WEB(i)
1 The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man:
5 that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:
6 to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:
9 for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us. Let’s lay in wait for blood. Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.
12 Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit.
13 We’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with plunder.
14 You shall cast your lot among us. We’ll all have one purse.”
15 My son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,
16 for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.
17 For the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird;
18 but these lay in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.
21 She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.
24 Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;
25 but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;
26 I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you,
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you.
28 Then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;
29 because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.
30 They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.
32 For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”
Proverbs
BBE(i)
1 The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
3 To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
4 To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
5 The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:
6 To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
8 My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
9 For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.
11 If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
12 Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death;
13 Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
14 Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
15 My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
16 For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
17 Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
18 And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
19 Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
21 Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
22 How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?
23 Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
24 Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
25 You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
26 So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
27 When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.
28 Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
29 For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
30 They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
31 So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
32 For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
33 But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.
ACV(i)
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel,
2 to know wisdom and instruction, to discern the words of understanding,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness and justice and equity,
4 to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion,
5 that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning, and that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsels,
6 to understand a proverb, and a figure, the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of LORD is the beginning of knowledge. The foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
9 For they shall be a garland of grace to thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
11 If they say, Come with us. Let us lay wait for blood. Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.
12 Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those who go down into the pit.
13 We shall find all precious substance. We shall fill our houses with spoil.
14 Thou shall cast thy lot among us. We will all have one bag.
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them. Restrain thy foot from their path.
16 For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird,
18 and these lay wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy of gain. It takes away the life of the owners of it.
20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the broad places.
21 She cries in the chief place of concourse, at the entrance of the gates, in the city. She utters her words:
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And scoffers delight them in scoffing, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn back at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you. I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called, and ye have refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man has regarded,
25 but ye have made all my counsel void, and want none of my reproof,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your fear comes,
27 when your fear comes as a storm, and your calamity comes on as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me,
29 because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of LORD.
30 They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the backsliding of the simple shall kill them, and the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.
33 But he who hearkens to me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil.