1 Die spreuke van Salomo, die seun van Dawid, die koning van Israel,
2 om wysheid en tug te ken, om woorde van insig te verstaan,
3 om aan te neem tug wat verstandig maak, geregtigheid en reg en regverdigheid;
4 om aan die eenvoudiges skranderheid te gee, aan die jongeling kennis en oorleg;
5 laat die wyse luister, dan sal hy insig vermeerder, en die verstandige sal verstandige gedagtes verkry,
6 om 'n spreuk en beeldspraak te verstaan, die woorde van die wyse manne en hulle raaisels.
7 Die vrees van die HERE is die beginsel van die kennis; sotte verag wysheid en tug.
8 My seun, luister na die tug van jou vader, en verwerp die onderwysing van jou moeder nie;
9 want dit is 'n lieflike krans vir jou hoof en sierlike kettings vir jou hals.
10 My seun, as die sondaars jou wil verlei, moet jy nie inwillig nie;
11 as hulle sê: Gaan saam met ons, laat ons loer op bloed, laat ons die onskuldige voorlê sonder oorsaak,
12 laat ons hulle lewendig verslind soos die doderyk en die gesondes soos die wat in die kuil neerdaal;
13 allerhande kosbare goed sal ons vind, ons huise sal ons vol maak met buit;
14 jy sal jou lot onder ons werp, ons sal almal een beurs hê --
15 my seun, gaan nie met hulle saam op die weg nie, hou jou voet terug van hulle pad;
16 want hulle voete hardloop na die kwaad en haas hulle om bloed te vergiet;
17 want die net word tevergeefs uitgesprei voor die oë van allerhande voëls:
18 so loer hulle op hul eie bloed, hulle lê hulleself voor.
19 So gaan dit met almal wat onregverdige wins maak: dit ontneem sy besitter die lewe.
20 Die Wysheid roep hardop daarbuite, sy verhef haar stem op die pleine,
21 op die hoek van die rumoerige strate roep sy, by die ingange van die poorte, in die stad, spreek sy haar woorde:
22 Hoe lank sal julle, eenvoudiges, die eenvoudigheid liefhê en die spotters lus hê om te spot en die dwase kennis haat?
23 Wend julle tot my teregwysing, dan laat ek my gees vir julle uitstroom, wil ek my woorde aan julle bekend maak.
24 Omdat ek geroep en julle geweier het, ek my hand uitgestrek en niemand geluister het nie,
25 en julle al my raad nie opgevolg en van my teregwysing nie wou geweet het nie,
26 daarom sal ek ook lag by julle ondergang, ek sal spot as julle verskrikking kom;
27 as julle verskrikking kom soos 'n onweer, en julle ondergang soos 'n stormwind aankom, as benoudheid en angs julle oorval.
28 Dan sal hulle na my roep, maar ek sal nie antwoord nie; hulle sal my soek, maar my nie vind nie.
29 Omdat hulle die kennis gehaat en die vrees van die HERE nie verkies het nie,
30 van my raad nie wou weet nie, al my teregwysinge verag het,
31 daarom sal hulle eet van die vrug van hulle wandel en versadig word van hulle planne.
32 Want hulle eie afkerigheid maak die eenvoudiges dood, en hulle eie sorgeloosheid rig die dwase te gronde;
33 maar die wat na my luister, sal veilig woon en gerus wees teen die skrik vir die onheil.
1 The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
3 To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
4 To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
5 (The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:)
6 To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
8 My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
9 For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.
11 If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
12 Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death;
13 Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
14 Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
15 My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
16 For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
17 Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
18 And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
19 Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
21 Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
22 How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?
23 Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
24 Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
25 You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
26 So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
27 When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.
28 Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
29 For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
30 They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
31 So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
32 For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
33 But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.