1 T hese are the wise sayings of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

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

2 T hey show you how to know wisdom and teaching, to find the words of understanding.

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

3 T hey help you learn about the ways of wisdom and what is right and fair.

To receive instruction in wise dealing, In righteousness and justice and equity;

4 T hey give wisdom to the child-like, and much learning and wisdom to those who are young.

To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion:

5 A wise man will hear and grow in learning. A man of understanding will become able

That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:

6 t o understand a saying and a picture-story, the words of the wise and what they mean.

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

7 T he fear of the Lord is the beginning of much learning. Fools hate wisdom and teaching.

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

8 H ear your father’s teaching, my son, and do not turn away from your mother’s teaching.

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:

9 F or they are a glory to your head and a chain of beauty around your neck.

For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.

10 M y son, if sinners try to lead you into sin, do not go with them.

My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not.

11 I f they say, “Come with us. Let us lie in wait to kill someone. Let us set a trap for those who are without blame.

If they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood; Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;

12 L et us swallow them alive like death, as those who go down to the grave.

Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, And whole, as those that go down into the pit;

13 W e will find all kinds of things of great worth. We will fill our houses with the stolen riches.

We shall find all precious substance; We shall fill our houses with spoil;

14 T hrow in your share with us. We will all have one money bag.”

Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse:

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

My son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path:

16 F or their feet run to sin and hurry to kill.

For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.

17 Y es, the net is spread for nothing if the bird is watching.

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

18 T hey set traps for their own lives and wait to die.

And these lay wait for their own blood; They lurk privily for their own lives.

19 S uch are the ways of all who get things by hurting others. Their desire for stolen riches takes away their own lives.

So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; It taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

20 W isdom calls out in the street. She lifts her voice in the center of town.

Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; She uttereth her voice in the broad places;

21 T here she cries out in the noisy streets. At the open gates of the city she speaks:

She crieth in the chief place of concourse; At the entrance of the gates, In the city, she uttereth her words:

22 “ O foolish ones, how long will you love being foolish? How long will those who laugh at others be happy in their laughing? How long will fools hate much learning?

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And scoffers delight them in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?

23 L isten to my strong words! See, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make my words known to you.

Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you.

24 I called but you would not listen. I put out my hand and no one gave it a thought.

Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded;

25 Y ou did not listen when I told you what you should do, and you would not hear any of my strong words.

But ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof:

26 S o I will laugh at your trouble. I will laugh when you are afraid.

I also will laugh in the day of your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27 F ear will come to you like a storm. Hard times will come like a strong wind. When trouble and suffering come upon you,

When your fear cometh as a storm, And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish come upon you.

28 t hen they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will look for me, but they will not find me.

Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:

29 B ecause they hated much learning, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah:

30 T hey would not listen when I told them what they should do. They laughed at all my strong words.

They would none of my counsel; They despised all my reproof.

31 S o they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own plans.

Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices.

32 F or the foolish will be killed by their turning away. The trust that fools put in themselves will destroy them.

For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.

33 B ut he who listens to me will live free from danger, and he will rest easy from the fear of what is sinful.”

But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil.