Proverbs 1

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.	1 The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom, and instruction:	2 That men may appreciate wisdom and discipline, may understand words of intelligence;
3 To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:	3 May receive training in wise conduct, in what is right, just and honest;
4 To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.	4 That resourcefulness may be imparted to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth, shall possess governments.	5 A wise man by hearing them will advance in learning, an intelligent man will gain sound guidance,
6 He shall understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.	6 That he may comprehend proverb and parable, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.	7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and instruction fools despise.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother :	8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and reject not your mother's teaching;
9 That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.	9 A graceful diadem will they be for your head; a torque for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.	10 My son, should sinners entice you,
11 If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:	11 and say, "Come along with us! Let us lie in wait for the honest man, let us, unprovoked, set a trap for the innocent;
12 Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit.	12 Let us swallow them up, as the nether world does, alive, in the prime of life, like those who go down to the pit!
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.	13 All kinds of precious wealth shall we gain, we shall fill our houses with booty;
14 Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.	14 Cast in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse!"--
15 My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.	15 My son, walk not in the way with them, hold back your foot from their path!
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.	16 (For their feet run to evil, they hasten to shed blood.)
17 But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.	17 It is in vain that a net is spread before the eyes of any bird--
18 And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.	18 These men lie in wait for their own blood, they set a trap for their own lives.
19 So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.	19 This is the fate of everyone greedy of loot: unlawful gain takes away the life of him who acquires it.
20 Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:	20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the open squares she raises her voice;
21 At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:	21 Down the crowded ways she calls out, at the city gates she utters her words:
22 O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?	22 "How long, you simple ones, will you love inanity,
23 Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.	23 how long will you turn away at my reproof? Lo! I will pour out to you my spirit, I will acquaint you with my words.
24 Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.	24 "Because I called and you refused, I extended my hand and no one took notice;
25 You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.	25 Because you disdained all my counsel, and my reproof you ignored--
26 I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.	26 I, in my turn, will laugh at your doom; I will mock when terror overtakes you;
27 When sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon you:	27 When terror comes upon you like a storm, and your doom approaches like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish befall you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning and shall not find me:	28 "Then they call me, but I answer not; they seek me, but find me not;
29 Because they have hated instruction and received not the fear of the Lord,	29 Because they hated knowledge, and chose not the fear of the LORD;
30 Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.	30 They ignored my counsel, they spurned all my reproof; And in their arrogance they preferred arrogance, and like fools they hated knowledge:
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices.	31 "Now they must eat the fruit of their own way, and with their own devices be glutted.
32 The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.	32 For the self-will of the simple kills them, the smugness of fools destroys them.
33 But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.	33 But he who obeys me dwells in security, in peace, without fear of harm."