Proverbs 1
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
2 For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
That one may learn wisdom and instruction, And receive words of understanding;
3 For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
That one may gain the instruction of prudence, Justice, equity, and uprightness;
4 For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
Which will give caution to the simple, To the young man wisdom and discretion;
5 (The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
Let the wise man hear, and he will increase his knowledge, And the man of understanding will gain wise counsels;
6 For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
So as to understand a proverb and a deep maxim, The words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
Hear, O my son! the instruction of thy father, And neglect not the teaching of thy mother!
9 For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
For they shall be a graceful wreath for thy head, And a chain around thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not!
11 If they say, “Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us lurk secretly for him who is innocent in vain;
Let us swallow them up alive, like the underworld, Yea, in full health, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
We shall find all kinds of precious substance, We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse;”—
15 My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,
My son, walk thou not in their way, Refrain thy foot from their path!
16 For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, And make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
For as the net is spread in vain Before the eyes of any bird,
18 And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.
So they lie in wait for their own blood; They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.
Such are the ways of every one greedy of unjust gain; It taketh away the life of the possessor thereof.
20 Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
Wisdom crieth out in the highway; In the market-place she uttereth her voice;
21 She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
At the head of the noisy streets she crieth aloud; At the entrances of the gates, throughout the city, she proclaimeth her words [[saying]]:
22 “Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools hate knowledge?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with you.
Turn ye at my reproof! Behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make known my words to you!
24 Because I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
“Because I have called, and ye have refused, —Because I have stretched out my hand, and no one hath regarded.
25 And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
Because ye have rejected all my counsel, And have slighted my rebuke, —
26 I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress come on you.
When your fear cometh upon you like a storm. And destruction overtaketh you like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer! They will seek me early, But they shall not find me!
29 Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
Because they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of the LORD, —
30 They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
Because they would not attend to my counsel, And have despised all my reproof, —
31 And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own devices;
32 For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
Yea, the turning away of the simple shall slay them, And the carelessness of fools shall destroy them.
33 And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
But whoso hearkeneth to me shall dwell securely, And shall not be disquieted with the fear of evil.”
