| New Century Version (NCV) |
New International Version (NIV) |
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1 These are the wise words of Solomon son of David, king of Israel.
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1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
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2 They teach wisdom and self-control; they will help you understand wise words.
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2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;
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3 They will teach you how to be wise and self-controlled and will teach you to do what is honest and fair and right.
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3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;
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4 They make the uneducated smarter and give knowledge and sense to the young.
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4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young--
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5 Wise people can also listen and learn; even smart people can find good advice in these words.
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5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--
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6 Then anyone can understand wise words and stories, the words of the wise and their riddles.
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6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
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7 Knowledge begins with respect for the Lord, but fools hate wisdom and self-control.
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7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
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8 My child, listen to your father's teaching and do not forget your mother's advice.
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8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
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9 Their teaching will be like flowers in your hair or a necklace around your neck.
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9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
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10 My child, if sinners try to lead you into sin, do not follow them.
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10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
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11 They will say, "Come with us. Let's ambush and kill someone; let's attack some innocent people just for fun.
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11 If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul;
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12 Let's swallow them alive, as death does; let's swallow them whole, as the grave does.
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12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
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13 We will take all kinds of valuable things and fill our houses with stolen goods.
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13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
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14 Come join us, and we will share with you stolen goods."
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14 throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"--
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15 My child, do not go along with them; do not do what they do.
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15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
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16 They are eager to do evil and are quick to kill.
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16 for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.
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17 It is useless to spread out a net right where the birds can see it.
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17 How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!
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18 But sinners will fall into their own traps; they will only catch themselves!
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18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!
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19 All greedy people end up this way; greed kills selfish people.
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19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.
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20 Wisdom is like a woman shouting in the street; she raises her voice in the city squares.
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20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
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21 She cries out in the noisy street and shouts at the city gates:
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21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
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22 "You fools, how long will you be foolish? How long will you make fun of wisdom and hate knowledge?
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22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
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23 If only you had listened when I corrected you, I would have told you what's in my heart; I would have told you what I am thinking.
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23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
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24 I called, but you refused to listen; I held out my hand, but you paid no attention.
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24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
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25 You did not follow my advice and did not listen when I corrected you.
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25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,
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26 So I will laugh when you are in trouble. I will make fun when disaster strikes you,
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26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you--
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27 when disaster comes over you like a storm, when trouble strikes you like a whirlwind, when pain and trouble overwhelm you.
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27 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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28 "Then you will call to me, but I will not answer. You will look for me, but you will not find me.
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28 "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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29 It is because you rejected knowledge and did not choose to respect the Lord.
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29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,
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30 You did not accept my advice, and you rejected my correction.
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30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
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31 So you will get what you deserve; you will get what you planned for others.
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31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
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32 Fools will die because they refuse to listen; they will be destroyed because they do not care.
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32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
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33 But those who listen to me will live in safety and be at peace, without fear of injury."
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33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
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| Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (New Century Version Online Bible) |
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |
