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The Superscription

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.

The Purpose of Proverbs

To learn wisdom and discipline,
to understand sayings[a] that give insight,[b]
to acquire discipline to act sensibly,
to acquire righteousness, justice, and fairness,
to give good judgment[c] to the inexperienced,
to give a young man knowledge and foresight.

A wise person should listen, and he will increase learning.
A person with understanding should obtain guidance
so he will understand proverbs, puzzling statements,[d]
and the thought-provoking words of the wise.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of[e] knowledge,
but stubborn fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Solomon’s Speeches About Wisdom

First Address to a Son:
Avoid the Company of Sinners

Listen, my son, to your father’s discipline,
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching,
because they are a garland of grace for your head.
They are jewelry for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners lure you,
do not go along with them.
11 If they say,
“Come with us.
Let’s lie in wait to shed blood.
Let’s hide and ambush an innocent person for no reason.
12 We will swallow them alive like the grave.
We will swallow them whole
    like those who go down to the pit.
13 We will find all kinds of wealth and treasure.
    We will fill our houses with loot.
14 Cast your lot with us.
    We will all share one bag of money.”
15 My son, do not walk along the road with them.
Do not set foot on their path,
16     because their feet run to do evil,
    and they hurry to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net in the sight of any bird!
18 Yet they set up an ambush for their own blood.
They hide in ambush to take their own lives.
19 This is where the path leads for everyone
    who is greedy for stolen property:
It takes away the life of those who possess it.

First Poem About Wisdom: Wisdom Calls but Many Refuse

20 Wisdom calls out loudly in the street.
In the public squares she raises her voice.
21 At the noisy street corners she calls out.
At the entrances to the city gates she speaks her words:
22 “How long will you gullible[f] people love being gullible?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing?
How long will fools hate knowledge?
23 If you respond to my warning,
I will pour out my spirit for you.
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I called, but you refused to listen,
because I stretched out my hand, but no one paid attention,
25 because you ignored all my advice,
and you did not accept my warning,
26 therefore I will laugh at your calamity.
I will jeer when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a violent storm,
when calamity strikes you like a windstorm,
when trouble and distress come upon you.
28 Then they will call to me, but I will not answer.
They will look for me, but they will not find me,
29 because they hated knowledge,
and they did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30 They would not accept my advice,
and they despised all my warnings.
31 So they will eat the fruit of their own way,
and they will be stuffed with their own schemes.
32 Therefore the wandering ways[g] of the gullible kill them,
and the complacency of fools destroys them.
33 But whoever listens to me will live in safety.
He will be secure, without fear of evil.”

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:2 Or axioms
  2. Proverbs 1:2 Or discernment
  3. Proverbs 1:4 Or prudence
  4. Proverbs 1:6 Or enigmas
  5. Proverbs 1:7 Or prerequisite for or most important part of
  6. Proverbs 1:22 Or naïve
  7. Proverbs 1:32 Or apostasy

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

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.

20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:

30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

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

32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Finalidad de los proverbios

Los proverbios de Salomón hijo de David, rey de Israel,

para aprender sabiduría y doctrina,
para conocer razones prudentes,
para adquirir instrucción y prudencia,
justicia, juicio y equidad;
para dar sagacidad a los ingenuos,
y a los jóvenes inteligencia y cordura.
El sabio los escucha y aumenta su saber,
y el inteligente adquiere capacidad
para entender los proverbios y sentencias,
las palabras de los sabios y sus enigmas.

El principio de la sabiduría es el temor de Jehová;
los insensatos desprecian la sabiduría y la enseñanza.

Amonestaciones de la sabiduría

«Escucha, hijo mío, la instrucción de tu padre
y no abandones la enseñanza de tu madre,
porque adorno de gracia serán en tu cabeza,
y collares en tu cuello.
10 Hijo mío, si los pecadores intentan engañarte,
no lo consientas.
11 Si te dicen: “Ven con nosotros,
pongamos asechanzas para derramar sangre,
acechemos sin motivo al inocente;
12 los tragaremos vivos, como el seol,
y enteros, como los que caen en la fosa;
13 hallaremos toda clase de riquezas,
llenaremos nuestras casas con el botín.
14 Ven, une tu suerte a la nuestra
y hagamos una bolsa común entre todos”,
15 tú, hijo mío, no vayas en el camino con ellos,
sino aparta tu pie de sus veredas,
16 porque sus pies corren hacia el mal,
se apresuran a derramar sangre.
17 En vano es tender una red
ante los ojos del ave,
18 pero ellos a su propia sangre ponen asechanzas,
contra sí mismos tienden la trampa.
19 Así son las sendas de todo el que es dado a la codicia,
la cual quita la vida de sus poseedores.

20 »La sabiduría clama en las calles,
alza su voz en las plazas;
21 Clama en los principales lugares de reunión,
a la entrada de las puertas de la ciudad dice sus razones:
22 “¿Hasta cuándo, ingenuos, amaréis la ingenuidad?
¿Hasta cuándo los burlones desearán burlarse
y los insensatos aborrecerán el conocimiento?
23 ¡Volveos a mi reprensión!,
pues ciertamente yo derramaré mi espíritu sobre vosotros
y os haré saber mis palabras.
24 Yo os llamé, pero no quisisteis escuchar;
tendí mi mano, pero no hubo quien atendiera,
25 sino que desechasteis todos mis consejos
y rechazasteis mi reprensión;
26 por eso, también yo me reiré en vuestra calamidad,
me burlaré cuando os venga lo que teméis,
27 cuando venga como una destrucción lo que teméis
y vuestra calamidad llegue como un torbellino;
cuando sobre vosotros venga tribulación y angustia.

28 »”Entonces me llamarán, pero no responderé;
me buscarán de mañana, pero no me hallarán.
29 Por cuanto aborrecieron la sabiduría
y no escogieron el temor de Jehová,
30 sino que rechazaron mi consejo
y menospreciaron todas mis reprensiones,
31 comerán del fruto de su camino
y se hastiarán de sus propios consejos.
32 Porque el desvío de los ignorantes los matará,
la prosperidad de los necios los echará a perder;
33 pero el que me escuche vivirá confiadamente,
estará tranquilo, sin temor del mal.”

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