Page 408 - Wisdom and Sound Advice from the Torah

WISDOM AND SOUND ADVICE FROM THE TORAH

Proverbs

The proverbs of Solomon... for at tain ing wis dom and dis ci pline;
for un der stand ing words of in sight; for ac quir ing a dis ci plined
and pru dent life, do ing what is right and just and fair; for giv -

ing pru dence to the sim ple, knowl edge and dis cre tion to the
young. Let the wise lis ten and add to their learn ing, and let the
dis cern ing get gui dance... (Proverbs, 1:1-6)

The fear of the Lord is the be gin ning of knowl edge, but fools
de spise wis dom and dis ci pline... My son, if sin ners en tice you,

do not give in to them. If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie
in wait for some one's blood, let's way lay some harm less soul...
we will get all sorts of val u a ble things and fill our hous es with
plun der; throw in your lot with us, and we will share a com mon
purse." My son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on
their paths; for their feet run to evil, they are swift to shed blood...
These men lie in wait for their own blood; they way lay on ly
them selves! Such is the end of all who go aft er ill-got ten gain;
it takes away the lives of those who get it. (Proverbs, 1:7-19)

Wisdom calls aloud in the street... How long will you sim ple ones
love your sim ple ways? How long will mock ers de light in mock -
ery and fools hate knowl edge? If you had re spond ed to my re -
buke, I would... made My thoughts known to you. But since you
re ject ed Me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched

out My hand, since you ig nored all My ad vice and would not ac -
cept My re buke [God is beyond that], since they hat ed knowl edge
and did not choose to fear the Lord, since they would not ac cept
My ad vice and spurned My re buke, they will eat the fruit of their
ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the way -

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