Proverbs 1

The Purpose of Proverbs

¹These 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,^a 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^b;

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.”