| 1 The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel: | 1 The parables of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, |
| 2 That men may appreciate wisdom and discipline, may understand words of intelligence; | 2 in order to know wisdom and discipline, |
| 3 May receive training in wise conduct, in what is right, just and honest; | 3 to understand words of prudence, and to accept the instruction of doctrine, justice and judgment, and equity, |
| 4 That resourcefulness may be imparted to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. | 4 so as to give discernment to little ones, knowledge and understanding to adolescents. |
| 5 A wise man by hearing them will advance in learning, an intelligent man will gain sound guidance, | 5 By listening, the wise shall become wiser and the intelligent shall possess governments. |
| 6 That he may comprehend proverb and parable, the words of the wise and their riddles. | 6 He shall turn his soul to a parable and to its interpretation, to the words of the wise and their enigmas. |
| 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and instruction fools despise. | 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The foolish despise wisdom as well as doctrine. |
| 8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and reject not your mother's teaching; | 8 Listen, my son, to the discipline of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother, |
| 9 A graceful diadem will they be for your head; a torque for your neck. | 9 so that grace may be added to your head and a collar to your neck. |
| 10 My son, should sinners entice you, | 10 My son, if sinners should entice you, do not consent to them. |
| 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; | 11 If they should say: “Come with us. We will lie in wait for blood. We will lay traps against the innocent, without cause. |
| 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! | 12 Let us swallow him alive, like Hell, and whole, like one descending into the pit. |
| 13 All kinds of precious wealth shall we gain, we shall fill our houses with booty; | 13 We will discover every precious substance. We will fill our houses with spoils. |
| 14 Cast in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse!"-- | 14 Cast your lot with us. One purse will be for us all.” |
| 15 My son, walk not in the way with them, hold back your foot from their path! | 15 My son, do not walk with them. Preclude your feet from their paths. |
| 16 (For their feet run to evil, they hasten to shed blood.) | 16 For their feet rush to evil, and they hurry to shed blood. |
| 17 It is in vain that a net is spread before the eyes of any bird-- | 17 But a net is thrown in vain before the eyes of those who have wings. |
| 18 These men lie in wait for their own blood, they set a trap for their own lives. | 18 Likewise, they lie in ambush against their own blood, and they undertake deceits against their own souls. |
| 19 This is the fate of everyone greedy of loot: unlawful gain takes away the life of him who acquires it. | 19 Thus, the ways of all those who are greedy seize the souls of those who possess. |
| 20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the open squares she raises her voice; | 20 Wisdom forewarns far and wide; she bestows her voice in the streets. |
| 21 Down the crowded ways she calls out, at the city gates she utters her words: | 21 She cries out at the head of crowds; at the entrance of the gates of the city, she offers her words, saying: |
| 22 "How long, you simple ones, will you love inanity, | 22 “Little ones, how long will you choose to be childish, and how long will the foolish desire what is harmful to themselves, and how long will the imprudent hate knowledge? |
| 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. | 23 Be converted by my correction. Lo, I will offer my spirit to you, and I will reveal my words to you. |
| 24 "Because I called and you refused, I extended my hand and no one took notice; | 24 For I called, and you refused. I extended my hand, and there was no one who watched. |
| 25 Because you disdained all my counsel, and my reproof you ignored-- | 25 You have despised all my counsels, and you have neglected my rebukes. |
| 26 I, in my turn, will laugh at your doom; I will mock when terror overtakes you; | 26 Similarly, I will ridicule you at your demise, and I will mock you, when that which you feared shall overcome you. |
| 27 When terror comes upon you like a storm, and your doom approaches like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish befall you. | 27 When sudden calamity rushes upon you, and your demise advances like a tempest, when tribulation and anguish overcome you, |
| 28 "Then they call me, but I answer not; they seek me, but find me not; | 28 then they will call to me, and I will not heed, they will arise in the morning, and not find me. |
| 29 Because they hated knowledge, and chose not the fear of the LORD; | 29 For they held hatred for discipline, and they would not accept the fear of the Lord; |
| 30 They ignored my counsel, they spurned all my reproof; And in their arrogance they preferred arrogance, and like fools they hated knowledge: | 30 they would not consent to my counsel, but they detracted from all of my corrections. |
| 31 "Now they must eat the fruit of their own way, and with their own devices be glutted. | 31 Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their way, and they shall have their fill of their own counsels. |
| 32 For the self-will of the simple kills them, the smugness of fools destroys them. | 32 The loathing of the little ones shall destroy them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall perish them. |
| 33 But he who obeys me dwells in security, in peace, without fear of harm." | 33 But whoever will listen to me shall rest without terror, and shall have full enjoyment of abundance, without fear of evils.” |