Proverbs 1
1 These are the (proverbs/wise sayings) that come from Solomon, the King of Israel, who was the son of [King] David.
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel:
2 (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.
To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the sayings of understanding;
3 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].
To accept the instruction of intelligence, righteousness, and justice, and equity;
4 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.
To give to the simple prudence, to the youth knowledge and discretion.
5 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.
The wise will hear, and will increase [his] information; and the man of understanding will obtain wise counsels:
6 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).
To understand a proverb, and a sage sentence; the words of the wise, and their riddles.
7 If [you want to be] wise, you must begin by revering Yahweh. [Only] foolish people despise wisdom and good advice/discipline.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: wisdom and instruction fools [alone] despise.
8 My son, pay attention to what [I], your father, am teaching you. And do not reject what your mother teaches you.
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and cast not off the teaching of thy mother;
9 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.
For a wreath of grace are they unto thy head, and chains for thy throat.
10 My son, if sinners tempt/entice you [to do what is wrong], say “No” to them.
My son, if sinners wish to entice thee, consent thou not.
11 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.
If they should say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us watch in concealment for the uselessly innocent;
12 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)
We will swallow them up like the grave alive; and the men of integrity, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 And we will seize all the things that they own. We will fill our houses with these things!
We shall find all [kinds of] precious wealth, we will fill our houses with booty;
14 [So], come with us! Join our group! We will share with you the things that we steal.”
Thy lot must thou cast in our midst; one purse shall be for us all:
15 My son, do not accompany them! Do not walk on the roads with them!
My son, walk not thou on the way with them; withhold thy foot from their path;
16 They rush to do evil deeds! They hurry to murder [MTY] people.
For their feet run after evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 It is useless to put out a (trap/net to catch a bird) because when a bird sees it, [it stays away from it].
For uselessly is the net spread out before the eyes of every winged bird:
18 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!
While they lie in wait for their [own] blood; they watch in concealment for their [own] lives.
19 That is what happens to people who eagerly try to get things [by violently attacking others]. They will only destroy themselves!
So are the paths of every one that is greedy after [unlawful] gain; it taketh away the life of those that own it.
20 Wisdom [PRS] shouts to people in the streets, and calls out to people in the (plazas/town squares).
Wisdom crieth loudly without; in the public places she uttereth her voice;
21 Wisdom calls out in noisy places, and at the entrances to cities.
At the corner of noisy streets she calleth, at the entrances of gates; in the city she sayeth her speeches:
22 [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]?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners take their delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 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.
Turn back to my admonition: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 But when I called to you, you refused to listen. I beckoned to you to come to me, but you ignored me.
Whereas I called, and ye refused; I stretched out my hand, and no man was attentive;
25 I tried to advise you, but you refused to listen to me. I tried to correct you, but you rejected what I told you.
And ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would not accept my admonition:
26 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.
[Therefore] I also will truly laugh at your calamity; I will deride [you] when your terror cometh;
27 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!]
When your terror cometh like the tempest-cloud, and your calamity hasteneth like a whirlwind; when there come upon you distress and affliction.
28 [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.
Then will they call me, but I will not answer; they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me;
29 They refused to know [what things are right], and they decided not to revere Yahweh.
For the reason that they hated knowledge, and the fear of the Lord they did not choose;
30 They would not accept my advice, and they did not pay attention when I tried to correct them.
[That] they would not attend to my counsel: [that] they rejected all my admonition.
31 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.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and from their own counsels shall they be satisfied.
32 Those who turn away from me are stupid/foolish; they will die because of doing that.
For the defection of the simple will slay them, and the prosperity of fools will cause them to be lost.
33 But those who pay attention to me will live peacefully and safely, and they will not be afraid that something will harm them.”
But he that hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from the dread of evil.
