The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, who Reigned in Israel; to Know Wisdom and Instruction, and to Perceive Words of Understanding; to Receive also Hard Sayings, and to Understand True Justice, and how to Direct Judgment, that he might Give Subtlety to the simple, and to the young man Discernment and Understanding. For by the Hearing of these, a Wise man will will be Wiser, and the man of Understanding will Gain Direction; and will Understand a Parable, and a dark speech; the Sayings of the Wise also, and riddles.
The Fear of the L-rd is the Beginning of Wisdom; and [there is] Good Understanding to all that Practice It: and Piety toward G-d is the Beginning of Discernment; but the ungodly will set at nought Wisdom and Instruction. Hear [my] son, the Instruction of thy father, and reject not the Rules of thy mother. For thou shalt Receive for thine head a Crown of Graces, and a chain of gold round thy neck.
[My] son, let not ungodly men lead thee astray, neither consent thou [to them]. If they should exhort thee, saying, 'Come with us, partake in blood, and let us unjustly hide the Just Man in the earth: and let us swallow Him alive, as Hades [would], and remove the Memorial of Him from the earth; let us seize on his valuable property, and let us fill our houses with spoils: but do thou cast thy Lot in with us, and let us all provide a common purse, and let us have one pouch': Go not in the way with them, but turn aside thy foot from their paths: for nets are not without cause spread for birds. For they that are concerned in murder store up evils for themselves; and the overthrow of transgressors is evil. These are the ways of all that perform lawless deeds; for by ungodliness they destroy their own life.
Wisdom sings aloud in passages, and in the broad places Speaks Boldly. And she makes Proclamation on the Top of the Walls, and sits by the Gates of Princes; and at the Gates of the City Boldly Says, 'So long as the simple Cleave to Justice, they shall not be ashamed: but the foolish being lovers of haughtiness, having become ungodly have hated Knowledge and are become subject to Reproofs. Behold, I will bring Forth to you the Utterance of my Breath, and I will Instruct you in my Speech.
Since I Called, and ye did not hearken; and I Spoke at length, and ye gave no heed, but set at naught my Counsels, and disregarded my Reproofs: therefore I will also Laugh at your destruction; and I will Rejoice against [you] when ruin comes upon you: yea when dismay suddenly comes upon you, and [your] overthrow shall arrive like a tempest; and when tribulation and distress shall come upon you, or when ruin shall come upon you. For it shall be that when you call upon me, I will not hearken to you: wicked men shall seek me but shall not find [me]. For they hated Wisdom and did not choose the Word of the L-rd: neither would they Attend to my Counsels, but derided my Reproofs. Therefore shall they eat the fruits of their own way, and shall be filled with their own ungodliness. For because they wronged the simple, they shall be slain; and a Righteous Examination shall ruin the ungodly. But he that hearkens unto me shall Dwell in Confidence, and shall Rest Securely from all evil.
[My] son, if thou wilt Receive the Utterance of my Commandment, and Hide It with thee; thine ear shall Hearken to Wisdom; thou shalt also Apply thine heart to Understanding, and shalt Apply it to the Instruction of thy son.
For if thou shalt Call to Wisdom, and utter thy voice for Understanding; and if thou shalt Seek It as Silver, and Search Diligently for It as Treasures; then thou shalt Understand the Fear of the L-rd, and Find the Knowledge of G-d.
For the L-rd Gives Wisdom; and from His Presence [come] Knowledge and Understanding, and He Treasures Up Salvation for them that Walk Uprightly; He Will Protect their Way; that He May Guard the Righteous Ways; and He Will Preserve the Way of them that Fear Him. Then shalt thou Understand Righteousness, and Judgment; and shall Direct thy Course Aright.
For if Wisdom shall come into thine Understanding. and Discernment shall seem Pleasant to thy soul, Good Counsel shall Guard thee, and Holy Understanding shall Keep thee; to Deliver thee from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing Faithfully.
Alas [for those] who forsake Right Paths, to walk in the ways of darkness; who rejoice in evils, and delight in wicked perverseness; whose paths are crooked, and their course winding; to remove thee far from the Straight Way, and to estrange thee from a Righteous Purpose. [My] son, let not evil counsel overtake thee, [of her] who has forsaken the Instruction of her youth, and forgotten the Covenant of G-d. For she has fixed her house near death, and [guided] her wheels near Hades with the giants. None that go by her shall return, neither shall they take hold of Right Paths, for they have not Apprehended of the Years of Life. For had they gone in Good Paths, they would have Found the Paths of Righteousness easy. For the Upright shall Dwell in the earth, and the Holy shall be left behind in it. The paths of the ungodly shall perish out of the earth, and transgressors shall be driven away from it.
[My] son, forget not my Laws; but let thine heart keep my Words: for Length of Existence, and Years of Life, and Peace shall they add to thee. Let not Mercy and Truth forsake thee: but Bind them about thy neck: so shalt thou Find Favor: and do thou provide things Honest in the Sight of the L-rd, and all men.
Trust in G-d with all thine heart; and be not exalted in thine own wisdom. In all thy Ways Aquaint thyself with her, that she may Rightly Direct thy Paths. Be not wise in thine own conceit; but Fear G-d, and depart from all evil. Then shall there be Health to thy body, and Good Keeping to thy bones.
Honour the L-rd with thy just labors, and give Him the first of thy fruits of Righteousness: that thy storehouses may be completely filled with corn, and that thy presses may burst forth with wine.
[My] son, despise not the Chastening of the L-rd; nor faint when thou art Rebuked of Him: for whom the L-rd Loves, He Rebukes, and Scourges every son whom He Receives.
Blessed is the man who has Found Wisdom, and the mortal who Knows Prudence. For it is better to Traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver. And she is more Valuable than precious stones: no evil thing shall resist her: she is Well Known to all that approach her, and no precious thing is equal to her Value. For Length of Existence and Years of Life are in her Right Hand; and in her Left Hand are Wealth and Glory: out of her Mouth Proceeds Righteousness, and she Carries Law and Mercy upon her Tongue. Her Ways are Good Ways, and all her Paths are Peaceful. She is a Tree of Life to all that lay Hold upon her; and she is Secure to all that Stay themselves on her, as on the L-rd.
G-d by Wisdom Founded the earth, by Prudence He Prepared the Heavens. By Understanding were the depths broken up, and the clouds dropped water.
[My] son, let [them] not pass from [thee], but Keep my Counsel and Understanding: that thy soul may Live, and that there may be Grace around thy neck; and it shall be Health to thy flesh, and Safety to thy bones: that thou mayest go Confidently in Peace in all thine Ways, and that thy foot may not stumble. For if thou rest thou shalt be Undismayed; and if thou sleep, thou shalt slumber sweetly. And thou shalt not be afraid of alarm coming upon thee, neither approaching attacks of ungodly men. For the L-rd shall be Over all thy Ways, and shall Establish thy foot that thou be not moved.
Forbear not to do Good to the poor, whensoever thy hand may have to help. Say not, come back another time, tomorrow I will give; while thou art Able to do Good: for thou knowest not what the next day will bring forth. Devise not evil against thy friend, living near thee and trusting in thee.
Be not ready to quarrel with a man without a cause, lest he do thee some harm.
Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do thou covet their ways. For every transgressor is unclean before the L-rd; neither does he Sit among the Righteous. The curse of G-d is in the houses of the ungodly; but the habitations of the Just are Blessed. The L-rd resists the proud; but He Gives Grace to the Humble. The Wise shall Inherit Glory; but the ungodly have exalted [their own] dishonor.
Hear ye children, the Instruction of a father, and attend to know Understanding. For I Give you a Good Gift; forsake ye not My Law. For I also was a Son obedient to My Father, and loved in the sight of mother: who spoke and instructed me [saying], 'Let our speech be fixed in thine heart, keep [our] Commandments, forget Them not: and do not neglect the speech of my mouth. And forsake it not, and It shall Cleave to thee: Love It, and it shall Keep thee. Secure it, and It shall Exalt thee: Honor It that It may Embrace thee; that It may Give unto thy head a Crown of Graces, and may Cover thee with a Crown of Delight.
Hear my son, and Receive my Words; and the Years of thy Life shall be Increased, that the Resources of thy Life may be Many. For I Teach thee the Ways of Wisdom; and I Cause thee to Go in Right Paths. For when thou Goest, thy Steps shall not be straightened; and when thou Runnest, thou shalt not be distressed. Take Hold of my Instruction; let It not go, - but Keep It to thyself for Life.
Go not in the way of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors. In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not thither; but turn from them, and pass away. For they cannot sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they Rest not. For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression. But the Ways of the Righteous Shine like Light; they Go On and Shine, until the Day be Fully Come. But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they Know not how they stumble.
[My] son, Attend unto my speech: and Apply thine ear to my Words: that thy fountains may not fail thee; Keep Them in thine heart. For They are Life to those that Find Them, and Health to all flesh. Keep thine heart with the Utmost Care; for out of These are the Issues of Life. Remove from thee a froward mouth, and put far away from thee unjust lips. Let thine eyes Look Right On, and Let thine eyelids Assent [to] Just [Things]. Make Straight Paths for thy feet, and Order thy Ways Aright. Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away thy foot from an evil way: [NOTE: (The Hebrew Masoretic Text omits the following):For G-d Knows the Ways on the Right Hand, but those on the left are crooked: (see Matthew 25:33, John 3:35)] and He Will Make thy Ways Straight, and Will Guide thy Steps in Peace.
Talmudic Ruling on Greek as Holy Scripture
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PEOPLE OF G-D, MESSIANIC
FOOTNOTES
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