Proverbs 1–2

Chapter 1

The Purpose of Proverbs

These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.

²Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,

to help them understand the insights of the wise.

³Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,

to help them do what is right, just, and fair.

⁴These proverbs will give insight to the simple,

knowledge and discernment to the young.

⁵Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.

Let those with understanding receive guidance

⁶by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,

the words of the wise and their riddles.

⁷Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

A Father’s Exhortation: Acquire Wisdom

⁸My child, listen when your father corrects you.

Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.

⁹What you learn from them will crown you with grace

and be a chain of honor around your neck.

¹⁰My child, if sinners entice you,

turn your back on them!

¹¹They may say, “Come and join us.

Let’s hide and kill someone!

Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!

¹²Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave;

let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.

¹³Think of the great things we’ll get!

We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.

¹⁴Come, throw in your lot with us;

we’ll all share the loot.”

¹⁵My child, don’t go along with them!

Stay far away from their paths.

¹⁶They rush to commit evil deeds.

They hurry to commit murder.

¹⁷If a bird sees a trap being set,

it knows to stay away.

¹⁸But these people set an ambush for themselves;

they are trying to get themselves killed.

¹⁹Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money;

it robs them of life.

Wisdom Shouts in the Streets

²⁰Wisdom shouts in the streets.

She cries out in the public square.

²¹She calls to the crowds along the main street,

to those gathered in front of the city gate:

²²“How long, you simpletons,

will you insist on being simpleminded?

How long will you mockers relish your mocking?

How long will you fools hate knowledge?

²³Come and listen to my counsel.

I’ll share my heart with you

and make you wise.

²⁴“I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come.

I reached out to you, but you paid no attention.

²⁵You ignored my advice

and rejected the correction I offered.

²⁶So I will laugh when you are in trouble!

I will mock you when disaster overtakes you—

²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm,

when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone,

and anguish and distress overwhelm you.

²⁸“When they cry for help, I will not answer.

Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.

²⁹For they hated knowledge

and chose not to fear the Lord.

³⁰They rejected my advice

and paid no attention when I corrected them.

³¹Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way,

choking on their own schemes.

³²For simpletons turn away from me—to death.

Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.

³³But all who listen to me will live in peace,

untroubled by fear of harm.”

Chapter 2

The Benefits of Wisdom

¹My child, listen to what I say,

and treasure my commands.

²Tune your ears to wisdom,

and concentrate on understanding.

³Cry out for insight,

and ask for understanding.

⁴Search for them as you would for silver;

seek them like hidden treasures.

⁵Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,

and you will gain knowledge of God.

⁶For the Lord grants wisdom!

From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

⁷He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.

He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

⁸He guards the paths of the just

and protects those who are faithful to him.

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

and you will find the right way to go.

¹⁰For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will fill you with joy.

¹¹Wise choices will watch over you.

Understanding will keep you safe.

¹²Wisdom will save you from evil people,

from those whose words are twisted.

¹³These men turn from the right way

to walk down dark paths.

¹⁴They take pleasure in doing wrong,

and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.

¹⁵Their actions are crooked,

and their ways are wrong.

¹⁶Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman,

from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman.

¹⁷She has abandoned her husband

and ignores the covenant she made before God.

¹⁸Entering her house leads to death;

it is the road to the grave.

¹⁹The man who visits her is doomed.

He will never reach the paths of life.

²⁰So follow the steps of the good,

and stay on the paths of the righteous.

²¹For only the godly will live in the land,

and those with integrity will remain in it.

²²But the wicked will be removed from the land,

and the treacherous will be uprooted.