< Proverbs 1 >
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
3 and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.
To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
4 To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,
To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
5 let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided: )
6 by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
9 For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.
11 If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
12 let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. (Sheol )
Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; (Sheol )
13 We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.
Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
14 Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—
Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
15 my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.
My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
16 For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
17 How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!
Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
21 in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:
Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?
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?
23 If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.
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.
24 Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
25 because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
26 in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
27 when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.
28 Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
29 For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.
For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
30 They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
31 So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
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.
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”
But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.