Proverbs 1
1 The parables of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel,
THE PROVERBS of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2 in order to know wisdom and discipline,
To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the words of understanding;
3 to understand words of prudence, and to accept the instruction of doctrine, justice and judgment, and equity,
To receive the discipline of wisdom, justice, and right, and equity;
4 so as to give discernment to little ones, knowledge and understanding to adolescents.
To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion;
5 By listening, the wise shall become wiser and the intelligent shall possess governments.
That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning, and the man of understanding may attain unto wise counsels;
6 He shall turn his soul to a parable and to its interpretation, to the words of the wise and their enigmas.
To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The foolish despise wisdom as well as doctrine.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and discipline.
8 Listen, my son, to the discipline of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother,
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
9 so that grace may be added to your head and a collar to your neck.
For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners should entice you, do not consent to them.
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
11 If they should say: “Come with us. We will lie in wait for blood. We will lay traps against the innocent, without cause.
If they say: 'Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk for the innocent without cause;
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 We will discover every precious substance. We will fill our houses with spoils.
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast your lot with us. One purse will be for us all.”
Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse' —
15 My son, do not walk with them. Preclude your feet from their paths.
My son, walk not thou in the way with them, restrain thy foot from their path;
16 For their feet rush to evil, and they hurry to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 But a net is thrown in vain before the eyes of those who have wings.
For in vain the net is spread in the eyes of any bird;
18 Likewise, they lie in ambush against their own blood, and they undertake deceits against their own souls.
And these lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk for their own lives.
19 Thus, the ways of all those who are greedy seize the souls of those who possess.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; it taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
20 Wisdom forewarns far and wide; she bestows her voice in the streets.
Wisdom crieth aloud in the streets, she uttereth her voice in the broad places;
21 She cries out at the head of crowds; at the entrance of the gates of the city, she offers her words, saying:
She calleth at the head of the noisy streets, at the entrances of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:
22 “Little ones, how long will you choose to be childish, and how long will the foolish desire what is harmful to themselves, and how long will the imprudent hate knowledge?
'How long, ye thoughtless, will ye love thoughtlessness? And how long will scorners delight them in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Be converted by my correction. Lo, I will offer my spirit to you, and I will reveal my words to you.
Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 For I called, and you refused. I extended my hand, and there was no one who watched.
Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man attended,
25 You have despised all my counsels, and you have neglected my rebukes.
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof;
26 Similarly, I will ridicule you at your demise, and I will mock you, when that which you feared shall overcome you.
I also, in your calamity, will laugh, I will mock when your dread cometh;
27 When sudden calamity rushes upon you, and your demise advances like a tempest, when tribulation and anguish overcome you,
When your dread cometh as a storm, and your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; when trouble and distress come upon you.
28 then they will call to me, and I will not heed, they will arise in the morning, and not find me.
Then will they call me, but I will not answer, they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me.
29 For they held hatred for discipline, and they would not accept the fear of the Lord;
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD;
30 they would not consent to my counsel, but they detracted from all of my corrections.
They would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their way, and they shall have their fill of their own counsels.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 The loathing of the little ones shall destroy them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall perish them.
For the waywardness of the thoughtless shall slay them, and the confidence of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoever will listen to me shall rest without terror, and shall have full enjoyment of abundance, without fear of evils.”
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil.'
