Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, who reigned in Israel;
2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
to know wisdom and instruction, and to perceive words of understanding;
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
to receive also hard saying, and to understand true justice, and [how] to direct judgement;
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man—
that he might give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man discernment and understanding.
5 that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel;
For by the hearing of these a wise man will be wiser, and man of understanding will gain direction;
6 to understand a proverb and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.
and will understand a parable, and a dark speech; the saying of the wise also, and riddles.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and [there is] good understanding to all that practise it: and piety towards God is the beginning of discernment; but the ungodly will set at nothing wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching;
Hear, [my] son, the instruction of your father, and reject not the rules of your mother.
9 for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.
For you shall receive for your head a crown of graces, and a chain of gold round your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.
[My] son, let not ungodly men lead you astray, neither consent you [to them].
11 If they say, “Come with us. Let’s lie in wait for blood. Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.
If they should exhort you, saying, Come with us, partake in blood, and let us unjustly hide the just man in the earth:
12 Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit. (Sheol h7585)
and let us swallow him alive, as Hades [would], and remove the memorial of him from the earth: (Sheol h7585)
13 We’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with plunder.
let us seize on his valuable property, and let us fill our houses with spoils:
14 You shall cast your lot amongst us. We’ll all have one purse”—
but do you cast in your lot with us, and let us all provide a common purse, and let us have one pouch:
15 my son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,
go not in the way with them, but turn aside your foot from their paths:
16 for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.
[For their feet run to do evil, and are swift to shed blood. ]
17 For the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird;
for nets are not without cause spread for birds.
18 but these lay in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.
For they that are concerned in murder store up evils for themselves; and the overthrow of transgressors is evil.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.
These are the ways of all that perform lawless deeds; for by ungodliness they destroy their own life.
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.
Wisdom sings aloud in passages, and in the broad places speaks boldly.
21 She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:
And she makes proclamation on the top of the walls, and sits by the gates of princes; and at the gates of the city boldly says,
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?
So long as the simple cleave to justice, they shall not be ashamed: but the foolish being lovers of haughtiness, having become ungodly have hated knowledge, and are become subject to reproofs.
23 Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.
Behold, I will bring forth to you the utterance of my breath, and I will instruct you in my speech.
24 Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;
Since I called, and you did not listen; and I spoke at length, and you gave no heed;
25 but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;
but you set at nothing my counsels, and disregarded my reproofs;
26 I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you,
therefore I also will laugh at your destruction; and I will rejoice against [you] when ruin comes upon you:
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you.
yes when dismay suddenly comes upon you, and [your] overthrow shall arrive like a tempest; and when tribulation and distress shall come upon you, or when ruin shall come upon you.
28 Then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me,
For it shall be that when you call upon me, I will not listen to you: wicked men shall seek me, but shall not find [me].
29 because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of the LORD.
For they hated wisdom, and did not choose the word of the Lord:
30 They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.
neither would they attend to my counsels, but derided my reproofs.
31 Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.
Therefore shall they eat the fruits of their own way, and shall be filled with their own ungodliness.
32 For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.
For because they wronged the simple, they shall be slain; and an inquisition shall ruin the ungodly.
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”
But he that hearkens to me shall dwell in confidence, and shall rest securely from all evil.
