1:1 |
The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel. |
1:2 |
To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason: |
1:3 |
To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour: |
1:4 |
To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose: |
1:5 |
(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:) |
1:6 |
To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings. |
1:7 |
The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching. |
1:8 |
My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother: |
1:9 |
For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck. |
1:10 |
My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them. |
1:11 |
If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause; |
1:12 |
Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; |
1:13 |
Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth; |
1:14 |
Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag: |
1:15 |
My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways: |
1:16 |
For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life. |
1:17 |
Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird: |
1:18 |
And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves. |
1:19 |
Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners. |
1:20 |
Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places; |
1:21 |
Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town: |
1:22 |
How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge? |
1:23 |
Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you. |
1:24 |
Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand; |
1:25 |
You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words: |
1:26 |
So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear; |
1:27 |
When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you. |
1:28 |
Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me: |
1:29 |
For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord: |
1:30 |
They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them. |
1:31 |
So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full. |
1:32 |
For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction. |
1:33 |
But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil. |