Beginning

1 The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel; (The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, the king of Israel;)

² to know wisdom and knowing (to know wisdom and knowledge); to understand the words of prudence;

³ and to take the learning of teaching; to take rightfulness, and doom, and equity; (and to receive learning from teaching, or from instruction; to gain righteousness, and judgement, or justice, and fairness;)

⁴ that fellness, or wariness, be given to little children, and knowing and understanding to a young waxing man. (so that cleverness, and caution, be given to people of little wit, or of low intelligence, and knowledge and understanding to a young growing man.)

⁵ A wise man hearing shall be the wiser; and a man (of) understanding shall hold governance. (A wise person listening shall become wiser; and a person understanding shall gain skills, or abilities.)

⁶ He shall perceive a parable, and the expounding; the words of wise men, and the dark figurative speeches of them. (He shall understand a proverb, and its expounding, or its explanation; yea, the words of the wise, and their riddles.)

⁷ The dread of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; fools despise wisdom and teaching. (The fear of the Lord/Reverence for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; but fools despise wisdom and teaching.)

⁸ My son, hear thou the teaching of thy father, and forsake thou not the law of thy mother; (My son, listen thou to thy father’s teaching; and do not thou abandon thy mother’s principles;)

⁹ (so) that grace be added, either increased, to thine head, and a band to thy neck. (so that favour be added unto thee, and a band of honour be put about thy neck.)

¹⁰ My son, if sinners flatter thee, assent thou not to them.

¹¹ If they say, Come thou with us, set we ambush to shed (out) blood, hide we snares of deceits against an innocent (person) without cause;

¹² swallow we him, as hell swalloweth a man living; and all-whole, as (those) going down into a pit; (we shall swallow him up, like Sheol swalloweth up the living; yea, all-whole, like those going down into the pit;)

¹³ we shall find all precious chattel, (or possessions,) we shall fill our houses with spoils;

¹⁴ put thou lot with us, one purse be there of us all; (put thou thy lot with us, and let there be one purse for us all;)

¹⁵ my son, go thou not with them; forbid thy foot from the paths of them (do not let thy foot go onto their paths).

¹⁶ For the feet of them run to evil; and they hasten to shed out blood.

¹⁷ But a net is laid in vain before the eyes of birds, that have wings.

¹⁸ Also they set ambush against their own blood; and make ready frauds, or guiles, against their (own) souls.

¹⁹ So the paths of each avaricious man ravish, or take away, the souls of them that wield (them).

²⁰ Wisdom preacheth withoutforth; in streets it giveth his voice. (Wisdom preacheth outside; yea, it raiseth up its voice in the streets.)

²¹ It crieth oft in the head of companies; in the leaves of [the] gates of the city it bringeth forth his words, and saith, (It crieth often at the tops of the streets; and at the leaves of the gates of the city, it bringeth forth its words, and saith,)

²² How long, little men in wit, love young childhood, and fools shall covet those things, that be harmful to themselves, and unprudent men shall hate knowing? (How long, ye of little wit, or of low intelligence, shall ye love foolishness, and shall fools desire those things that be harmful to themselves, and shall the imprudent hate knowledge, or understanding?)

²³ Be ye converted at my reproving (Be ye changed by my rebukes); lo, I shall bring forth to you my spirit, and I shall show (you) my words.

²⁴ For I called, and ye forsook; I held forth mine hand, and none there was that beheld. (For I called, but you would not listen to me; I held forth my hand, but no one paid any attention to it.)

²⁵ Ye have despised all my counsel; and charged not my blamings (and would not listen to my rebukes).

²⁶ And I shall laugh in your perishing; and I shall scorn you, when that, that ye dread, cometh to you. (And so I shall laugh at your misfortune, or at your tribulation; and I shall scorn you, when what ye fear, cometh to you.)

²⁷ When sudden wretchedness falleth in, and perishing befalleth as (a) tempest; when tribulation and anguish cometh [up]on you.

²⁸ Then they shall call me, and I shall not hear (but I shall not answer them); they shall rise early, and they shall not find me.

²⁹ For they hated teaching, and they took not the dread of the Lord, (For they hated instruction, and they chose not to fear the Lord/and they chose not to have reverence for the Lord,)

³⁰ neither they assented to my counsel, and they depraved all mine amending. (nor would they assent to my advice, and they have spurned all of my correction.)

³¹ Therefore they shall eat the fruits of their (own) way; and they shall be filled with their (own) counsels.

³² The turning away of little men in wit shall slay them; and the prosperity of fools shall lose them. (This turning away by those with little wit, or with low intelligence, shall lead to their own slaughter, yea, the prosperity of fools shall bring about their own destruction.)

³³ But he that heareth me, shall rest without dread; and he shall use abundance, when the dread of evils is taken away. (But he who listeneth to me, shall rest without fear; and he shall enjoy his abundance, when the fear of evil is taken away.)

2 My son, if thou receivest my words, and hidest my behests with thee (and hidest my commands with thee);

² (so) that thine ear hear wisdom, bow (down) thine heart to know prudence.

³ For if thou inwardly callest (to) wisdom, and bowest thine heart to(ward) prudence;

⁴ if thou seekest it as money, and diggest it out as treasures;

⁵ then thou shalt understand the dread of the Lord, and shalt find the knowing of God. (then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord/then thou shalt understand reverence for the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God.)

⁶ For the Lord giveth wisdom; and prudence and knowing is of his mouth. (For the Lord giveth wisdom; and understanding and knowledge cometh from his mouth.)

⁷ He shall keep the health of rightful men, and he shall defend them that go simply. (He shall keep safe the salvation, or the deliverance, of the righteous, and he shall defend those who go with honesty, or with integrity.)

⁸ And he shall keep (safe) the paths of rightwiseness, and he shall keep (safe) the ways of holy men.

⁹ Then thou shalt understand rightfulness, and doom, and equity, and each good path. (Then thou shalt understand righteousness, and judgement, and fairness, and each good way.)

¹⁰ If wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowing pleaseth thy soul,

¹¹ good counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall keep thee; (good advice shall keep thee safe, and understanding shall keep thee safe;)

¹² (so) that thou be delivered from an evil way, and from a man that speaketh wayward things (and from the person who speaketh wicked things).

¹³ Which forsake a rightful way (Yea, from those who abandon the right way), and go by dark ways;

¹⁴ which be glad, when they have done evil, and make full out joy in worst things; (who be glad, when they have done evil, and rejoice in the worst things;)

¹⁵ whose ways be wayward, and their goings be of evil fame. (whose ways be wicked, and whose deeds be shameful.)

¹⁶ That thou be delivered from an alien woman, and from a strange woman, that maketh soft her words; (And so that thou be rescued from a strange, or an unknown, woman, who maketh her words soft;)

¹⁷ and (who) forsaketh the duke, or (the) leader, of her time of marriage, and hath forgotten the covenant of her God.

¹⁸ For the house of her is bowed to death, and her paths to hell. (For her house is on the way to death, and her paths lead down to Sheol, or the land of the dead/and her paths lead down to hell.)

¹⁹ All that enter to her, shall not turn again, neither they shall catch the paths of life. (All who go to her, shall never return, nor shall they ever walk again on the paths of life.)

²⁰ That thou go in a good way, and keep the paths of just men. (So see that thou go on a good way, and keep to the paths of the righteous.)

²¹ Forsooth they that be rightful, shall dwell in the land; and simple men shall perfectly dwell therein. (For they who be upright, shall live in the land; and those who be honest/and those with integrity shall live there.)

²² But unfaithful men shall be lost from the land; and they that do wickedly, shall be taken away from it. (But the unfaithful shall be destroyed from off the land; and those who do wickedly, shall be taken away from it.)

3 My son, forget thou not my law; and thine heart keep my commandments.

² For they shall set to thee the length of days, and the years of life, and peace.

³ Mercy and truth forsake thee not; bind thou those to thy throat, and write them in the tables of thine heart. (Let not mercy and truth desert thee; bind thou them about thy neck, and write them on the tablets of thy heart.)

⁴ And thou shalt find grace (And thou shalt receive favour), and good teaching before God and men.

⁵ Have thou trust in the Lord, of all thine heart; and lean thou not to thy prudence. (Have thou trust in the Lord, with all thy heart, and lean thou not unto thy own understanding.)

⁶ In all thy ways think on him, and he shall (ad)dress thy goings. (In all thy ways, or in all thy deeds, think of him, and he shall direct thy steps.)

⁷ Be thou not wise with thyself; dread thou God, and go away from evil. (Do not think thyself wise; but fear God/but revere God, and go thou away from evil.)

⁸ For why health shall be in thy navel, and moisting of thy bones. (For that shall be health for thy body, or thy entrails, and moistening for thy bones.)

⁹ Honour thou the Lord of thy chattel, and of the best of all thy fruits give thou to poor men; (Honour thou the Lord with thy possessions, and with the best of all thy fruits, or of all thy earnings;)

¹⁰ and (then) thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy pressers shall flow with wine (and thy winepresses shall flow with wine).

¹¹ My son, cast thou not away the teaching of the Lord; and fail thou not, when thou art chastised of him (and faint thou not/and spurn thou him not, when thou art disciplined by him).

¹² For the Lord chastiseth him, whom he loveth; and as a father in the son he pleaseth him (yea, like a father to his son who pleaseth him).

¹³ Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and that floweth with prudence. (Blessed is the person who findeth wisdom, and who floweth with understanding.)

¹⁴ The getting thereof is better than the merchandise of gold and of silver; the fruits thereof be the first and the cleanest.

¹⁵ It is more precious than all riches; and all things that be desired, may not be comparisoned to this (and nothing that is desired, can be compared to it).

¹⁶ Length of days is in the right half thereof, and riches and glory be in the left half thereof. (Length of days is in its right hand, and riches and glory be in its left hand.)

¹⁷ The ways thereof be fair ways, and all the paths thereof be peaceable. (Its way be fair ways, and all its paths be peaceful.)

¹⁸ It is a tree of life to them that take (hold of) it; and he that holdeth (onto) it, is blessed.

¹⁹ The Lord founded the earth by (his) wisdom; he stablished (the) heavens by (his) prudence.

²⁰ The depths of waters brake out by his wisdom; and (the) clouds waxed (al)together with dew.

²¹ My son, these things float not away from thine eyes; keep thou my law, and my counsel; (My son, let not these things float away from thine eyes; keep thou my instructions, and my advice, near to thee;)

²² and life shall be to thy soul, and grace to thy cheeks. (and thou shalt have life, and gain favour.)

²³ Then thou shalt go trustily in thy way (Then thou shalt go with trust on thy way); and thy foot shall not stumble.

²⁴ If thou shalt sleep, thou shalt not dread; thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be soft [and sweet shall be thy sleep]. (When thou shalt sleep, thou shalt not fear; thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.)

²⁵ Dread thou not of sudden fear, and the powers of wicked men falling in on thee. (Fear thou not sudden disaster, and the power, or the might, of the wicked falling in upon thee.)

²⁶ For the Lord shall be at thy side; and he shall keep thy foot (safe), that thou be not taken.

²⁷ Do not thou forbid to do well him that may; if thou mayest, also do thou well. (Do not thou forbid anyone to do good who can; and if thou be able, thou do good as well.)

²⁸ Say thou not to thy friend, Go, and turn again, and tomorrow I shall give to thee; when thou mayest give anon. (Say thou not to thy friend, Go away, and return tomorrow, and then I shall give you what you need; when thou can give it to him at once.)

²⁹ Imagine thou not evil to thy friend (Imagine thou not evil against thy friend), when he hath trust in thee.

³⁰ Strive thou not against a man without cause, when he doeth none evil to thee. (Do not thou argue with someone for no reason, when he hath done nothing wrong to thee.)

³¹ Follow thou not an unjust man (Do not thou follow a law-breaker), follow thou not his ways.

³² For each deceiver is (an) abomination to the Lord; and his speaking is with simple men (and the Lord speaketh to those who be honest, or have integrity).

³³ Neediness is sent of the Lord in(to) the house of a wicked man; but the dwelling places of just men shall be blessed. (Neediness is sent by the Lord into the houses of the wicked; but the dwelling places of the righteous shall be blessed.)

³⁴ He shall scorn [the] scorners; and he shall give grace to mild men. (He shall mock the mockers; but he shall give favour to the humble, or to the meek.)

³⁵ Wise men shall have glory; [the] enhancing of fools is shame. (The wise shall receive honour; but fools shall only increase their shame.)