call vpon me, but I wyll not aunswere: they shall seeke me early, but they shall not finde me ²⁹ And that because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the feare of the Lorde ³⁰ They woulde none of my counsayle, but dispised all my correction ³¹ Therfore shall they eate of the fruite of their owne way, and be fylled with their owne inuentions ³² For the turnyng away of the vnwise shall slay them, and the prosperitie of fooles shall destroy them ³³ But whoso hearkeneth vnto me, shal dwell safely, and be sure from any feare of euyll