Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man—
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels:
that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel;
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
to understand a proverb and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge, but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching;
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace to thy head, and chains about thy neck.
for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause:
If they say, “Come with us. Let’s lie in wait for blood. Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.
12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: (Sheol h7585)
Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit. (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
We’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with plunder.
14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
You shall cast your lot among us. We’ll all have one purse”—
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; keep thy foot from their path:
my son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.
17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
For the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird;
18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives.
but these lay in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; who taketh away the life of its owners.
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom crieth outside; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.
21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn ye at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make known to you my words.
Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and rejected my reproof:
but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you,
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me,
29 Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.
30 They rejected my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
They wanted 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.
Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoever hearkeneth to me shall dwell in safety, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”
