The Value of Proverbs

11 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 2 For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence, 3 For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness, 4 For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion. 5 (The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.) 6 For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.

7 Fear of Jehovah 'is' a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!

Wisdom's Warning

8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother, 9 For a graceful wreath 'are' they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing. 11 If they say, 'Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause, 12 We swallow them as Sheol—alive, And whole—as those going down 'to' the pit, 13 Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses 'with' spoil, 14 Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is—to all of us.' 15 My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path, 16 For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird. 18 And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives. 19 So 'are' the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.

20 Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice, 21 At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith: 22 'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you. 24 Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending, 25 And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired. 26 I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh, 27 When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress. 28 Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not. 29 Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen. 30 They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof, 31 And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled. 32 For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them. 33 And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And 'is' quiet from fear of evil!'

The Reward of Seeking Wisdom

21 My son, if thou dost accept my sayings, And my commands dost lay up with thee, 2 To cause thine ear to attend to wisdom, Thou inclinest thy heart to understanding, 3 For, if for intelligence thou callest, For understanding givest forth thy voice, 4 If thou dost seek her as silver, And as hid treasures searchest for her, 5 Then understandest thou fear of Jehovah, And knowledge of God thou findest. 6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom, From His mouth knowledge and understanding. 7 Even to lay up for the upright substance, A shield for those walking uprightly. 8 To keep the paths of judgment, And the way of His saints He preserveth. 9 Then understandest thou righteousness, And judgment, and uprightness—every good path.

10 For wisdom cometh into thy heart, And knowledge to thy soul is pleasant, 11 Thoughtfulness doth watch over thee, Understanding doth keep thee, 12 To deliver thee from an evil way, From any speaking froward things, 13 Who are forsaking paths of uprightness, To walk in ways of darkness, 14 Who are rejoicing to do evil, They delight in frowardness of the wicked, 15 Whose paths 'are' crooked, Yea, they are perverted in their ways. 16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, From the stranger who hath made smooth her sayings, 17 Who is forsaking the guide of her youth, And the covenant of her God hath forgotten. 18 For her house hath inclined unto death, And unto Rephaim her paths. 19 None going in unto her turn back, Nor do they reach the paths of life. 20 That thou dost go in the way of the good, And the paths of the righteous dost keep. 21 For the upright do inhabit the earth, And the perfect are left in it, 22 And the wicked from the earth are cut off, And treacherous dealers plucked out of it!

The Collection for the Saints

161 And concerning the collection that 'is' for the saints, as I directed to the assemblies of Galatia, so also ye—do ye; 2 on every first 'day' of the week, let each one of you lay by him, treasuring up whatever he may have prospered, that when I may come then collections may not be made; 3 and whenever I may come, whomsoever ye may approve, through letters, these I will send to carry your favour to Jerusalem; 4 and if it be meet for me also to go, with me they shall go.

Plans for Travel

5 And I will come unto you, when I pass through Macedonia—for Macedonia I do pass through— 6 and with you, it may be, I will abide, or even winter, that ye may send me forward whithersoever I go, 7 for I do not wish to see you now in the passing, but I hope to remain a certain time with you, if the Lord may permit; 8 and I will remain in Ephesus till the Pentecost, 9 for a door to me hath been opened—great and effectual—and withstanders 'are' many.

10 And if Timotheus may come, see that he may become without fear with you, for the work of the Lord he doth work, even as I, 11 no one, then, may despise him; and send ye him forward in peace, that he may come to me, for I expect him with the brethren; 12 and concerning Apollos our brother, much I did entreat him that he may come unto you with the brethren, and it was not at all 'his' will that he may come now, and he will come when he may find convenient.

Final Greetings

13 Watch ye, stand in the faith; be men, be strong; 14 let all your things be done in love. 15 And I entreat you, brethren, ye have known the household of Stephanas, that it is the first-fruit of Achaia, and to the ministration to the saints they did set themselves— 16 that ye also be subject to such, and to every one who is working with 'us' and labouring; 17 and I rejoice over the presence of Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus, because the lack of you did these fill up; 18 for they did refresh my spirit and yours; acknowledge ye, therefore, those who 'are' such.

19 Salute you do the assemblies of Asia; salute you much in the Lord do Aquilas and Priscilla, with the assembly in their house; 20 salute you do all the brethren; salute ye one another in an holy kiss. 21 The salutation of 'me' Paul with my hand; 22 if any one doth not love the Lord Jesus Christ—let him be anathema! The Lord hath come! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ 'is' with you; 24 my love 'is' with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.