Chronological
How proverbs help us
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel.
2 These are proverbs that will make you wise. They will help you to learn things and to understand good teaching. 3 They will help you to understand how to live a good life. They will teach you how to live as a person who is good, honest and fair.
4 They can cause even silly people to become clever. They teach young people what they should know, so that they can live well.
5 Wise people should also listen carefully, so that they learn something new. And people with clever minds can learn to live in a good way.
6 People will learn to understand what proverbs and picture stories mean. They will understand the teaching and clever messages of wise people.
Good teaching for life
7 If you want to know how to live in a good way, you must first learn to respect the Lord with fear.[a] Fools refuse to listen to wise teaching.
8 Listen, my child, when your father shows you what is right. And do not forget what your mother has taught you. 9 Their teaching will bring you honour, like a beautiful crown or a valuable necklace.
Keep away from sin
10 My child, if sinners want you to join with them, do not agree! 11 They may say, ‘Come with us. We will find someone to murder. We will attack any helpless person that we choose. 12 We will send them quickly to their graves. They may be strong and healthy, but they will soon be under the earth. 13 We will take all their valuable things for ourselves. We will fill our houses with lots of good things. 14 So come and join us! We will share with each other everything that we rob from other people.’
15 My child, do not go along with people like that. Stay away from them. 16 They are in a hurry to do evil things. They cannot wait to murder someone!
17 Think about it! If you put a trap where the birds can see it, you will never catch anything. 18 These wicked men hide to attack someone. They are ready to kill someone, but they destroy their own lives! 19 That is what happens to those who cheat other people to become rich themselves. The riches that they have taken from others will destroy their own lives.
Wisdom warns foolish people
20 Listen! Wisdom is like a woman who shouts in the streets. She speaks loudly in the market places. 21 She shouts above the noise in the city's streets. She calls aloud at its gates. This is what she says:
22 ‘Listen to me!
Will you silly people continue to be so silly?
You people who laugh at God, will you always be like that?
Will fools always refuse to learn anything?
23 Listen to me as I warn you of danger!
Then I will let you know my thoughts.
I will let you hear my message.
24 I called out to you, but you refused to listen.
I reached out to you, but you turned your backs to me.
25 You would not accept my teaching.
When I warned you, you did nothing.
26 So, when trouble comes to you, I will laugh.
I will laugh at you when you are afraid.
27 Fear may hit you like a strong wind.
Trouble may knock you down, like a storm.
Your problems may make you very afraid.
But I will laugh at you.
28 Foolish people will call to me for help, but I will not answer.
They will look for me everywhere, but they will not find me.
29 They have refused to learn what is right.
They have refused to respect the Lord.
30 They have not agreed to my advice.
When I warned them, they turned away.
31 So now they will receive the trouble that they deserve.
Their own wicked ideas will make them sick.
32 Silly people have turned away from me, and that will kill them.
Fools like an easy life, and that will destroy them.
33 But whoever listens to me, Wisdom, will live safely.
That person will have peace in his mind.
He will not be afraid of trouble.’
The good results of wise teaching
2 My child, listen to my teaching. Think about my commands. 2 Listen carefully, so that you understand what wisdom really is. 3 Yes, always try to learn what is right. Never stop trying to understand. 4 Look for wisdom as carefully as you would look for silver, or valuable jewels.
5 Then you will understand how to respect the Lord with fear. You will learn all about God. 6 It is the Lord who gives wisdom to people. He teaches us to understand things, so that we know what is true. 7 He helps good people to be wise in how they live. And he keeps honest people safe. 8 He protects the lives of righteous people. He takes care of people who serve him faithfully.
9 So learn from God. Then you will understand what is right, true and fair. You will know the best way to live. 10 You will become wise in your thoughts. Your knowledge of what is right will make you happy.
11 You will know the right thing to do, and that will keep you safe. 12 You will not join with wicked people. You will keep away from those who speak false things. 13 Those people no longer follow honest ways. They live in dark places. 14 They enjoy doing wicked and evil things. 15 They only do wrong things. They are always deceiving others.
16 If you have wisdom, you will not listen to the sweet words of a prostitute. A woman who likes to have sex with many men will not deceive you. 17 That kind of woman leaves her own husband. She married him when she was young. Now she forgets what she promised to God at the time of her marriage.
18 Do not go into her house! If you do, you will be on the road to death. If you follow her, you will arrive at the home of the spirits of dead people. 19 Anybody who visits her will never return. He will never find the way back to a good life.
20 If you have wisdom, you will enjoy life, as good people do. You will live as righteous people live. 21 Good and honest people will continue to live in our land. 22 But God will remove wicked people from the land. He will throw out all those who are not faithful.
Trust God
3 My child, do not forget what I teach you. Always think carefully about my commands. 2 If you obey them, you will live a long life. You will have peace in your mind. and you will enjoy your life.
3 Keep hold of faithful love. That will be like a beautiful necklace that you always wear. Think about what it means to love other people. 4 If you do that, you will make God happy. People will also be pleased and they will respect you.
5 Trust in the Lord completely. Do not think that you understand things well enough for yourself. 6 Whatever you are doing, remember that the Lord is with you. Then he will show you the right way to go.
7 Do not think that you are already wise enough. Obey the Lord and refuse to do evil things. 8 If you do that, it will make you healthy and strong.
9 Show that you respect the Lord in the way that you use your money. Offer the first part of the harvest from your farm to him. 10 If you do that, you will store more food than you need for yourself. You will have more wine than you can drink.
11 My child, if the Lord warns you that you have done something wrong, accept it. Do not be upset if he warns you. 12 He is doing it because he loves you. When a father loves his son very much, he warns him when he does something wrong.
Wisdom is a blessing
13 Anyone who finds wisdom is in a happy place! So is the person who has learned to understand things.
14 Wisdom helps people better than silver or gold will ever help them.
15 Wisdom is more valuable than the most expensive jewels.
Nothing that you might want for yourself is as good as wisdom.
16 Wisdom is ready to give you a long life. She will also give you riches and honour.[b]
17 Wisdom will be your guide through a happy life. She will lead you in ways that keep you safe. 18 Wisdom is like a tree with fruits that give life to the people who pick them. The Lord blesses everyone who keeps hold of wisdom.
19 The Lord used wisdom to create the earth. He understood the right way to create the heavens. 20 He used his knowledge to pour water from under the earth into the rivers and seas. He caused the clouds to send down rain.
21 My child, always keep hold of wisdom and a good mind. Make sure that you keep them safe. 22 They will give you strength in life. You will enjoy life, like a beautiful necklace that you wear.
23 You will be safe as you travel through life. There will be no danger to make you fall down. 24 When you lie down to sleep, you will not be afraid. You will sleep well with peace in your mind. 25 You will not be frightened of any trouble that might surprise you. Trouble may destroy wicked people, but you will know that you are safe. 26 The Lord is the one who will take care of you. He will protect you, so that no danger can hurt you.
Wisdom causes you to help other people
27 Do not refuse to help those people who need help. If you are able to help them, do it! 28 If you can give your neighbour the help that he needs, do not say to him, ‘Go away! Come back tomorrow, and then I will help you.’
29 Do not think of ways to hurt your neighbour. You should help him to trust you.
30 Do not quarrel with other people if they have done nothing to hurt you. You have no reason to accuse them of anything wrong.
31 Do not be jealous of cruel people. Do not try to copy the things that they do. 32 The Lord hates wicked people. But he makes righteous people his friends.
33 The Lord curses the homes of wicked people, but he blesses the homes of righteous people. 34 The Lord laughs at proud people who laugh at other people. But he is kind to humble people.
35 Wise people will receive honour. But fools will only have shame.
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.