Proverbs 1
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
3 to receive the instruction of wisdom, righteousness and judgment, and equity;
and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.
4 to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,
5 He that is wise will hear, and will increase learning; and the intelligent will gain wise counsels:
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
6 to understand a proverb and an allegory, the words of the wise and their enigmas.
by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
9 for they shall be a garland of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent not.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
12 let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. (Sheol h7585)
13 we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.
14 cast in thy lot among us; we will all have one purse:
Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—
15 — my son, walk not in the way with them, keep back thy foot from their path;
my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.
16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
17 For in vain the net is spread in the sight of anything which hath wings.
How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!
18 And these lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives.
But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
19 So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain: it taketh away the life of its possessors.
Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
20 Wisdom crieth without; she raiseth her voice in the broadways;
Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
21 she calleth in the chief [place] of concourse, in the entry of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words:
in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:
22 How long, simple ones, will ye love simpleness, and scorners take pleasure in their scorning, and the foolish hate knowledge?
“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you, I will make known to you my words.
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.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;
Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
25 and ye have rejected all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
26 I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
27 when your fear cometh as sudden destruction, and your calamity cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you:
when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
28 — then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, and shall not find me.
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah;
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.
30 they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof:
They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
31 therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way, and be filled with their own devices.
So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall cause them to perish.
For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from fear of evil.
But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”
