Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.
The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 They are for achieving wisdom and instruction, and to recognize sayings that bring insight.
To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
3 They provide education in what makes sense, living right, judging correctly, and acting fairly.
To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
4 They give discernment to the immature, knowledge and discretion to the young.
To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
5 Wise people will listen and gain in learning, and those who have good judgment will gain skills in guidance,
(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided: )
6 understanding the proverbs and puzzles, the sayings and questions of the wise.
To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 Honoring the Lord is where true knowledge begins, but fools treat wisdom and good advice with contempt.
The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
8 My son, pay attention to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching.
My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
9 They are a wreath of grace to decorate your head; they are pendants for your neck.
For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if evil people try to tempt you, don't give into them.
My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.
11 They may tell you, “Come with us. Let's go and hide, ready to kill someone. Let's ambush someone for fun!
If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; (Sheol h7585)
13 We'll take from them all kinds of valuable things and fill our homes with the stuff we steal!
Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
14 Come and join us and we'll all share what we get!”
Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
15 My son, don't follow their ways. Don't go in that direction with them.
My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
16 For they rush to do evil; they hurry to commit violence and murder.
For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
17 There's no point in trying to lure birds into a net when they can see it.
Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
18 However, these evil people hide ready to kill others, but they themselves are the victims. They're only ambushing themselves!
And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
19 This is what happens to you if you try to become rich through crime—it kills you!
Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom calls out in the streets; she shouts aloud in the squares.
Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
21 She cries out at busy corners; she explains her message at the town gates:
Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
22 “How long will you stupid people love stupidity? How long will scornful people enjoy their mocking? How long will fools hate knowledge?
How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?
23 Pay attention to my warnings, and I'll pour out my deepest thoughts to you—I'll explain what I know to you.
Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
24 For I have called you, but you refused to listen; I reached out my hand to you, but you didn't care.
Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
25 You ignored everything I said; you wouldn't accept any of my warnings.
You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
26 So I'll laugh at you when you're in trouble; I'll mock you when you're in a panic.
So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
27 When panic rains down on you like a storm, when trouble hits you like a whirlwind, when sorrow and pain come on you,
When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.
28 then you'll call out to me for help, but I won't answer; you'll search hard for me, but won't find me.
Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
29 Why?—because they hated knowledge, and they didn't choose to respect the Lord.
For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
30 They're not willing to accept my advice; they despise all my warnings.
They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
31 So they'll have to eat the fruit of their own choices, bloated by their own devious schemes.
So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
32 Stupid people are killed by their rebellion; foolish people are destroyed by their lack of concern.
For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
33 But everyone who listens to me will be kept safe, and will live without worrying about problems.”
But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.
