Proverbs 1
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
These are the (proverbs/wise sayings) that come from Solomon, the King of Israel, who was the son of [King] David.
2 For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
(These proverbs [PRS] can teach people/By studying these proverbs, people can learn) how to be wise and how to obey what these proverbs teach them. They will [also] help people to understand which teachings are wise.
3 For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
These proverbs [PRS] will teach you how to discipline/control yourselves, how to conduct your lives, and how to do what is right and just [DOU].
4 For giving to simple ones — prudence, To a youth — knowledge and discretion.
They will show [people] who do not [yet] know much how to do things that are smart. They will show young people how to become wise and how to make good plans/decisions.
5 (The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)
Those who are wise should also pay attention [to these proverbs], in order to become more wise, and those who understand [these teachings] will receive good advice/guidance.
6 For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
Then they will be able to understand the meaning of proverbs and parables/metaphors, these wise sayings and (riddles/sayings that are difficult to understand).
7 Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
If [you want to be] wise, you must begin by revering Yahweh. [Only] foolish people despise wisdom and good advice/discipline.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,
My son, pay attention to what [I], your father, am teaching you. And do not reject what your mother teaches you.
9 For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
What we teach you [will make you respected like having] a lovely turban around your head and [like] a [beautiful] necklace to put around your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.
My son, if sinners tempt/entice you [to do what is wrong], say “No” to them.
11 If they say, 'Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
They may say, “Come with us! Join us! We will hide and then kill [MTY] someone [who passes by]. We will ambush some helpless/innocent people.
We will kill them [HYP] and get rid of them completely, [just] like [people who are buried in] graves are gone forever. While they are in good health, we will send them to the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
13 Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
And we will seize all the things that they own. We will fill our houses with these things!
14 Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is — to all of us.'
[So], come with us! Join our group! We will share with you the things that we steal.”
15 My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
My son, do not accompany them! Do not walk on the roads with them!
16 For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.
They rush to do evil deeds! They hurry to murder [MTY] people.
17 Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
It is useless to put out a (trap/net to catch a bird) because when a bird sees it, [it stays away from it].
18 And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives.
But those wicked people are not like the birds, [because they do not realize] that when they prepare to ambush someone to kill him, they will be killed themselves!
19 So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.
That is what happens to people who eagerly try to get things [by violently attacking others]. They will only destroy themselves!
20 Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
Wisdom [PRS] shouts to people in the streets, and calls out to people in the (plazas/town squares).
21 At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
Wisdom calls out in noisy places, and at the entrances to cities.
22 'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?
[Wisdom says], “How long will you stupid people continue to enjoy doing foolish things [RHQ]? How long will you people who ridicule God enjoy doing that [RHQ]? How long will you foolish people refuse to know [what things are right] [RHQ]?
23 Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you.
If you pay attention to me when I rebuke you, I will tell you what I am thinking in my inner being; I will give you some good advice.
24 Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
But when I called to you, you refused to listen. I beckoned to you to come to me, but you ignored me.
25 And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
I tried to advise you, but you refused to listen to me. I tried to correct you, but you rejected what I told you.
26 I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,
So [now], when you are experiencing troubles/disasters, I will laugh at you. When things happen that cause you to be afraid, I will make fun of you.
27 When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.
When calamities strike you like a big storm, when disasters hit you like a violent wind, when [all kinds of things] distress you and give you trouble, [I will ridicule you!]
28 Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.
[Wisdom also says], “When foolish people call to me [to help them], I will not answer them. They will search for me diligently/everywhere, but they will not find me.
29 Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
They refused to know [what things are right], and they decided not to revere Yahweh.
30 They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
They would not accept my advice, and they did not pay attention when I tried to correct them.
31 And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.
So they will endure what will result [MET, DOU] from the evil way they have lived/behaved and the evil things they have planned to do.
32 For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
Those who turn away from me are stupid/foolish; they will die because of doing that.
33 And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'
But those who pay attention to me will live peacefully and safely, and they will not be afraid that something will harm them.”
