NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

1The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

2To learn wisdom and moral instruction, and to discern wise counsel.

2To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding,

3To receive moral instruction in skillful living, in righteousness, justice, and equity.

3To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity;

4To impart shrewdness to the morally naive, and a discerning plan to the young person.

4To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion,

5(Let the wise also hear and gain instruction, and let the discerning acquire guidance!)

5A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

6To discern the meaning of a proverb and a parable, the sayings of the wise and their riddles.

6To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.

7Fearing the LORD is the beginning of moral knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8Listen, my child, to the instruction from your father, and do not forsake the teaching from your mother.

8Hear, my son, your father's instruction And do not forsake your mother's teaching;

9For they will be like an elegant garland on your head, and like pendants around your neck.

9Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.

10My child, if sinners try to entice you, do not consent!

10My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.

11If they say, "Come with us! We will lie in wait to shed blood; we will ambush an innocent person capriciously.

11If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;

12We will swallow them alive like Sheol, those full of vigor like those going down to the Pit.

12Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit;

13We will seize all kinds of precious wealth; we will fill our houses with plunder.

13We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil;

14Join with us! We will all share equally in what we steal."

14Throw in your lot with us, We shall all have one purse,"

15My child, do not go down their way, withhold yourself from their path;

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

16for they are eager to inflict harm, and they hasten to shed blood.

16For their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood.

17Surely it is futile to spread a net in plain sight of any bird,

17Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird;

18but these men lie in wait for their own blood, they ambush their own lives!

18But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives.

19Such are the ways of all who gain profit unjustly; it takes away the life of those who obtain it!

19So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors.

20Wisdom calls out in the street, she shouts loudly in the plazas;

20Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square;

21at the head of the noisy streets she calls, in the entrances of the gates in the city she utters her words:

21At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:

22"How long will you simpletons love naivete? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

22"How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge?

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.

23"Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

24However, because I called but you refused to listen, because I stretched out my hand but no one paid attention,

24"Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;

25because you neglected all my advice, and did not comply with my rebuke,

25And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof;

26so I myself will laugh when disaster strikes you, I will mock when what you dread comes,

26I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes,

27when what you dread comes like a whirlwind, and disaster strikes you like a devastating storm, when distressing trouble comes on you.

27When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.

28Then they will call to me, but I will not answer; they will diligently seek me, but they will not find me.

28"Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me,

29Because they hated moral knowledge, and did not choose to fear the LORD,

29Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD.

30they did not comply with my advice, they spurned all my rebuke.

30"They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof.

31Therefore they will eat from the fruit of their way, and they will be stuffed full of their own counsel.

31"So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices.

32For the waywardness of the simpletons will kill them, and the careless ease of fools will destroy them.

32"For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.

33But the one who listens to me will live in security, and will be at ease from the dread of harm.

33"But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil."

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