Proverbs 1

The Beginning of Knowledge

1The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:[#10:1; 25:1; 1 Kgs. 4:32; Eccles. 12:9]

2To know wisdom and instruction,

to understand words of insight,

3to receive instruction in wise dealing,

in righteousness, justice, and equity;

4to give prudence to the simple,[#8:5; 14:15, 18]

knowledge and discretion to the youth—

5Let the wise hear and increase in learning,[#9:9]

and the one who understands obtain guidance,

6to understand a proverb and a saying,

the words of the wise and their riddles.

7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;[#9:10; 15:33]

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Enticement of Sinners

8Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,[#6:20; Ps. 34:11; Eph. 6:1, 2]

and forsake not your mother’s teaching,

9for they are a graceful garland for your head[#4:9; 3:22]

and pendants for your neck.

10My son, if sinners entice you,[#16:29]

do not consent.

11If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;[#18; 12:6; Jer. 5:26]

let us ambush the innocent without reason;

12like Sheol let us swallow them alive,[#Ps. 124:3; Num. 16:32, 33]

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13we shall find all precious goods,

we shall fill our houses with plunder;

14throw in your lot among us;

we will all have one purse”—

15my son, do not walk in the way with them;[#4:14; 24:1; Ps. 1:1]

hold back your foot from their paths,

16for their feet run to evil,[#6:18; Isa. 59:7; Rom. 3:15]

and they make haste to shed blood.

17For in vain is a net spread[#Job 40:24]

in the sight of any bird,

18but these men lie in wait for their own blood;[#11]

they set an ambush for their own lives.

19Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;[#Job 8:13; #15:27]

it takes away the life of its possessors.

The Call of Wisdom

20Wisdom cries aloud in the street,[#8:1; 9:3; John 7:37]

in the markets she raises her voice;

21at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;

at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

22“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?[#4]

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

and fools hate knowledge?

23If you turn at my reproof,[#1:23 Or Will you turn away at my reproof?]

behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you.

24Because I have called and you refused to listen,[#Isa. 65:12; 66:4; Jer. 7:13; #Zech. 7:11]

have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

25because you have ignored all my counsel[#Ps. 107:11]

and would have none of my reproof,

26I also will laugh at your calamity;[#Ps. 2:4]

I will mock when terror strikes you,

27when terror strikes you like a storm[#Zeph. 1:15]

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

28Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;[#1 Sam. 8:18; Job 27:9]

they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

29Because they hated knowledge[#22]

and did not choose the fear of the Lord ,

30would have none of my counsel[#25]

and despised all my reproof,

31therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,[#Jer. 6:19]

and have their fill of their own devices.

32For the simple are killed by their turning away,[#Jer. 2:19]

and the complacency of fools destroys them;

33but whoever listens to me will dwell secure[#Ps. 25:12, 13]

and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Published by: Crossway / Good News Publishers