Proverbs 1
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,
For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
5 let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
(The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
6 by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
9 For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
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, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
12 let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. (Sheol h7585)
We swallow them as Sheol—alive, And whole—as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)
13 We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.
We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—
You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
15 my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.
My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,
16 For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.
17 How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.
19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
21 in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:
She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?
“Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools hate 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.
Turn back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with you.
24 Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
Because I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
26 in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
27 when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
When your fear comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress 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 they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
29 For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.
Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
30 They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”
And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
