Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.
The 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 the knowledge of wisdom and correction, for discerning the sayings of intelligence;
3 They provide education in what makes sense, living right, judging correctly, and acting fairly.
For receiving the correction of prudence, righteousness and justice, and equity;
4 They give discernment to the immature, knowledge and discretion to the young.
For giving To the simple shrewdness, To the young man, knowledge and discretion.
5 Wise people will listen and gain in learning, and those who have good judgment will gain skills in guidance,
A wise man, will hear, and will increase learning, and a, discreet man, wise counsels, will acquire,
6 understanding the proverbs and puzzles, the sayings and questions of the wise.
By gaining discernment of proverb, and satire, 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 reverence of Yahweh, is the beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and correction, the foolish have despised.
8 My son, pay attention to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching.
Hear, my son, the correction of thy father, and do not reject the instruction of thy mother;
9 They are a wreath of grace to decorate your head; they are pendants for your neck.
For, a wreath of beauty, shall they be to thy head, and chains of ornament, to thy neck.
10 My son, if evil people try to tempt you, don't give into them.
My son, if sinners entice thee, do not consent.
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 lie in wait for blood, Let us watch in secret for him who is needlessly innocent;
Let us engulf them, like hades, alive, While in health, like them who are 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!
All costly substance, shall we find, We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Come and join us and we'll all share what we get!”
Thy lot, shalt thou cast into our midst, One purse, shall there be, for us all.
15 My son, don't follow their ways. Don't go in that direction with them.
My son, do not walk in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path.
16 For they rush to do evil; they hurry to commit violence and murder.
For, their feet, to mischief, do run, and haste to the shedding of blood.
17 There's no point in trying to lure birds into a net when they can see it.
Surely, in vain, is spread the net, in the sight of aught that hath wings!
18 However, these evil people hide ready to kill others, but they themselves are the victims. They're only ambushing themselves!
Yet, they, for their own blood, lie in wait, They watch in secret for their own life.
19 This is what happens to you if you try to become rich through crime—it kills you!
Such are the ways of every one that graspeth with greed, The life of the owners thereof, it taketh away!
20 Wisdom calls out in the streets; she shouts aloud in the squares.
Wisdom, in the open place, soundeth forth, in the broadways, she raiseth her voice;
21 She cries out at busy corners; she explains her message at the town gates:
At the head of bustling streets, she crieth aloud, —at the openings of the gates in the city—her sayings, she doth utter: —
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, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and, scoffers, in scoffing, delight them? and, dullards, 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.
Will ye turn, at my reproof? Lo! I will pour out to you my spirit, I will make known my words 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 I called, and ye refused, I stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;
25 You ignored everything I said; you wouldn't accept any of my warnings.
But ye dismissed all my counsel, and, to my rebuke, would not yield,
26 So I'll laugh at you when you're in trouble; I'll mock you when you're in a panic.
I also, at your calamity, will laugh, I will mock, when cometh your dread;
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 cometh as a crashing your dread, and, your calamity, as a storm-wind, overtaketh, when there come upon you, distress and anguish.
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, will they call me, but I will not answer, they will seek me diligently, but shall not find me.
29 Why?—because they hated knowledge, and they didn't choose to respect the Lord.
Because they hated knowledge, and, the reverence of Yahweh, did not choose;
30 They're not willing to accept my advice; they despise all my warnings.
Consented not to my counsel, disdained all my rebuke,
31 So they'll have to eat the fruit of their own choices, bloated by their own devious schemes.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and, with their own counsels, be filled.
32 Stupid people are killed by their rebellion; foolish people are destroyed by their lack of concern.
For, the turning away of the simple, will slay them, —and, the carelessness of dullards, will destroy them.
33 But everyone who listens to me will be kept safe, and will live without worrying about problems.”
Whereas, he that hearkeneth unto me, shall dwell safely, and be at rest, without dread of misfortune.
