1These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David,
king of Israel,
1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2for gaining wisdom and discipline,
for comprehending words of insight,
2For knowing wisdom and discipline, for discerning words of understanding,
3and for receiving instruction in wise living
and in righteousness, justice, and equity.
3for receiving the instruction of wisdom, righteousness, and justice, and uprightness,
4To impart prudence to the simplea
and knowledge and discretion to the young,
4for giving to the simple ones prudence, to a youth knowledge and discretion.
5let the wise listen and gain instruction,
and the discerning acquire wise counsel
5Let the wise hear and add to instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel,
6by understanding the proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
6to understand a proverb and a parable, the words of the wise ones and their riddles.
7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but foolsa despise wisdom and discipline.
7The fear of YHWH is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and instruction fools have despised.
8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
8Hear, my son, the discipline of your father, and do not forsake the instruction of your mother.
9For they are a garland of grace on your head
and a pendant around your neck.
9For a garland of grace they are to your head, and pendants for your neck.
10My son, if sinners entice you,
do not yield to them.
10My son, if sinners should entice you, do not be willing.
11If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood,
let us ambush the innocent without cause,
11If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide for the innocent one without cause;
12let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
and whole like those descending into the Pit.
12let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit;
13We will find all manner of precious goods;
we will fill our houses with plunder.
13all precious wealth we will find, we will fill our houses with plunder;
14Throw in your lot with us;
let us all share one purse” —
14let your lot fall in our midst—one purse there shall be for all of us!”—
15my son, do not walk the road with them
or set foot upon their path.
15My son, do not walk in the way with them; withhold your foot from their path;
16For their feet run to evil,
and they are swift to shed blood.
16for their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
17How futile it is to spread the net
where any bird can see it!
17For the net is spread in vain in the eyes of any owner of the wing,
18But they lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush their own lives.
18and they lie in wait for their own blood; they lurk for their own souls.
19Such is the fate of all who are greedy,
whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
19Such are the ways of everyone being greedy for dishonest gain—the soul of its masters it takes away.
20Wisdom calls out in the street,
she lifts her voice in the square;
20Wisdom calls aloud in the street; in the open squares she gives forth her voice.
21in the main concoursea she cries aloud,
at the city gates she makes her speech:
21At the head of the clamoring she cries out; at the openings of the gates in the city she speaks her words:
22“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways?
How long will scoffers delight in their scorn
and fools hate knowledge?
22“Until when, O simple ones, will you love simplicity, and those mocking delight themselves in mockery, and the foolish ones hate knowledge?
23If 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.
23Turn back at my rebuke; behold, I will pour out on you my spirit; I will make known my words to you.
24Because you refused my call,
and no one took my outstretched hand,
24Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no one is paying attention;
25because you neglected all my counsel,
and wanted none of my correction,
25and you have neglected all my counsel, and you did not consent to my rebuke.
26in turn I will mock your calamity;
I will sneer when terror strikes you,
26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock the coming of your dread;
27when your dread comes like a storm,
and your destruction like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
27your dread comes like a storm, and your calamity like a whirlwind comes, in the coming upon you of distress and anguish.
28Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
28Then they will call on me, and I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, and they will not find me,
29For they hated knowledge
and chose not to fear the LORD.
29upon that they hated knowledge and they have not choosen the fear of YHWH.
30They accepted none of my counsel;
they despised all my reproof.
30They did not consent to my counsel; they have despised all my reproof.
31So they will eat the fruit of their own way,
and be filled with their own devices.
31And they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and from their own counsels they shall be filled.
32For the waywardness of the simple will slay them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
32For the turning away of the simple ones slays them, and the complacency of fools destroys them.
33But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety,
secure from the fear of evil.”
33And the one listening to me will dwell in safety, and will be at ease from the dread of evil.”