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.”
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 1
1
1Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 2to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding; 3to receive the instruction of wisdom, righteousness and judgment, and equity; 4to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5He that is wise will hear, and will increase learning; and the intelligent will gain wise counsels: 6to understand a proverb and an allegory, the words of the wise and their enigmas.
7The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother; 9for they shall be a garland of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10My son, if sinners entice thee, consent not. 11If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; 13we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14cast in thy lot among us; we will all have one purse: 15— my son, walk not in the way with them, keep back thy foot from their path; 16for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. 17For in vain the net is spread in the sight of anything which hath wings. 18And these lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives. 19So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain: it taketh away the life of its possessors.
20Wisdom crieth without; she raiseth her voice in the broadways; 21she calleth in the chief place of concourse, in the entry of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words: 22How long, simple ones, will ye love simpleness, and scorners take pleasure in their scorning, and the foolish hate knowledge? 23Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you, I will make known to you my words. 24Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one regarded; 25and ye have rejected all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh; 27when your fear cometh as sudden destruction, and your calamity cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you: 28— then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, and shall not find me. 29Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah; 30they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof: 31therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way, and be filled with their own devices. 32For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall cause them to perish. 33But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from fear of evil.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.