Proverbs 1
1
The Beginning of Knowledge
1The #1 Kin. 4:32; Prov. 10:1; 25:1; Eccl. 12:9proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
3To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
4To give prudence to the #Prov. 9:4simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5#Prov. 9:9A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
6To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their #Num. 12:8; Ps. 78:2; Dan. 8:23riddles.
7#Job 28:28; Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10; 15:33; (Eccl. 12:13)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Shun Evil Counsel
8#Prov. 4:1My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9For they will be a #Prov. 3:22graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
10My son, if sinners entice you,
#Gen. 39:7–10; Deut. 13:8; Ps. 50:18; (Eph. 5:11)Do not consent.
11If they say, “Come with us,
Let us #Prov. 12:6; Jer. 5:26lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
And whole, #Ps. 28:1like those who go down to the Pit;
13We shall find all kinds of precious possessions,
We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15My son, #Ps. 1:1; Prov. 4:14do not walk in the way with them,
#Ps. 119:101Keep your foot from their path;
16#Prov. 6:17, 18; (Is. 59:7); Rom. 3:15For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;
18But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19#Prov. 15:27; (1 Tim. 6:10)So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.
The Call of Wisdom
20#Prov. 8:1; 9:3; (John 7:37)Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21She cries out in the chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23Turn at my rebuke;
Surely #Is. 32:15; Joel 2:28; (John 7:39)I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24#Is. 65:12; 66:4; Jer. 7:13; Zech. 7:11Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25Because you #Ps. 107:11; Luke 7:30disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26#Ps. 2:4I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27When #(Prov. 10:24, 25)your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28“Then#1 Sam. 8:18; Job 27:9; 35:12; Ps. 18:41; Is. 1:15; Jer. 11:11; 14:12; Ezek. 8:18; Mic. 3:4; Zech. 7:13; (James 4:3) they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29Because they #Job 21:14; Prov. 1:22hated knowledge
And did not #Ps. 119:173choose the fear of the Lord,
30#Ps. 81:11; Prov. 1:25They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31Therefore #Job 4:8; Prov. 5:22, 23; 22:8; Is. 3:11; Jer. 6:19they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33But whoever listens to me will dwell #Prov. 3:24–26safely,
And #Ps. 112:7will be secure, without fear of evil.”
Currently Selected:
Proverbs 1: NKJV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 1
1
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 # ch. 10:1; 25:1; 1 Kgs. 4:32; Eccles. 12:9 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
3to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in #ch. 2:9righteousness, justice, and equity;
4to give prudence to #ch. 8:5; 14:15, 18 the simple,
knowledge and #ch. 2:11; 3:21discretion to the youth—
5Let the wise hear and #ch. 9:9increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6to understand a proverb and a saying,
# ch. 22:17 the words of the wise and their #Judg. 14:12; Ps. 78:2riddles.
7 # ch. 9:10; [ch. 15:33]; See Job 28:28 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 # ch. 6:20; [Ps. 34:11; Eph. 6:1, 2] Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
9for they are #ch. 4:9; [ch. 3:22] a graceful garland for your head
and #[Gen. 41:42; Dan. 5:29]pendants for your neck.
10My son, if sinners #ch. 16:29entice you,
do not consent.
11If they say, “Come with us, #ver. 18; ch. 12:6; Jer. 5:26 let us lie in wait for blood;
# ver. 18; Ps. 10:8; 64:5 let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12like Sheol let us #Ps. 124:3; [Num. 16:32, 33] swallow them alive,
and whole, like #Ps. 28:1those 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, #ch. 4:14; 24:1; Ps. 1:1 do not walk in the way with them;
# [Ps. 119:101] hold back your foot from their paths,
16for #ch. 6:18; Isa. 59:7; [Rom. 3:15]their feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
17 # [Job 40:24] For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
18but these men #ver. 11lie in wait for their own blood;
they #ver. 11set an ambush for their own lives.
19 # [Job 8:13] Such are the ways of everyone who is #ch. 15:27 greedy for unjust gain;
# [1 Tim. 6:10] it takes away the life of its possessors.
The Call of Wisdom
20 # ch. 8:1; 9:3; [John 7:37] Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at #ch. 8:3the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22“How long, O #See ver. 4 simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will #See Ps. 1:1 scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools #ver. 29; ch. 5:12; [Job 21:14]hate knowledge?
23If you turn at my reproof,#1:23 Or Will you turn away at my reproof?
behold, I will #Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 #
Isa. 65:12; 66:4; Jer. 7:13 Because I have called and #Zech. 7:11 you refused to listen,
have #Rom. 10:21stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25because you have #See Ps. 107:11 ignored all my counsel
and #[Ps. 81:11; Luke 7:30]would have none of my reproof,
26I also #See Ps. 2:4 will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when #ch. 10:24; Jer. 48:43; 49:5terror strikes you,
27when terror strikes you like #[Zeph. 1:15]a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 # See 1 Sam. 8:18; Job 27:9 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29Because they #[See ver. 22 above] hated knowledge
and #[Job 21:14]did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 # [See ver. 25 above] would have none of my counsel
and #[See ver. 25 above]despised all my reproof,
31therefore they shall eat #Jer. 6:19 the fruit of their way,
and have #ch. 14:14; Isa. 3:11; [Job 4:8]their fill of their own devices.
32For the simple are killed by #Jer. 2:19 their turning away,
and #[Ps. 73:18, 19]the complacency of fools destroys them;
33but #[Ps. 25:12, 13] whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be #Ps. 112:7, 8at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV: