Proverbs 1
The Message
Wise Sayings of Solomon
A Manual for Living
1 1-6 These are the wise sayings of Solomon,
David’s son, Israel’s king—
Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right,
to understand what life means and where it’s going;
A manual for living,
for learning what’s right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes
and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There’s something here also for seasoned men and women,
still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—
Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.
Start with God
7 Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.
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.
Lady Wisdom
20-21 Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts.
At the town center she makes her speech.
In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand.
At the busiest corner she calls out:
22-24 “Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance?
Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism?
Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn?
About face! I can revise your life.
Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you;
I’m ready to tell you all I know.
As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear;
I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me.
25-28 “Since you laugh at my counsel
and make a joke of my advice,
How can I take you seriously?
I’ll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!
What if the roof falls in,
and your whole life goes to pieces?
What if catastrophe strikes and there’s nothing
to show for your life but rubble and ashes?
You’ll need me then. You’ll call for me, but don’t expect an answer.
No matter how hard you look, you won’t find me.
29-33 “Because you hated Knowledge
and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God,
Because you wouldn’t take my advice
and brushed aside all my offers to train you,
Well, you’ve made your bed—now lie in it;
you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it?
Don’t you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?
Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.
First pay attention to me, and then relax.
Now you can take it easy—you’re in good hands.”
Proverbios 1
Palabra de Dios para Todos
Introducción
1 Proverbios de Salomón, hijo de David, rey de Israel:
2 para aprender sabiduría y disciplina;
para comprender discursos inteligentes;
3 para adquirir instrucción y prudencia,
honestidad, justicia y equidad;
4 para volver sagaces a los inexpertos;
y dar a los jóvenes conocimiento y prudencia.
5 El sabio que los escuche será más sabio;
y el inteligente será más hábil;
6 se entenderán los dichos y el lenguaje figurado,
las palabras de los sabios y sus enigmas.
7 Respetar al SEÑOR es el principio de la sabiduría;
los tontos desprecian la sabiduría y la disciplina.
Di no a las pandillas
8 Hijo mío, escucha a tu papá cuando te corrige
y no ignores lo que te enseña tu mamá,
9 porque eso adornará tu cabeza
como una corona o como un collar.
10 Hijo mío, si los pecadores quieren engañarte,
no te dejes convencer.
11 Si te dicen: «Ven con nosotros, escondámonos,
esperemos que pase algún inocente
y démonos luego el gusto de matarlo.
12 Devorémoslo entero como se traga el lugar de los muertos[a] a la gente,
como les pasa a los que bajan al sepulcro.
13 Conseguiremos toda clase de riquezas,
llenaremos nuestras casas con lo que nos robemos.
14 Decídete ya e ingresa a nuestra pandilla,
haremos un fondo común entre todos».
15 Pero tú, no andes con esa gente, hijo mío;
no se te ocurra andar en sus malos caminos,
16 porque ellos corren rápidamente a hacer lo malo;
tienen prisa por matar a alguien.
17 De nada sirve tender una red
cuando los pájaros están mirando,
18 pero ellos ponen su vida en peligro
y se tienden ellos mismos una trampa.
19 En eso acaban los codiciosos,
los mata su propia avaricia.
La sabiduría hace oír su voz
20 La sabiduría[b] grita en las calles,
levanta su voz en las plazas
21 y clama en las esquinas llenas de gente;
cerca de las puertas de la ciudad argumenta:
22 «¿Hasta cuándo, ignorantes,
seguirán amando la torpeza?
¿Hasta cuándo los burlones
seguirán felices de hacer tonterías?
¿Hasta cuándo los brutos
seguirán odiando el saber?
23 Hagan caso a mi corrección,
y yo derramaré mi espíritu sobre ustedes;
les daré a conocer mis pensamientos.
24 Yo los llamé, pero ustedes no me atendieron;
les ofrecí mi mano, pero no me hicieron caso.
25 Ustedes rechazaron mis consejos,
se negaron a aceptar mi corrección.
26 Por eso también yo me reiré de ustedes cuando les lleguen las dificultades;
disfrutaré viéndolos todos atemorizados,
27 cuando les llegue como una tormenta lo que tanto temen,
y la desgracia los agarre como un torbellino.
28 »Entonces me llamarán, pero yo no responderé.
Me buscarán al amanecer, pero no me encontrarán;
29 porque odiaron el conocimiento,
se negaron a respetar al SEÑOR.
30 No quisieron escuchar mis consejos
y no hicieron caso a mis correcciones,
31 así que tendrán que comer del fruto de sus acciones
y quedar hartos de sus propias maquinaciones.
32 Los tontos mueren porque se niegan a seguir la sabiduría;
los ricos son felices siguiendo su forma insensata de obrar, y eso los destruye.
33 En cambio, el que me obedece vivirá tranquilo,
seguro y sin temer ninguna desgracia».
Footnotes
- 1:12 lugar de los muertos Textualmente Seol. Igual en 9:18; 30:16.
- 1:20 sabiduría La sabiduría es personificada aquí como una buen mujer que trata de captar la atención de este joven invitándolo a ser sabio y a obedecer a Dios. En un pasaje posterior (9:13-18) la estupidez es personificada por otra mujer que lo invita a una vida de pecado.
Proverbs 1
New King James Version
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 The (A)proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To [a]perceive the words of understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the (B)simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5 (C)A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will [b]attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their (D)riddles.
7 (E)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Shun Evil Counsel
8 (F)My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9 For they will be a (G)graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
(H)Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us (I)lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like [c]Sheol,
And whole, (J)like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious [d]possessions,
We shall fill our houses with [e]spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15 My son, (K)do not walk in the way with them,
(L)Keep your foot from their path;
16 (M)For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in [f]vain the net is spread
In the sight of any [g]bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 (N)So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.
The Call of Wisdom
20 (O)Wisdom calls aloud [h]outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the [i]chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “How long, you [j]simple ones, will you love [k]simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke;
Surely (P)I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 (Q)Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you (R)disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 (S)I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When (T)your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then(U) they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they (V)hated knowledge
And did not (W)choose the fear of the Lord,
30 (X)They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore (Y)they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the [l]turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell (Z)safely,
And (AA)will be [m]secure, without fear of evil.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:2 understand or discern
- Proverbs 1:5 acquire
- Proverbs 1:12 Or the grave
- Proverbs 1:13 Lit. wealth
- Proverbs 1:13 plunder
- Proverbs 1:17 futility
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit. lord of the wing
- Proverbs 1:20 in the street
- Proverbs 1:21 LXX, Syr., Tg. top of the walls; Vg. the head of multitudes
- Proverbs 1:22 naive
- Proverbs 1:22 naivete
- Proverbs 1:32 waywardness
- Proverbs 1:33 at ease
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
© 2005, 2015 Bible League International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
