Proverbs 1
Modern English Version
The Purpose and Theme
1 The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
to perceive the words of understanding,
3 to receive the instruction of wisdom,
justice, judgment, and equity;
4 to give subtlety to the simple,
to the young man knowledge and discretion—
5 a wise man will hear and will increase learning,
and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
6 to understand a proverb and the interpretation,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Prologue: Embrace Wisdom
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father,
and do not forsake the teaching of your mother;
9 for they will be a garland of grace on your head,
and chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
let us lie in wait for blood;
let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 let us swallow them up alive as the grave,
and whole, as those who go down into the pit;
13 we will find all kinds of precious possessions;
we will fill our houses with spoil;
14 cast in your lot among us,
let us all have one purse”—
15 my son, do not walk in the way with them,
keep your 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 They lie in wait for their own blood;
they lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy of gain,
which takes away the life of its owners.
The Call of Wisdom
20 Wisdom cries out in the street;
she utters her voice in the markets.
21 She cries at the corner of the streets, in the openings of the gates;
she speaks her words in the city, saying:
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For the scorners delight in their scorning,
and fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my reproof;
surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded,
25 because you neglected all my counsel,
and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your fear comes,
27 when your fear comes as desolation
and your destruction comes as a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me early, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 they would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way,
and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
and the prosperity of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
and will be secure from fear of evil.”
Proverbs 1
Lexham English Bible
Prologue
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand sayings of understanding,
3 to gain insightful instruction,[a]
righteousness and justice and equity,
4 to give shrewdness[b] to the simple,
knowledge and purpose[c] to the young,
5 may the wise hear and increase learning,
and the one who understands gain direction,[d]
6 to understand a proverb and an expression,
words of wisdom and their riddles.
7 Fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge;
wisdom and instruction, fools despise.
Lecture Against Gang Behavior
8 My child, may you keep[e] your father’s instruction,
and do not reject your mother’s teachings,
9 for they are a garland of favor for your head,
and pendants for your neck.
10 My child, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
11 If they say,
“Come with us!
We shall lie in wait for blood;
we shall ambush the innocent without cause.[f]
12 Like Sheol,[g] we will swallow them alive
and whole, like those who descend to the pit.[h]
13 We shall find all precious wealth,
we shall fill our houses with booty,
14 you shall throw your lot in our midst,
there will be one purse for all of us.”
15 My child, do not walk in their way.[i]
Keep your foot from their paths,
16 for their feet run to evil,
and they hurry to shed blood,
17 for “in vain[j] is the net scattered,
in the sight of any winged bird.”[k]
18 They lie in wait for their own blood.
They ambush their own lives.
19 Thus are the ways of all who are greedy for gain—
it will take the life of its possessors.
The Call of Lady Wisdom
20 Wisdom calls out in the streets,
in the squares she raises her voice.
21 On a busy corner[l] she cries out,
at the entrances of the gates in the city, she speaks her sayings:
22 “How long,[m] O simple ones, will you love simplicity?
And how long will scoffers delight in their scoffing,
and fools hate knowledge?
23 May you turn to my argument![n]
Behold, I shall pour out my spirit upon you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I called out and you refused me,
I stretched out my hand, yet there is none who heeds.
25 You have ignored all my counsel,
and my reproof you are not willing to accept.
26 I will also laugh at your calamity;[o]
I will mock when panic[p] comes upon you.
27 When your panic comes like a storm,
and your calamity arrives like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you,
28 then they will call[q] me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but not find me.
29 Since they hated knowledge,
and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,
30 they were not willing to accept my counsel,
they despised all my reproof.
31 They shall eat from the fruit of their way,
and they shall be sated from their own schemes,
32 for the waywardness of the simple ones will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 Whoever listens to me will dwell in security
and rest securely[r] from dread and disaster.”
Notas al pie
- Proverbs 1:3 Literally “the instruction of insight”
- Proverbs 1:4 Or “cleverness,” or “prudence”
- Proverbs 1:4 Or “plan”
- Proverbs 1:5 Or “guidance”
- Proverbs 1:8 Or “obey,” or “hear”
- Proverbs 1:11 Or “wantonly,” or “for nothing”
- Proverbs 1:12 A term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the Underworld
- Proverbs 1:12 Literally “like the descenders of a pit”
- Proverbs 1:15 Or “on their road”
- Proverbs 1:17 Or “without cause,” or “for nothing”
- Proverbs 1:17 Literally “bird of wing”
- Proverbs 1:21 Literally “head of commotion,” or “head of stirring, bustling”
- Proverbs 1:22 Literally “Until when”
- Proverbs 1:23 Or “turn at my reproach”
- Proverbs 1:26 Or “downfall”
- Proverbs 1:26 Or “dread, fear”
- Proverbs 1:28 Or “cry out to”
- Proverbs 1:33 Or “be at ease, peace”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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