New King James Version

New International Version

The Beginning of Knowledge

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

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Purpose and Theme

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

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To know wisdom and instruction,
To [a]perceive the words of understanding,

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for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;

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To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;

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for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;

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To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion —

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for giving prudence to those who are simple,a
knowledge and discretion to the young —

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A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will [b]attain wise counsel,

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let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance —

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To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.

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for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.b

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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but foolsc despise wisdom and instruction.

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Shun Evil Counsel

My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;

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Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

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For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.

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They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.

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My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.

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My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.

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If they say, “Come with us,
Let us lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

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If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;

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Let us swallow them alive like [c]Sheol,
And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;

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let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

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We shall find all kinds of precious [d]possessions,
We shall fill our houses with [e]spoil;

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we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;

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Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse” —

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cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot” —

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My son, do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;

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my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;

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For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.

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for their feet rush into evil,
they are swift to shed blood.

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Surely, in [f]vain the net is spread
In the sight of any [g]bird;

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How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!

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But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.

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These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!

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So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.

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Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.

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The Call of Wisdom

Wisdom calls aloud [h]outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.

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Wisdom’s Rebuke

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
she raises her voice in the public square;

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She cries out in the [i]chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:

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on top of the walld she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:

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“How long, you [j]simple ones, will you love [k]simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.

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“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?

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Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.

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Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.

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Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,

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But since you refuse to listen when I call
and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,

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Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,

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since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,

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I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,

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I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you —

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When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.

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when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

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“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.

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“Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me,

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Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,

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since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord.

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They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.

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Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,

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Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.

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they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

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For the [l]turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;

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For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

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But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be [m]secure, without fear of evil.”

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but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

Parallel

New King James Version

New International Version

Proverbs 1

Proverbs 1