¹箴言的功用大衛的兒子以色列王所羅門的箴言：

¹The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

²要使人曉得智慧和教訓，了解充滿哲理的言語；

²to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

³使人領受明慧的教訓，就是公義、公正和正直；

³to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

⁴使愚蒙人變成精明，使少年人獲得知識和明辨的能力；

⁴to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man:

⁵使智慧人聽了，可以增長學問，使聰明人聽了，可以獲得智謀；

⁵that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:

⁶使人明白箴言和譬喻，懂得智慧人的言詞和他們的隱語。

⁶to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

⁷不受惡人的引誘敬畏耶和華是知識的開端，但愚妄人藐視智慧和教訓。

⁷The fear of Yahweh “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸我兒，要聽從你父親的教訓，不可離棄你母親的訓誨。

⁸My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:

⁹因為這些要作你頭上的華冠，作你頸上的金鍊。

⁹for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

¹⁰我兒，如果壞人引誘你，你不可隨從他們。

¹¹如果他們說：“你跟我們來吧！我們要埋伏流人的血，我們要無故地潛伏傷害無辜的人；

¹¹If they say, “Come with us, Let’s lay in wait for blood; let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

¹²我們要好像陰間一般，把他們活生生吞下，他們整個被我們吞下，如同下坑的人一樣；

¹²let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. , and whole, like those who go down into the pit.

¹³這樣，我們必得著各樣貴重的財物，把掠物裝滿我們的房子。

¹³We’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with spoil.

¹⁴加入我們的行列吧！我們大家共用一個錢袋。”

¹⁴You shall cast your lot among us. We’ll all have one purse.”

¹⁵我兒，不可和他們走在一起，禁止你的腳走他們的路；

¹⁵My son, don’t walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path,

¹⁶因為他們的腳奔向邪惡，他們急於流人的血。

¹⁶for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

¹⁷在飛鳥眼前張設網羅，是徒勞無功的。

¹⁸他們埋伏，是自流己血；他們潛伏，是自害己命。

¹⁸but these lay wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

¹⁹凡是貪愛不義之財的，所走的路都是這樣；那不義之財奪去了貪財者的性命。

¹⁹So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.

²⁰當聽智慧的呼喚智慧在街上呼喊，在廣場上揚聲；

²⁰Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.

²¹在鬧市中心呼叫，在城門口發出言語，說：

²¹She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:

²²“你們愚蒙人喜愛愚蒙，好譏笑的人喜歡譏笑，愚昧人恨惡知識，要到幾時呢？

²²“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?

²³你們要因我的責備回轉，我就把我的心意（“心意”或譯：“靈”）向你們傾吐，把我的話指示你們。

²³Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.

²⁴我呼喚，你們不肯聽從；我伸手，沒有人理會。

²⁴Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;

²⁵你們既輕忽我的一切勸告，不肯接受我的責備；

²⁵but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;

²⁶所以你們遭難的時候，我就發笑；驚恐臨到你們的日子，我就嗤笑。

²⁶I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you;

²⁷驚恐臨到你們好像風暴，災難如同颶風來臨，患難困苦臨到你們身上。

²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come on you.

²⁸那時，他們必呼求我，我卻不回答；他們切切尋找我，卻尋不見；

²⁸Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;

²⁹因為他們恨惡知識，不選擇敬畏耶和華；

²⁹because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.

³⁰不接受我的勸告，輕視我的一切責備；

³⁰They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.

³¹所以，他們必自食其果，必飽嘗自己所設計謀的傷害。

³¹Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.

³²愚蒙人的背道必殺害他們自己，愚昧人的安逸必毀滅他們自己；

³²For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.

³³唯有聽從我的，必安然居住，得享安寧，免受災禍的驚恐。”

³³But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”