Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, the king of Israel.
2 They are for achieving wisdom and instruction, and to recognize sayings that bring insight.
These proverbs are to teach wisdom and instruction, to teach words of insight,
3 They provide education in what makes sense, living right, judging correctly, and acting fairly.
that you may receive instruction in order to live by doing what is right, just, and fair.
4 They give discernment to the immature, knowledge and discretion to the young.
These proverbs are also to give wisdom to the naive, and to give knowledge and discretion to young people.
5 Wise people will listen and gain in learning, and those who have good judgment will gain skills in guidance,
Let wise people listen and increase their learning, and let discerning people get guidance,
6 understanding the proverbs and puzzles, the sayings and questions of the wise.
to understand proverbs, sayings, and words of wise people and their riddles.
7 Honoring the Lord is where true knowledge begins, but fools treat wisdom and good advice with contempt.
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge— 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 your father and do not lay aside the rules of your mother;
9 They are a wreath of grace to decorate your head; they are pendants for your neck.
they will be a graceful wreath for your head and pendants hanging from your neck.
10 My son, if evil people try to tempt you, don't give into them.
My son, if sinners try to entice you into their sin, refuse to follow 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 lie in wait for blood, let us hide and attack innocent people for no reason.
Let us swallow them up alive, like Sheol takes away those who are healthy, and make them like those who fall 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 kinds of valuable things; we will fill our houses with what we steal from others.
14 Come and join us and we'll all share what we get!”
Throw in your lot with us; we will all have one purse together.”
15 My son, don't follow their ways. Don't go in that direction with them.
My son, do not walk down that road with them; do not let your foot touch where they walk;
16 For they rush to do evil; they hurry to commit violence and murder.
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.
For it is useless to spread the net in the sight of any bird.
18 However, these evil people hide ready to kill others, but they themselves are the victims. They're only ambushing themselves!
These men lie in wait for their own blood— they set an ambush 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 ways of everyone who gains riches by injustice; unjust gain takes away the lives of those who hold on to it.
20 Wisdom calls out in the streets; she shouts aloud in the squares.
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the open places;
21 She cries out at busy corners; she explains her message at the town gates:
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the entrance of the city gates she speaks,
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 naive people, will you love being naive? How long, you mockers, will you delight in mockery, and how long, you fools, will you 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.
Pay attention to my correction; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known 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.
I have called, and you have refused to listen; I reached out with my hand, but there was no one who paid attention.
25 You ignored everything I said; you wouldn't accept any of my warnings.
But you have ignored all my instruction and paid no attention to my correction.
26 So I'll laugh at you when you're in trouble; I'll mock you when you're in a panic.
I will laugh at your calamity, I will mock you when the terror 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 fearful dread comes like a storm and disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish 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 they will call upon me, and I will not answer; they will desperately call for me, but they will not find me.
29 Why?—because they hated knowledge, and they didn't choose to respect the Lord.
Because they hate knowledge and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,
30 They're not willing to accept my advice; they despise all my warnings.
they would not follow my instruction, and they despised all my correction.
31 So they'll have to eat the fruit of their own choices, bloated by their own devious schemes.
They will eat the fruit of their ways, and with the fruit of their schemes they will be filled.
32 Stupid people are killed by their rebellion; foolish people are destroyed by their lack of concern.
For the naive are killed when they turn away, and the indifference of fools will destroy them.
33 But everyone who listens to me will be kept safe, and will live without worrying about problems.”
But whoever listens to me will live in safety and will rest secure with no fear of disaster.”
