Proverbs 1
The Importance of Proverbs
1 These are the wise words of Solomon son of David, king of Israel.
2 They teach wisdom and self-control; they will help you understand wise words.
3 They will teach you how to be wise and self-controlled and will teach you to do what is honest and fair and right.
4 They make the uneducated wise and give knowledge and sense to the young.
5 Wise people can also listen and learn; even they can find good advice in these words.
6 Then anyone can understand wise words and stories, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 Knowledge begins with respect for the Lord, but fools hate wisdom and discipline.
Warnings Against Evil
8 My child, listen to your father’s teaching and do not forget your mother’s advice.
9 Their teaching will be like flowers in your hair or a necklace around your neck.
10 My child, if sinners try to lead you into sin, do not follow them.
11 They will say, “Come with us. Let’s ambush and kill someone; let’s attack some innocent people just for fun.
12 Let’s swallow them alive, as death does; let’s swallow them whole, as the grave does.
13 We will take all kinds of valuable things and fill our houses with stolen goods.
14 Come join us, and we will share with you stolen goods.”
15 My child, do not go along with them; do not do what they do.
16 They are eager to do evil and are quick to kill.
17 It is useless to spread out a net right where the birds can see it.
18 But sinners will fall into their own traps; they will only catch themselves!
19 All greedy people end up this way; greed kills selfish people.
Wisdom Speaks
20 Wisdom is like a woman shouting in the street; she raises her voice in the city squares.
21 She cries out in the noisy street and shouts at the city gates:
22 “You fools, how long will you be foolish? How long will you make fun of wisdom and hate knowledge?
23 If only you had listened when I corrected you, I would have told you what’s in my heart; I would have told you what I am thinking.
24 I called, but you refused to listen; I held out my hand, but you paid no attention.
25 You did not follow my advice and did not listen when I corrected you.
26 So I will laugh when you are in trouble. I will make fun when disaster strikes you,
27 when disaster comes over you like a storm, when trouble strikes you like a whirlwind, when pain and trouble overwhelm you.
28 “Then you will call to me, but I will not answer.
You will look for me, but you will not find me.
29 It is because you rejected knowledge and did not choose to respect the Lord.
30 You did not accept my advice, and you rejected my correction.
31 So you will get what you deserve; you will get what you planned for others.
32 Fools will die because they refuse to listen; they will be destroyed because they do not care.
33 But those who listen to me will live in safety and be at peace, without fear of injury.”
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.