箴言 1
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
箴言的功用
1 大衛的兒子以色列王所羅門的箴言：
2 要使人曉得智慧和教訓，
了解充滿哲理的言語；
3 使人領受明慧的教訓，
就是公義、公正和正直；
4 使愚蒙人變成精明，
使少年人獲得知識和明辨的能力；
5 使智慧人聽了，可以增長學問，
使聰明人聽了，可以獲得智謀；
6 使人明白箴言和譬喻，
懂得智慧人的言詞和他們的隱語。
不受惡人的引誘
7 敬畏耶和華是知識的開端，
但愚妄人藐視智慧和教訓。
8 我兒，要聽從你父親的教訓，
不可離棄你母親的訓誨。
9 因為這些要作你頭上的華冠，
作你頸上的金鍊。
10 我兒，如果壞人引誘你，
你不可隨從他們。
11 如果他們說：“你跟我們來吧！
我們要埋伏流人的血，
我們要無故地潛伏傷害無辜的人；
12 我們要好像陰間一般，把他們活生生吞下，
他們整個被我們吞下，如同下坑的人一樣；
13 這樣，我們必得著各樣貴重的財物，
把掠物裝滿我們的房子。
14 加入我們的行列吧！
我們大家共用一個錢袋。”
15 我兒，不可和他們走在一起，
禁止你的腳走他們的路；
16 因為他們的腳奔向邪惡，
他們急於流人的血。
17 在飛鳥眼前張設網羅，
是徒勞無功的。
18 他們埋伏，是自流己血；
他們潛伏，是自害己命。
19 凡是貪愛不義之財的，所走的路都是這樣；
那不義之財奪去了貪財者的性命。
當聽智慧的呼喚
20 智慧在街上呼喊，
在廣場上揚聲；
21 在鬧市中心呼叫，
在城門口發出言語，說：
22 “你們愚蒙人喜愛愚蒙，
好譏笑的人喜歡譏笑，
愚昧人恨惡知識，要到幾時呢？
23 你們要因我的責備回轉，
我就把我的心意（“心意”或譯：“靈”）向你們傾吐，
把我的話指示你們。
24 我呼喚，你們不肯聽從；
我伸手，沒有人理會。
25 你們既輕忽我的一切勸告，
不肯接受我的責備；
26 所以你們遭難的時候，我就發笑；
驚恐臨到你們的日子，我就嗤笑。
27 驚恐臨到你們好像風暴，
災難如同颶風來臨，
患難困苦臨到你們身上。
28 那時，他們必呼求我，我卻不回答；
他們切切尋找我，卻尋不見；
29 因為他們恨惡知識，
不選擇敬畏耶和華；
30 不接受我的勸告，
輕視我的一切責備；
31 所以，他們必自食其果，
必飽嘗自己所設計謀的傷害。
32 愚蒙人的背道必殺害他們自己，
愚昧人的安逸必毀滅他們自己；
33 唯有聽從我的，必安然居住，
得享安寧，免受災禍的驚恐。”
Proverbs 1
The Voice
1 I, Solomon, David’s son and Israel’s king, pass on to you these proverbs—a treasury of wisdom—
2 So that you would recognize wisdom and value discipline;
that you would understand insightful teaching
3 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.
4 These proverbs teach the naive how to become clever;
they instruct the young in how to grow in knowledge and live with discretion.
5 The wise will pay attention to these words and will grow in learning,
and the discerning will receive divine guidance,
6 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.
7 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.
8 So, my son, pay attention to your father’s guidance,
and do not ignore what your mother taught you—
9 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.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.