Proverbs 1
Names of God Bible
The Reasons for Proverbs
1 The proverbs of Solomon, David’s son who was king of Israel, given
2 to grasp wisdom and discipline,
to understand deep thoughts,
3 to acquire the discipline of wise behavior—
righteousness and justice and fairness—
4 to give insight to gullible people,
to give knowledge and foresight to the young—
5 a wise person will listen and continue to learn,
and an understanding person will gain direction—
6 to understand a proverb and a clever saying,
the words of wise people and their riddles.
7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge.
Stubborn fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Listen to Wisdom
8 My son,
listen to your father’s discipline,
and do not neglect your mother’s teachings,
9 because discipline and teachings
are a graceful garland on your head
and a golden chain around your neck.
10 My son,
if sinners lure you, do not go along.
11 If they say,
“Come with us.
Let’s set an ambush to kill someone.
Let’s hide to ambush innocent people for fun.
12 We’ll swallow them alive like the grave,
like those in good health who go into the pit.
13 We’ll find all kinds of valuable possessions.
We’ll fill our homes with stolen goods.
14 Join us.
We’ll split the loot equally.”
15 My son,
do not follow them in their way.
Do not even set foot on their path,
16 because they rush to do evil
and hurry to shed blood.
17 It does no good to spread a net
within the sight of any bird.
18 But these people set an ambush for their own murder.
They go into hiding only to lose their lives.
19 This is what happens to everyone
who is greedy for unjust gain.
Greed takes away his life.
20 Wisdom sings her song in the streets.
In the public squares she raises her voice.
21 At the corners of noisy streets she calls out.
At the entrances to the city she speaks her words,
22 “How long will you gullible people love being so gullible?
How long will you mockers find joy in your mocking?
How long will you fools hate knowledge?
23 “Turn to me when I warn you.
I will generously pour out my spirit for you.
I will make my words known to you.
24 “I called, and you refused to listen.
I stretched out my hands to you, and no one paid attention.
25 You ignored all my advice.
You did not want me to warn you.
26 I will laugh at your calamity.
I will make fun of you
when panic strikes you,
27 when panic strikes you like a violent storm,
when calamity strikes you like a wind storm,
when trouble and anguish come to you.
28 “They will call to me at that time, but I will not answer.
They will look for me, but they will not find me,
29 because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of Yahweh.
30 They refused my advice.
They despised my every warning.
31 They will eat the fruit of their lifestyle.
They will be stuffed with their own schemes.
32 “Gullible people kill themselves because of their turning away.
Fools destroy themselves because of their indifference.
33 But whoever listens to me will live without worry
and will be free from the dread of disaster.”
Proverbs 1
Darby Translation
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
3 to receive the instruction of wisdom, righteousness and judgment, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 He that is wise will hear, and will increase learning; and the intelligent will gain wise counsels:
6 to understand a proverb and an allegory, the words of the wise and their enigmas.
7 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
9 for they shall be a garland of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent not.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, 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; we will all have one purse:
15 —my son, walk not in the way with them, keep back thy foot from their path;
16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 For in vain the net is spread in the sight of anything which hath wings.
18 And these lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain: it taketh away the life of its possessors.
20 Wisdom crieth without; she raiseth her voice in the broadways;
21 she calleth in the chief [place] of concourse, in the entry of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words:
22 How long, simple ones, will ye love simpleness, and scorners take pleasure in their scorning, and the foolish hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you, I will make known to you my words.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;
25 and ye have rejected all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 when your fear cometh as sudden destruction, and your calamity cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you:
28 —then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, and shall not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah;
30 they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof:
31 therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall cause them to perish.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from fear of evil.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)