箴言的價值

這是大衛的兒子以色列王所羅門的箴言。

為使人認識智慧和教誨,
    領悟真知灼見;
為使人接受勸誡,
    為人處事仁義、公平、正直;
使愚昧人明智,
    使青年有知識和明辨力;
使智者聽了長學問,
    明哲聽了得指引;
使人領悟箴言和比喻,
    明白智者的話和謎語。

知識始於敬畏耶和華,

    愚人輕視智慧和教誨。
孩子啊,
    你要聽從父親的教誨,
    不可背棄母親的訓言。
因為這要作你頭上的華冠,
    頸上的項鏈。
10 孩子啊,惡人若引誘你,
    千萬不要聽從。
11 他們若說:「跟我們來吧,
    我們去埋伏殺人,
    暗害無辜者取樂;
12 我們要像陰間一樣生吞他們,
    整個吞沒他們,
    使他們如墜入墳墓的人;
13 我們必得到各樣寶物,
    把戰利品裝滿我們的房屋。
14 跟我們一起幹吧,
    大家有福同享!」
15 孩子啊,
    不要走他們的道,
    切莫行他們的路。
16 因為他們奔向罪惡,
    急速地去殺人流血。
17 在飛鳥眼前設網羅,徒勞無功。
18 他們埋伏,卻自流己血;
    他們伏擊,卻自害己命。
19 這就是貪愛不義之財者的結局,
    不義之財終要奪去他們的性命。

智慧的勸誡

20 智慧在大街上高喊,
    在廣場上揚聲,
21 在熱鬧的市集宣告,
    在城門口演說:
22 「你們愚昧人喜愛愚昧,
    嘲諷者以嘲弄為樂,
    無知者厭惡知識,
    要到什麼時候呢?
23 你們若因我的責備而回轉,
    我就向你們顯明我的旨意[a]
    叫你們明白我的話語。
24 我呼喚你們,
    你們卻充耳不聞;
    我向你們招手,
    你們卻視若無睹。
25 你們漠視我的勸誡,
    不接受我的責備。
26 因此,
    你們遭遇災難時,
    我必發笑;
    驚恐臨到你們時,
    我必嗤笑——
27 那時,恐懼如風暴襲擊你們,
    災難如旋風臨到你們,
    憂愁和苦難吞沒你們。
28 你們呼求我,
    我也不回答;
    你們懇切地尋找我,
    卻找不到。
29 因為你們厭惡知識,
    不願意敬畏耶和華,
30 不接受我的勸誡,
    又藐視我的責備。
31 所以,你們必自食其果,
    因自己的惡謀而吃盡苦頭。
32 愚昧人背離正道,
    自招滅亡;
    愚頑人逍遙自在,
    毀掉自己。
33 然而,那聽從我的必安然居住,
    得享安寧,
    不怕災禍。」

Footnotes

  1. 1·23 我就向你們顯明我的旨意」希伯來文是「我就將我的靈澆灌你們」。

The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

[a]That people may know skillful and godly [b]Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight,

Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity,

That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth—

The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]—(A)

That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles.

The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.(B)

My son, hear the instruction of your father; reject not nor forsake the teaching of your mother.

For they are a [victor’s] chaplet (garland) of grace upon your head and chains and pendants [of gold worn by kings] for your neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.(C)

11 If they say, Come with us; let us lie in wait [to shed] blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause [and show that his piety is in vain];

12 Let us swallow them up alive as does Sheol (the place of the dead), and whole, as those who go down into the pit [of the dead];

13 We shall find and take all kinds of precious goods [when our victims are put out of the way], we shall fill our houses with plunder;

14 Throw in your lot with us [they insist] and be a sworn brother and comrade; let us all have one purse in common—

15 My son, do not walk in the way with them; restrain your foot from their path;

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

17 For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird!

18 But [when these men set a trap for others] they are lying in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.

19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy of gain; such [greed for plunder] takes away the lives of its possessors.(D)

20 [c]Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the markets;

21 She cries at the head of the noisy intersections [in the chief gathering places]; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

22 How long, O simple ones [open to evil], will you love being simple? And the scoffers delight in scoffing and [self-confident] fools hate knowledge?

23 If you will turn (repent) and give heed to my reproof, behold, I [[d]Wisdom] will pour out my spirit upon you, I will make my words known to you.(E)

24 Because I have called and you have refused [to answer], have stretched out my hand and no man has heeded it,(F)

25 And you treated as nothing all my counsel and would accept none of my reproof,

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when the thing comes that shall cause you terror and panic—

27 When your panic comes as a storm and desolation and your calamity comes on as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.

28 Then will they call upon me [Wisdom] but I will not answer; they will seek me early and diligently but they will not find me.(G)

29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord,(H)

30 Would accept none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof,

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices.

32 For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, and the careless ease of [self-confident] fools shall destroy them.(I)

33 But whoso hearkens to me [Wisdom] shall dwell securely and in confident trust and shall be quiet, without fear or dread of evil.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:2 Over the doors of the school of Plato these words were written in Greek, “Let no one enter who is not a geometrician.” But Solomon opens wide the doors of his proverbs with a special message of welcome to the unlearned, the simple, the foolish, the young, and even to the wise—that all “will hear and increase in learning” (Prov. 1:5).
  2. Proverbs 1:2 A key term in the book of Proverbs, “Wisdom” is capitalized throughout, as God’s design for living and as a reminder of Christ, Whom the apostle Paul calls “the wisdom of God... in Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (I Cor. 1:24; Col. 2:3 kjv).
  3. Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom here is personified. Read “the Wisdom of God” instead of “Wisdom” and see the wonderful power of this book.
  4. Proverbs 1:23 See footnotes on Prov. 1:2 and 1:20.

Titolo generale

Proverbi di Salomone, figlio di Davide, re d'Israele,
per conoscere la sapienza e la disciplina,
per capire i detti profondi,
per acquistare un'istruzione illuminata,
equità, giustizia e rettitudine,
per dare agli inesperti l'accortezza,
ai giovani conoscenza e riflessione.
Ascolti il saggio e aumenterà il sapere,
e l'uomo accorto acquisterà il dono del consiglio,
per comprendere proverbi e allegorie,
le massime dei saggi e i loro enigmi.
Il timore del Signore è il principio della scienza;
gli stolti disprezzano la sapienza e l'istruzione.

I. PROLOGO

RACCOMANDAZIONI DELLA SAPIENZA

Il saggio: Fuggire la compagnia dei giovani cattivi

Ascolta, figlio mio, l'istruzione di tuo padre
e non disprezzare l'insegnamento di tua madre,
perché saranno una corona graziosa sul tuo capo
e monili per il tuo collo.
10 Figlio mio, se i peccatori ti vogliono traviare,
non acconsentire!
11 Se ti dicono: «Vieni con noi,
complottiamo per spargere sangue,
insidiamo impunemente l'innocente,
12 inghiottiamoli vivi come gli inferi,
interi, come coloro che scendon nella fossa;
13 troveremo ogni specie di beni preziosi,
riempiremo di bottino le nostre case;
14 tu getterai la sorte insieme con noi,
una sola borsa avremo in comune»,
15 figlio mio, non andare per la loro strada,
tieni lontano il piede dai loro sentieri!
16 I loro passi infatti corrono verso il male
e si affrettano a spargere il sangue.
17 Invano si tende la rete
sotto gli occhi degli uccelli.
18 Ma costoro complottano contro il proprio sangue,
pongono agguati contro se stessi.
19 Tale è la fine di chi si dà alla rapina;
la cupidigia toglie di mezzo colui che ne è dominato.

La Sapienza: Arringa agli sprovveduti

20 La Sapienza grida per le strade
nelle piazze fa udire la voce;
21 dall'alto delle mura essa chiama,
pronunzia i suoi detti alle porte della città:
22 «Fino a quando, o inesperti, amerete l'inesperienza
e i beffardi si compiaceranno delle loro beffe
e gli sciocchi avranno in odio la scienza?
23 Volgetevi alle mie esortazioni:
ecco, io effonderò il mio spirito su di voi
e vi manifesterò le mie parole.
24 Poiché vi ho chiamato e avete rifiutato,
ho steso la mano e nessuno ci ha fatto attenzione;
25 avete trascurato ogni mio consiglio
e la mia esortazione non avete accolto;
26 anch'io riderò delle vostre sventure,
mi farò beffe quando su di voi verrà la paura,
27 quando come una tempesta vi piomberà addosso il terrore,
quando la disgrazia vi raggiungerà come un uragano,
quando vi colpirà l'angoscia e la tribolazione.
28 Allora mi invocheranno, ma io non risponderò,
mi cercheranno, ma non mi troveranno.
29 Poiché hanno odiato la sapienza
e non hanno amato il timore del Signore;
30 non hanno accettato il mio consiglio
e hanno disprezzato tutte le mie esortazioni;
31 mangeranno il frutto della loro condotta
e si sazieranno dei risultati delle loro decisioni.
32 Sì, lo sbandamento degli inesperti li ucciderà
e la spensieratezza degli sciocchi li farà perire;
ma chi ascolta me vivrà tranquillo
e sicuro dal timore del male».

Purpose and Theme

The proverbs(A) of Solomon(B) son of David, king of Israel:(C)

for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a](D)
    knowledge and discretion(E) to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning,(F)
    and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,(G)
    the sayings and riddles(H) of the wise.[b](I)

The fear of the Lord(J) is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools[c] despise wisdom(K) and instruction.(L)

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

Listen, my son,(M) to your father’s(N) instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(O)
They are a garland to grace your head
    and a chain to adorn your neck.(P)

10 My son, if sinful men entice(Q) you,
    do not give in(R) to them.(S)
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
    let’s lie in wait(T) for innocent blood,
    let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow(U) them alive, like the grave,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;(V)
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(W)”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
    do not set foot(X) on their paths;(Y)
16 for their feet rush into evil,(Z)
    they are swift to shed blood.(AA)
17 How useless to spread a net
    where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait(AB) for their own blood;
    they ambush only themselves!(AC)
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
    it takes away the life of those who get it.(AD)

Wisdom’s Rebuke

20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,(AE)
    she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[d] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

22 “How long will you who are simple(AF) love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate(AG) knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse(AH) to listen when I call(AI)
    and no one pays attention(AJ) when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh(AK) when disaster(AL) strikes you;
    I will mock(AM) when calamity overtakes you(AN)
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster(AO) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;(AP)
    they will look for me but will not find me,(AQ)
29 since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.(AR)
30 Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,(AS)
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.(AT)
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;(AU)
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety(AV)
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”(AW)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:4 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
  2. Proverbs 1:6 Or understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles
  3. Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
  4. Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners