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10 My child, if sinners entice you,
    do not consent.(A)
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
    let us wantonly ambush the innocent;(B)
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive
    and whole, like those who go down to the Pit.(C)
13 We shall find all kinds of costly things;
    we shall fill our houses with spoil.
14 Throw in your lot among us;
    we will all have one purse”—
15 my child, do not walk in their way;
    keep your foot from their paths,(D)
16 for their feet run to evil,
    and they hurry to shed blood.(E)
17 For in vain is the net baited
    while the bird is looking on;
18 yet they lie in wait—to kill themselves!
    and set an ambush—for their own lives!
19 Such is the end[a] of all who are greedy for gain;
    it takes away the life of its possessors.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 1.19 Gk: Heb are the ways

Avoid Evil Counsel

10 My son, if sinners entice you,
    do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us!
    Let’s lie in wait for blood;
        let’s ambush some innocent person for no reason at all.
12 Let’s swallow them alive like Sheol,[a]
    and whole like those who go down into the Pit.[b]
13 We’ll find all kinds of valuable wealth,
    and we’ll fill our houses with spoil.
14 Throw your lot in with us,
    and all of us will have one purse.”

15 My son, do not go along with them,[c]
    and keep your feet away from their paths!
16 For they[d] run toward evil;
    these enticers[e] shed blood without hesitation.[f]
17 Look, it is useless to spread a net in full view of[g] all the birds,
18 but these people[h] lie in wait for their own blood.[i]
        They ambush only themselves.
19 Such is the way of all those who seek illicit gain—
    it takes away the lives of those who possess it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:12 I.e. the realm of the dead; possibly an allusion to the rebellion of Korah (cf. Num 16:33)
  2. Proverbs 1:12 I.e. the place of punishment in the afterlife
  3. Proverbs 1:15 Lit. in the way with them
  4. Proverbs 1:16 Lit. For their feet
  5. Proverbs 1:16 Lit. they
  6. Proverbs 1:16 Lit. blood quickly
  7. Proverbs 1:17 Lit. in the eyes of
  8. Proverbs 1:18 Lit. they
  9. Proverbs 1:18 The Heb. lacks their own