1These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:2for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;To know wisdom and instruction; To discern the words of understanding;3and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;To receive instruction in wise dealing, In righteousness and justice and equity;4To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man—To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion:5let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counselthat the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel;A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:6by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.to understand a proverb and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.To understand a proverb, and a figure, The words of the wise, and their dark sayings.7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge, but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching;My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:9For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.10My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not.11If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,If they say, “Come with us. Let’s lie in wait for blood. Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:If they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood; Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;12let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit.Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit.Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, And whole, as those that go down into the pit;13We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.We’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with plunder.We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:We shall find all precious substance; We shall fill our houses with spoil;14Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—You shall cast your lot among us. We’ll all have one purse”—Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse:15my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.my son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:My son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path:16For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.17How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!For the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird;Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.For in vain is the net spread In the sight of any bird:18But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.but these lay in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.And these lay wait for their own blood; They lurk privily for their own lives.19Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; It taketh away the life of the owners thereof.20Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; She uttereth her voice in the broad places;21in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,She crieth in the chief place of concourse; At the entrance of the gates, In the city, she uttereth her words:22“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And scoffers delight them in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?23If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you.24Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded;25because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:But ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof:26in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you,I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;I also will laugh in the day of your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;27when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you.When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.When your fear cometh as a storm, And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish come upon you.28Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.Then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me,Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:29For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah,30They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.They would none of my counsel, They despised all my reproof.31So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices.32For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.33But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil.
Berean Standard Bible (public domain).World English Bible (public domain).King James Version (public domain in the US).American Standard Version, 1901 (public domain).