Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, the king of Israel.
The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 These proverbs are to teach wisdom and instruction, to teach words of insight,
To know wisdom, and instruction:
3 that you may receive instruction in order to live by doing what is right, just, and fair.
To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:
4 These proverbs are also to give wisdom to the naive, and to give knowledge and discretion to young people.
To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.
5 Let wise people listen and increase their learning, and let discerning people get guidance,
A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth, shall possess governments.
6 to understand proverbs, sayings, and words of wise people and their riddles.
He shall understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.
7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge— fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father and do not lay aside the rules of your mother;
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 they will be a graceful wreath for your head and pendants hanging from your neck.
That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners try to entice you into their sin, refuse to follow them.
My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to 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 shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent 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 swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit. (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all kinds of valuable things; we will fill our houses with what we steal from others.
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.
14 Throw in your lot with us; we will all have one purse together.”
Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.
15 My son, do not walk down that road with them; do not let your foot touch where they walk;
My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.
16 their feet run to evil and they hurry to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 For it is useless to spread the net in the sight of any bird.
But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood— they set an ambush for their own lives.
And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.
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.
So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.
20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the open places;
Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the entrance of the city gates she speaks,
At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:
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?
O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?
23 Pay attention to my correction; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you.
Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.
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 I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.
25 But you have ignored all my instruction and paid no attention to my correction.
You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.
26 I will laugh at your calamity, I will mock you when the terror comes—
I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.
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 sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon 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 shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning and shall not find me:
29 Because they hate knowledge and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,
Because they have hated instruction and received not the fear of the Lord,
30 they would not follow my instruction, and they despised all my correction.
Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.
31 They will eat the fruit of their ways, and with the fruit of their schemes they will be filled.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices.
32 For the naive are killed when they turn away, and the indifference of fools will destroy them.
The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoever listens to me will live in safety and will rest secure with no fear of disaster.”
But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.
