Proverbs 1

The Usefulness of Proverbs

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

2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of understanding,

3 To receive instruction in wise behavior,
Righteousness, justice and equity;

4 To give prudence to the naive,
To the youth knowledge and discretion,

5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning,
And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

6 To understand a proverb and a figure,
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 do not forsake your mother's teaching;

9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head
And ornaments about 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 cause;

12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, as those who go down to the pit;

13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with spoil;

14 Throw in your lot with us,
We shall all have one purse,"

15 My son, do not walk in the way with them.
Keep your feet from their path,

16 For their feet run to evil
And they hasten to shed blood.

17 Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any bird;

18 But they lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own lives.

19 So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence;
It takes away the life of its possessors.

Wisdom Warns

20 Wisdom shouts in the street,
She lifts her voice in the square;

21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:

22 "How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded?
And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools hate knowledge?

23 "Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.

24 "Because I called and you refused,
I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;

25 And you neglected all my counsel
And did not want my reproof;

26 I will also laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your dread comes,

27 When your dread comes like a storm
And your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.

28 "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently but they will not find me,

29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the LORD.

30 "They would not accept my counsel,
They spurned all my reproof.

31 "So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way
And be satiated with their own devices.

32 "For the waywardness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.

33 "But he who listens to me shall live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil."

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.