The Usefulness of Proverbs

1 The aproverbs of Solomon bthe son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know awisdom and instruction,

To discern the sayings of bunderstanding,

3 To areceive instruction in wise behavior,

bRighteousness, justice and equity;

4 To give aprudence to the 1naive,

To the youth bknowledge and discretion,

5 A wise man will hear and aincrease in learning,

And a bman of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

6 To understand a proverb and a figure,

The words of the wise and their ariddles.

7 aThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Enticement of Sinners

8 aHear, my son, your father’s instruction

And bdo not forsake your mother’s teaching;

9 Indeed, they are a agraceful wreath to your head

And 1bornaments about your neck.

10 My son, if sinners aentice you,

bDo not consent.

11 If they say, “Come with us,

Let us alie in wait for blood,

Let us bambush the innocent without cause;

12 Let us aswallow them alive like Sheol,

Even whole, as those who bgo down to the pit;

13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth,

We will fill our houses with spoil;

14 Throw in your lot 1with us,

We shall all have one purse,”

15 My son, ado not walk in the way with them.

bKeep your feet from their path,

16 For atheir feet run to evil

And they hasten to shed blood.

17 Indeed, it is 1useless to spread the baited net

In the sight of any 2bird;

18 But they alie in wait for their own blood;

They ambush their own lives.

19 So are the ways of everyone who agains by violence;

It takes away the life of its possessors.