Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel:
2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the sayings of understanding;
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
To accept the instruction of intelligence, righteousness, and justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man—
To give to the simple prudence, to the youth knowledge and discretion.
5 that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel;
The wise will hear, and will increase [his] information; and the man of understanding will obtain wise counsels:
6 to understand a proverb and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.
To understand a proverb, and a sage sentence; the words of the wise, and their 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 knowledge: wisdom and instruction fools [alone] despise.
8 My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching;
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and cast not off the teaching of thy mother;
9 for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.
For a wreath of grace are they unto thy head, and chains for thy throat.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.
My son, if sinners wish to entice thee, consent thou not.
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 say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us watch in concealment for the uselessly innocent;
12 Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit. (Sheol h7585)
We will swallow them up like the grave alive; and the men of integrity, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 We’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with plunder.
We shall find all [kinds of] precious wealth, we will fill our houses with booty;
14 You shall cast your lot among us. We’ll all have one purse”—
Thy lot must thou cast in our midst; one purse shall be for us all:
15 my son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,
My son, walk not thou on the way with them; withhold thy foot from their path;
16 for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.
For their feet run after evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 For the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird;
For uselessly is the net spread out before the eyes of every winged bird:
18 but these lay in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.
While they lie in wait for their [own] blood; they watch in concealment for their [own] lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.
So are the paths of every one that is greedy after [unlawful] gain; it taketh away the life of those that own it.
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.
Wisdom crieth loudly without; in the public places she uttereth her voice;
21 She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:
At the corner of noisy streets she calleth, at the entrances of gates; in the city she sayeth her speeches:
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners take their delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.
Turn back to my admonition: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;
Whereas I called, and ye refused; I stretched out my hand, and no man was attentive;
25 but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;
And ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would not accept my admonition:
26 I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you,
[Therefore] I also will truly laugh at your calamity; I will deride [you] when your terror cometh;
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you.
When your terror cometh like the tempest-cloud, and your calamity hasteneth like a whirlwind; when there come upon you distress and affliction.
28 Then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me,
Then will they call me, but I will not answer; they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me;
29 because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of the LORD.
For the reason that they hated knowledge, and the fear of the Lord they did not choose;
30 They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.
[That] they would not attend to my counsel: [that] they rejected all my admonition.
31 Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and from their own counsels shall they be satisfied.
32 For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.
For the defection of the simple will slay them, and the prosperity of fools will cause them to be lost.
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”
But he that hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from the dread of evil.
