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Diarhebion Solomon mab Dafydd, brenin Israel; I wybod doethineb ac addysg, i ddeall geiriau synnwyr; I gymryd athrawiaeth deall, cyfiawnder, a barn, ac uniondeb; I roi callineb i’r angall, ac i’r bachgen wybodaeth a synnwyr. Y doeth a wrendy, ac a chwanega addysg; a’r deallgar a ddaw i gynghorion pwyllog: I ddeall dihareb, a’i deongl; geiriau y doethion, a’u damhegion.

Ofn yr Arglwydd yw dechreuad gwybodaeth: ond ffyliaid a ddiystyrant ddoethineb ac addysg. Fy mab, gwrando addysg dy dad, ac nac ymado â chyfraith dy fam: Canys cynnydd gras a fyddant hwy i’th ben, a chadwyni am dy wddf di.

10 Fy mab, os pechaduriaid a’th ddenant, na chytuna. 11 Os dywedant, Tyred gyda ni, cynllwynwn am waed, ymguddiwn yn erbyn y gwirion yn ddiachos: 12 Llyncwn hwy yn fyw, fel y bedd; ac yn gyfan, fel rhai yn disgyn i’r pydew: 13 Nyni a gawn bob cyfoeth gwerthfawr, nyni a lanwn ein tai ag ysbail: 14 Bwrw dy goelbren yn ein mysg; bydded un pwrs i ni i gyd: 15 Fy mab, na rodia yn y ffordd gyda hwynt; atal dy droed rhag eu llwybr hwy. 16 Canys eu traed a redant i ddrygioni, ac a brysurant i dywallt gwaed. 17 Diau gwaith ofer yw taenu rhwyd yng ngolwg pob perchen adain. 18 Ac y maent hwy yn cynllwyn am eu gwaed eu hun: am eu heinioes eu hun y maent yn llechu. 19 Felly y mae llwybrau y rhai oll sydd chwannog i elw; yr hwn a ddwg einioes ei berchenogion.

20 Doethineb sydd yn gweiddi oddi allan; y mae hi yn adrodd ei lleferydd yn yr heolydd: 21 Y mae hi yn llefain ym mhrifleoedd y dyrfa, yn nrysau y pyrth; yn y ddinas y mae hi yn traethu ei hymadroddion, gan ddywedyd, 22 Pa hyd, chwi ynfydion, y cerwch ynfydrwydd? a chwi watwarwyr, y bydd hoff gennych watwar? ac y casâ ffyliaid wybodaeth? 23 Dychwelwch wrth fy ngherydd: wele, mi a dywalltaf fy ysbryd i chwi, fy ngeiriau a hysbysaf i chwi.

24 Yn gymaint ag i mi eich gwahodd, ac i chwithau wrthod; i mi estyn fy llaw, a neb heb ystyried; 25 Ond diystyrasoch fy holl gyngor i, ac ni fynnech ddim o’m cerydd: 26 Minnau hefyd a chwarddaf yn eich dialedd chwi; mi a wawdiaf pan syrthio arnoch yr hyn yr ydych yn ei ofni; 27 Pan ddêl arnoch yr hyn yr ydych yn ei ofni megis distryw, ac y dêl eich dialedd arnoch megis corwynt; a dyfod arnoch wasgfa a chaledi: 28 Yna y galwant arnaf, ond ni wrandawaf; yn fore y’m ceisiant, ond ni’m cânt: 29 Canys cas fu ganddynt wybodaeth, ac ofn yr Arglwydd ni ddewisasant: 30 Ni chymerent ddim o’m cyngor i; dirmygasant fy holl gerydd. 31 Am hynny hwy a gânt fwyta ffrwyth eu ffordd eu hunain, a’u llenwi â’u cynghorion eu hunain. 32 Canys esmwythdra y rhai angall a’u lladd; a llwyddiant y rhai ffôl a’u difetha. 33 Er hynny y sawl a wrandawo arnaf fi, a gaiff aros yn ddiogel, ac a gaiff lonyddwch oddi wrth ofn drwg.

Purpose and Theme

The proverbs(A) of Solomon(B) son of David, king of Israel:(C)

for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a](D)
    knowledge and discretion(E) to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning,(F)
    and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,(G)
    the sayings and riddles(H) of the wise.[b](I)

The fear of the Lord(J) is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools[c] despise wisdom(K) and instruction.(L)

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

Listen, my son,(M) to your father’s(N) instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(O)
They are a garland to grace your head
    and a chain to adorn your neck.(P)

10 My son, if sinful men entice(Q) you,
    do not give in(R) to them.(S)
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
    let’s lie in wait(T) for innocent blood,
    let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow(U) them alive, like the grave,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;(V)
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
    and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
    we will all share the loot(W)”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
    do not set foot(X) on their paths;(Y)
16 for their feet rush into evil,(Z)
    they are swift to shed blood.(AA)
17 How useless to spread a net
    where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait(AB) for their own blood;
    they ambush only themselves!(AC)
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
    it takes away the life of those who get it.(AD)

Wisdom’s Rebuke

20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,(AE)
    she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[d] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

22 “How long will you who are simple(AF) love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate(AG) knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse(AH) to listen when I call(AI)
    and no one pays attention(AJ) when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh(AK) when disaster(AL) strikes you;
    I will mock(AM) when calamity overtakes you(AN)
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster(AO) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;(AP)
    they will look for me but will not find me,(AQ)
29 since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.(AR)
30 Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,(AS)
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.(AT)
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;(AU)
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety(AV)
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”(AW)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:4 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
  2. Proverbs 1:6 Or understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles
  3. Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
  4. Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners