Old/New Testament
The Importance of Proverbs
1 These are the ·wise words [proverbs] of Solomon son of David, king of Israel.
2 They teach wisdom and ·self-control [discipline; instruction];
they will help you understand ·wise words [insightful sayings].
3 They will teach you how to be ·wise [insightful] and ·self-controlled [disciplined]
and will teach you to do what is ·honest [righteous] and ·fair [just] and ·right [virtuous].
4 They make the ·uneducated [simpleminded; immature; naive] ·wise [prudent]
and give knowledge and ·sense [discretion] to the young.
5 Wise people can also listen and ·learn [add/increase teaching];
even ·they [L those with understanding] can find good ·advice in these words [guidance].
6 Then ·anyone [L they] can understand ·wise words [proverbs] and ·stories [or difficult sayings],
the words of the wise and their ·riddles [difficulties].
7 Knowledge begins with ·respect [fear; awe] for the Lord,
but fools ·hate [despise] wisdom and ·discipline [self-control; instruction].
Warnings Against Evil
8 My ·child [L son], listen to your father’s ·teaching [instruction; discipline]
and do not ·forget [neglect] your mother’s ·advice [instruction].
9 [L For] ·Their teaching [L It] will be like ·flowers in your hair [L a gracious garland on your head]
or ·a necklace [L beads] around your neck.
10 My ·child [L son], if sinners try to ·lead [seduce; entice] you into sin,
do not follow them.
11 They will say, “Come with us.
Let’s ambush and kill someone;
let’s attack some innocent people just for fun.
12 Let’s swallow them alive, ·as death does [like the grave/L Sheol];
let’s swallow them whole, ·as the grave does [L like those who go down into the pit].
13 We will ·take [L find] all kinds of ·valuable things [L precious wealth]
and fill our houses with ·stolen goods [plunder].
14 ·Come join us [L Throw in your lot with us],
and we will share ·with you stolen goods [L a single bag (of loot)].”
15 My ·child [L son], do not go ·along with them [L on their path];
·do not do what they do [L keep your foot from their way/path].
16 ·They are eager to do evil [L For their feet run toward evil]
and are quick to ·kill [L shed blood].
17 It is useless to spread out a net
right where the birds can see it.
18 But sinners will ·fall into their own traps [L set up a deadly ambush];
they ·will only catch [L lie in wait for] themselves!
19 All greedy people end up this way;
·greed kills selfish people [L they take their own lives].
Wisdom Speaks
20 Wisdom [C the personification of God’s wisdom; 8:1–36; 9:1–6] ·is like a woman shouting [L shouts] in the street;
she ·raises her voice [yells out] in the city squares [C the hub for business, government, and social interaction].
21 She cries out ·in the noisy street [L at the top of the noisy throng]
and shouts at the [L entrances of] city gates:
22 “You ·fools [simpletons; immature ones], how long will you be ·foolish [immature]?
How long will you make ·fun of wisdom [mocking so dear to you]
and hate knowledge?
23 If only you had ·listened [responded] when I corrected you,
I would have ·told you what’s in my heart [L poured forth my spirit to you];
I would have ·told you what I am thinking [L revealed my words to you].
24 I called, but you ·refused to listen [rejected me];
I held out my hand, but you paid no attention.
25 You ·did not follow [ignored] my advice
and did not ·listen when I corrected [want me to correct] you.
26 So I will laugh ·when you are in trouble [L at your calamity].
I will ·make fun [ridicule you] when disaster strikes you,
27 when ·disaster [dread] comes over you like a ·storm [tempest],
when trouble strikes you like a whirlwind,
when ·pain [distress] and ·trouble [oppression] overwhelm you.
28 “Then you will call to me,
but I will not answer.
You will ·look for [seek] me,
but you will not find me.
29 It is because you ·rejected [hated] knowledge
and did not choose to ·respect [fear; hold in awe] the Lord.
30 You did not ·accept [want] my advice,
and you rejected my correction.
31 So you will ·get what you deserve [L eat from the fruit of your path];
you will ·get what you planned for others [or be satisfied with your own counsel].
32 ·Fools [The simple/immature] will die because they ·refuse to listen [L turn away];
·they [L fools] will be destroyed because ·they do not care [of complacency].
33 But those who ·listen to [obey] me will live in safety
·and be at peace, without fear of injury [untroubled by the dread of harm].”
Rewards of Wisdom
2 My ·child [or son], ·listen to [grasp] what I say
and ·remember [L store up] what I command you.
2 ·Listen carefully [L Bend your ear] to wisdom;
·set your mind on [L stretch your heart to] understanding.
3 Cry out for wisdom,
and ·beg [shout out loud] for understanding.
4 ·Search [Seek] for it like silver,
and ·hunt [search] for it like hidden treasure.
5 Then you will understand ·respect [fear; awe; 1:7] for the Lord,
and you will find ·that you know God [the knowledge of God].
6 Only the Lord gives wisdom;
·he gives [L from his mouth comes] knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up ·wisdom [resourcefulness] for those who ·are honest [have integrity].
Like a shield he protects the innocent.
8 He ·makes sure that justice is done [L guards the path of justice],
and he protects those who are loyal to him.
9 Then you will understand what is ·honest [righteous] and ·fair [just]
and what is ·the good and right thing to do [L virtuous, every good course/path].
10 Wisdom will ·come into your mind [penetrate your heart],
and knowledge will be ·pleasing [attractive] to you.
11 ·Good sense [Discretion] will protect you;
understanding will guard you.
12 It will keep you from the ·wicked [L evil path],
from those whose words are ·bad [perverted; twisted],
13 who ·don’t do what is right [L abandoned the road of integrity]
but ·what is evil [L go on dark paths].
14 They enjoy doing wrong
and are happy ·to do what is crooked and [L with their twisted] evil.
15 What they do is ·wrong [confused],
and ·their ways are dishonest [L they go on wrong courses].
16 It [C Wisdom] will save you from the ·unfaithful wife [L strange woman]
·who tries to lead you into adultery [L from the foreign woman] with ·pleasing words [flattery; compliments].
17 She leaves ·the husband she married when she was young [L the intimate relationship of her youth].
She ·ignores [forgets] ·the promise she made before [L her covenant with] God.
18 Her house ·is on the way [L sinks down] to death;
·those who took that path are now all dead [or her paths come down to her dead ancestors].
19 No one who goes to her comes back
or walks the path of life again.
20 ·But wisdom will help you be good [or Stay on the path of good people]
and ·do what is right [guard the road of the righteous].
21 Those who ·are honest [have integrity/virtue] will live in the land,
and those who are ·innocent [blameless] will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be ·removed [L cut off] from the land,
and the unfaithful will be ·thrown out of [L uprooted from] it.
The Gift for Other Believers
16 Now ·I will write about [or concerning your question about; L concerning; 7:1; 8:1; 12:1] the collection of money for ·God’s people [T the saints; 2 Cor. 8—9; Rom. 15:25–28]. Do the same thing I told the Galatian churches to do [C Galatia was a Roman province in present-day central Turkey where Paul started churches on his first missionary journey (Acts 13—14)]: 2 On the first day of every week [C Sunday], each one of you should put aside money ·as you have been blessed [or what you can afford; L whatever one prospers]. Save it up so you will not have to collect money after I come. 3 When I arrive, I will send ·with letters of introduction whomever you approve [or whomever you authorize with your letters] to take your gift to Jerusalem. 4 And if it seems ·good [appropriate; advisable; or worthwhile] for me to go also, they will go along with me.
Paul’s Plans
5 I will come to you after I go through Macedonia—for I am planning to go through Macedonia [C the northern part of present-day Greece; Acts 19:21; 20:1, 2; 2 Cor. 1:15–16]. 6 Perhaps I will stay with you for a time or even all winter. Then you can help me on my trip, wherever I go. 7 [L For] I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to stay a longer time with you if the Lord allows it. 8 But I will stay at Ephesus [C a prominent city in the Roman province of Asia, present-day western Turkey; Acts 19] until Pentecost [C the Jewish festival held on the fiftieth day after Passover (late spring)], 9 because a ·good opportunity for a great and growing work has been given [L great and effective door (of opportunity) has opened up] to me now. And there are many ·people working against me [opponents; adversaries].
10 If Timothy comes to you, see to it that ·he has nothing to fear with you [or you put him at ease; you don’t intimidate him], because he is working for the Lord just as I am. 11 So none of you should treat Timothy ·as unimportant [or with contempt], but ·help [send] him on his trip in peace so that he can come back to me. I am expecting him to come with the ·brothers [other believers].
12 Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly encouraged him to visit you with the other brothers. He did not at all want to come now; he will come when he has the opportunity.
Paul Ends His Letter
13 Be ·alert [watchful; on your guard]. ·Continue strong [Stand firm] in the faith. ·Have courage [or Act like men (ready for battle)], and be strong. 14 Do everything in love.
15 You know that the ·family [household] of Stephanas were the ·first believers in [L firstfruits of] Achaia [C southern Greece] and that they have given themselves to the service of ·God’s people [T the saints]. I ask you, brothers and sisters, 16 to ·follow the leading of [or submit to the authority of] people like these and anyone else who ·works and serves with them [or works hard in our common task].
17 I ·am happy [rejoice] that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come. ·You are not here, but they have filled your place [or They have supplied the help you could not]. 18 [L For] They have refreshed my spirit and yours. You should ·recognize the value of [or give recognition to] people like these.
19 The churches in Asia [C the Roman province, in present-day Turkey] send greetings to you. Aquila and Priscilla [Acts 18:2–3, 18, 26] greet you in the Lord, as does the church that meets in their house. 20 All the brothers and sisters here send greetings. Greet each other with a holy kiss.
21 I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand [C the rest of the letter was evidently dictated to a scribe, called an amanuensis; see Rom. 16:22].
22 If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be ·separated from God—lost forever [L anathema]!
·Come, O Lord [L Maranatha; C Aramaic phrase meaning either “Our Lord, Come!” or “Our Lord has come”]!
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.[a]
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