Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, the king of Israel.
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 These proverbs are to teach wisdom and instruction, to teach words of insight,
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 that you may receive instruction in order to live by doing what is right, just, and fair.
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 These proverbs are also to give wisdom to the naive, and to give knowledge and discretion to young people.
For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
5 Let wise people listen and increase their learning, and let discerning people get guidance,
(The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
6 to understand proverbs, sayings, and words of wise people and their riddles.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge— fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father and do not lay aside the rules of your mother;
Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
9 they will be a graceful wreath for your head and pendants hanging from your neck.
For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
10 My son, if sinners try to entice you into their sin, refuse to follow them.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
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, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly 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)
We swallow them as Sheol—alive, And whole—as those going down [to] 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 find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Throw in your lot with us; we will all have one purse together.”
You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
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 in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,
16 their feet run to evil and they hurry to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.
17 For it is useless to spread the net in the sight of any bird.
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood— they set an ambush for their own lives.
And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.
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 [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the open places;
Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the entrance of the city gates she speaks,
She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
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?
“Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools 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 back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with 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 I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 But you have ignored all my instruction and paid no attention to my correction.
And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
26 I will laugh at your calamity, I will mock you when the terror comes—
I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
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 as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress 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 they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
29 Because they hate knowledge and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,
Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
30 they would not follow my instruction, and they despised all my correction.
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 They will eat the fruit of their ways, and with the fruit of their schemes they will be filled.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
32 For the naive are killed when they turn away, and the indifference of fools will destroy them.
For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
33 But whoever listens to me will live in safety and will rest secure with no fear of disaster.”
And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
