Proverbs 1

The Purpose of Proverbs

¹The proverbs of Solomon ^a son of David, king of Israel:

²For learning wisdom and discipline;

for understanding insightful sayings;

³for receiving prudent instruction

in righteousness, justice, and integrity; ^b

⁴for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, ^c,^d

knowledge and discretion ^e to a young man —

⁵let a wise person listen and increase learning, ^f

and let a discerning person obtain guidance —

⁶for understanding a proverb or a parable, ^g

the words of the wise, and their riddles. ^h

⁷The fear of the Lord

is the beginning of knowledge; ⁱ

fools despise wisdom and discipline. ^j

Avoid the Path of the Violent

⁸Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,

and don’t reject your mother’s teaching, ^k

⁹for they will be a garland ^l of favor on your head

and pendants ^m around your neck. ⁿ

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you, ^o

don’t be persuaded. ^p

¹¹If they say #— #“Come with us!

Let’s set an ambush ^q and kill someone. ^r

Let’s attack some innocent person ^s just for fun! ^t

¹²Let’s swallow them alive, ^u like Sheol,

whole, like those who go down to the Pit. ^v

¹³We’ll find all kinds of valuable property

and fill our houses with plunder. ^w

¹⁴Throw in your lot with us,

and we’ll all share the loot” ^x —

¹⁵my son, don’t travel that road with them ^y

or set foot on their path, ^z

¹⁶because their feet run toward evil

and they hurry to shed blood. ^aa

¹⁷It is useless to spread a net

where any bird can see it,

¹⁸but they set an ambush to kill themselves; ^ab

they attack their own lives.

¹⁹Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly; ^ac

it takes the lives of those who receive it. ^ad

Wisdom’s Plea

²⁰Wisdom calls out in the street;

she makes her voice heard in the public squares. ^ae

²¹She cries out above ^af the commotion;

she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:

²²“How long, inexperienced ones, will you love ignorance?

How long will you mockers ^ag enjoy mocking

and you fools hate knowledge? ^ah

²³If you respond to my warning, ^ai,^aj

then I will pour out my spirit on you ^ak

and teach you my words.

²⁴Since I called out and you refused, ^al

extended my hand and no one paid attention, ^am

²⁵since you neglected all my counsel ^an

and did not accept my correction,

²⁶I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity. ^ao

I will mock when terror strikes you,

²⁷when terror strikes you like a storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when trouble and stress overcome you.

²⁸Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;

they will search for me, but won’t find me. ^ap

²⁹Because they hated knowledge,

didn’t choose to fear the Lord, ^aq

³⁰were not interested in my counsel,

and rejected all my correction, ^ar

³¹they will eat the fruit of their way ^as

and be glutted with their own schemes. ^at

³²For the apostasy of the inexperienced will kill them, ^au

and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

³³But whoever listens to me will live securely

and be undisturbed by the dread of danger.” ^av