1  ^uPraise the Lord!

Sing to the Lord ^va new song,

his praise in ^wthe assembly of the godly!

2  Let Israel ^xbe glad in ^yhis Maker;

let the children of Zion rejoice in their ^zKing!

3  Let them praise his name with ^adancing,

making melody to him with ^btambourine and ^clyre!

4  For the Lord ^dtakes pleasure in his people;

he ^eadorns the humble with salvation.

5  Let the godly exult in glory;

let them ^fsing for joy on their ^gbeds.

6  Let ^hthe high praises of God be in their throats

and ⁱtwo-edged swords in their hands,

7  to execute vengeance on the nations

and punishments on the peoples,

8  to bind their kings with ^jchains

and their nobles with fetters of iron,

9  to execute on them the judgment ^kwritten!

^lThis is honor for all his godly ones.

^uPraise the Lord!

1  ^uPraise the Lord!

Praise God in his ^msanctuary;

praise him in ⁿhis mighty heavens!¹

2  Praise him for his ^omighty deeds;

praise him according to his excellent ^pgreatness!

3  Praise him with ^qtrumpet sound;

praise him with ^rlute and ^rharp!

4  Praise him with ^stambourine and ^sdance;

praise him with ^tstrings and ^upipe!

5  Praise him with sounding ^vcymbals;

praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

6  Let ^weverything that has breath praise the Lord!

^xPraise the Lord!

2  To know wisdom and instruction,

to understand words of insight,

3  to receive instruction in wise dealing,

in righteousness, justice, and equity;

4  to give prudence to the simple,

knowledge and discretion to the youth—

5  Let the wise hear and increase in learning,

and the one who understands obtain guidance,

6  to understand a proverb and a saying,

the words of the wise and their riddles.

7  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8  Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,

and forsake not your mother’s teaching,

9  for they are a graceful garland for your head

and pendants for your neck.

10  My son, if sinners entice you,

do not consent.

11  If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;

let us ambush the innocent without reason;

12  like Sheol let us swallow them alive,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13  we shall find all precious goods,

we shall fill our houses with plunder;

14  throw in your lot among us;

we will all have one purse”—

15  my son, do not walk in the way with them;

hold back your foot from their paths,

16  for their feet run to evil,

and they make haste to shed blood.

17  For in vain is a net spread

in the sight of any bird,

18  but these men lie in wait for their own blood;

they set an ambush for their own lives.

19  Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;

it takes away the life of its possessors.

20  Wisdom cries aloud in the street,

in the markets she raises her voice;

21  at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;

at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

22  “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

and fools hate knowledge?

23  If you turn at my reproof,²

behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you.

24  Because I have called and you refused to listen,

have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

25  because you have ignored all my counsel

and would have none of my reproof,

26  I also will laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when terror strikes you,

27  when terror strikes you like a storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

28  Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

29  Because they hated knowledge

and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

30  would have none of my counsel

and despised all my reproof,

31  therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,

and have their fill of their own devices.

32  For the simple are killed by their turning away,

and the complacency of fools destroys them;

33  but whoever listens to me will dwell secure

and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”