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10 My son, don’t let sinners entice you.
    Don’t go
11     when they say:
        “Come with us.
        Let’s set up a deadly ambush.
        Let’s secretly wait for the innocent just for fun.
12         Let’s swallow up the living like the grave[a]
        whole, like those who go down into the pit.
13         We’ll find all sorts of precious wealth;
        we’ll fill our houses with plunder.
14         Throw in your lot with us;
        we’ll share our money.”
15 My son, don’t go on the path with them;
    keep your feet from their way,
16     because their feet run to evil;
            they hurry to spill blood.
17 It’s useless to cast a net
    in the sight of a bird.
18 But these sinners set up a deadly ambush;
    they lie in wait for their own lives.
19 These are the ways of all who seek unjust gain;
    it costs them their lives.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:12 Heb Sheol

10 My son, those who love to do wrong will try to trick you. Don’t listen to them. 11 They will say, “Come with us. Let’s hide and beat to death anyone who happens to walk by. 12 We will swallow them whole, as the grave swallows the dying. 13 We will take everything they have and fill our houses with stolen goods. 14 So join us, and you can share everything we get.”

15 My son, don’t follow them. Don’t even take the first step along that path. 16 They run to do something evil, and they cannot wait to kill someone.

17 You cannot trap birds with a net if they see you spreading it out. 18 But evil people cannot see the trap they set for themselves. 19 This is what happens to those who are greedy. Whatever they get destroys them.

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10 My son, if sinners entice you,
(A)Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us (B)lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like [a]Sheol,
And whole, (C)like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious [b]possessions,
We shall fill our houses with [c]spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15 My son, (D)do not walk in the way with them,
(E)Keep your foot from their path;
16 (F)For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in [d]vain the net is spread
In the sight of any [e]bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 (G)So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:12 Or the grave
  2. Proverbs 1:13 Lit. wealth
  3. Proverbs 1:13 plunder
  4. Proverbs 1:17 futility
  5. Proverbs 1:17 Lit. lord of the wing

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 privily for the innocent without cause:

12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

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8-19 Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you;
    never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee.
Wear their counsel like a winning crown,
    like rings on your fingers.
Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you,
    don’t go along with them.
If they say—“Let’s go out and raise some hell.
    Let’s beat up some old man, mug some old woman.
Let’s pick them clean
    and get them ready for their funerals.
We’ll load up on top-quality loot.
    We’ll haul it home by the truckload.
Join us for the time of your life!
    With us, it’s share and share alike!”—
Oh, friend, don’t give them a second look;
    don’t listen to them for a minute.
They’re racing to a very bad end,
    hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on.
Nobody robs a bank
    with everyone watching,
Yet that’s what these people are doing—
    they’re doing themselves in.
When you grab all you can get, that’s what happens:
    the more you get, the less you are.

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