Proverbs 1:1–9:18

The Importance of Proverbs

1These are the wise words of Solomon son of David, king of Israel.

²They teach wisdom and self-control;

they will help you understand wise words.

³They will teach you how to be wise and self-controlled

and will teach you to do what is honest and fair and right.

⁴They make the uneducated wise

and give knowledge and sense to the young.

⁵Wise people can also listen and learn;

even they can find good advice in these words.

⁶Then anyone can understand wise words and stories,

the words of the wise and their riddles.

⁷Knowledge begins with respect for the Lord,

but fools hate wisdom and discipline.

Warnings Against Evil

⁸My child, listen to your father’s teaching

and do not forget your mother’s advice.

⁹Their teaching will be like flowers in your hair

or a necklace around your neck.

¹⁰My child, if sinners try to lead you into sin,

do not follow them.

¹¹They will say, “Come with us.

Let’s ambush and kill someone;

let’s attack some innocent people just for fun.

¹²Let’s swallow them alive, as death does;

let’s swallow them whole, as the grave does.

¹³We will take all kinds of valuable things

and fill our houses with stolen goods.

¹⁴Come join us,

and we will share with you stolen goods.”

¹⁵My child, do not go along with them;

do not do what they do.

¹⁶They are eager to do evil

and are quick to kill.

¹⁷It is useless to spread out a net

right where the birds can see it.

¹⁸But sinners will fall into their own traps;

they will only catch themselves!

¹⁹All greedy people end up this way;

greed kills selfish people.

Wisdom Speaks

²⁰Wisdom is like a woman shouting in the street;

she raises her voice in the city squares.

²¹She cries out in the noisy street

and shouts at the city gates:

²²“You fools, how long will you be foolish?

How long will you make fun of wisdom

and hate knowledge?

²³If only you had listened when I corrected you,

I would have told you what’s in my heart;

I would have told you what I am thinking.

²⁴I called, but you refused to listen;

I held out my hand, but you paid no attention.

²⁵You did not follow my advice

and did not listen when I corrected you.

²⁶So I will laugh when you are in trouble.

I will make fun when disaster strikes you,

²⁷when disaster comes over you like a storm,

when trouble strikes you like a whirlwind,

when pain and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸“Then you will call to me,

but I will not answer.

You will look for me,

but you will not find me.

²⁹It is because you rejected knowledge

and did not choose to respect the Lord.

³⁰You did not accept my advice,

and you rejected my correction.

³¹So you will get what you deserve;

you will get what you planned for others.

³²Fools will die because they refuse to listen;

they will be destroyed because they do not care.

³³But those who listen to me will live in safety

and be at peace, without fear of injury.”

Rewards of Wisdom

2My child, listen to what I say

and remember what I command you.

²Listen carefully to wisdom;

set your mind on understanding.

³Cry out for wisdom,

and beg for understanding.

⁴Search for it like silver,

and hunt for it like hidden treasure.

⁵Then you will understand respect for the Lord,

and you will find that you know God.

⁶Only the Lord gives wisdom;

he gives knowledge and understanding.

⁷He stores up wisdom for those who are honest.

Like a shield he protects the innocent.

⁸He makes sure that justice is done,

and he protects those who are loyal to him.

⁹Then you will understand what is honest and fair

and what is the good and right thing to do.

¹⁰Wisdom will come into your mind,

and knowledge will be pleasing to you.

¹¹Good sense will protect you;

understanding will guard you.

¹²It will keep you from the wicked,

from those whose words are bad,

¹³who don’t do what is right

but what is evil.

¹⁴They enjoy doing wrong

and are happy to do what is crooked and evil.

¹⁵What they do is wrong,

and their ways are dishonest.

¹⁶It will save you from the unfaithful wife

who tries to lead you into adultery with pleasing words.

¹⁷She leaves the husband she married when she was young.

She ignores the promise she made before God.

¹⁸Her house is on the way to death;

those who took that path are now all dead.

¹⁹No one who goes to her comes back

or walks the path of life again.

²⁰But wisdom will help you be good

and do what is right.

²¹Those who are honest will live in the land,

and those who are innocent will remain in it.

²²But the wicked will be removed from the land,

and the unfaithful will be thrown out of it.

Advice to Children

3My child, do not forget my teaching,

but keep my commands in mind.

²Then you will live a long time,

and your life will be successful.

³Don’t ever forget kindness and truth.

Wear them like a necklace.

Write them on your heart as if on a tablet.

⁴Then you will be respected

and will please both God and people.

⁵Trust the Lord with all your heart,

and don’t depend on your own understanding.

⁶Remember the Lord in all you do,

and he will give you success.

⁷Don’t depend on your own wisdom.

Respect the Lord and refuse to do wrong.

⁸Then your body will be healthy,

and your bones will be strong.

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth

and the firstfruits from all your crops.

¹⁰Then your barns will be full,

and your wine barrels will overflow with new wine.

¹¹My child, do not reject the Lord’s discipline,

and don’t get angry when he corrects you.

¹²The Lord corrects those he loves,

just as parents correct the child they delight in.

¹³Happy is the person who finds wisdom,

the one who gets understanding.

¹⁴Wisdom is worth more than silver;

it brings more profit than gold.

¹⁵Wisdom is more precious than rubies;

nothing you could want is equal to it.

¹⁶With her right hand wisdom offers you a long life,

and with her left hand she gives you riches and honor.

¹⁷Wisdom will make your life pleasant

and will bring you peace.

¹⁸As a tree produces fruit, wisdom gives life to those who use it,

and everyone who uses it will be happy.

¹⁹The Lord made the earth, using his wisdom.

He set the sky in place, using his understanding.

²⁰With his knowledge, he made springs flow into rivers

and the clouds drop rain on the earth.

²¹My child, hold on to wisdom and good sense.

Don’t let them out of your sight.

²²They will give you life

and beauty like a necklace around your neck.

²³Then you will go your way in safety,

and you will not get hurt.

²⁴When you lie down, you won’t be afraid;

when you lie down, you will sleep in peace.

²⁵You won’t be afraid of sudden trouble;

you won’t fear the ruin that comes to the wicked,

²⁶because the Lord will keep you safe.

He will keep you from being trapped.

²⁷Whenever you are able,

do good to people who need help.

²⁸If you have what your neighbor asks for,

don’t say, “Come back later.

I will give it to you tomorrow.”

²⁹Don’t make plans to hurt your neighbor

who lives nearby and trusts you.

³⁰Don’t accuse a person for no good reason;

don’t accuse someone who has not harmed you.

³¹Don’t be jealous of those who use violence,

and don’t choose to be like them.

³²The Lord hates those who do wrong,

but he is a friend to those who are honest.

³³The Lord will curse the evil person’s house,

but he will bless the home of those who do right.

³⁴The Lord laughs at those who laugh at him,

but he gives grace to those who are not proud.

³⁵Wise people will receive honor,

but fools will be disgraced.

Wisdom Is Important

4My children, listen to your father’s teaching;

pay attention so you will understand.

²What I am telling you is good,

so do not forget what I teach you.

³When I was a young boy in my father’s house

and like an only child to my mother,

⁴my father taught me and said,

“Hold on to my words with all your heart.

Keep my commands and you will live.

⁵Get wisdom and understanding.

Don’t forget or ignore my words.

⁶Hold on to wisdom, and it will take care of you.

Love it, and it will keep you safe.

⁷Wisdom is the most important thing; so get wisdom.

If it costs everything you have, get understanding.

⁸Treasure wisdom, and it will make you great;

hold on to it, and it will bring you honor.

⁹It will be like flowers in your hair

and like a beautiful crown on your head.”

¹⁰My child, listen and accept what I say.

Then you will have a long life.

¹¹I am guiding you in the way of wisdom,

and I am leading you on the right path.

¹²Nothing will hold you back;

you will not be overwhelmed.

¹³Always remember what you have been taught,

and don’t let go of it.

Keep all that you have learned;

it is the most important thing in life.

¹⁴Don’t follow the ways of the wicked;

don’t do what evil people do.

¹⁵Avoid their ways, and don’t follow them.

Stay away from them and keep on going,

¹⁶because they cannot sleep until they do evil.

They cannot rest until they harm someone.

¹⁷They feast on wickedness and cruelty

as if they were eating bread and drinking wine.

¹⁸The way of the good person is like the light of dawn,

growing brighter and brighter until full daylight.

¹⁹But the wicked walk around in the dark;

they can’t even see what makes them stumble.

²⁰My child, pay attention to my words;

listen closely to what I say.

²¹Don’t ever forget my words;

keep them always in mind.

²²They are the key to life for those who find them;

they bring health to the whole body.

²³Be careful what you think,

because your thoughts run your life.

²⁴Don’t use your mouth to tell lies;

don’t ever say things that are not true.

²⁵Keep your eyes focused on what is right,

and look straight ahead to what is good.

²⁶Be careful what you do,

and always do what is right.

²⁷Don’t turn off the road of goodness;

keep away from evil paths.

Warning About Adultery

5My son, pay attention to my wisdom;

listen to my words of understanding.

²Be careful to use good sense,

and watch what you say.

³The words of another man’s wife may seem sweet as honey;

they may be as smooth as olive oil.

⁴But in the end she will bring you sorrow,

causing you pain like a two-edged sword.

⁵She is on the way to death;

her steps are headed straight to the grave.

⁶She gives little thought to life.

She doesn’t even know that her ways are wrong.

⁷Now, my sons, listen to me,

and don’t ignore what I say.

⁸Stay away from such a woman.

Don’t even go near…