1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel.
2 These are proverbs that will make you wise. They will help you to learn things and to understand good teaching. 3 They will help you to understand how to live a good life. They will teach you how to live as a person who is good, honest and fair.
4 They can cause even silly people to become clever. They teach young people what they should know, so that they can live well.
5 Wise people should also listen carefully, so that they learn something new. And people with clever minds can learn to live in a good way.
6 People will learn to understand what proverbs and picture stories mean. They will understand the teaching and clever messages of wise people.
7 If you want to know how to live in a good way, you must first learn to respect the Lord with fear. [ a ] Fools refuse to listen to wise teaching.
8 Listen, my child, when your father shows you what is right. And do not forget what your mother has taught you. 9 Their teaching will bring you honour, like a beautiful crown or a valuable necklace.
10 My child, if sinners want you to join with them, do not agree! 11 They may say, ‘Come with us. We will find someone to murder. We will attack any helpless person that we choose. 12 We will send them quickly to their graves. They may be strong and healthy, but they will soon be under the earth. 13 We will take all their valuable things for ourselves. We will fill our houses with lots of good things. 14 So come and join us! We will share with each other everything that we rob from other people.’
15 My child, do not go along with people like that. Stay away from them. 16 They are in a hurry to do evil things. They cannot wait to murder someone!
17 Think about it! If you put a trap where the birds can see it, you will never catch anything. 18 These wicked men hide to attack someone. They are ready to kill someone, but they destroy their own lives! 19 That is what happens to those who cheat other people to become rich themselves. The riches that they have taken from others will destroy their own lives.
20 Listen! Wisdom is like a woman who shouts in the streets. She speaks loudly in the market places. 21 She shouts above the noise in the city's streets. She calls aloud at its gates. This is what she says:
22 ‘Listen to me!
Will you silly people continue to be so silly?
You people who laugh at God, will you always be like that?
Will fools always refuse to learn anything?
23 Listen to me as I warn you of danger!
Then I will let you know my thoughts.
I will let you hear my message.
24 I called out to you, but you refused to listen.
I reached out to you, but you turned your backs to me.
25 You would not accept my teaching.
When I warned you, you did nothing.
26 So, when trouble comes to you, I will laugh.
I will laugh at you when you are afraid.
27 Fear may hit you like a strong wind.
Trouble may knock you down, like a storm.
Your problems may make you very afraid.
But I will laugh at you.
28 Foolish people will call to me for help, but I will not answer.
They will look for me everywhere, but they will not find me.
29 They have refused to learn what is right.
They have refused to respect the Lord .
30 They have not agreed to my advice.
When I warned them, they turned away.
31 So now they will receive the trouble that they deserve.
Their own wicked ideas will make them sick.
32 Silly people have turned away from me, and that will kill them.
Fools like an easy life, and that will destroy them.
33 But whoever listens to me, Wisdom, will live safely.
That person will have peace in his mind.
He will not be afraid of trouble.’
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, the son of David and king of Israel. 2 They will help you learn to be wise, to accept correction, and to understand wise sayings. 3 They will teach you to develop your mind in the right way. You will learn to do what is right and to be honest and fair. 4 These proverbs will make even those without education smart. They will teach young people what they need to know and how to use what they have learned. 5 Even the wise could become wiser by listening to these proverbs. They will gain understanding and learn to solve difficult problems. 6 These sayings will help you understand proverbs, stories with hidden meanings, words of the wise, and other difficult sayings.
7 Knowledge begins with fear and respect for the Lord , but stubborn fools hate wisdom and refuse to learn.
8 My son, [ a ] listen to your father when he corrects you, and don’t ignore what your mother teaches you. 9 What you learn from your parents will bring you honor and respect, like a crown or a gold medal. [ b ]
10 My son, those who love to do wrong will try to trick you. Don’t listen to them. 11 They will say, “Come with us. Let’s hide and beat to death anyone who happens to walk by. 12 We will swallow them whole, as the grave swallows the dying. 13 We will take everything they have and fill our houses with stolen goods. 14 So join us, and you can share everything we get.”
15 My son, don’t follow them. Don’t even take the first step along that path. 16 They run to do something evil, and they cannot wait to kill someone.
17 You cannot trap birds with a net if they see you spreading it out. 18 But evil people cannot see the trap they set for themselves. 19 This is what happens to those who are greedy. Whatever they get destroys them.
20 Listen! Wisdom [ c ] is shouting in the streets. She is crying out in the marketplace. 21 She is calling out where the noisy crowd gathers:
22 “Fools, how long will you love being ignorant? How long will you make fun of wisdom? How long will you hate knowledge? 23 I wanted to tell you everything I knew and give you all my knowledge, but you didn’t listen to my advice and teaching.
24 “I tried to help, but you refused to listen. I offered my hand, but you turned away from me. 25 You ignored my advice and refused to be corrected. 26 So I will laugh at your troubles and make fun of you when what you fear happens. 27 Disasters will strike you like a storm. Problems will pound you like a strong wind. Trouble and misery will weigh you down.
28 “Fools will call for me, but I will not answer. They will look for me, but they will not find me. 29 That is because they hated knowledge. They refused to fear and respect the Lord . 30 They ignored my advice and refused to be corrected. 31 They filled their lives with what they wanted. They went their own way, so they will get what they deserve.
32 “Fools die because they refuse to follow wisdom. They are content to follow their foolish ways, and that will destroy them. 33 But those who listen to me will live in safety and comfort. They will have nothing to fear.”
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily 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:
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, 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.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord :
30 They would 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.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
1 The ( A ) proverbs of Solomon ( B ) the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know ( C ) wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of ( D ) understanding,
3 To ( E ) receive instruction in wise behavior,
( F ) Righteousness, justice, and integrity;
4 To give ( G ) prudence to the naive,
To the youth ( H ) knowledge and discretion,
5 A wise person will hear and ( I ) increase in learning,
And a ( J ) person of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and a saying,
The words of the wise and their ( K ) riddles.
7 ( L ) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 ( M ) Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
And ( N ) do not ignore your mother’s teaching;
9 For they are a ( O ) graceful wreath for your head
And ( P ) necklaces for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners ( Q ) entice you,
( R ) Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let’s ( S ) lie in wait for blood,
Let’s ( T ) ambush the innocent without cause;
12 Let’s ( U ) swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, like those who ( V ) go down to the pit;
13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with plunder;
14 Throw in your lot [ a ] with us;
We will all have one money bag,”
15 My son, ( W ) do not walk on the way with them.
( X ) Keep your feet from their path,
16 For ( Y ) their feet run to evil,
And they are quick to shed blood.
17 Indeed, it is [ b ] useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any [ c ] bird;
18 But they ( Z ) lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of everyone who ( AA ) makes unjust gain;
It takes away the life of its possessors.
20 ( AB ) Wisdom shouts in the street,
She [ d ] raises her voice in the public square;
21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she declares her sayings:
22 “How long, you ( AC ) naive ones, will you love simplistic thinking?
And how long will ( AD ) scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools ( AE ) hate knowledge?
23 Turn to my rebuke,
Behold, I will ( AF ) pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because ( AG ) I called and you ( AH ) refused,
I ( AI ) stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you ( AJ ) neglected all my advice
And did not ( AK ) want my rebuke;
26 I will also ( AL ) laugh at your ( AM ) disaster;
I will mock when your ( AN ) dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm
And your disaster comes like a ( AO ) whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will ( AP ) call on me, but I will not answer;
They will ( AQ ) seek me diligently but will not find me,
29 Because they ( AR ) hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord .
30 They ( AS ) did not accept my advice,
They disdainfully rejected every rebuke from me.
31 So they shall ( AT ) eat of the fruit of their own way,
And be ( AU ) filled with their own schemes.
32 For the ( AV ) faithlessness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But ( AW ) whoever listens to me will live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
1 The proverbs ( A ) of Solomon ( B ) son of David, king of Israel: ( C )
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple, [ a ] ( D )
knowledge and discretion ( E ) to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, ( F )
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables, ( G )
the sayings and riddles ( H ) of the wise. [ b ] ( I )
7 The fear of the Lord ( J ) is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools [ c ] despise wisdom ( K ) and instruction. ( L )
8 Listen, my son, ( M ) to your father’s ( N ) instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. ( O )
9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck. ( P )
10 My son, if sinful men entice ( Q ) you,
do not give in ( R ) to them. ( S )
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait ( T ) for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow ( U ) them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit; ( V )
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot ( W ) ”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot ( X ) on their paths; ( Y )
16 for their feet rush into evil, ( Z )
they are swift to shed blood. ( AA )
17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait ( AB ) for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves! ( AC )
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it. ( AD )
20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, ( AE )
she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall [ d ] she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:
22 “How long will you who are simple ( AF ) love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate ( AG ) knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse ( AH ) to listen when I call ( AI )
and no one pays attention ( AJ ) when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh ( AK ) when disaster ( AL ) strikes you;
I will mock ( AM ) when calamity overtakes you ( AN ) —
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster ( AO ) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; ( AP )
they will look for me but will not find me, ( AQ )
29 since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord . ( AR )
30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke, ( AS )
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. ( AT )
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them; ( AU )
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety ( AV )
and be at ease, without fear of harm.” ( AW )
