< Proverbs 1 >

1 These are the (proverbs/wise sayings) that come from Solomon, the King of Israel, who was the son of [King] David.
משלי שלמה בן דוד מלך ישראל׃
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.
לדעת חכמה ומוסר להבין אמרי בינה׃
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].
לקחת מוסר השכל צדק ומשפט ומישרים׃
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.
לתת לפתאים ערמה לנער דעת ומזמה׃
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.
ישמע חכם ויוסף לקח ונבון תחבלות יקנה׃
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).
להבין משל ומליצה דברי חכמים וחידתם׃
7 If [you want to be] wise, you must begin by revering Yahweh. [Only] foolish people despise wisdom and good advice/discipline.
יראת יהוה ראשית דעת חכמה ומוסר אוילים בזו׃
8 My son, pay attention to what [I], your father, am teaching you. And do not reject what your mother teaches you.
שמע בני מוסר אביך ואל תטש תורת אמך׃
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.
כי לוית חן הם לראשך וענקים לגרגרתיך׃
10 My son, if sinners tempt/entice you [to do what is wrong], say “No” to them.
בני אם יפתוך חטאים אל תבא׃
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.
אם יאמרו לכה אתנו נארבה לדם נצפנה לנקי חנם׃
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)
נבלעם כשאול חיים ותמימים כיורדי בור׃ (Sheol h7585)
13 And we will seize all the things that they own. We will fill our houses with these things!
כל הון יקר נמצא נמלא בתינו שלל׃
14 [So], come with us! Join our group! We will share with you the things that we steal.”
גורלך תפיל בתוכנו כיס אחד יהיה לכלנו׃
15 My son, do not accompany them! Do not walk on the roads with them!
בני אל תלך בדרך אתם מנע רגלך מנתיבתם׃
16 They rush to do evil deeds! They hurry to murder [MTY] people.
כי רגליהם לרע ירוצו וימהרו לשפך דם׃
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].
כי חנם מזרה הרשת בעיני כל בעל כנף׃
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!
והם לדמם יארבו יצפנו לנפשתם׃
19 That is what happens to people who eagerly try to get things [by violently attacking others]. They will only destroy themselves!
כן ארחות כל בצע בצע את נפש בעליו יקח׃
20 Wisdom [PRS] shouts to people in the streets, and calls out to people in the (plazas/town squares).
חכמות בחוץ תרנה ברחבות תתן קולה׃
21 Wisdom calls out in noisy places, and at the entrances to cities.
בראש המיות תקרא בפתחי שערים בעיר אמריה תאמר׃
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]?
עד מתי פתים תאהבו פתי ולצים לצון חמדו להם וכסילים ישנאו דעת׃
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.
תשובו לתוכחתי הנה אביעה לכם רוחי אודיעה דברי אתכם׃
24 But when I called to you, you refused to listen. I beckoned to you to come to me, but you ignored me.
יען קראתי ותמאנו נטיתי ידי ואין מקשיב׃
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.
ותפרעו כל עצתי ותוכחתי לא אביתם׃
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.
גם אני באידכם אשחק אלעג בבא פחדכם׃
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!]
בבא כשאוה פחדכם ואידכם כסופה יאתה בבא עליכם צרה וצוקה׃
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.
אז יקראנני ולא אענה ישחרנני ולא ימצאנני׃
29 They refused to know [what things are right], and they decided not to revere Yahweh.
תחת כי שנאו דעת ויראת יהוה לא בחרו׃
30 They would not accept my advice, and they did not pay attention when I tried to correct them.
לא אבו לעצתי נאצו כל תוכחתי׃
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.
ויאכלו מפרי דרכם וממעצתיהם ישבעו׃
32 Those who turn away from me are stupid/foolish; they will die because of doing that.
כי משובת פתים תהרגם ושלות כסילים תאבדם׃
33 But those who pay attention to me will live peacefully and safely, and they will not be afraid that something will harm them.”
ושמע לי ישכן בטח ושאנן מפחד רעה׃

< Proverbs 1 >