1 P roverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

These are the wise sayings of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 F or knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,

They show you how to know wisdom and teaching, to find the words of understanding.

3 F or receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,

They help you learn about the ways of wisdom and what is right and fair.

4 F or giving to simple ones -- prudence, To a youth -- knowledge and discretion.

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

5 ( The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)

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

6 F or understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.

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

7 F ear of Jehovah a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of much learning. Fools hate wisdom and teaching.

8 H ear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,

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

9 F or a graceful wreath they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.

For they are a glory to your head and a chain of beauty around your neck.

10 M y son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.

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

11 I f they say, `Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,

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

12 W e swallow them as Sheol -- alive, And whole -- as those going down the pit,

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

13 E very precious substance we find, We fill our houses spoil,

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

14 T hy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is -- to all of us.'

Throw in your share with us. We will all have one money bag.”

15 M y son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy 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 to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.

For their feet run to sin and hurry to kill.

17 S urely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.

Yes, the net is spread for nothing if the bird is watching.

18 A nd they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives.

They set traps for their own lives and wait to die.

19 S o the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.

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

20 W isdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,

Wisdom calls out in the street. She lifts her voice in the center of town.

21 A t the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:

There she cries out in the noisy streets. At the open gates of the city she speaks:

22 ` Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?

“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?

23 T urn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you.

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

24 B ecause I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,

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

25 A nd ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.

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

26 I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,

So I will laugh at your trouble. I will laugh when you are afraid.

27 W hen your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.

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

28 T hen they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.

then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will look for me, but they will not find me.

29 B ecause that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.

Because they hated much learning, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

30 T hey have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,

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

31 A nd they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.

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

32 F or the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.

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

33 A nd whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And quiet from fear of evil!'

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