Proverbs 1

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