Proverbs 1
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
For giving to simple ones — prudence, To a youth — knowledge and discretion.
5 (The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
(The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)
6 For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,
9 For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.
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, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
We swallow them as Sheol — alive, And whole — as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)
13 We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is — to all of us.'
15 My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,
My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
16 For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.
For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.
17 Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.
And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch 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 paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.
20 Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth 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 multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
22 “Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools hate knowledge?
'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do 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, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you.
24 Because I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
26 I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride 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 as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.
28 Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.
29 Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
30 They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.
32 For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
33 And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'
