Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
3 To receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness and judgment and equity;
and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.
4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion:
To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,
5 That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; and that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
6 To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
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 beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
9 For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;
If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
12 Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;
We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.
14 Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; we will all have one purse:
Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.
16 For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
17 For in vain is the net spread, in the eyes of any bird:
How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!
18 And these lay wait for their own blood, they lurk privily for their own lives.
But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; it taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
20 Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; she uttereth her voice in the broad places;
Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse; at the entering in of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:
in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and scorners delight them in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
26 I also will laugh in [the day of] your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
27 When your fear cometh as a storm, and your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you.
when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.
30 They would none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof:
They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil.
But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”
