Proverbs 1

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:	1 The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
2 for learning what wisdom and discipline are, for understanding words of deep meaning,	2 That men may appreciate wisdom and discipline, may understand words of intelligence;
3 for acquiring a disciplined insight, uprightness, justice and fair dealing;	3 May receive training in wise conduct, in what is right, just and honest;
4 for teaching sound judgement to the simple, and knowledge and reflection to the young;	4 That resourcefulness may be imparted to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 Let the wise listen and learn yet more, and a person of discernment wil acquire the art of guidance.	5 A wise man by hearing them will advance in learning, an intelligent man will gain sound guidance,
6 for perceiving the meaning of proverbs and obscure sayings, the sayings of the sages and their riddles.	6 That he may comprehend proverb and parable, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; fools spurn wisdom and discipline.	7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and instruction fools despise.
8 Listen, my child, to your father's instruction, do not reject your mother's teaching:	8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and reject not your mother's teaching;
9 they wil be a crown of grace for your head, a circlet for your neck.	9 A graceful diadem will they be for your head; a torque for your neck.
10 My child, if sinners try to seduce you, do not go with them.	10 My son, should sinners entice you,
11 If they say, 'Come with us: let us lie in ambush to shed blood; if we plan an ambush for the innocentwithout provocation,	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 we can swal ow them alive, like Sheol, and whole, like those who sink into oblivion.	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 shal find treasures of every sort, we shall fil our houses with plunder;	13 All kinds of precious wealth shall we gain, we shall fill our houses with booty;
14 throw in your lot with us: one purse between us al .'	14 Cast in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse!"--
15 My child, do not fol ow them in their way, keep your steps out of their path	15 My son, walk not in the way with them, hold back your foot from their path!
16 for their feet hasten to evil, they are quick to shed blood;	16 (For their feet run to evil, they hasten to shed blood.)
17 for the net is spread in vain if any winged creature can see it.	17 It is in vain that a net is spread before the eyes of any bird--
18 It is for their own blood such people lie in wait, their ambush is against their own selves!	18 These men lie in wait for their own blood, they set a trap for their own lives.
19 Such are the paths of al who seek dishonest gain: which robs of their lives al who take it for their own.	19 This is the fate of everyone greedy of loot: unlawful gain takes away the life of him who acquires it.
20 Wisdom cal s aloud in the streets, she raises her voice in the public squares;	20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the open squares she raises her voice;
21 she cal s out at the street corners, she delivers her message at the city gates.	21 Down the crowded ways she calls out, at the city gates she utters her words:
22 'You simple people, how much longer will you cling to your simple ways? How much longer willmockers revel in their mocking and fools go on hating knowledge?	22 "How long, you simple ones, will you love inanity,
23 Pay attention to my warning. To you I wil pour out my heart and tel you what I have to say.	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 Since I have cal ed and you have refused me, since I have beckoned and no one has taken notice,	24 "Because I called and you refused, I extended my hand and no one took notice;
25 since you have ignored al my advice and rejected al my warnings,	25 Because you disdained all my counsel, and my reproof you ignored--
26 I, for my part, shall laugh at your distress, I shal jeer when terror befal s you,	26 I, in my turn, will laugh at your doom; I will mock when terror overtakes you;
27 when terror befal s you, like a storm, when your distress arrives, like a whirlwind, when ordeal andanguish bear down on 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 they will cal me, but I shal not answer, they wil look eagerly for me and will not find me.	28 "Then they call me, but I answer not; they seek me, but find me not;
29 They have hated knowledge, they have not chosen the fear of Yahweh,	29 Because they hated knowledge, and chose not the fear of the LORD;
30 they have taken no notice of my advice, they have spurned al my warnings:	30 They ignored my counsel, they spurned all my reproof; And in their arrogance they preferred arrogance, and like fools they hated knowledge:
31 so they wil have to eat the fruits of their own ways of life, and choke themselves with their ownscheming.	31 "Now they must eat the fruit of their own way, and with their own devices be glutted.
32 For the errors of the simple lead to their death, the complacency of fools works their own ruin;	32 For the self-will of the simple kills them, the smugness of fools destroys them.
33 but whoever listens to me may live secure, will have quiet, fearing no mischance.'	33 But he who obeys me dwells in security, in peace, without fear of harm."