Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.
4 To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother:
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto your head, and chains about your neck.
For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, consent you not.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privately for the innocent without cause:
If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush 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)
let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.
14 Cast in your lot among us; let us all have one purse:
Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—
15 My son, walk not you in the way with them; refrain your foot from their path:
my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!
18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privately for their own lives.
But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which takes away the life of the owners thereof.
Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
20 Wisdom cries without; she utters her voice in the streets:
Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
21 She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she utters her words, saying,
in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:
22 How long, all of you simple ones, will all of you love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and 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.
If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.
24 Because I have called, and all of you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
25 But all of you have set at nothing all my counsel, and refused my reproof:
because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear comes;
in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
27 When your fear comes as desolation, and your destruction comes as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish comes upon you.
when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.
30 They refused my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkens unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”
