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,
to know wisdom and instruction, to discern the words of understanding,
3 For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness and justice and equity,
4 For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion,
5 (The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning, and that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsels,
6 For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
to understand a proverb, and a figure, 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 Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge. The foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
9 For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
For they shall be a garland of grace to thy head, and chains about 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 lay wait for blood. Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.
Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those who go down into the pit. (Sheol h7585)
13 We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
We shall find all precious substance. We shall fill our houses with spoil.
14 You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
Thou shall cast thy lot among us. We will all have one bag.
15 My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,
My son, walk not thou in the way with them. Restrain 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 they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird,
18 And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.
and these lay 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.
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy of gain. It takes away the life of the owners of it.
20 Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
Wisdom cries aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the broad places.
21 She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
She cries in the chief place of concourse, at the entrance of the gates, in the city. She utters her words:
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? And scoffers delight them 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 back at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you. I will make my words known 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, I have stretched out my hand, and no man has regarded,
25 And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
but ye have made all my counsel void, and want none of my reproof,
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 comes,
27 When your fear comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress come on you.
when your fear comes as a storm, and your calamity comes on as 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 they will call upon me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me,
29 Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah.
30 They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.
31 And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
For the backsliding of the simple shall kill them, and the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.
33 And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
But he who hearkens to me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil.
