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 Beginning of Knowledge

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

To know wisdom and instruction,
    to understand words of insight,
to receive instruction in wise dealing,
    in (B)righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to (C)the simple,
    knowledge and (D)discretion to the youth—
Let the wise hear and (E)increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,
to understand a proverb and a saying,
    (F)the words of the wise and their (G)riddles.

(H)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Enticement of Sinners

(I)Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
    and forsake not your mother's teaching,
for they are (J)a graceful garland for your head
    and (K)pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners (L)entice you,
    do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, (M)let us lie in wait for blood;
    (N)let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us (O)swallow them alive,
    and whole, like (P)those who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods,
    we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us;
    we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, (Q)do not walk in the way with them;
    (R)hold back your foot from their paths,
16 for (S)their feet run to evil,
    and they make haste to shed blood.
17 (T)For in vain is a net spread
    in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men (U)lie in wait for their own blood;
    they (V)set an ambush for their own lives.
19 (W)Such are the ways of everyone who is (X)greedy for unjust gain;
    (Y)it takes away the life of its possessors.

The Call of Wisdom

20 (Z)Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
    in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
    at (AA)the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O (AB)simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will (AC)scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools (AD)hate knowledge?
23 If you turn at my reproof,[a]
behold, I will (AE)pour out my spirit to you;
    I will make my words known to you.
24 (AF)Because I have called and (AG)you refused to listen,
    have (AH)stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have (AI)ignored all my counsel
    and (AJ)would have none of my reproof,
26 I also (AK)will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when (AL)terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like (AM)a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 (AN)Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they (AO)hated knowledge
    and (AP)did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 (AQ)would have none of my counsel
    and (AR)despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat (AS)the fruit of their way,
    and have (AT)their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by (AU)their turning away,
    and (AV)the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but (AW)whoever listens to me will dwell secure
    and will be (AX)at ease, without dread of disaster.”

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:23 Or Will you turn away at my reproof?

I, Solomon, David’s son and Israel’s king, pass on to you these proverbs—a treasury of wisdom

So that you would recognize wisdom and value discipline;
    that you would understand insightful teaching
And receive wise guidance to live a disciplined life;
    that you would seek justice and have the ability to choose what is right and fair.
These proverbs teach the naive how to become clever;
    they instruct the young in how to grow in knowledge and live with discretion.
The wise will pay attention to these words and will grow in learning,
    and the discerning will receive divine guidance,
And they will be able to interpret the meaning of a proverb and a puzzle,
    the twists and turns in the words of the wise and their riddles.

A strategic translation decision has been made to respect the historical situation of this book. In its original context, Proverbs is practical wisdom passed down from parents (especially fathers, see chapters 1–9) to young men who are preparing to enter a life of adult responsibilities: family, business, community leadership, and so on. Because of this relational aspect, we have retained masculine references when appropriate and have used more inclusive language when that was the intention of the original author. It is our greatest hope that God will use this work to remind fathers of the profound place they have in nurturing, instructing, and guiding the next generation.

Let us begin. The worship of the Eternal One, the one True God, is the first step toward knowledge.
    Fools, however, do not fear God and cannot stand wisdom or guidance.

So, my son, pay attention to your father’s guidance,
    and do not ignore what your mother taught you—
Wear their wisdom as a badge of honor and maturity,
    as fine jewelry around your neck.
10 My son, should your less honorable peers pressure you to do what is wrong,
    you should be strong enough not to go along.
11 If they should say,

Evildoers: Come on! Everyone, hide and let’s wait to see whom we can beat to a pulp.
        We’re going to jump some unsuspecting chumps for no reason at all.
12     We’ll have our way with them, and when we’re through, there will be nothing left,
        as if their bodies were swallowed whole by the grave’s dark pit.
13     We’ll take whatever we want—all their wealth and their fancy clothes
        and when we’re through, we’ll have piles of their treasure for our own.
14     You have to join us; forget about God.
        We’re going to rake in the goods, and we’ll share all we take!

15 My son, do not join them;
    keep well away from their violent, destructive paths.
16 For they run right away, every time, to do wrong,
    and they are thirsty for blood.
17 You see, it makes no sense to bait the net and set the trap
    while the bird is watching,
18 But these hiding in the shadows and waiting to spill innocent blood
    are really just hastening their own destruction!
By giving in to their sinful desires,
    they set themselves up to be ambushed.
19 This is what happens to everyone who tries to profit by violence;
    violence will eventually rob them of their very lives.

Each generation faces strong peer pressure to follow the world’s ways, especially during adolescence. That pressure can twist an innocent young man inside out until he is nearly unrecognizable to those close to him. Once gang mentality takes over, that young man could easily find himself in unexpected and troublesome situations. Wisdom calls, and her voice is clear: Remember your parents’ instruction. Avoid violence and violent people. If you don’t, violence will find you.

20 There’s another voice in town.
    It belongs to Lady Wisdom, who calls out in the street.
    She cries out in the town square,
21 At the city gates, in the noisy city streets,
    you can hear her speaking over the racket.

22 Lady Wisdom: You simple, naive people, how long will you love your feeble ways?
    You simpletons, how long will you enjoy making fun of what you don’t understand?
        You fools, how long will you hate learning what truly matters?
23     Turn to me and receive my gentle correction;
    Watch and I will pour out my spirit on you;
        I will share with you my wise words in order to redirect your lives.
24     You hear, but you have refused to answer my call.
        My hands reached out, but no one noticed.
25     All my advice, all my correction, all have been neglected—
        you wanted nothing of them.
26     So I will be the laughter you hear when misfortune comes, and it will come.
        I will be the mocking sound when panic grips you—
27     When panic comes like a stormy blast,
        when misfortune sweeps in like a whirlwind,
        when sorrow and anguish weigh you down.

28 This is when they will call on me, but I will not respond;
    they will be frantic to find me, but they won’t be able.
29 Because they despised knowledge of my ways,
    and they also refused to respect and honor the Eternal,
30 Because they rejected my advice
    and turned down my correction,
31 They will surely get what’s coming to them:
    they’ll be forced to eat the fruit of their wicked ways;
    they’ll gorge themselves on the consequences of their choices.
32 You see, it’s turning away from me that brings death to the simple,
    and it’s self-satisfaction that destroys the fools.
33 But those who listen to me now will live under divine protection;
    they can rest knowing they are out of harm’s way.