| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; | 1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: |
| 2To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; | 2For learning what wisdom and discipline are; for understanding insightful sayings; |
| 3To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; | 3for receiving wise instruction in righteousness, justice, and integrity; |
| 4To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. | 4for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to a young man-- |
| 5A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: | 5a wise man will listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance-- |
| 6To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. | 6for understanding a proverb or a parable, the words of the wise, and their riddles. |
| 7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. | 7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline. |
| 8My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: | 8Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching, |
| 9For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. | 9for they will be a garland of grace on your head and a gold chain around your neck. |
| 10My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. | 10My son, if sinners entice you, don't be persuaded. |
| 11If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: | 11If they say--"Come with us! Let's set an ambush and kill someone. Let's attack some innocent person just for fun! |
| 12Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: | 12Let's swallow them alive, like Sheol, still healthy as they go down to the Pit. |
| 13We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: | 13We'll find all kinds of valuable property and fill our houses with plunder. |
| 14Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: | 14Throw in your lot with us, and we'll all share our money"-- |
| 15My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: | 15my son, don't travel that road with them or set foot on their path, |
| 16For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. | 16because their feet run toward trouble and they hurry to commit murder. |
| 17Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. | 17It is foolish to spread a net where any bird can see it, |
| 18And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. | 18but they set an ambush to kill themselves; they attack their own lives. |
| 19So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. | 19Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly; it takes the lives of those who receive it. |
| 20Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: | 20Wisdom calls out in the street; she raises her voice in the public squares. |
| 21She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, | 21She cries out above the commotion; she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:" |
| 22How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? | 22How long, foolish ones, will you love ignorance? How long will you mockers enjoy mocking and you fools hate knowledge? |
| 23Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. | 23If you respond to my warning, then I will pour out my spirit on you and teach you my words. |
| 24Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; | 24Since I called out and you refused, extended my hand and no one paid attention, |
| 25But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: | 25since you neglected all my counsel and did not accept my correction, |
| 26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; | 26I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when terror strikes you, |
| 27When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. | 27when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when trouble and stress overcome you. |
| 28Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: | 28Then they will call me, but I won't answer; they will search for me, but won't find me. |
| 29For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: | 29Because they hated knowledge, didn't choose to fear the LORD, |
| 30They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. | 30were not interested in my counsel, and rejected all my correction, |
| 31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. | 31they will eat the fruit of their way and be glutted with their own schemes. |
| 32For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. | 32For the turning away of the inexperienced will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. |
| 33But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. | 33But whoever listens to me will live securely and be free from the fear of danger." |
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