1:1 The Proverbs 1 of 2 Solomon 3 son of David, 4 king of Israel: 5
1:2 To 6 learn 7 wisdom 8 and moral instruction, 9
and to discern 10 wise counsel. 11
1:3 To receive 12 moral instruction 13 in skillful living, 14
in 15 righteousness, 16 justice, 17 and equity. 18
1:4 To impart 19 shrewdness 20 to the morally naive, 21
and 22 a discerning 23 plan 24 to the young person. 25
1:5 (Let the wise also 26 hear 27 and gain 28 instruction,
and let the discerning 29 acquire 30 guidance! 31 )
1:6 To discern 32 the meaning of 33 a proverb and a parable, 34
the sayings of the wise 35 and their 36 riddles. 37
1:7 Fearing the Lord 38 is the beginning 39 of moral knowledge, 40
but 41 fools 42 despise 43 wisdom and instruction. 44
1:8 Listen, 45 my child, 46 to the instruction 47 from 48 your father,
and do not forsake the teaching 49 from 50 your mother.
1:9 For they will be like 51 an elegant 52 garland 53 on 54 your head,
and like 55 pendants 56 around 57 your neck.
1:10 My child, if sinners 58 try to entice 59 you,
do not consent! 60
1:11 If they say, “Come with us!
We will 61 lie in wait 62 to shed blood; 63
we will ambush 64 an innocent person 65 capriciously. 66
1:12 We will swallow them alive 67 like Sheol, 68
those full of vigor 69 like those going down to the Pit.
1:13 We will seize 70 all kinds 71 of precious wealth;
we will fill our houses with plunder. 72
1:14 Join with us! 73
We will all share 74 equally in what we steal.” 75
1:15 My child, do not go down 76 their way, 77
withhold yourself 78 from their path; 79
1:16 for they 80 are eager 81 to inflict harm, 82
and they hasten 83 to shed blood. 84
1:17 Surely it is futile to spread 85 a net
in plain sight of 86 any bird, 87
1:18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood, 88
they ambush their own lives! 89
1:19 Such 90 are the ways 91 of all who gain profit unjustly; 92
it 93 takes away the life 94 of those who obtain it! 95
1:20 Wisdom 96 calls out 97 in the street,
she shouts loudly 98 in the plazas; 99
1:21 at the head of the noisy 100 streets she calls,
in the entrances of the gates in the city 101 she utters her words: 102
1:22 “How long will you simpletons 103 love naiveté? 104
How long 105 will mockers 106 delight 107 in mockery 108
and fools 109 hate knowledge?
1:23 If only 110 you will respond 111 to my rebuke, 112
then 113 I will pour 114 out my thoughts 115 to you
and 116 I will make 117 my words known to you.
1:24 However, 118 because 119 I called but you refused to listen, 120
because 121 I stretched out my hand 122 but no one paid attention,
1:25 because 123 you neglected 124 all my advice,
and did not comply 125 with my rebuke,
1:26 so 126 I myself will laugh 127 when disaster strikes you, 128
I will mock when what you dread 129 comes,
1:27 when what you dread 130 comes like a whirlwind, 131
and disaster strikes you 132 like a devastating storm, 133
when distressing trouble 134 comes on you.
1:28 Then they will call to me, but I will not answer;
they will diligently seek 135 me, but they will not find me.
1:29 Because 136 they hated moral knowledge, 137
and did not choose to fear the Lord, 138
1:30 they did not comply with my advice,
they spurned 139 all my rebuke.
1:31 Therefore 140 they will eat from the fruit 141 of their way, 142
and they will be stuffed full 143 of their own counsel.
1:32 For the waywardness 144 of the
simpletons will kill 145 them,
and the careless ease 146 of fools will destroy them.
1:33 But the one who listens 147 to me will live in security, 148
and will be at ease 149 from the dread of harm.