Proverbs 1:1–9:18

THE PURPOSE OF PROVERBS

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

²For learning wisdom and discipline;

for understanding insightful sayings;

³for receiving prudent instruction

in righteousness, justice, and integrity;^b

⁴for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced,^Ac

knowledge and discretion^d to a young man—

⁵let a wise person listen and increase learning,^e

and let a discerning person obtain guidance—

⁶for understanding a proverb or a parable,^B

the words of the wise, and their riddles.^f

⁷The fear of the Lord

is the beginning of knowledge;^g

fools despise wisdom and discipline.^h

AVOID THE PATH OF THE VIOLENT

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

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

⁹for they will be a garland^j of favor on your head

and pendants^C around your neck.^k

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you,^l

don’t be persuaded.^m

¹¹If they say—“Come with us!

Let’s set an ambushⁿ and kill someone.^D

Let’s attack some innocent person^o just for fun!^E

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

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

¹³We’ll find all kinds of valuable property

and fill our houses with plunder.^r

¹⁴Throw in your lot with us,

and we’ll all share the loot”^F—

¹⁵my son, don’t travel that road with them^s

or set foot on their path,^t

¹⁶because their feet run toward evil

and they hurry to shed blood.^u

¹⁷It is useless to spread a net

where any bird can see it,

¹⁸but they set an ambush to kill themselves;^G

they attack their own lives.

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

it takes the lives of those who receive it.^H

WISDOM’S PLEA

²⁰Wisdom calls out in the street;

she makes her voice heard in the public squares.^w

²¹She cries out above^A the commotion;

she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:

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

How long will you mockers^x enjoy mocking

and you fools hate knowledge?^y

²³If you respond to my warning,^Bz

then I will pour out my spirit on you^aa

and teach you my words.

²⁴Since I called out and you refused,^ab

extended my hand and no one paid attention,^ac

²⁵since you neglected all my counsel^ad

and did not accept my correction,

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

I will mock when terror strikes you,

²⁷when terror strikes you like a storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when trouble and stress overcome you.

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

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

²⁹Because they hated knowledge,

didn’t choose to fear the Lord,^ag

³⁰were not interested in my counsel,

and rejected all my correction,^a

³¹they will eat the fruit of their way^b

and be glutted with their own schemes.^c

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

and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

³³But whoever listens to me will live securely

and be undisturbed by the dread of danger.”^e

WISDOM’S WORTH

2My son, if you accept my words^f

and store up my commands within you,

²listening closely^C to wisdom

and directing your heart to understanding;

³furthermore, if you call out to insight

and lift your voice to understanding,

⁴if you seek it like silver

and search for it like hidden treasure,^g

⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and discover the knowledge of God.

⁶For the Lord gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.^h

⁷He stores up success^D for the upright;

He is a shield for those who live with integrityⁱ

⁸so that he may guard the paths of justice

and protect the way of his faithful followers.^j

⁹Then you will understand righteousness, justice,

and integrity—every good path.

¹⁰For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will delight you.

¹¹Discretion will watch over you,

and understanding will guard you.^k

¹²It will rescue you from the way of evil—

from anyone who says perverse things,

¹³from those who abandon the right paths

to walk in ways of darkness,^l

¹⁴from those who enjoy doing evil^m

and celebrate perversion,

¹⁵whose paths are crooked,ⁿ

and whose ways are devious.^o

¹⁶It will rescue you from a forbidden woman,^p

from a wayward woman with her flattering talk,^q

¹⁷who abandons the companion of her youth^r

and forgets the covenant of her God;

¹⁸for her house sinks down to death

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

¹⁹None return who go to her;

none reach the paths of life.^t

²⁰So follow the way of the good,^u

and keep to the paths of the righteous.

²¹For the upright will inhabit the land,

and those of integrity will remain in it;^v

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

and the treacherous ripped out of it.^x

TRUST THE LORD

3My son, don’t forget my teaching,

but let your heart keep my commands;^y

²for they will bring you

many days, a full life,^Az and well-being.^aa

³Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you.

Tie them around your neck;

write them on the tablet of your heart.^ab

⁴Then you will find favor and high regard

with God and people.^ac

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart,^ad

and do not rely on your own understanding;^ae

⁶in all your ways know him,

and he will make your paths straight.^af

⁷Don’t be wise in your own eyes;^ag

fear the Lord and turn away from evil.^ah

⁸This will be healing for your body^Bai

and strengthening for your bones.^aj

⁹Honor the Lord with your possessions

and with the first produce of your entire harvest;^a

¹⁰then your barns will be completely filled,

and your vats will overflow with new wine.^b

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

and do not loathe his discipline;^c

¹²for the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

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

WISDOM BRINGS HAPPINESS

¹³Happy is a man who finds wisdom^e

and who acquires understanding,

¹⁴for she is more profitable than silver,

and her revenue is better than gold.^f

¹⁵She is more precious than jewels;^g

nothing you desire can equal her.^h

¹⁶Long life^A is in her right hand;

in her left, riches and honor.ⁱ

¹⁷Her ways are pleasant,^j

and all her paths, peaceful.

¹⁸She is a tree of life^k to those who embrace her,

and those who hold on to her are happy.

¹⁹The Lord founded the earth by wisdom^l

and established the heavens by understanding.

²⁰By his knowledge the watery depths broke open,^m

and the clouds dripped with dew.ⁿ

²¹Maintain sound wisdom and discretion.

My son, don’t lose sight of them.^o

²²They will be life for you^Bp

and adornment^C for your neck.

²³Then you will go safely on your way;

your foot will not stumble.^q

²⁴When you lie^D down, you will not be afraid;^r

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

²⁵Don’t fear sudden danger

or the ruin of the wicked when it comes,^s

²⁶for the Lord will be your confidence^E

and will keep your foot from a snare.^t

TREAT OTHERS FAIRLY

²⁷When it is in your power,^F

don’t withhold good^u from the one to whom it belongs.

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

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

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

for he trusts you and lives near you.

³⁰Don’t accuse anyone without cause,^x

when he has done you no harm.

³¹Don’t envy a violent man^y

or choose any of his ways;

³²for the devious are detestable to the Lord,

but he is a friend^A to the upright.^z

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

but he blesses the home of the righteous;

³⁴He mocks those who mock

but gives grace to the humble.^ab

³⁵The wise will inherit honor,

but he holds up fools to dishonor.^B

A FATHER’S EXAMPLE

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

and pay attention so that you may gain understanding,

²for I am giving you good instruction.^ad

Don’t abandon my teaching.

³When I was a son with my father,

tender and precious to my mother,

⁴he taught me and said,

“Your heart must hold on to my words.

Keep my commands and live.^ae

⁵Get wisdom, get understanding;^af

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

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

love her,^ag and she will guard you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom.

And whatever else you get, get understanding.^ah

⁸Cherish her, and she will exalt you;

if you embrace her, she will honor you.^a

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

she will give you a crown of beauty.”^b

TWO WAYS OF LIFE

¹⁰Listen, my son. Accept my words,^c

and you will live many years.^d

¹¹I am teaching you the way of wisdom;

I am guiding you on straight paths.^e

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

when you run, you will not stumble.^g

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

Guard it, for it is your life.

¹⁴Keep off the path of the wicked;ⁱ

don’t proceed on the way of evil ones.

¹⁵Avoid it; don’t travel on it.

Turn away from it, and pass it by.

¹⁶For they can’t sleep

unless they have done what is evil;

they are robbed of sleep

unless they make someone stumble.^j

¹⁷They eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

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

shining brighter and brighter until midday.

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

they don’t know what makes them stumble.^m

THE STRAIGHT PATH

²⁰My son, pay attention to my words;

listen closely to my sayings.ⁿ

²¹Don’t lose sight of them;^o

keep them within your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them,

and health to one’s whole body.

²³Guard your heart above all else,^A

for it is the source of life.^p

²⁴Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly,^q

and don’t let your lips talk deviously.

²⁵Let your eyes look forward;

fix your gaze^B straight ahead.^r

²⁶Carefully consider the path^C for your feet,^s

and all your ways will be established.

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

keep your feet away from evil.

AVOID SEDUCTION

5My son, pay attention to my wisdom;

listen closely^D to my understanding^u

²so that you may maintain discretion

and your lips safeguard knowledge.^v

³Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey

and her words are^E smoother than oil,

⁴in the end she’s as bitter as wormwood^w

and as sharp as a…