Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Revised Standard NRS
1 The parables 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:
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For learning about wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight,
3 To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:
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for gaining instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.
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to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence 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 also hear and gain in learning, and the discerning acquire skill,
6 He shall understand a parable and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious 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 wisdom. 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 That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to 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 shall entice thee, consent not to them.
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My child, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
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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If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us wantonly 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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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 spoils.
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We shall find all kinds of costly things; we shall fill our houses with booty.
14 Cast in thy lot with 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 with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.
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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 But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.
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For in vain is the net baited while the bird is looking on;
18 And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.
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yet they lie in wait—to kill themselves! and set an ambush—for their own lives!
19 So the ways of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.
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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 preacheth abroad, 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 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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At the busiest corner she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
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, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and 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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Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.
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Because I have called and you refused, have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
25 You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.
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and because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.
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I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes 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 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, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning, and 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 Because they have hated instruction, and received not the fear of the Lord,
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Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.
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would have none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof,
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 shall eat the fruit of their way and be sated with their own devices.
32 The turning away of little ones shall kill 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 he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.
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but those who listen to me will be secure and will live at ease, without dread of disaster."
The Douay-Rheims Bible 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.