Proverbs 1
1 THE PROVERBS of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, the king of Israel.
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the words of understanding;
These proverbs are to teach wisdom and instruction, to teach words of insight,
3 To receive the discipline of wisdom, justice, and right, and equity;
that you may receive instruction in order to live by doing what is right, just, and fair.
4 To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion;
These proverbs are also to give wisdom to the naive, and to give knowledge and discretion to young people.
5 That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning, and the man of understanding may attain unto wise counsels;
Let wise people listen and increase their learning, and let discerning people get guidance,
6 To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
to understand proverbs, sayings, and words of wise people and their riddles.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and discipline.
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge— fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
My son, hear the instruction of your father and do not lay aside the rules of your mother;
9 For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
they will be a graceful wreath for your head and pendants hanging from your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
My son, if sinners try to entice you into their sin, refuse to follow them.
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, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide and attack innocent people for no reason.
12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
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 shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;
We shall find all kinds of valuable things; we will fill our houses with what we steal from others.
14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse' —
Throw in your lot with us; we will all have one purse together.”
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them, restrain thy foot from their path;
My son, do not walk down that road with them; do not let your foot touch where they walk;
16 For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
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;
For it is useless to spread the net in the sight of any bird.
18 And these lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk for their own lives.
These men lie in wait for their own blood— they set an ambush 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 ways of everyone who gains riches by injustice; unjust gain takes away the lives of those who hold on to it.
20 Wisdom crieth aloud in the streets, she uttereth her voice in the broad places;
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the open places;
21 She calleth at the head of the noisy streets, at the entrances of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the entrance of the city gates she speaks,
22 'How long, ye thoughtless, will ye love thoughtlessness? And how long will scorners delight them in scorning, and 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 Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Pay attention to my correction; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man attended,
I have called, and you have refused to listen; I reached out with my hand, but there was no one who paid attention.
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof;
But you have ignored all my instruction and paid no attention to my correction.
26 I also, in your calamity, will laugh, I will mock when your dread cometh;
I will laugh at your calamity, I will mock you when the terror 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 fearful dread comes like a storm and disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon 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 will call upon me, and I will not answer; they will desperately call for me, but they will not find me.
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD;
Because they hate knowledge and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,
30 They would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof.
they would not follow my instruction, and they despised all my correction.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
They will eat the fruit of their ways, and with the fruit of their schemes they will be filled.
32 For the waywardness of the thoughtless shall slay them, and the confidence of fools shall destroy them.
For the naive are killed when they turn away, and the indifference of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil.'
But whoever listens to me will live in safety and will rest secure with no fear of disaster.”
