10 My son, if sinful men entice(A) you,
    do not give in(B) to them.(C)
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
    let’s lie in wait(D) for innocent blood,
    let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow(E) them alive, like the grave,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;(F)
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(G)”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
    do not set foot(H) on their paths;(I)
16 for their feet rush into evil,(J)
    they are swift to shed blood.(K)
17 How useless to spread a net
    where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait(L) for their own blood;
    they ambush only themselves!(M)
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
    it takes away the life of those who get it.(N)

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Avoid Evil Counsel

10 My son, if sinners entice you,
    do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us!
    Let’s lie in wait for blood;
        let’s ambush some innocent person for no reason at all.
12 Let’s swallow them alive like Sheol,[a]
    and whole like those who go down into the Pit.[b]
13 We’ll find all kinds of valuable wealth,
    and we’ll fill our houses with spoil.
14 Throw your lot in with us,
    and all of us will have one purse.”

15 My son, do not go along with them,[c]
    and keep your feet away from their paths!
16 For they[d] run toward evil;
    these enticers[e] shed blood without hesitation.[f]
17 Look, it is useless to spread a net in full view of[g] all the birds,
18 but these people[h] lie in wait for their own blood.[i]
        They ambush only themselves.
19 Such is the way of all those who seek illicit gain—
    it takes away the lives of those who possess it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:12 I.e. the realm of the dead; possibly an allusion to the rebellion of Korah (cf. Num 16:33)
  2. Proverbs 1:12 I.e. the place of punishment in the afterlife
  3. Proverbs 1:15 Lit. in the way with them
  4. Proverbs 1:16 Lit. For their feet
  5. Proverbs 1:16 Lit. they
  6. Proverbs 1:16 Lit. blood quickly
  7. Proverbs 1:17 Lit. in the eyes of
  8. Proverbs 1:18 Lit. they
  9. Proverbs 1:18 The Heb. lacks their own

29 A violent person entices their neighbor
    and leads them down a path that is not good.(A)

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29 A violent man entices his companion
    and leads him on a path that is not good.

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26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
    are the righteous who give way to the wicked.

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26 A muddied spring or a polluted well—
    that’s what a righteous person is
        who compromises with the wicked.

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Stone is heavy and sand(A) a burden,
    but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

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Rocks are heavy,
    and sand is weighty,
        but a fool’s provocation outweighs them both.

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10 Whoever leads the upright along an evil path
    will fall into their own trap,(A)
    but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

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10 Whoever misleads the upright along an evil way
    will himself fall into his own pit,
        but the blameless will inherit what is good.

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