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 doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth 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 Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
8 My son, pay attention to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching.
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,
9 They are a wreath of grace to decorate your head; they are pendants for your neck.
For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10 My son, if evil people try to tempt you, don't give into them.
My son, if sinners entice thee be not 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!
Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Come and join us and we'll all share what we get!”
Thy lot thou dost cast 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! go not 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 evil do run, And they haste 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 for their own blood lay wait, 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, The life of its owners it taketh.
20 Wisdom calls out in the streets; she shouts aloud in the squares.
Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
21 She cries out at busy corners; she explains her message at the town gates:
At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
22 “How long will you stupid people love stupidity? How long will scornful people enjoy their mocking? How long will fools hate knowledge?
'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? 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, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, 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 ye 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 ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
26 So I'll laugh at you when you're in trouble; I'll mock you when you're in a panic.
I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,
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 cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.
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 find me not.
29 Why?—because they hated knowledge, and they didn't choose to respect the Lord.
Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
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 from their own counsels they are filled.
32 Stupid people are killed by their rebellion; foolish people are destroyed by their lack of concern.
For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
33 But everyone who listens to me will be kept safe, and will live without worrying about problems.”
And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'
