Proverbs 1
1 The parables of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel,
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 in order to know wisdom and discipline,
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 to understand words of prudence, and to accept the instruction of doctrine, justice and judgment, and equity,
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 so as to give discernment to little ones, knowledge and understanding to adolescents.
For giving to simple ones — prudence, To a youth — knowledge and discretion.
5 By listening, the wise shall become wiser and the intelligent shall possess governments.
(The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)
6 He shall turn his soul to a parable and to its interpretation, to the words of the wise and their enigmas.
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 wisdom. The foolish despise wisdom as well as doctrine.
Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
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 leave not the law of thy mother,
9 so that grace may be added to your head and a collar to your neck.
For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners should entice you, do not consent to them.
My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.
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, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
We swallow them as Sheol — alive, And whole — as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)
13 We will discover every precious substance. We will fill our houses with spoils.
Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Cast your lot with us. One purse will be for us all.”
Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is — to all of us.'
15 My son, do not walk with them. Preclude your feet from their paths.
My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
16 For their feet rush to evil, and they hurry to shed blood.
For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.
17 But a net is thrown in vain before the eyes of those who have wings.
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 Likewise, they lie in ambush against their own blood, and they undertake deceits against their own souls.
And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives.
19 Thus, the ways of all those who are greedy seize the souls of those who possess.
So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.
20 Wisdom forewarns far and wide; she bestows her voice in the streets.
Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
21 She cries out at the head of crowds; at the entrance of the gates of the city, she offers her words, saying:
At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
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?
'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do 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 back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with 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 refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 You have despised all my counsels, and you have neglected my rebukes.
And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
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 do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,
27 When sudden calamity rushes upon you, and your demise advances like a tempest, when tribulation and anguish overcome 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 to me, and I will not heed, they will arise in the morning, and not find me.
Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.
29 For they held hatred for discipline, and they would not accept the fear of the Lord;
Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
30 they would not consent to my counsel, but they detracted from all of my corrections.
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their way, and they shall have their fill of their own counsels.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.
32 The loathing of the little ones shall destroy them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall perish them.
For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
33 But whoever will listen to me shall rest without terror, and shall have full enjoyment of abundance, without fear of evils.”
And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'
