10 My son, if sinful men entice(A) you,
    do not give in(B) to them.(C)
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
    let’s lie in wait(D) for innocent blood,
    let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow(E) them alive, like the grave,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;(F)
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
    and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
    we will all share the loot(G)”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
    do not set foot(H) on their paths;(I)
16 for their feet rush into evil,(J)
    they are swift to shed blood.(K)
17 How useless to spread a net
    where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait(L) for their own blood;
    they ambush only themselves!(M)
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
    it takes away the life of those who get it.(N)

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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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10 My child, if sinners entice you,
    turn your back on them!
11 They may say, “Come and join us.
    Let’s hide and kill someone!
    Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!
12 Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave[a];
    let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.
13 Think of the great things we’ll get!
    We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.
14 Come, throw in your lot with us;
    we’ll all share the loot.”

15 My child, don’t go along with them!
    Stay far away from their paths.
16 They rush to commit evil deeds.
    They hurry to commit murder.
17 If a bird sees a trap being set,
    it knows to stay away.
18 But these people set an ambush for themselves;
    they are trying to get themselves killed.
19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money;
    it robs them of life.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:12 Hebrew like Sheol.