Proverbs 1

The Beginning of Knowledge

1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2  To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
3  to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4  to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5  Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6  to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.

7  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Enticement of Sinners

8  Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
and forsake not your mother's teaching,
9  for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
10  My son, if sinners entice you,
do not consent.
11  If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12  like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13  we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14  throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse"—
15  my son, do not walk in the way with them;
hold back your foot from their paths,
16  for their feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
17  For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
18  but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
they set an ambush for their own lives.
19  Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
it takes away the life of its possessors.

The Call of Wisdom

20  Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21  at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22  "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
23  If you turn at my reproof,t
behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24  Because I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25  because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
26  I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,
27  when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28  Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29  Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30  would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof,
31  therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.
32  For the simple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33  but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of disaster."

Proverbs 1

Introduction to the Book

1 The Proverbst oft Solomons son of David,t king of Israel:t

2 Tot learnt wisdoms and moral instruction,t
and to discernt wise counsel.t

3 To receivet moral instructiont in skillful living,st
int righteousness,s justice,ts and equity.s

4 To impartt shrewdnesst to the morally naive,t
andt a discerningt plant to the young person.t

5 (Let the wise alsots heart and gaint instruction,
and let the discerningt acquiret guidance!t)

6 To discernt the meaning oft a proverb and a parable,t
the sayings of the wiset and theirt riddles.t

Introduction to the Theme of the Book

7 Fearing the Lordt is the beginningt of moral knowledge,t
butt foolst despiset wisdom and instruction.s

8 Listen,t my child,t to the instructiont fromt your father,
and do not forsake the teachingt fromt your mother.

9 For they will be liket an elegantt garlandt ont your head,
and liket pendantst aroundt your neck.

Admonition to Avoid Easy but Unjust Riches

10 My child, if sinnerst try to enticet you,
do not consent!s

11 If they say, “Come with us!
We willt lie in waitt to shed blood;t
we will ambusht an innocent persont capriciously.t

12 We will swallow them alivet like Sheol,t
those full of vigort like those going down to the Pit.

13 We will seizet all kindst of precious wealth;
we will fill our houses with plunder.t

14 Join with us!t
We will all sharet equally in what we steal.”t

15 My child, do not go downt their way,t
withhold yourselft from their path;s

16 for theyt are eagert to inflict harm,t
and they hastent to shed blood.s

17 Surely it is futile to spreadt a net
in plain sight ofts any bird,t

18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood,s
they ambush their own lives!t

19 Sucht are the wayss of all who gain profit unjustly;ts
itt takes away the lifet of those who obtain it!t

Warning Against Disregarding Wisdom

20 Wisdomt calls outs in the street,
she shouts loudlyt in the plazas;s

21 at the head of the noisys streets she calls,
in the entrances of the gates in the citys she utters her words:t

22 “How long will you simpletonst love naiveté?t
How longt will mockerss delightt in mockeryt
and foolss hate knowledge?

23 If onlyt you will respondt to my rebuke,s
thent I will pourt out my thoughtst to you
andt I will maket my words known to you.

24 However,t becauset I called but you refused to listen,t
becauset I stretched out my hands but no one paid attention,

25 becauset you neglectedt all my advice,
and did not complyt with my rebuke,

26 sot I myself will laughs when disaster strikes you,t
I will mock when what you dreadt comes,

27 when what you dreadt comes like a whirlwind,s
and disaster strikes yout like a devastating storm,t
when distressing troublet comes on you.

28 Then they will call to me, but I will not answer;
they will diligently seekt me, but they will not find me.

29 Becauset they hated moral knowledge,t
and did not choose to fear the Lord,t

30 they did not comply with my advice,
they spurnedt all my rebuke.

31 Thereforet they will eat from the fruits of their way,s
and they will be stuffed fullt of their own counsel.

32 For the waywardnesst of the
simpletons will kills them,
and the careless easet of fools will destroy them.

33 But the one who listenst to me will live in security,t
and will be at easet from the dread of harm.