these possibilities, the sages of Proverbs forge ahead with their pointed solutions-oriented counsel. They advise young people how to acquire what they wisely want—and what they certainly need. It is true that the counselors of Proverbs do this in the bigger context of the “fear of the Lord” (Prov. 1:7; 9:10). But while “the fear of the Lord” is the heart orientation that ought to control all choices, it seems to be a stretch to say that a teen’s commitment to the fear of the Lord is the necessary