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The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.

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To have knowledge of wise teaching to be clear about the words of reason:

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To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:

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To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:

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(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:)

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To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.

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The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.

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My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:

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For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.

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My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.

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If they say, Come with us let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause

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Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death

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Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth

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Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:

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My son, do not go with them keep your feet from their ways:

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For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.

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Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:

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And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.

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Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit it takes away the life of its owners.

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Wisdom is crying out in the street her voice is loud in the open places

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Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:

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How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?

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Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.

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Because your ears were shut to my voice no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand

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You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:

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So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing I will make sport of your fear

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When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind when pain and sorrow come on you.

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Then I will give no answer to their cries searching for me early, they will not see me:

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For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:

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They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.

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So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.

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For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.

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But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.