Proverbs 1
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.
2 For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
They are for achieving wisdom and instruction, and to recognize sayings that bring insight.
3 For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
They provide education in what makes sense, living right, judging correctly, and acting fairly.
4 For giving to simple ones — prudence, To a youth — knowledge and discretion.
They give discernment to the immature, knowledge and discretion to the young.
5 (The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)
Wise people will listen and gain in learning, and those who have good judgment will gain skills in guidance,
6 For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
understanding the proverbs and puzzles, the sayings and questions of the wise.
7 Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
Honoring the Lord is where true knowledge begins, but fools treat wisdom and good advice with contempt.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,
My son, pay attention to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching.
9 For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
They are a wreath of grace to decorate your head; they are pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.
My son, if evil people try to tempt you, don't give into them.
11 If they say, 'Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
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 Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
We'll take from them all kinds of valuable things and fill our homes with the stuff we steal!
14 Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is — to all of us.'
Come and join us and we'll all share what we get!”
15 My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
My son, don't follow their ways. Don't go in that direction with them.
16 For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.
For they rush to do evil; they hurry to commit violence and murder.
17 Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
There's no point in trying to lure birds into a net when they can see it.
18 And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives.
However, these evil people hide ready to kill others, but they themselves are the victims. They're only ambushing themselves!
19 So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.
This is what happens to you if you try to become rich through crime—it kills you!
20 Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
Wisdom calls out in the streets; she shouts aloud in the squares.
21 At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
She cries out at busy corners; she explains her message at the town gates:
22 'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?
“How long will you stupid people love stupidity? How long will scornful people enjoy their mocking? How long will fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you.
Pay attention to my warnings, and I'll pour out my deepest thoughts to you—I'll explain what I know to you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
For I have called you, but you refused to listen; I reached out my hand to you, but you didn't care.
25 And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
You ignored everything I said; you wouldn't accept any of my warnings.
26 I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,
So I'll laugh at you when you're in trouble; I'll mock you when you're in a panic.
27 When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.
When panic rains down on you like a storm, when trouble hits you like a whirlwind, when sorrow and pain come on you,
28 Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.
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 Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
Why?—because they hated knowledge, and they didn't choose to respect the Lord.
30 They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
They're not willing to accept my advice; they despise all my warnings.
31 And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.
So they'll have to eat the fruit of their own choices, bloated by their own devious schemes.
32 For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
Stupid people are killed by their rebellion; foolish people are destroyed by their lack of concern.
33 And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'
But everyone who listens to me will be kept safe, and will live without worrying about problems.”
