| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, | 1The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: |
| 2for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight, | 2To learn wisdom and moral instruction, and to discern wise counsel. |
| 3and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity. | 3To receive moral instruction in skillful living, in righteousness, justice, and equity. |
| 4To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young, | 4To impart shrewdness to the morally naive, and a discerning plan to the young person. |
| 5let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel | 5(Let the wise also hear and gain instruction, and let the discerning acquire guidance!) |
| 6by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. | 6To discern the meaning of a proverb and a parable, the sayings of the wise and their riddles. |
| 7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. | 7Fearing the LORD is the beginning of moral knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. |
| 8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother. | 8Listen, my child, to the instruction from your father, and do not forsake the teaching from your mother. |
| 9For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck. | 9For they will be like an elegant garland on your head, and like pendants around your neck. |
| 10My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them. | 10My child, if sinners try to entice you, do not consent! |
| 11If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause, | 11If they say, "Come with us! We will lie in wait to shed blood; we will ambush an innocent person capriciously. |
| 12let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. | 12We will swallow them alive like Sheol, those full of vigor like those going down to the Pit. |
| 13We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder. | 13We will seize all kinds of precious wealth; we will fill our houses with plunder. |
| 14Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”— | 14Join with us! We will all share equally in what we steal." |
| 15my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path. | 15My child, do not go down their way, withhold yourself from their path; |
| 16For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood. | 16for they are eager to inflict harm, and they hasten to shed blood. |
| 17How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it! | 17Surely it is futile to spread a net in plain sight of any bird, |
| 18But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives. | 18but these men lie in wait for their own blood, they ambush their own lives! |
| 19Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors. | 19Such are the ways of all who gain profit unjustly; it takes away the life of those who obtain it! |
| 20Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square; | 20Wisdom calls out in the street, she shouts loudly in the plazas; |
| 21in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech: | 21at the head of the noisy streets she calls, in the entrances of the gates in the city she utters her words: |
| 22“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge? | 22"How long will you simpletons love naivete? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? |
| 23If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you. | 23If only you will respond to my rebuke, then I will pour out my thoughts to you and I will make my words known to you. |
| 24Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand, | 24However, because I called but you refused to listen, because I stretched out my hand but no one paid attention, |
| 25because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction, | 25because you neglected all my advice, and did not comply with my rebuke, |
| 26in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you, | 26so I myself will laugh when disaster strikes you, I will mock when what you dread comes, |
| 27when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you. | 27when what you dread comes like a whirlwind, and disaster strikes you like a devastating storm, when distressing trouble comes on you. |
| 28Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me. | 28Then they will call to me, but I will not answer; they will diligently seek me, but they will not find me. |
| 29For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. | 29Because they hated moral knowledge, and did not choose to fear the LORD, |
| 30They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof. | 30they did not comply with my advice, they spurned all my rebuke. |
| 31So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. | 31Therefore they will eat from the fruit of their way, and they will be stuffed full of their own counsel. |
| 32For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. | 32For the waywardness of the simpletons will kill them, and the careless ease of fools will destroy them. |
| 33But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.” | 33But the one who listens to me will live in security, and will be at ease from the dread of harm. |
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