Proverbs 1:8–19

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,

and forsake not your mother’s teaching,

for they are a graceful garland for your head

and pendants for your neck.

My son, if sinners entice you,

do not consent.

If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;

let us ambush the innocent without reason;

like Sheol let us swallow them alive,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

we shall find all precious goods,

we shall fill our houses with plunder;

throw in your lot among us;

we will all have one purse”—

my son, do not walk in the way with them;

hold back your foot from their paths,

for their feet run to evil,

and they make haste to shed blood.

For in vain is a net spread

in the sight of any bird,

but these men lie in wait for their own blood;

they set an ambush for their own lives.

Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;

it takes away the life of its possessors.

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,

and don’t reject your mother’s teaching,

for they will be a garland of favor on your head

and pendants around your neck.

My son, if sinners entice you,

don’t be persuaded.

If they say—“Come with us!

Let’s set an ambush and kill someone.

Let’s attack some innocent person just for fun!

Let’s swallow them alive, like Sheol,

whole, like those who go down to the Pit.

We’ll find all kinds of valuable property

and fill our houses with plunder.

Throw in your lot with us,

and we’ll all share the loot”—

my son, don’t travel that road with them

or set foot on their path,

because their feet run toward evil

and they hurry to shed blood.

It is useless to spread a net

where any bird can see it,

but they set an ambush to kill themselves;

they attack their own lives.

Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly;

it takes the lives of those who receive it.

My child, listen when your father corrects you.

Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.

What you learn from them will crown you with grace

and be a chain of honor around your neck.

My child, if sinners entice you,

turn your back on them!

They may say, “Come and join us.

Let’s hide and kill someone!

Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!

Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave;

let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.

Think of the great things we’ll get!

We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.

Come, throw in your lot with us;

we’ll all share the loot.”

My child, don’t go along with them!

Stay far away from their paths.

They rush to commit evil deeds.

They hurry to commit murder.

If a bird sees a trap being set,

it knows to stay away.

But these people set an ambush for themselves;

they are trying to get themselves killed.

Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money;

it robs them of life.

My child, may you keep your father’s instruction,

and do not reject your mother’s teachings,

for they are a garland of favor for your head,

and pendants for your neck.

My child, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

If they say,

“Come with us!

We shall lie in wait for blood;

we shall ambush the innocent without cause.

Like Sheol, we will swallow them alive

and whole, like those who descend to the pit.

We shall find all precious wealth,

we shall fill our houses with booty,

you shall throw your lot in our midst,

there will be one purse for all of us.”

My child, do not walk in their way.

Keep your foot from their paths,

for their feet run to evil,

and they hurry to shed blood,

for “in vain is the net scattered,

in the sight of any winged bird.”

They lie in wait for their own blood.

They ambush their own lives.

Thus are the ways of all who are greedy for gain—

it will take the life of its possessors.

My son, hear the instruction of thy father,

And forsake not the law of thy mother:

For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head,

And chains about thy neck.

My son, if sinners entice thee,

Consent thou not.

If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood,

Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

Let us swallow them up alive as the grave;

And whole, as those that go down into the pit:

We shall find all precious substance,

We shall fill our houses with spoil:

Cast in thy lot among us;

Let us all have one purse:

My son, walk not thou in the way with them;

Refrain thy foot from their path:

For their feet run to evil,

And make haste to shed blood.

Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

And they lay wait for their own blood;

They lurk privily for their own lives.

So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain;

Which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.