New International Version NIV
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
1 The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight;
2 To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;
3 To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,knowledge and discretion to the young—
4 To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—
5 (The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:)
6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
6 To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
7 The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
8 My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
9 They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
9 For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them.
10 My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.
11 If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul;
11 If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
12 Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
13 Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
14 cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”—
14 Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
15 My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
16 for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.
16 For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
17 How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!
17 Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves!
18 And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.
19 Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square;
20 Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
21 on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech:
21 Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
22 How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.
23 Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
24 Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
25 since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke,
25 You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
26 So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
27 When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.
28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me,
28 Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
29 since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD.
29 For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
30 Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
30 They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
31 So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
32 For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
33 But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.