| Revised Standard Version (RSV) | New International Version (NIV) |
| 8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and reject not your mother's teaching; | 8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. |
| 9 for they are a fair garland for your head, and pendants for your neck. | 9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. |
| 10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. | 10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. |
| 11 If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us wantonly ambush the innocent; | 11 If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul; |
| 12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive and whole, like those who go down to the Pit; | 12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; |
| 13 we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with spoil; | 13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; |
| 14 throw in your lot among us, we will all have one purse" -- | 14 throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"-- |
| 15 my son, do not walk in the way with them, hold back your foot from their paths; | 15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; |
| 16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. | 16 for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood. |
| 17 For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird; | 17 How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! |
| 18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood, they set an ambush for their own lives. | 18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! |
| 19 Such are the ways of all who get gain by violence; it takes away the life of its possessors. | 19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it. |
| 20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street; in the markets she raises her voice; | 20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; |
| 21 on the top of the walls she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: | 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: |
| 22 "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? | 22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? |
| 23 Give heed to my reproof; behold, I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you. | 23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. |
| 24 Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, | 24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, |
| 25 and you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, | 25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, |
| 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes you, | 26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-- |
| 27 when panic strikes you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. | 27 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 upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. | 28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. |
| 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, | 29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, |
| 30 would have none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof, | 30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, |
| 31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way and be sated with their own devices. | 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. |
| 32 For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacence of fools destroys them; | 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; |
| 33 but he who listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of evil." | 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." |
| Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (Revised Standard Version - Holy 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) |