1 T he proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

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

2 T o know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

3 T o receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

4 T o give subtilty 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 unto wise counsels:

that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:

6 T o 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 T he 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 M y 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 F or they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

10 M y son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.

11 I f they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

If they say, “Come with us, Let’s lay in wait for blood; let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

12 L et us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit.

13 W e 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 C ast 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 M y son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

My son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,

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

for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

17 S urely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird:

18 A nd they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

but these lay wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

19 S o are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.

20 W isdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.

21 S he 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 H ow 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 T urn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

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

24 B ecause 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 B ut ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of 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 W hen 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 T hen shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;

29 F or that 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 T hey would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.

31 T herefore 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 F or 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 B ut whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, 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.”