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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Proverbs 1: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 1
1
Prologue
1Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand sayings of understanding,
3to gain insightful instruction,#Literally “the instruction of insight”
righteousness and justice and equity,
4to give shrewdness#Or “cleverness,” or “prudence” to the simple,
knowledge and purpose#Or “plan” to the young,
5may the wise hear and increase learning,
and the one who understands gain direction,#Or “guidance”
6to understand a proverb and an expression,
words of wisdom and their riddles.
7Fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge;
wisdom and instruction, fools despise.
Lecture Against Gang Behavior
8My child, may you keep#Or “obey,” or “hear” your father’s instruction,
and do not reject your mother’s teachings,
9for they are a garland of favor for your head,
and pendants for your neck.
10My child, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
11If they say,
“Come with us!
We shall lie in wait for blood;
we shall ambush the innocent without cause.#Or “wantonly,” or “for nothing”
12Like Sheol,#A term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the Underworld we will swallow them alive
and whole, like those who descend to the pit.#Literally “like the descenders of a pit”
13We shall find all precious wealth,
we shall fill our houses with booty,
14you shall throw your lot in our midst,
there will be one purse for all of us.”
15My child, do not walk in their way.#Or “on their road”
Keep your foot from their paths,
16for their feet run to evil,
and they hurry to shed blood,
17for “in vain#Or “without cause,” or “for nothing” is the net scattered,
in the sight of any winged bird.”#Literally “bird of wing”
18They lie in wait for their own blood.
They ambush their own lives.
19Thus are the ways of all who are greedy for gain—
it will take the life of its possessors.
The Call of Lady Wisdom
20Wisdom calls out in the streets,
in the squares she raises her voice.
21On a busy corner#Literally “head of commotion,” or “head of stirring, bustling” she cries out,
at the entrances of the gates in the city, she speaks her sayings:
22“How long,#Literally “Until when” O simple ones, will you love simplicity?
And how long will scoffers delight in their scoffing,
and fools hate knowledge?
23May you turn to my argument!#Or “turn at my reproach”
Behold, I shall pour out my spirit upon you;
I will make my words known to you.
24Because I called out and you refused me,
I stretched out my hand, yet there is none who heeds.
25You have ignored all my counsel,
and my reproof you are not willing to accept.
26I will also laugh at your calamity;#Or “downfall”
I will mock when panic#Or “dread, fear” comes upon you.
27When your panic comes like a storm,
and your calamity arrives like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you,
28then they will call#Or “cry out to” me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but not find me.
29Since they hated knowledge,
and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,
30they were not willing to accept my counsel,
they despised all my reproof.
31They shall eat from the fruit of their way,
and they shall be sated from their own schemes,
32for the waywardness of the simple ones will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33Whoever listens to me will dwell in security
and rest securely#Or “be at ease, peace” from dread and disaster.”
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