Proverbs 1–9

1ST CHAPTER

The Reasons for Proverbs

¹The proverbs of Solomon, David’s son who was king of Israel, ⸤given⸥ 

²to grasp wisdom and discipline, 

to understand deep thoughts, 

³to acquire the discipline of wise behavior— 

righteousness and justice and fairness— 

⁴to give insight to gullible people, 

to give knowledge and foresight to the young— 

⁵a wise person will listen and continue to learn, 

and an understanding person will gain direction— 

⁶to understand a proverb and a clever saying, 

the words of wise people and their riddles. 

⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. 

Stubborn fools despise wisdom and discipline. 

Listen to Wisdom

⁸My son, 

listen to your father’s discipline, 

and do not neglect your mother’s teachings, 

⁹because discipline and teachings 

are a graceful garland on your head 

and a ⸤golden⸥ chain around your neck. 

¹⁰My son, 

if sinners lure you, do not go along. 

¹¹If they say, 

“Come with us. 

Let’s set an ambush to kill someone. 

Let’s hide to ambush innocent people for fun. 

¹²We’ll swallow them alive like the grave, 

like those in good health who go into the pit. 

¹³We’ll find all kinds of valuable possessions. 

We’ll fill our homes with stolen goods. 

¹⁴Join us. 

We’ll split the loot equally.” 

¹⁵My son, 

do not follow them in their way. 

Do not even set foot on their path, 

¹⁶because they rush to do evil 

and hurry to shed blood. 

¹⁷It does no good to spread a net 

within the sight of any bird. 

¹⁸But these people set an ambush for their own murder. 

They go into hiding only to lose their lives. 

¹⁹This is what happens to everyone 

who is greedy for unjust gain. 

Greed takes away his life. 

²⁰Wisdom sings her song in the streets. 

In the public squares she raises her voice. 

²¹At the corners of noisy streets she calls out. 

At the entrances to the city she speaks her words, 

²²“How long will you gullible people love being so gullible? 

How long will you mockers find joy in your mocking? 

How long will you fools hate knowledge? 

²³“Turn to me when I warn you. 

I will generously pour out my spirit for you. 

I will make my words known to you. 

²⁴“I called, and you refused to listen. 

I stretched out my hands to you, and no one paid attention. 

²⁵You ignored all my advice. 

You did not want me to warn you. 

²⁶I will laugh at your calamity. 

I will make fun of you 

when panic strikes you, 

²⁷when panic strikes you like a violent storm, 

when calamity strikes you like a wind storm, 

when trouble and anguish come to you. 

²⁸“They will call to me at that time, but I will not answer. 

They will look for me, but they will not find me, 

²⁹because they hated knowledge 

and did not choose the fear of the Lord. 

³⁰They refused my advice. 

They despised my every warning. 

³¹They will eat the fruit of their lifestyle. 

They will be stuffed with their own schemes. 

³²“Gullible people kill themselves because of their turning away. 

Fools destroy themselves because of their indifference. 

³³But whoever listens to me will live without worry 

and will be free from the dread of disaster.” 

2ND CHAPTER

The Benefit of Wisdom

¹My son, 

if you take my words ⸤to heart⸥ 

and treasure my commands within you, 

²if you pay close attention to wisdom, 

and let your mind reach for understanding, 

³if indeed you call out for insight, 

if you ask aloud for understanding, 

⁴if you search for wisdom as if it were money 

and hunt for it as if it were hidden treasure, 

⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord 

and you will find the knowledge of God. 

⁶The Lord gives wisdom. 

From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 

⁷He has reserved priceless wisdom for decent people. 

He is a shield for those who walk in integrity 

⁸in order to guard those on paths of justice 

and to watch over the way of his godly ones. 

⁹Then you will understand what is right and just and fair— 

every good course ⸤in life⸥. 

¹⁰Wisdom will come into your heart. 

Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 

¹¹Foresight will protect you. 

Understanding will guard you. 

¹²⸤Wisdom will⸥ save you 

from the way of evil, 

from the person who speaks devious things, 

¹³from those who abandon the paths of righteousness 

to walk the ways of darkness, 

¹⁴from those who enjoy doing evil, 

from those who find joy in the deviousness of evil. 

¹⁵Their paths are crooked. 

Their ways are devious. 

¹⁶⸤Wisdom will⸥ also save you 

from an adulterous woman, 

from a loose woman with her smooth talk, 

¹⁷who leaves ⸤her husband,⸥ the closest friend of her youth, 

and forgets her marriage vows to her God. 

¹⁸Her house sinks down to death. 

Her ways lead to the souls of the dead. 

¹⁹None who have sex with her come back. 

Nor do they ever reach the paths of life. 

²⁰So walk in the way of good people 

and stay on the paths of righteous people. 

²¹Decent people will live in the land. 

People of integrity will remain in it. 

²²But wicked people will be cut off from the land 

and treacherous people will be torn^afrom it. 

3RD CHAPTER

Using Wisdom

¹My son, 

do not forget my teachings, 

and keep my commands in mind, 

²because they will bring you 

long life, good years, and peace. 

³Do not let mercy and truth leave you. 

Fasten them around your neck. 

Write them on the tablet of your heart. 

⁴Then you will find favor and much success 

in the sight of God and humanity. 

⁵Trust the Lord with all your heart, 

and do not rely on your own understanding. 

⁶In all your ways acknowledge him, 

and he will make your paths smooth.^a

⁷Do not consider yourself wise. 

Fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 

⁸⸤Then⸥ your body will be healed, 

and your bones will have nourishment. 

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth 

and with the first and best part of all your income.^b

¹⁰Then your barns will be full, 

and your vats will overflow with fresh wine. 

¹¹Do not reject the discipline of the Lord, my son, 

and do not resent his warning, 

¹²because the Lord warns the one he loves, 

even as a father warns a son with whom he is pleased. 

¹³Blessed is the one who finds wisdom 

and the one who obtains understanding. 

¹⁴The profit ⸤gained⸥ from ⸤wisdom⸥ is greater than 

the profit ⸤gained⸥ from silver. 

Its yield is better than fine gold. 

¹⁵⸤Wisdom⸥ is more precious than jewels, 

and all your desires cannot equal it. 

¹⁶Long life is in ⸤wisdom’s⸥ right hand. 

In ⸤wisdom’s⸥ left hand are riches and honor. 

¹⁷⸤Wisdom’s⸥ ways are pleasant ways, 

and all its paths lead to peace. 

¹⁸⸤Wisdom⸥ is a tree of life 

for those who take firm hold of it. 

Those who cling to it are blessed. 

¹⁹By Wisdom the Lord laid the foundation of the earth. 

By understanding he established the heavens. 

²⁰By his knowledge the deep waters were divided, 

and the skies dropped dew. 

²¹My son, 

do not lose sight of these things. 

Use priceless wisdom and foresight. 

²²Then they will mean life for you, 

and they will grace your neck. 

²³Then you will go safely on your way, 

and you will not hurt your foot. 

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid. 

As you lie there, your sleep will be sweet. 

²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden terror 

or of the destruction of wicked people when it comes. 

²⁶The Lord will be your confidence. 

He will keep your foot from getting caught. 

²⁷Do not hold back anything good 

from those who are entitled to it 

when you have the power to do so. 

²⁸When you have the good thing with you, do not tell your neighbor, 

“Go away! 

Come back tomorrow. 

I’ll give you something then.” 

²⁹Do not plan to do something wrong to your neighbor 

while he is sitting there with you and suspecting nothing. 

³⁰Do not quarrel with a person for no reason 

if he has not harmed you. 

³¹Do not envy a violent person. 

Do not choose any of his ways. 

³²The devious person is disgusting to the Lord. 

The Lord’s intimate advice is with decent people. 

³³The Lord curses the house of wicked people, 

but he blesses the home of righteous people. 

³⁴When he mocks the mockers, 

he is gracious to humble people. 

³⁵Wise people will inherit honor, 

but fools will bear disgrace. 

4TH CHAPTER

Cherish Wisdom

¹Sons, 

listen to ⸤your⸥ father’s discipline, 

and pay attention in order to gain understanding. 

²After all, I have taught you well. 

Do not abandon my teachings. 

³When I was a boy ⸤learning⸥ from my father, 

when I was a tender and only child of my mother, 

⁴they used to teach me and say to me, 

“Cling to my words wholeheartedly. 

Obey my commands so that you may live. 

⁵Acquire wisdom. 

Acquire understanding. 

Do not forget. 

Do not turn away from the words that I have spoken. 

⁶Do not abandon wisdom, and it will watch over you. 

Love wisdom, and it will protect you. 

⁷The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom. 

Acquire understanding with all that you have. 

⁸Cherish wisdom. 

It will raise you up. 

It will bring you honor when you embrace it. 

⁹It will give you a graceful garland for your head. 

It will hand you a beautiful crown.” 

Stay on the Path of Wisdom

¹⁰My son, 

listen and accept my words, 

and they will multiply the years of your life. 

¹¹I have taught you the way of wisdom. 

I have guided you along decent paths. 

¹²When you walk, your stride will not be hampered. 

Even if you run, you will not stumble. 

¹³Cling to discipline. 

Do not relax your grip on it. 

Keep it because it is your life. 

¹⁴Do not stray onto the path of wicked people. 

Do not walk in the way of evil people. 

¹⁵Avoid it. 

Do not walk near it. 

Turn away from it, 

and keep on walking. 

¹⁶Wicked people cannot sleep 

unless they do wrong, 

and they are robbed of their sleep 

unless they make someone stumble. 

¹⁷They eat food obtained through wrongdoing 

and drink wine obtained through violence. 

¹⁸But the path of righteous people is like the light of dawn 

that becomes brighter and brighter until it reaches midday. 

¹⁹The way of wicked people is like deep darkness. 

They do not know what makes them stumble. 

Stay Focused on Wisdom

²⁰My son, 

pay attention to my words. 

Open your ears to what I say. 

²¹Do not lose sight of these things. 

Keep them deep within your heart 

²²because they are life to those who find them 

and they heal the whole body. 

²³Guard your heart more than anything else, 

because the source…