Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, the king of Israel.
The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 These proverbs are to teach wisdom and instruction, to teach words of insight,
To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
3 that you may receive instruction in order to live by doing what is right, just, and fair.
To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
4 These proverbs are also to give wisdom to the naive, and to give knowledge and discretion to young people.
To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
5 Let wise people listen and increase their learning, and let discerning people get guidance,
(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided: )
6 to understand proverbs, sayings, and words of wise people and their riddles.
To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge— fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father and do not lay aside the rules of your mother;
My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
9 they will be a graceful wreath for your head and pendants hanging from your neck.
For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners try to entice you into their sin, refuse to follow them.
My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide and attack innocent people for no reason.
If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
12 Let us swallow them up alive, like Sheol takes away those who are healthy, and make them like those who fall into the pit. (Sheol h7585)
Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all kinds of valuable things; we will fill our houses with what we steal from others.
Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
14 Throw in your lot with us; we will all have one purse together.”
Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
15 My son, do not walk down that road with them; do not let your foot touch where they walk;
My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
16 their feet run to evil and they hurry to shed blood.
For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
17 For it is useless to spread the net in the sight of any bird.
Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood— they set an ambush for their own lives.
And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
19 So are the ways of everyone who gains riches by injustice; unjust gain takes away the lives of those who hold on to it.
Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the open places;
Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the entrance of the city gates she speaks,
Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
22 “How long, you naive people, will you love being naive? How long, you mockers, will you delight in mockery, and how long, you fools, will you hate knowledge?
How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?
23 Pay attention to my correction; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you.
Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
24 I have called, and you have refused to listen; I reached out with my hand, but there was no one who paid attention.
Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
25 But you have ignored all my instruction and paid no attention to my correction.
You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
26 I will laugh at your calamity, I will mock you when the terror comes—
So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
27 when your fearful dread comes like a storm and disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.
28 Then they will call upon me, and I will not answer; they will desperately call for me, but they will not find me.
Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
29 Because they hate knowledge and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,
For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
30 they would not follow my instruction, and they despised all my correction.
They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
31 They will eat the fruit of their ways, and with the fruit of their schemes they will be filled.
So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
32 For the naive are killed when they turn away, and the indifference of fools will destroy them.
For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
33 But whoever listens to me will live in safety and will rest secure with no fear of disaster.”
But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.
