[Instrumental Intro, 8 bars, guitar and dulcimer no fiddle] [Intro, Spoken Word, Male] The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To make known wisdom and discipline; to make words of understanding; to gain an intelligently disciplined life, righteousness, and justice, and fairness; To provide cleverness to the simpletons, a young man with knowledge and discretion. so that a wise man may hear, and increase his learning; and a discerning man acquire guidance: To understand a parable, and the proverb; the words of the wise, and their riddles. The fear of YAHWEH is the beginning of knowledge: but fools scorn wisdom and discipline. [Verse, Male Vocal Singing, Melodic] Hear, my son, the discipline of your father, and don't forsake the teaching of your mother: Because they are an adornment of grace for your head, and a chain for your neck. My son, if sinners seduce you, don't be enticed. If they say, Come with us, let us wait in ambush for bloodshed, let us lurk for an innocent one without cause: Like Sheol, let us swallow them up alive; and whole, like those that descend into the pit: We will find all their precious wealth, we will fill our houses with plunder: Throw in your lot among us; we'll have one purse: My son, don't you walk on the path with them; withhold your foot from their path: Because their feet run to evil, and rush to shed blood. Because the net seems spread out with free bait, sight of any bird. but they wait in ambush for their blood; they lurk for their lives. So are the ways of all robbers; they take the life of the owner of it. Wisdom sings out in the streets; she raises her voice in the squares She cries out at street corners and speaks out at entrances to city gates: in the city she speaks her words, [Chorus, Female Vocal Singing, Duet Harmony, Melodic] How long will y'all simpletons love foolishness? and scorners find pleasure in mocking, and hate knowledge? Return to my correction. See, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make my words known to you. Because I have called, and y'all refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one listened; But y'all have ignored all my counsel, and wouldn't accept my correction: I too will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror comes over you; When your fear comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind; when trouble and distress comes on you. then will they call on me, but I won't answer; they will search for me, but they won't find me: [Female Vocal Singing continues , Duet Harmony, Melodic] Because they hated knowledge, and didn't choose the fear of YAHWEH: They didn't desire of my counsel: they despised all my correction. So will they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be satisfied with their own schemes. Because the turning away of the simpleton will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. [Outro, Fiddle Enters Duet Singing, Melodic] But whoever listens to me will live securely, and will be undisturbed by fear of evil.
