Proverbs 1
1599 Geneva Bible
The [a]Proverbs of Solomon
1 2 The power and use of the word of God. 7 Of the fear of God and knowledge of his word. 10 We may not consent to the enticings of sinners. 20 Wisdom complaineth that she is contemned. 24 The punishment of them that contemn her.
1 The Parables of Solomon the son of David king of Israel,
2 To know wisdom, [b]and instruction, to understand the words [c]of knowledge,
3 To receive [d]instruction to do wisely, by [e]justice and judgment and equity,
4 To give unto the [f]simple sharpness of wit, and to the child knowledge and discretion.
5 And wise man shall hear and increase in learning, and a man of [g]understanding shall attain unto wise counsels,
6 To understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 ¶ (A)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear thy [h]father’s instruction, and forsake not thy [i]mother’s teaching.
9 For they shall be [j]a comely ornament unto thine head, and as chains for thy neck.
10 ¶ My son, [k]if sinners do entice thee, consent thou not.
11 If they say, Come with us, we will lay wait for [l]blood, and lie privily for the innocent without a cause:
12 We will swallow them up alive like a [m]grave, even whole, as those that go down into the pit:
13 We shall find all precious riches, and fill our houses with spoil:
14 Cast in thy lot among us, we will all have one [n]purse:
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them: refrain thy foot from their [o]path.
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 Certainly as without cause the net is spread before the eyes of all that hath wing:
18 So they lay wait for blood, and lie privily for [p]their lives.
19 Such are the ways of everyone that is greedy of gain: he would take away [q]the life of the owners thereof.
20 ¶ [r]Wisdom crieth without: she uttereth her voice in the [s]streets.
21 She calleth in the high street, among the prease in the enterings of the gates, and uttereth her words in the city, saying,
22 O ye [t]foolish, how long will ye love foolishness? and the scornful take their pleasure in scorning? and the fools hate knowledge?
23 (Turn you at my correction: lo, I will pour out my mind unto you, and make you understand my words.)
24 Because I have called, and ye refused: I have stretched out mine hand, and none would regard.
25 But ye have despised all my counsel, and would none of my correction,
26 I will also [u]laugh at your destruction, and mock when your fear cometh.
27 When [v]your fear cometh like sudden desolation, and your destruction shall come like a whirlwind: when affliction and anguish shall come upon you,
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer: they shall seek me early, but they shall not [w]find me,
29 Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30 They would none of my counsel, but [x]despised all my correction.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the [y]fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For [z]ease slayeth the foolish, and the prosperity of fools destroyeth them.
33 But he that obeyeth me, shall dwell safely, and be quiet from fear of evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:1 This word Proverb, or Parable, signifieth a grave and notable sentence, worthy to be kept in memory: and is sometimes taken in the evil part for a mock or scoff.
- Proverbs 1:2 That is, what we ought to know and follow, and what we ought to refuse.
- Proverbs 1:2 Meaning, the word of God wherein is the only true knowledge.
- Proverbs 1:3 To learn to submit ourselves to the correction of those that are wise.
- Proverbs 1:3 By living justly and rendering to every man that which appertaineth unto him.
- Proverbs 1:4 To such as have no discretion to rule themselves.
- Proverbs 1:5 As he showeth that these parables containing the effect of religion as touching manners and doctrine, do appertain to the simple people: so doth he declare that the same is also necessary for them that are wise and learned.
- Proverbs 1:8 He speaketh this in the Name of God, which is the universal Father of all creatures, or in the name of the pastor of the Church, who is as a father.
- Proverbs 1:8 That is, of the Church, wherein the faithful are begotten by the incorruptible seed of God’s word.
- Proverbs 1:9 Hebrew, increase of grace.
- Proverbs 1:10 To wit, the wicked which have not the fear of God.
- Proverbs 1:11 He speaketh not only of the shedding of blood with hand, but of all crafty practices which tend to the detriment of our neighbor.
- Proverbs 1:12 As the grave is never satiated, so the avarice of the wicked and their cruelty hath none end.
- Proverbs 1:14 He showeth whereby the wicked are allured to join together, because they have every one part of the spoil of the innocent.
- Proverbs 1:15 That is, have nothing at all to do with them.
- Proverbs 1:18 He showeth that there is no cause to move these wicked to spoil the innocent, but their avarice and cruelty.
- Proverbs 1:19 Whereby he concludeth, that the covetous man is a murderer.
- Proverbs 1:20 This wisdom is the eternal word of God.
- Proverbs 1:20 So that none can pretend ignorance.
- Proverbs 1:22 Wisdom reproveth three kinds of men: the foolish or simple which err of ignorance, and the mockers that cannot suffer to be taught, and the fools which are drowned in worldly lusts and hate the knowledge of godliness.
- Proverbs 1:26 This is spoken according to our capacity, signifying that the wicked, which mock and jest at God’s word, shall have the just reward of their mocking.
- Proverbs 1:27 That is, your destruction, which thing you feared.
- Proverbs 1:28 Because they sought not with an affection to God, but for ease of their own grief.
- Proverbs 1:30 Showing that without faith and obedience, we can not call upon God aright.
- Proverbs 1:31 They shall feel what commodity their wicked life shall give them.
- Proverbs 1:32 That is, the prosperity and sensuality wherein they delight.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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