Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Living Translation NLT
1 The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel,
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These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.
2 To know wisdom, and instruction:
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Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise.
3 To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:
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Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
4 To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.
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These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young.
5 A wise man shall hear, and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth shall possess governments.
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Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance
6 He shall understand a parable and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.
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by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
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Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
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My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
9 That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.
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What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.
10 My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.
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My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!
11 If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:
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They may say, “Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!
12 Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit.
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Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave ; let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.
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Think of the great things we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.
14 Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.
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Come, throw in your lot with us; we’ll all share the loot.”
15 My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.
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My child, don’t go along with them! Stay far away from their paths.
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
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They rush to commit evil deeds. They hurry to commit murder.
17 But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.
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If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away.
18 And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.
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But these people set an ambush for themselves; they are trying to get themselves killed.
19 So the ways of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.
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Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life.
20 Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:
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Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square.
21 At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:
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She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate:
22 O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?
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“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?
23 Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.
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Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise.
24 Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.
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“I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention.
25 You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.
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You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered.
26 I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.
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So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you—
27 When sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon you:
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when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning, and shall not find me:
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“When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.
29 Because they have hated instruction, and received not the fear of the Lord,
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For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD .
30 Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.
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They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices.
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Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes.
32 The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
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For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.
33 But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.
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But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”
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