The Enticement of Sinners

Proverbs 1

⁸ My child, ₁ listen when your father corrects you.
Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
⁹ What you learn from them will crown you with grace
and be a chain of honor around your neck.
¹⁰ My child, if sinners entice you,
turn your back on them!
¹¹ They may say, “Come and join us.
Let’s hide and kill someone!
Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!
¹² Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave ₂ ;
let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.
¹³ Think of the great things we’ll get!
We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.
¹⁴ Come, throw in your lot with us;
we’ll all share the loot.”
¹⁵ My child, don’t go along with them!
Stay far away from their paths.
¹⁶ They rush to commit evil deeds.
They hurry to commit murder.
¹⁷ If a bird sees a trap being set,
it knows to stay away.
¹⁸ But these people set an ambush for themselves;
they are trying to get themselves killed.
¹⁹ Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money;
it robs them of life.