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.
箴言 1
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
箴言的功用
1 大卫的儿子以色列王所罗门的箴言：
2 要使人晓得智慧和教训，
了解充满哲理的言语；
3 使人领受明慧的教训，
就是公义、公正和正直；
4 使愚蒙人变成精明，
使少年人获得知识和明辨的能力；
5 使智慧人听了，可以增长学问，
使聪明人听了，可以获得智谋；
6 使人明白箴言和譬喻，
懂得智慧人的言词和他们的隐语。
不受恶人的引诱
7 敬畏耶和华是知识的开端，
但愚妄人藐视智慧和教训。
8 我儿，要听从你父亲的教训，
不可离弃你母亲的训诲。
9 因为这些要作你头上的华冠，
作你颈上的金炼。
10 我儿，如果坏人引诱你，
你不可随从他们。
11 如果他们说：“你跟我们来吧！
我们要埋伏流人的血，
我们要无故地潜伏伤害无辜的人；
12 我们要好象阴间一般，把他们活生生吞下，
他们整个被我们吞下，如同下坑的人一样；
13 这样，我们必得着各样贵重的财物，
把掠物装满我们的房子。
14 加入我们的行列吧！
我们大家共用一个钱袋。”
15 我儿，不可和他们走在一起，
禁止你的脚走他们的路；
16 因为他们的脚奔向邪恶，
他们急于流人的血。
17 在飞鸟眼前张设网罗，
是徒劳无功的。
18 他们埋伏，是自流己血；
他们潜伏，是自害己命。
19 凡是贪爱不义之财的，所走的路都是这样；
那不义之财夺去了贪财者的性命。
当听智慧的呼唤
20 智慧在街上呼喊，
在广场上扬声；
21 在闹市中心呼叫，
在城门口发出言语，说：
22 “你们愚蒙人喜爱愚蒙，
好讥笑的人喜欢讥笑，
愚昧人恨恶知识，要到几时呢？
23 你们要因我的责备回转，
我就把我的心意（“心意”或译：“灵”）向你们倾吐，
把我的话指示你们。
24 我呼唤，你们不肯听从；
我伸手，没有人理会。
25 你们既轻忽我的一切劝告，
不肯接受我的责备；
26 所以你们遭难的时候，我就发笑；
惊恐临到你们的日子，我就嗤笑。
27 惊恐临到你们好象风暴，
灾难如同飓风来临，
患难困苦临到你们身上。
28 那时，他们必呼求我，我却不回答；
他们切切寻找我，却寻不见；
29 因为他们恨恶知识，
不选择敬畏耶和华；
30 不接受我的劝告，
轻视我的一切责备；
31 所以，他们必自食其果，
必饱尝自己所设计谋的伤害。
32 愚蒙人的背道必杀害他们自己，
愚昧人的安逸必毁灭他们自己；
33 唯有听从我的，必安然居住，
得享安宁，免受灾祸的惊恐。”
箴言 1
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
箴言的價值
1 這是大衛的兒子以色列王所羅門的箴言。
2 為使人認識智慧和教誨，
領悟真知灼見；
3 為使人接受勸誡，
為人處事仁義、公平、正直；
4 使愚昧人明智，
使青年有知識和明辨力；
5 使智者聽了長學問，
明哲聽了得指引；
6 使人領悟箴言和比喻，
明白智者的話和謎語。
7 知識始於敬畏耶和華，
愚人輕視智慧和教誨。
8 孩子啊，
你要聽從父親的教誨，
不可背棄母親的訓言。
9 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
- 1·23 「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 Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.