Proverbs 1
1 The parables of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel,
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, King of Israel:
2 in order to know wisdom and discipline,
For the knowledge of wisdom and correction, for discerning the sayings of intelligence;
3 to understand words of prudence, and to accept the instruction of doctrine, justice and judgment, and equity,
For receiving the correction of prudence, righteousness and justice, and equity;
4 so as to give discernment to little ones, knowledge and understanding to adolescents.
For giving To the simple shrewdness, To the young man, knowledge and discretion.
5 By listening, the wise shall become wiser and the intelligent shall possess governments.
A wise man, will hear, and will increase learning, and a, discreet man, wise counsels, will acquire,
6 He shall turn his soul to a parable and to its interpretation, to the words of the wise and their enigmas.
By gaining discernment of proverb, and satire, the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The foolish despise wisdom as well as doctrine.
The reverence of Yahweh, is the beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and correction, the foolish have despised.
8 Listen, my son, to the discipline of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother,
Hear, my son, the correction of thy father, and do not reject the instruction of thy mother;
9 so that grace may be added to your head and a collar to your neck.
For, a wreath of beauty, shall they be to thy head, and chains of ornament, to thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners should entice you, do not consent to them.
My son, if sinners entice thee, do not consent.
11 If they should say: “Come with us. We will lie in wait for blood. We will lay traps against the innocent, without cause.
If they say—Come with us, —Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us watch in secret for him who is needlessly innocent;
Let us engulf them, like hades, alive, While in health, like them who are going down to the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 We will discover every precious substance. We will fill our houses with spoils.
All costly substance, shall we find, We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast your lot with us. One purse will be for us all.”
Thy lot, shalt thou cast into our midst, One purse, shall there be, for us all.
15 My son, do not walk with them. Preclude your feet from their paths.
My son, do not walk in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path.
16 For their feet rush to evil, and they hurry to shed blood.
For, their feet, to mischief, do run, and haste to the shedding of blood.
17 But a net is thrown in vain before the eyes of those who have wings.
Surely, in vain, is spread the net, in the sight of aught that hath wings!
18 Likewise, they lie in ambush against their own blood, and they undertake deceits against their own souls.
Yet, they, for their own blood, lie in wait, They watch in secret for their own life.
19 Thus, the ways of all those who are greedy seize the souls of those who possess.
Such are the ways of every one that graspeth with greed, The life of the owners thereof, it taketh away!
20 Wisdom forewarns far and wide; she bestows her voice in the streets.
Wisdom, in the open place, soundeth forth, in the broadways, she raiseth her voice;
21 She cries out at the head of crowds; at the entrance of the gates of the city, she offers her words, saying:
At the head of bustling streets, she crieth aloud, —at the openings of the gates in the city—her sayings, she doth utter: —
22 “Little ones, how long will you choose to be childish, and how long will the foolish desire what is harmful to themselves, and how long will the imprudent hate knowledge?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and, scoffers, in scoffing, delight them? and, dullards, hate knowledge?
23 Be converted by my correction. Lo, I will offer my spirit to you, and I will reveal my words to you.
Will ye turn, at my reproof? Lo! I will pour out to you my spirit, I will make known my words to you.
24 For I called, and you refused. I extended my hand, and there was no one who watched.
Because I called, and ye refused, I stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;
25 You have despised all my counsels, and you have neglected my rebukes.
But ye dismissed all my counsel, and, to my rebuke, would not yield,
26 Similarly, I will ridicule you at your demise, and I will mock you, when that which you feared shall overcome you.
I also, at your calamity, will laugh, I will mock, when cometh your dread;
27 When sudden calamity rushes upon you, and your demise advances like a tempest, when tribulation and anguish overcome you,
When cometh as a crashing your dread, and, your calamity, as a storm-wind, overtaketh, when there come upon you, distress and anguish.
28 then they will call to me, and I will not heed, they will arise in the morning, and not find me.
Then, will they call me, but I will not answer, they will seek me diligently, but shall not find me.
29 For they held hatred for discipline, and they would not accept the fear of the Lord;
Because they hated knowledge, and, the reverence of Yahweh, did not choose;
30 they would not consent to my counsel, but they detracted from all of my corrections.
Consented not to my counsel, disdained all my rebuke,
31 Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their way, and they shall have their fill of their own counsels.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and, with their own counsels, be filled.
32 The loathing of the little ones shall destroy them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall perish them.
For, the turning away of the simple, will slay them, —and, the carelessness of dullards, will destroy them.
33 But whoever will listen to me shall rest without terror, and shall have full enjoyment of abundance, without fear of evils.”
Whereas, he that hearkeneth unto me, shall dwell safely, and be at rest, without dread of misfortune.
