Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.
The parables 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 know wisdom, and instruction:
3 They provide education in what makes sense, living right, judging correctly, and acting fairly.
To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:
4 They give discernment to the immature, knowledge and discretion to the young.
To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.
5 Wise people will listen and gain in learning, and those who have good judgment will gain skills in guidance,
A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth, shall possess governments.
6 understanding the proverbs and puzzles, the sayings and questions of the wise.
He shall understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious 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 beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, pay attention to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching.
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 They are a wreath of grace to decorate your head; they are pendants for your neck.
That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.
10 My son, if evil people try to tempt you, don't give into them.
My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to 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 shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:
Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit. (Sheol h7585)
13 We'll take from them all kinds of valuable things and fill our homes with the stuff we steal!
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.
14 Come and join us and we'll all share what we get!”
Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.
15 My son, don't follow their ways. Don't go in that direction with them.
My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.
16 For they rush to do evil; they hurry to commit violence and murder.
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 There's no point in trying to lure birds into a net when they can see it.
But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.
18 However, these evil people hide ready to kill others, but they themselves are the victims. They're only ambushing themselves!
And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.
19 This is what happens to you if you try to become rich through crime—it kills you!
So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.
20 Wisdom calls out in the streets; she shouts aloud in the squares.
Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 She cries out at busy corners; she explains her message at the town gates:
At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:
22 “How long will you stupid people love stupidity? How long will scornful people enjoy their mocking? How long will fools hate knowledge?
O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate 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.
Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.
24 For I have called you, but you refused to listen; I reached out my hand to you, but you didn't care.
Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.
25 You ignored everything I said; you wouldn't accept any of my warnings.
You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.
26 So I'll laugh at you when you're in trouble; I'll mock you when you're in a panic.
I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.
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 sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon 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 shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning and shall not find me:
29 Why?—because they hated knowledge, and they didn't choose to respect the Lord.
Because they have hated instruction and received not the fear of the Lord,
30 They're not willing to accept my advice; they despise all my warnings.
Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.
31 So they'll have to eat the fruit of their own choices, bloated by their own devious schemes.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices.
32 Stupid people are killed by their rebellion; foolish people are destroyed by their lack of concern.
The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 But everyone who listens to me will be kept safe, and will live without worrying about problems.”
But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.
