Proverbs 1
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
These are the (proverbs/wise sayings) that come from Solomon, the King of Israel, who was the son of [King] David.
2 For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
(These proverbs [PRS] can teach people/By studying these proverbs, people can learn) how to be wise and how to obey what these proverbs teach them. They will [also] help people to understand which teachings are wise.
3 For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
These proverbs [PRS] will teach you how to discipline/control yourselves, how to conduct your lives, and how to do what is right and just [DOU].
4 For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
They will show [people] who do not [yet] know much how to do things that are smart. They will show young people how to become wise and how to make good plans/decisions.
5 (The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
Those who are wise should also pay attention [to these proverbs], in order to become more wise, and those who understand [these teachings] will receive good advice/guidance.
6 For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
Then they will be able to understand the meaning of proverbs and parables/metaphors, these wise sayings and (riddles/sayings that are difficult to understand).
7 Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
If [you want to be] wise, you must begin by revering Yahweh. [Only] foolish people despise wisdom and good advice/discipline.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
My son, pay attention to what [I], your father, am teaching you. And do not reject what your mother teaches you.
9 For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
What we teach you [will make you respected like having] a lovely turban around your head and [like] a [beautiful] necklace to put around your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
My son, if sinners tempt/entice you [to do what is wrong], say “No” to them.
11 If they say, “Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
They may say, “Come with us! Join us! We will hide and then kill [MTY] someone [who passes by]. We will ambush some helpless/innocent people.
We will kill them [HYP] and get rid of them completely, [just] like [people who are buried in] graves are gone forever. While they are in good health, we will send them to the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
13 We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
And we will seize all the things that they own. We will fill our houses with these things!
14 You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
[So], come with us! Join our group! We will share with you the things that we steal.”
15 My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,
My son, do not accompany them! Do not walk on the roads with them!
16 For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.
They rush to do evil deeds! They hurry to murder [MTY] people.
17 Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
It is useless to put out a (trap/net to catch a bird) because when a bird sees it, [it stays away from it].
18 And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.
But those wicked people are not like the birds, [because they do not realize] that when they prepare to ambush someone to kill him, they will be killed themselves!
19 So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.
That is what happens to people who eagerly try to get things [by violently attacking others]. They will only destroy themselves!
20 Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
Wisdom [PRS] shouts to people in the streets, and calls out to people in the (plazas/town squares).
21 She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
Wisdom calls out in noisy places, and at the entrances to cities.
22 “Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools hate knowledge?
[Wisdom says], “How long will you stupid people continue to enjoy doing foolish things [RHQ]? How long will you people who ridicule God enjoy doing that [RHQ]? How long will you foolish people refuse to know [what things are right] [RHQ]?
23 Turn back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with you.
If you pay attention to me when I rebuke you, I will tell you what I am thinking in my inner being; I will give you some good advice.
24 Because I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
But when I called to you, you refused to listen. I beckoned to you to come to me, but you ignored me.
25 And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
I tried to advise you, but you refused to listen to me. I tried to correct you, but you rejected what I told you.
26 I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
So [now], when you are experiencing troubles/disasters, I will laugh at you. When things happen that cause you to be afraid, I will make fun of you.
27 When your fear comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress come on you.
When calamities strike you like a big storm, when disasters hit you like a violent wind, when [all kinds of things] distress you and give you trouble, [I will ridicule you!]
28 Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
[Wisdom also says], “When foolish people call to me [to help them], I will not answer them. They will search for me diligently/everywhere, but they will not find me.
29 Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
They refused to know [what things are right], and they decided not to revere Yahweh.
30 They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
They would not accept my advice, and they did not pay attention when I tried to correct them.
31 And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
So they will endure what will result [MET, DOU] from the evil way they have lived/behaved and the evil things they have planned to do.
32 For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
Those who turn away from me are stupid/foolish; they will die because of doing that.
33 And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
But those who pay attention to me will live peacefully and safely, and they will not be afraid that something will harm them.”
