Proverbs 1

The Beginning of Knowledge

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:2 To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding,3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity;4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Shun Evil Counsel

8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother;9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains 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 to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil;14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path;16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.17 Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird;18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives.19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.

The Call of Wisdom

20 Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.21 She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words:22 How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge.23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke,26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes,27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction 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 have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them;33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear 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.