New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.
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The proverbs of Solomon, King David's son, from Israel:
2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise.
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Their purpose is to teach wisdom and discipline, to help one understand wise sayings.
3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
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They provide insightful instruction, which is righteous, just, and full of integrity.
4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young.
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They make the naive mature, the young knowledgeable and discreet.
5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance
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The wise hear them and grow in wisdom; those with understanding gain guidance.
6 by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.
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They help one understand proverbs and difficult sayings, the words of the wise, and their puzzles.
7 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
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Wisdom begins with the fear of the LORD, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
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Listen, my son, to your father's instruction; don't neglect your mother's teaching;
9 What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.
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for they are a graceful wreath on your head, and beads for your neck.
10 My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!
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My son, don't let sinners entice you. Don't go
11 They may say, “Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!
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when they say: "Come with us. Let's set up a deadly ambush. Let's secretly wait for the innocent just for fun.
12 Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave ; let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.
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Let's swallow up the living like the grave— whole, like those who go down into the pit.
13 Think of the great things we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.
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We'll find all sorts of precious wealth; we'll fill our houses with plunder.
14 Come, throw in your lot with us; we’ll all share the loot.”
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Throw in your lot with us; we'll share our money."
15 My child, don’t go along with them! Stay far away from their paths.
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My son, don't go on the path with them; keep your feet from their way,
16 They rush to commit evil deeds. They hurry to commit murder.
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because their feet run to evil; they hurry to spill blood.
17 If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away.
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It's useless to cast a net in the sight of a bird.
18 But these people set an ambush for themselves; they are trying to get themselves killed.
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But these sinners set up a deadly ambush; they lie in wait for their own lives.
19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life.
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These are the ways of all who seek unjust gain; it costs them their lives.
20 Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square.
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Wisdom shouts in the street; in the public square she raises her voice.
21 She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate:
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Above the noisy crowd, she calls out. At the entrances of the city gates, she has her say:
22 “How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge?
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"How long will you clueless people love your naïveté, mockers hold their mocking dear, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise.
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You should respond when I correct you. Look, I'll pour out my spirit on you. I'll reveal my words to you.
24 “I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention.
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I invited you, but you rejected me; I stretched out my hand to you, but you paid no attention.
25 You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered.
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You ignored all my advice, and you didn't want me to correct you.
26 So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you—
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So I'll laugh at your disaster; I'll make fun of you when dread comes over you,
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm you.
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when terror hits you like a hurricane, and your disaster comes in like a tornado, when distress and oppression overcome you.
28 “When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.
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Then they will call me, but I won't answer; they will seek me, but won't find me
29 For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD .
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because they hated knowledge and didn't choose the fear of the LORD.
30 They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them.
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They didn't want my advice; they rejected all my corrections.
31 Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes.
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They will eat from the fruit of their way, and they'll be full of their own schemes.
32 For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.
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The immature will die because they turn away; smugness will destroy fools.
33 But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”
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Those who obey me will dwell securely, untroubled by the dread of harm."
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible