Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
To know wisdom, and instruction:
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man—
To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.
5 that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel;
A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth, shall possess governments.
6 to understand a proverb and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.
He shall understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.
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. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching;
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.
That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.
My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not 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 shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:
12 Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down 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’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with plunder.
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.
14 You shall cast your lot amongst us. We’ll all have one purse”—
Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.
15 my son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,
My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.
16 for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 For the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird;
But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.
18 but these lay in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly 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 is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.
So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.
Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:
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 simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools 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 Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.
Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.
24 Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has 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 counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;
You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.
26 I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you,
I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on 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 on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, 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 hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of the LORD.
Because they have hated instruction and received not the fear of the Lord,
30 They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.
Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices.
32 For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease 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 dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”
But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.
