King James Version KJV
New Revised Standard NRS
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
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The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
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For learning about wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
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for gaining instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
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to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young—
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
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let the wise also hear and gain in learning, and the discerning acquire skill,
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
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to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 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; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
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Hear, my child, your father's instruction, and do not reject your mother's teaching;
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
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for they are a fair garland for your head, and pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
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My child, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
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If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us wantonly ambush the innocent;
12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
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like Sheol let us swallow them alive and whole, like those who go down to the Pit.
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
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We shall find all kinds of costly things; we shall fill our houses with booty.
14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
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Throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse"—
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
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my child, do not walk in their way, keep your foot from their paths;
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
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for their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed blood.
17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
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For in vain is the net baited while the bird is looking on;
18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
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yet they lie in wait—to kill themselves! and set an ambush—for their own lives!
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
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Such is the end of all who are greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.
20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
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Wisdom cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice.
21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
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At the busiest corner she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
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"How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
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Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
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Because I have called and you refused, have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
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and because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
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I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes you,
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
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when panic strikes you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
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Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
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Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
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would have none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof,
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
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therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way and be sated with their own devices.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
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For waywardness kills the simple, and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
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but those who listen to me will be secure and will live at ease, without dread of disaster."
The King James Version is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, 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.