Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 They are for achieving wisdom and instruction, and to recognize sayings that bring insight.
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 They provide education in what makes sense, living right, judging correctly, and acting fairly.
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 They give discernment to the immature, knowledge and discretion to the young.
For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
5 Wise people will listen and gain in learning, and those who have good judgment will gain skills in guidance,
(The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
6 understanding the proverbs and puzzles, the sayings and questions of the wise.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 Honoring the Lord is where true knowledge begins, but fools treat wisdom and good advice with contempt.
Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
8 My son, pay attention to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching.
Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
9 They are a wreath of grace to decorate your head; they are pendants for your neck.
For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
10 My son, if evil people try to tempt you, don't give into them.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
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, 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'll take from them all kinds of valuable things and fill our homes with the stuff we steal!
We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Come and join us and we'll all share what we get!”
You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
15 My son, don't follow their ways. Don't go in that direction with them.
My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,
16 For they rush to do evil; they hurry to commit violence and murder.
For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.
17 There's no point in trying to lure birds into a net when they can see it.
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 However, these evil people hide ready to kill others, but they themselves are the victims. They're only ambushing themselves!
And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.
19 This is what happens to you if you try to become rich through crime—it kills you!
So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom calls out in the streets; she shouts aloud in the squares.
Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
21 She cries out at busy corners; she explains her message at the town gates:
She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
22 “How long will you stupid people love stupidity? How long will scornful people enjoy their mocking? How long will fools hate knowledge?
“Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools 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 back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with 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 I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 You ignored everything I said; you wouldn't accept any of my warnings.
And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
26 So I'll laugh at you when you're in trouble; I'll mock you when you're in a panic.
I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
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 as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress 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 they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
29 Why?—because they hated knowledge, and they didn't choose to respect the Lord.
Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
30 They're not willing to accept my advice; they despise all my warnings.
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 So they'll have to eat the fruit of their own choices, bloated by their own devious schemes.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
32 Stupid people are killed by their rebellion; foolish people are destroyed by their lack of concern.
For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
33 But everyone who listens to me will be kept safe, and will live without worrying about problems.”
And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
