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 doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth 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 Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,
9 For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
My son, if sinners entice thee be not 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.
Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—
Thy lot thou dost cast 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! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
16 For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
For their feet to evil do run, And they haste 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 for their own blood lay wait, 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, The life of its owners it taketh.
20 Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
21 in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:
At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?
'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? 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, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, 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 ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
26 in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,
27 when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.
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 find me not.
29 For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.
Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
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 from their own counsels they are filled.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”
And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'
