Proverbs 1
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, the king of Israel.
2 For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
These proverbs are to teach wisdom and instruction, to teach words of insight,
3 For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
that you may receive instruction in order to live by doing what is right, just, and fair.
4 For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
These proverbs are also to give wisdom to the naive, and to give knowledge and discretion to young people.
5 (The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
Let wise people listen and increase their learning, and let discerning people get guidance,
6 For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
to understand proverbs, sayings, and words of wise people and their riddles.
7 Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge— fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
My son, hear the instruction of your father and do not lay aside the rules of your mother;
9 For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
they will be a graceful wreath for your head and pendants hanging from your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
My son, if sinners try to entice you into their sin, refuse to follow them.
11 If they say, “Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide and attack innocent people for no reason.
Let us swallow them up alive, like Sheol takes away those who are healthy, and make them like those who fall into the pit. (Sheol h7585)
13 We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
We shall find all kinds of valuable things; we will fill our houses with what we steal from others.
14 You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
Throw in your lot with us; we will all have one purse together.”
15 My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,
My son, do not walk down that road with them; do not let your foot touch where they walk;
16 For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.
their feet run to evil and they hurry to shed blood.
17 Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
For it is useless to spread the net in the sight of any bird.
18 And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.
These men lie in wait for their own blood— they set an ambush for their own lives.
19 So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.
So are the ways of everyone who gains riches by injustice; unjust gain takes away the lives of those who hold on to it.
20 Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the open places;
21 She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the entrance of the city gates she speaks,
22 “Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools hate knowledge?
“How long, you naive people, will you love being naive? How long, you mockers, will you delight in mockery, and how long, you fools, will you hate knowledge?
23 Turn back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with you.
Pay attention to my correction; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
I have called, and you have refused to listen; I reached out with my hand, but there was no one who paid attention.
25 And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
But you have ignored all my instruction and paid no attention to my correction.
26 I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
I will laugh at your calamity, I will mock you when the terror comes—
27 When your fear comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress come on you.
when your fearful dread comes like a storm and disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
Then they will call upon me, and I will not answer; they will desperately call for me, but they will not find me.
29 Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
Because they hate knowledge and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,
30 They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
they would not follow my instruction, and they despised all my correction.
31 And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
They will eat the fruit of their ways, and with the fruit of their schemes they will be filled.
32 For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
For the naive are killed when they turn away, and the indifference of fools will destroy them.
33 And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
But whoever listens to me will live in safety and will rest secure with no fear of disaster.”
