箴言的价值
大卫的儿子，以色列王所罗门的箴言：
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2要使人懂得智慧和训诲， 明白通达的言语，To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3使人领受明智的训诲， 就是公义、公平和正直，To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4使愚蒙人灵巧， 使年轻人有知识，有智谋。To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5智慧人听见，增长学问， 聪明人得着智谋，A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6明白箴言和譬喻， 懂得智慧人的言词和谜语。To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7敬畏耶和华是知识的开端； 愚妄人藐视智慧和训诲。给年轻人的忠告
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8我儿啊，要听你父亲的训诲， 不可离弃你母亲的教诲；My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9因为这要作你头上恩惠的华冠， 作你颈上的项链。For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10我儿啊，罪人若引诱你， 你不可随从。My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
11他们若说：“你与我们同去， 我们要埋伏杀人流血， 无故地潜藏，杀害无辜；If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
12我们好像阴间，把他们活活吞下， 囫囵吞下，如吞下那下到地府的人；Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
13我们必得各样宝物， 将所夺来的装满房屋；We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
14你来与我们同伙， 共用一个钱囊。”Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
15我儿啊，不要与他们走同一道路， 禁止你的脚走他们的路径。My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
16因为他们的脚奔跑行恶， 他们急速杀人流血。For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17在飞鸟眼前张设网罗， 一定会徒劳无功；Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
18同样，他们埋伏，是自流己血， 他们潜藏，是自害己命。And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
19凡靠暴力敛财的，所行之路都是如此， 这种念头必夺去自己的生命。智慧呼唤人
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
20智慧☛“智慧”是拟人化的名词，原文是阴性；下同。在街市上呼喊， 在广场上高声呐喊，Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21在热闹街头呼叫， 在城门口，在城中，发出言语，说：She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
22“你们无知的人喜爱无知， 傲慢人喜欢傲慢， 愚昧人恨恶知识， 要到几时呢？How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23你们当因我的责备回转， 我要将我的灵浇灌你们， 将我的话指示你们。Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24因为我呼唤，你们不听， 我招手，无人理会。Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25你们忽视我一切的劝戒， 拒听我的责备。But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26你们遭难，我就发笑； 惊恐临到你们， 惊恐如狂风来临， 灾难好像暴风来到， 急难痛苦临到你们身上， 我必嗤笑。I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27那时，他们就会呼求我，我却不回答， 恳切寻求我，却寻不见。When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28因为他们恨恶知识， 选择不敬畏耶和华，Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29不听我的劝戒， 藐视我一切的责备，For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
30所以他们要自食其果， 饱胀在自己的计谋中。They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31愚蒙人背道，害死自己， 愚昧人安逸，自取灭亡。Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32惟听从我的，必安然居住， 得享宁静，不怕灾祸。”For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.