Proverbs 1

The Purpose of Proverbs

¹The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:²

³For learning wisdom and discipline; for understanding insightful sayings;⁴

⁵for receiving prudent instruction in righteousness, justice, and integrity;⁶

⁷for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to a young man —⁸

⁹let a wise person listen and increase learning, and let a discerning person obtain guidance —¹⁰

¹¹for understanding a proverb or a parable, the words of the wise, and their riddles.¹²

¹³The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.¹⁴

Avoid the Path of the Violent

¹⁵Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching,¹⁶

¹⁷for they will be a garland of favor on your head and pendants around your neck.¹⁸

¹⁹My son, if sinners entice you, don’t be persuaded.²⁰

²¹If they say — “Come with us! Let’s set an ambush and kill someone. Let’s attack some innocent person just for fun!²²

²³Let’s swallow them alive, like Sheol, whole, like those who go down to the Pit.²⁴

²⁵We’ll find all kinds of valuable property and fill our houses with plunder.²⁶

²⁷Throw in your lot with us, and we’ll all share the loot” —²⁸

²⁹my son, don’t travel that road with them or set foot on their path,³⁰

³¹because their feet run toward evil and they hurry to shed blood.³²

³³It is useless to spread a net where any bird can see it,³⁴

³⁵but they set an ambush to kill themselves; they attack their own lives.³⁶

³⁷Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly; it takes the lives of those who receive it.³⁸

Wisdom’s Plea

³⁹Wisdom calls out in the street; she makes her voice heard in the public squares.⁴⁰

⁴¹She cries out above the commotion; she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:⁴²

⁴³“How long, inexperienced ones, will you love ignorance? How long will you mockers enjoy mocking and you fools hate knowledge?⁴⁴

⁴⁵If you respond to my warning, then I will pour out my spirit on you and teach you my words.⁴⁶

⁴⁷Since I called out and you refused, extended my hand and no one paid attention,⁴⁸

⁴⁹since you neglected all my counsel and did not accept my correction,⁵⁰

⁵¹I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when terror strikes you,⁵²

⁵³when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when trouble and stress overcome you.⁵⁴

⁵⁵Then they will call me, but I won’t answer; they will search for me, but won’t find me.⁵⁶

⁵⁷Because they hated knowledge, didn’t choose to fear the Lord,⁵⁸

⁵⁹were not interested in my counsel, and rejected all my correction,⁶⁰

⁶¹they will eat the fruit of their way and be glutted with their own schemes.⁶²

⁶³For the apostasy of the inexperienced will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.⁶⁴

⁶⁵But whoever listens to me will live securely and be undisturbed by the dread of danger.”⁶⁶