Proverbs 1
1 THE PROVERBS of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the words of understanding;
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 To receive the discipline of wisdom, justice, and right, and equity;
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion;
For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
5 That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning, and the man of understanding may attain unto wise counsels;
(The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
6 To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and discipline.
Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
9 For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
11 If they say: 'Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk for the innocent without cause;
If they say, “Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
We swallow them as Sheol—alive, And whole—as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;
We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse' —
You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them, restrain thy foot from their path;
My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,
16 For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.
17 For in vain the net is spread in the eyes of any bird;
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 And these lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk for their own lives.
And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; it taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom crieth aloud in the streets, she uttereth her voice in the broad places;
Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
21 She calleth at the head of the noisy streets, at the entrances of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:
She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
22 'How long, ye thoughtless, will ye love thoughtlessness? And how long will scorners delight them in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
“Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Turn back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man attended,
Because I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof;
And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
26 I also, in your calamity, will laugh, I will mock when your dread cometh;
I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
27 When your dread cometh as a storm, and your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; when trouble and distress come upon you.
When your fear comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress come on you.
28 Then will they call me, but I will not answer, they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me.
Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD;
Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
30 They would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof.
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
32 For the waywardness of the thoughtless shall slay them, and the confidence of fools shall destroy them.
For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil.'
And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
