PROVERBS

THE PURPOSE OF PROVERBS

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

2 For learning wisdom and discipline;

for understanding insightful sayings;

3 for receiving prudent instruction

in righteousness, justice, and integrity;b

4 for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced,A,c

knowledge and discretiond to a young man—

5 let a wise person listen and increase learning,e

and let a discerning person obtain guidance—

6 for understanding a proverb or a parable,B

the words of the wise, and their riddles.f

7 The fear of the Lord

is the beginning of knowledge;g

fools despise wisdom and discipline.h

AVOID THE PATH OF THE VIOLENT

8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,

and don’t reject your mother’s teaching,i

9 for they will be a garlandj of favor on your head

and pendantsC around your neck.k

10 My son, if sinners entice you,l

don’t be persuaded.m

11 If they say—“Come with us!

Let’s set an ambushn and kill someone.D

Let’s attack some innocent persono just for fun!E

12 Let’s swallow them alive,p like Sheol,

whole, like those who go down to the Pit.q

13 We’ll find all kinds of valuable property

and fill our houses with plunder.r

14 Throw in your lot with us,

and we’ll all share the loot”F—

15 my son, don’t travel that road with thems

or set foot on their path,t

16 because their feet run toward evil

and they hurry to shed blood.u

17 It is useless to spread a net

where any bird can see it,

18 but they set an ambush to kill themselves;G

they attack their own lives.

19 Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly;v

it takes the lives of those who receive it.H

WISDOM’S PLEA

20 Wisdom calls out in the street;

she makes her voice heard in the public squares.w

21 She cries out aboveI the commotion;

she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:

22 “How long, inexperienced ones, will you love ignorance?

How long will you mockersx enjoy mocking

and you fools hate knowledge?y

23 If you respond to my warning,J,z

then I will pour out my spirit on youaa

and teach you my words.

24 Since I called out and you refused,ab

extended my hand and no one paid attention,ac

25 since you neglected all my counselad

and did not accept my correction,

26 I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity.ae

I will mock when terror strikes you,

27 when terror strikes you like a storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when trouble and stress overcome you.

28 Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;

they will search for me, but won’t find me.af

29 Because they hated knowledge,

didn’t choose to fear the Lord,ag

30 were not interested in my counsel,

and rejected all my correction,a

31 they will eat the fruit of their wayb

and be glutted with their own schemes.c

32 For the apostasy of the inexperienced will kill them,d

and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

33 But whoever listens to me will live securely

and be undisturbed by the dread of danger.”e

WISDOM’S WORTH

2 My son, if you accept my wordsf

and store up my commands within you,

2 listening closelyA to wisdom

and directing your heart to understanding;

3 furthermore, if you call out to insight

and lift your voice to understanding,

4 if you seek it like silver

and search for it like hidden treasure,g

5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and discover the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.h

7 He stores up successB for the upright;

He is a shield for those who live with integrityi

8 so that he may guard the paths of justice

and protect the way of his faithful followers.j

9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice,

and integrity—every good path.

10 For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will delight you.

11 Discretion will watch over you,

and understanding will guard you.k

12 It will rescue you from the way of evil—

from anyone who says perverse things,

13 from those who abandon the right paths

to walk in ways of darkness,l

14 from those who enjoy doing evilm

and celebrate perversion,

15 whose paths are crooked,n

and whose ways are devious.o

16 It will rescue you from a forbidden woman,p

from a wayward woman with her flattering talk,q

17 who abandons the companion of her youthr

and forgets the covenant of her God;

18 for her house sinks down to death

and her ways to the land of the departed spirits.s

19 None return who go to her;

none reach the paths of life.t

20 So follow the way of the good,u

and keep to the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright will inhabit the land,

and those of integrity will remain in it;v

22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,w

and the treacherous ripped out of it.x

TRUST THE LORD

3 My son, don’t forget my teaching,

but let your heart keep my commands;y

2 for they will bring you

many days, a full life,C,z and well-being.aa

3 Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you.

Tie them around your neck;

write them on the tablet of your heart.ab

4 Then you will find favor and high regard

with God and people.ac

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,ad

and do not rely on your own understanding;ae

6 in all your ways know him,

and he will make your paths straight.af

7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes;ag

fear the Lord and turn away from evil.ah

8 This will be healing for your bodyD,ai

and strengthening for your bones.aj

9 Honor the Lord with your possessions

and with the first produce of your entire harvest;a

10 then your barns will be completely filled,

and your vats will overflow with new wine.b

11 Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son,

and do not loathe his discipline;c

12 for the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.d

WISDOM BRINGS HAPPINESS

13 Happy is a man who finds wisdome

and who acquires understanding,

14 for she is more profitable than silver,

and her revenue is better than gold.f

15 She is more precious than jewels;g

nothing you desire can equal her.h

16 Long lifeA is in her right hand;

in her left, riches and honor.i

17 Her ways are pleasant,j

and all her paths, peaceful.

18 She is a tree of lifek to those who embrace her,

and those who hold on to her are happy.

19 The Lord founded the earth by wisdoml

and established the heavens by understanding.

20 By his knowledge the watery depths broke open,m

and the clouds dripped with dew.n

21 Maintain sound wisdom and discretion.

My son, don’t lose sight of them.o

22 They will be life for youB,p

and adornmentC for your neck.

23 Then you will go safely on your way;

your foot will not stumble.q

24 When you lieD down, you will not be afraid;r

you will lie down, and your sleep will be pleasant.

25 Don’t fear sudden danger

or the ruin of the wicked when it comes,s

26 for the Lord will be your confidenceE

and will keep your foot from a snare.t

TREAT OTHERS FAIRLY

27 When it is in your power,F

don’t withhold goodu from the one to whom it belongs.

28 Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go away! Come back later.

I’ll give it tomorrow”—when it is there with you.v

29 Don’t plan any harm against your neighbor,w

for he trusts you and lives near you.

30 Don’t accuse anyone without cause,x

when he has done you no harm.

31 Don’t envy a violent many

or choose any of his ways;

32 for the devious are detestable to the Lord,

but he is a friendG to the upright.z

33 The Lord’s curse is on the household of the wicked,aa

but he blesses the home of the righteous;

34 He mocks those who mock

but gives grace to the humble.ab

35 The wise will inherit honor,

but he holds up fools to dishonor.H

A FATHER’S EXAMPLE

4 Listen, sons, to a father’s discipline,ac

and pay attention so that you may gain understanding,

2 for I am giving you good instruction.ad

Don’t abandon my teaching.

3 When I was a son with my father,

tender and precious to my mother,

4 he taught me and said,

“Your heart must hold on to my words.

Keep my commands and live.ae

5 Get wisdom, get understanding;af

don’t forget or turn away from the words from my mouth.

6 Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you;

love her,ag and she will guard you.

7 Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom.

And whatever else you get, get understanding.ah

8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;

if you embrace her, she will honor you.a

9 She will place a garland of favor on your head;

she will give you a crown of beauty.”b

TWO WAYS OF LIFE

10 Listen, my son. Accept my words,c

and you will live many years.d

11 I am teaching you the way of wisdom;

I am guiding you on straight paths.e

12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered;f

when you run, you will not stumble.g

13 Hold on to instruction; don’t let go.h

Guard it, for it is your life.

14 Keep off the path of the wicked;i

don’t proceed on the way of evil ones.

15 Avoid it; don’t travel on it.

Turn away from it, and pass it by.

16 For they can’t sleep

unless they have done what is evil;

they are robbed of sleep

unless they make someone stumble.j

17 They eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,k

shining brighter and brighter until midday.

19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;l

they don’t know what makes them stumble.m

THE STRAIGHT PATH

20 My son, pay attention to my words;

listen closely to my sayings.n

21 Don’t lose sight of them;o

keep them within your heart.

22 For they are life to those who find them,

and health to one’s whole body.

23 Guard your heart above all else,A

for it is the source of life.p

24 Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly,q

and don’t let your lips talk deviously.

25 Let your eyes look forward;

fix your gazeB straight ahead.r

26 Carefully consider the pathC for your feet,s

and all your ways will be established.

27 Don’t turn to the right or to the left;t

keep your feet away from evil.

AVOID SEDUCTION

5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;

listen closelyD to my understandingu

2 so that you may maintain discretion

and your lips safeguard knowledge.v

3 Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey

and her words areE smoother than oil,

4 in the end she’s as bitter as wormwoodw

and as sharp as