Παροιμίαι 1
1 παροιμίαι Σαλωμῶντος υἱοῦ Δαυιδ ὃς ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν Ισραηλ
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.
2 γνῶναι σοφίαν καὶ παιδείαν νοῆσαί τε λόγους φρονήσεως
They are for achieving wisdom and instruction, and to recognize sayings that bring insight.
3 δέξασθαί τε στροφὰς λόγων νοῆσαί τε δικαιοσύνην ἀληθῆ καὶ κρίμα κατευθύνειν
They provide education in what makes sense, living right, judging correctly, and acting fairly.
4 ἵνα δῷ ἀκάκοις πανουργίαν παιδὶ δὲ νέῳ αἴσθησίν τε καὶ ἔννοιαν
They give discernment to the immature, knowledge and discretion to the young.
5 τῶνδε γὰρ ἀκούσας σοφὸς σοφώτερος ἔσται ὁ δὲ νοήμων κυβέρνησιν κτήσεται
Wise people will listen and gain in learning, and those who have good judgment will gain skills in guidance,
6 νοήσει τε παραβολὴν καὶ σκοτεινὸν λόγον ῥήσεις τε σοφῶν καὶ αἰνίγματα
understanding the proverbs and puzzles, the sayings and questions of the wise.
7 ἀρχὴ σοφίας φόβος θεοῦ σύνεσις δὲ ἀγαθὴ πᾶσι τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτήν εὐσέβεια δὲ εἰς θεὸν ἀρχὴ αἰσθήσεως σοφίαν δὲ καὶ παιδείαν ἀσεβεῖς ἐξουθενήσουσιν
Honoring the Lord is where true knowledge begins, but fools treat wisdom and good advice with contempt.
8 ἄκουε υἱέ παιδείαν πατρός σου καὶ μὴ ἀπώσῃ θεσμοὺς μητρός σου
My son, pay attention to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching.
9 στέφανον γὰρ χαρίτων δέξῃ σῇ κορυφῇ καὶ κλοιὸν χρύσεον περὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ
They are a wreath of grace to decorate your head; they are pendants for your neck.
10 υἱέ μή σε πλανήσωσιν ἄνδρες ἀσεβεῖς μηδὲ βουληθῇς ἐὰν παρακαλέσωσί σε λέγοντες
My son, if evil people try to tempt you, don't give into them.
11 ἐλθὲ μεθ’ ἡμῶν κοινώνησον αἵματος κρύψωμεν δὲ εἰς γῆν ἄνδρα δίκαιον ἀδίκως
They may tell you, “Come with us. Let's go and hide, ready to kill someone. Let's ambush someone for fun!
Let's bury them alive; let's put them in the grave while they're still healthy! (Sheol h7585)
13 τὴν κτῆσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν πολυτελῆ καταλαβώμεθα πλήσωμεν δὲ οἴκους ἡμετέρους σκύλων
We'll take from them all kinds of valuable things and fill our homes with the stuff we steal!
14 τὸν δὲ σὸν κλῆρον βάλε ἐν ἡμῖν κοινὸν δὲ βαλλάντιον κτησώμεθα πάντες καὶ μαρσίππιον ἓν γενηθήτω ἡμῖν
Come and join us and we'll all share what we get!”
15 μὴ πορευθῇς ἐν ὁδῷ μετ’ αὐτῶν ἔκκλινον δὲ τὸν πόδα σου ἐκ τῶν τρίβων αὐτῶν
My son, don't follow their ways. Don't go in that direction with them.
16 οἱ γὰρ πόδες αὐτῶν εἰς κακίαν τρέχουσιν καὶ ταχινοὶ τοῦ ἐκχέαι αἷμα
For they rush to do evil; they hurry to commit violence and murder.
17 οὐ γὰρ ἀδίκως ἐκτείνεται δίκτυα πτερωτοῖς
There's no point in trying to lure birds into a net when they can see it.
18 αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἱ φόνου μετέχοντες θησαυρίζουσιν ἑαυτοῖς κακά ἡ δὲ καταστροφὴ ἀνδρῶν παρανόμων κακή
However, these evil people hide ready to kill others, but they themselves are the victims. They're only ambushing themselves!
19 αὗται αἱ ὁδοί εἰσιν πάντων τῶν συντελούντων τὰ ἄνομα τῇ γὰρ ἀσεβείᾳ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ψυχὴν ἀφαιροῦνται
This is what happens to you if you try to become rich through crime—it kills you!
20 σοφία ἐν ἐξόδοις ὑμνεῖται ἐν δὲ πλατείαις παρρησίαν ἄγει
Wisdom calls out in the streets; she shouts aloud in the squares.
21 ἐπ’ ἄκρων δὲ τειχέων κηρύσσεται ἐπὶ δὲ πύλαις δυναστῶν παρεδρεύει ἐπὶ δὲ πύλαις πόλεως θαρροῦσα λέγει
She cries out at busy corners; she explains her message at the town gates:
22 ὅσον ἂν χρόνον ἄκακοι ἔχωνται τῆς δικαιοσύνης οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσονται οἱ δὲ ἄφρονες τῆς ὕβρεως ὄντες ἐπιθυμηταί ἀσεβεῖς γενόμενοι ἐμίσησαν αἴσθησιν
“How long will you stupid people love stupidity? How long will scornful people enjoy their mocking? How long will fools hate knowledge?
23 καὶ ὑπεύθυνοι ἐγένοντο ἐλέγχοις ἰδοὺ προήσομαι ὑμῖν ἐμῆς πνοῆς ῥῆσιν διδάξω δὲ ὑμᾶς τὸν ἐμὸν λόγον
Pay attention to my warnings, and I'll pour out my deepest thoughts to you—I'll explain what I know to you.
24 ἐπειδὴ ἐκάλουν καὶ οὐχ ὑπηκούσατε καὶ ἐξέτεινον λόγους καὶ οὐ προσείχετε
For I have called you, but you refused to listen; I reached out my hand to you, but you didn't care.
25 ἀλλὰ ἀκύρους ἐποιεῖτε ἐμὰς βουλάς τοῖς δὲ ἐμοῖς ἐλέγχοις ἠπειθήσατε
You ignored everything I said; you wouldn't accept any of my warnings.
26 τοιγαροῦν κἀγὼ τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ἀπωλείᾳ ἐπιγελάσομαι καταχαροῦμαι δέ ἡνίκα ἂν ἔρχηται ὑμῖν ὄλεθρος
So I'll laugh at you when you're in trouble; I'll mock you when you're in a panic.
27 καὶ ὡς ἂν ἀφίκηται ὑμῖν ἄφνω θόρυβος ἡ δὲ καταστροφὴ ὁμοίως καταιγίδι παρῇ καὶ ὅταν ἔρχηται ὑμῖν θλῖψις καὶ πολιορκία ἢ ὅταν ἔρχηται ὑμῖν ὄλεθρος
When panic rains down on you like a storm, when trouble hits you like a whirlwind, when sorrow and pain come on you,
28 ἔσται γὰρ ὅταν ἐπικαλέσησθέ με ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι ὑμῶν ζητήσουσίν με κακοὶ καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσουσιν
then you'll call out to me for help, but I won't answer; you'll search hard for me, but won't find me.
29 ἐμίσησαν γὰρ σοφίαν τὸν δὲ φόβον τοῦ κυρίου οὐ προείλαντο
Why?—because they hated knowledge, and they didn't choose to respect the Lord.
30 οὐδὲ ἤθελον ἐμαῖς προσέχειν βουλαῖς ἐμυκτήριζον δὲ ἐμοὺς ἐλέγχους
They're not willing to accept my advice; they despise all my warnings.
31 τοιγαροῦν ἔδονται τῆς ἑαυτῶν ὁδοῦ τοὺς καρποὺς καὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀσεβείας πλησθήσονται
So they'll have to eat the fruit of their own choices, bloated by their own devious schemes.
32 ἀνθ’ ὧν γὰρ ἠδίκουν νηπίους φονευθήσονται καὶ ἐξετασμὸς ἀσεβεῖς ὀλεῖ
Stupid people are killed by their rebellion; foolish people are destroyed by their lack of concern.
33 ὁ δὲ ἐμοῦ ἀκούων κατασκηνώσει ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι καὶ ἡσυχάσει ἀφόβως ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ
But everyone who listens to me will be kept safe, and will live without worrying about problems.”
