Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man—
To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
5 that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel;
(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided: )
6 to understand a proverb and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.
To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark 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 start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
8 My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching;
My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
9 for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.
For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with 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 say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
12 Let's swallow them up alive like Sheol (Sheol h7585), and whole, like those who go down into the pit.
Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; (Sheol h7585)
13 We will find all valuable wealth. We will fill our houses with plunder.
Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
14 You shall cast your lot among us. We will all have one purse”—
Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
15 my son, do not walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,
My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
16 for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.
For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
17 For the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird;
Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
18 but these lay in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.
And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.
Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.
Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
21 She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:
Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?
How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?
23 Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.
Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
24 Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;
Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
25 but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;
You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
26 I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you,
So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you.
When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on 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 I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
29 because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD.
For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
30 They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.
They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
31 Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.
So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
32 For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.
For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”
But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.
