Proverbs 1–2

The Purpose of Proverbs

1The proverbs of Solomon ^ason of David, king of Israel:

²For learning what wisdom and discipline are;

for understanding insightful sayings;

³for receiving wise instruction

in righteousness, justice, and integrity; ^b

⁴for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, ^cd

knowledge and discretion ^eto a young man—

⁵a wise man will listen and increase his learning, ^f

and a discerning man will obtain guidance—

⁶for understanding a proverb or a parable, ^g

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

⁷The fear of the Lord

is the beginning of knowledge; ⁱ

fools despise wisdom and discipline. ^j

Avoid the Path of the Violent

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

and don’t reject your mother’s teaching, ^k

⁹for they will be a garland ^lof grace on your head

and a gold chain around your neck. ^m

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you, ⁿ

don’t be persuaded. ^o

¹¹If they say—“Come with us!

Let’s set an ambush ^pand kill someone. ^q

Let’s attack some innocent person ^rjust for fun! ^s

¹²Let’s swallow them alive, ^tlike Sheol,

still healthy as they go down to the Pit. ^u

¹³We’ll find all kinds of valuable property

and fill our houses with plunder. ^v

¹⁴Throw in your lot with us,

and we’ll all share our money” ^w—

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

or set foot on their path, ^y

¹⁶because their feet run toward trouble

and they hurry to commit murder. ^za

¹⁷It is foolish to spread a net

where any bird can see it,

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

they attack their own lives.

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

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

Wisdom’s Plea

²⁰Wisdom calls out in the street;

she raises her voice in the public squares. ^e

²¹She cries out above ^fthe commotion;

she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:

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

How long will you mockers ^genjoy mocking

and you fools hate knowledge? ^h

²³If you respond to my warning, ^ij

then I will pour out my spirit on you ^k

and teach you my words.

²⁴Since I called out and you refused, ^l

extended my hand and no one paid attention, ^m

²⁵since you neglected all my counsel ⁿ

and did not accept my correction,

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

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. ^p

²⁹Because they hated knowledge,

didn’t choose to fear the Lord, ^q

³⁰were not interested in my counsel,

and rejected all my correction, ^r

³¹they will eat the fruit of their way ^s

and be glutted with their own schemes. ^t

³²For the turning away of the inexperienced will kill them, ^u

and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

³³But whoever listens to me will live securely

and be free from the fear of danger.” ^v

Wisdom’s Worth

2My son, if you accept my words ^w

and store up my commands within you,

²listening closely ^xto 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, ^y

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. ^z

⁷He stores up success ^afor the upright;

He is a shield for those who live with integrity ^b

⁸so that He may guard the paths of justice

and protect the way of His loyal followers. ^c

⁹Then you will understand righteousness, justice,

and integrity—every good path.

¹⁰For wisdom will enter your mind,

and knowledge will delight your heart.

¹¹Discretion will watch over you,

and understanding will guard you, ^d

¹²rescuing you from the way of evil—

from the one who says perverse things,

¹³from those who abandon the right paths

to walk in ways of darkness, ^e

¹⁴from those who enjoy doing evil ^f

and celebrate perversion,

¹⁵whose paths are crooked, ^g

and whose ways are devious. ^h

¹⁶It will rescue you from a forbidden woman, ⁱ

from a stranger ^jwith her flattering talk, ^k

¹⁷who abandons the companion of her youth ^l

and forgets the covenant of her God;

¹⁸for her house sinks down to death

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

¹⁹None return who go to her;

none reach the paths of life. ⁿ

²⁰So follow the way of good people, ^o

and keep to the paths of the righteous.

²¹For the upright will inhabit the land,

and those of integrity will remain in it; ^p

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

and the treacherous uprooted from it. ^r