Proverbs 1
1 The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom, and instruction:
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.
For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
5 A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth, shall possess governments.
(The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
6 He shall understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.
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. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
9 That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.
For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
10 My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
11 If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for 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 him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit. (Sheol h7585)
We swallow them as Sheol—alive, And whole—as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.
We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.
You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
15 My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.
My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.
17 But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.
And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.
19 So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.
So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:
Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
21 At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:
She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
22 O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?
“Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.
Turn back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with you.
24 Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.
Because I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.
And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
26 I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.
I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
27 When sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon you:
When your fear comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress come on you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning and shall not find me:
Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
29 Because they have hated instruction and received not the fear of the Lord,
Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
30 Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
32 The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
33 But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.
And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
