Proverbs - book of wisdoms
Chapter 1
The purpose of wisdom writings
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, are meant
2 for learning about wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words expressing deep insight;
3 for gaining an intelligently disciplined life,
doing what is right, just and fair;
4 for teaching with caution the naive thinking people
and the young person with knowledge and discretion.
5 The wise listens to it
and understands even more,
the smart learns from it
and gets good guidance
6 and he will understand proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline!
Listen to the teaching!
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s discipline
and do not abandon the teaching of your mother;
9 they are a garland of grace to your head
and a medal of honor for your neck.
Elude the sinners!
10 My son, if sinners entice [persuade] you,
get away from them.
11 If they say to you:
"Come with us,
Let us lie in wait for blood,
And harm the innocent without any cause;
12 Let swallow them alive like the underworld,
both alive and those ready in grave to go!
13 This way we will gather many riches,
filling out our house with prosperity!
14 Come and join us be our friend,
have your share in our wealth!"
15 "My son, my daughter do NOT follow them,
and do NOT set your foot on their path!
16 For their feet run to evil,
they rush to shed blood.
17 For in vain they spread the net
against their many prey,
18 for they lie in wait for their own blood
and they ambush their own lives!
(And at the and they fell in the pit dug by themselves!)
19 So are the ways of all these wicked:
they will lose their own life instead!
Wisdom's warnings
20 Wisdom can be heard everywhere in open,
both on the streets and crowdy stores;
21 she yells at streetcorners
and speaks out at city gates:
22 "How long, will you sensles people love lives with no reason?
How long will you scorners find pleasure in mocking gossip?
How long will you fools hate the knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
Then I*1 will pour out to you my spirit,
and will make you known my teachings.
*1: The "wisdom" is a person-like entity, because "s/he" is one manifestation form of our LORD-God.
24 I called you by name, but did not listen,
I stretched out my hand, but you walked away instead!
25 And you neglected all my counsel
And did not listen to my rebuke either!
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when terror hunts you;
27 yes, when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 Then they will call me,
but I will not answer;
they will thoroughly seek me,
but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose to follow the LORD:
30 "They refused my counsel
and despised my rebuke!
31 So they will bear the consequences of their own ways
and be overfilled with their own schemes!
32 For the aimless living of the thoughtless will kill them,
and the arrogant overconfidence of fools will destroy them!
33 But whoever listens to me will live in quiet and safety
without to fear misfortune or the dread of evil!”
