KJ3 Literal Translation
Proverbs 1
The use of the proverbs. An exhortation to fear Jehovah, and believe His word.
1The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2To know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
3to receive instruction in prudence, righteousness, and judgment, and uprightness;
4to give sense to the one of simplicity, knowledge and discretion to the young man.
5The wise ones hear and increase learning, and he understanding gets wise counsel,
6to understand a proverb and an enigma; the words of the wise ones, and their riddles.
7The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; foolish ones despise wisdom and instruction.
8My son, hear your father's instruction, and do not forsake the law of your mother;
9for they shall be an ornament of grace to your head, and chains for your neck.
10My son, if sinners lure you, do not be willing.
11If they say, Walk with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us secretly lurk for the innocent ones without cause,
12let us swallow them up alive as Sheol; and whole, as those going down into the Pit,
13we shall find all precious wealth; we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14cast in your lot among us; one purse shall be to all of us.
15My son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their path;
16for their feet run to evil and they haste to shed blood.
17For in vain the net is spread in the sight of every lord of the wing.
18And they lie in wait for their own blood, they are hiding for their own souls.
19So are the ways of everyone who gains unjust gain; it takes away its owner's soul.
20Wisdom cries aloud outside; she gives her voice in the square;
21she calls at the head of roaring places, at the opening of the gates, in the city she speaks her words:
22Until when, ones of simplicity, will you love simplicity? And will scorning ones desire scorning for themselves? And will fools hate knowledge?
23Turn back at My warning; behold, I will pour out My Spirit to you; I will make My words known to you.
24Because I called, and you refused; I stretch out a hand, and not one pays attention,
25but you have ignored all My counsel, and you did not desire My warning.
26I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your dread comes;
27when your dread comes like a storm, and your calamity arrives like a tempest, when distress and anguish come on you,
28then they shall call on Me, and I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me.
29Instead, they hated knowledge and chose not the fear of Jehovah.
30They did not desire My counsel; they despised all My reproof,
31and they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices.
32For the going astray of the ones of simplicity kills them, and the ease of fools destroys them.
33But he who listens to Me shall live securely and shall be at ease from the dread of evil.
Read Proverbs 1 in the interactive reader with the Hebrew and Greek side by side, audio narration, and the TWOT dictionary.
Open in the reader