1 T he proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

2 T hat people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight,

To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding,

3 R eceive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity,

To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity;

4 T hat prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth—

To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion,

5 T he wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel —

A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

6 T hat people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles.

To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.

7 T he reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. The Enticement of Sinners

8 M y son, hear the instruction of your father; reject not nor forsake the teaching of your mother.

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

9 F or they are a chaplet (garland) of grace upon your head and chains and pendants for your neck.

Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.

10 M y son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.

11 I f they say, Come with us; let us lie in wait blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause;

If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;

12 L et us swallow them up alive as does Sheol (the place of the dead), and whole, as those who go down into the pit;

Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit;

13 W e shall find and take all kinds of precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder;

We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil;

14 T hrow in your lot with us and be a sworn brother and comrade; let us all have one purse in common—

Throw in your lot with us, We shall all have one purse,”

15 M y son, do not walk in the way with them; restrain your foot from their path;

My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path,

16 F or their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

For their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood.

17 F or in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird!

Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird;

18 B ut they are lying in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.

But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives.

19 S o are the ways of everyone who is greedy of gain; such takes away the lives of its possessors.

So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors. Wisdom Warns

20 W isdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the markets;

Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square;

21 S he cries at the head of the noisy intersections; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:

22 H ow long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? And the scoffers delight in scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

“How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge?

23 I f you will turn (repent) and give heed to my reproof, behold, I '> Wisdom] will pour out my spirit upon you, I will make my words known to you.

“Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

24 B ecause I have called and you have refused, have stretched out my hand and no man has heeded it,

“Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;

25 A nd you treated as nothing all my counsel and would accept none of my reproof,

And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof;

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when the thing comes that shall cause you terror and panic—

I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes,

27 W hen your panic comes as a storm and desolation and your calamity comes on as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.

When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.

28 T hen will they call upon me but I will not answer; they will seek me early and diligently but they will 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 B ecause they hated knowledge and did not choose the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord,

Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord.

30 W ould accept none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof,

“They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof.

31 T herefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices.

“So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices.

32 F or the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, and the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.

“For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.

33 B ut whoso hearkens to me shall dwell securely and in confident trust and shall be quiet, without fear or dread of evil.

“But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”