KJV ORIGINAL
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
A wise person sees trouble coming and takes shelter, but foolish people keep going and get hurt.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse is teaching that wise people prepare for problems they see coming, while foolish people ignore warning signs and suffer the consequences.
📚 Historical Context
This proverb comes from Solomon's collection of wisdom sayings, written around 950 BC for teaching practical life skills. In ancient Israel, being 'prudent' meant having the wisdom to observe patterns and make smart decisions based on what you could foresee. The contrast between the 'prudent' and the 'simple' was a common teaching method to help people understand the difference between wise and foolish living.
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