Proverbs 1
1
The Reasons for Proverbs
1The proverbs of Solomon, David’s son who was king of Israel, ⌞given⌟
2to grasp wisdom and discipline,
to understand deep thoughts,
3to acquire the discipline of wise behavior—
righteousness and justice and fairness—
4to give insight to gullible people,
to give knowledge and foresight to the young—
5a wise person will listen and continue to learn,
and an understanding person will gain direction—
6to understand a proverb and a clever saying,
the words of wise people and their riddles.
7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
Stubborn fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Listen to Wisdom
8My son,
listen to your father’s discipline,
and do not neglect your mother’s teachings,
9because discipline and teachings
are a graceful garland on your head
and a ⌞golden⌟ chain around your neck.
10My son,
if sinners lure you, do not go along.
11If they say,
“Come with us.
Let’s set an ambush to kill someone.
Let’s hide to ambush innocent people for fun.
12We’ll swallow them alive like the grave,
like those in good health who go into the pit.
13We’ll find all kinds of valuable possessions.
We’ll fill our homes with stolen goods.
14Join us.
We’ll split the loot equally.”
15My son,
do not follow them in their way.
Do not even set foot on their path,
16because they rush to do evil
and hurry to shed blood.
17It does no good to spread a net
within the sight of any bird.
18But these people set an ambush for their own murder.
They go into hiding only to lose their lives.
19This is what happens to everyone
who is greedy for unjust gain.
Greed takes away his life.
20Wisdom sings her song in the streets.
In the public squares she raises her voice.
21At the corners of noisy streets she calls out.
At the entrances to the city she speaks her words,
22“How long will you gullible people love being so gullible?
How long will you mockers find joy in your mocking?
How long will you fools hate knowledge?
23“Turn to me when I warn you.
I will generously pour out my spirit for you.
I will make my words known to you.
24“I called, and you refused to listen.
I stretched out my hands to you, and no one paid attention.
25You ignored all my advice.
You did not want me to warn you.
26I will laugh at your calamity.
I will make fun of you
when panic strikes you,
27when panic strikes you like a violent storm,
when calamity strikes you like a wind storm,
when trouble and anguish come to you.
28“They will call to me at that time, but I will not answer.
They will look for me, but they will not find me,
29because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30They refused my advice.
They despised my every warning.
31They will eat the fruit of their lifestyle.
They will be stuffed with their own schemes.
32“Gullible people kill themselves because of their turning away.
Fools destroy themselves because of their indifference.
33But whoever listens to me will live without worry
and will be free from the dread of disaster.”
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Proverbs 1: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 1
1
1The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2To know wisdom, and instruction:
3To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:
4To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.
5A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth, shall possess governments.
6He shall understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.
7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.
10My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.
11If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:
12Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit.
13We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.
14Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.
15My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.
16For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.
18And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.
19So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.
20Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:
22O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?
23Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.
24Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.
25You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.
26I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.
27When sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon you:
28Then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning and shall not find me:
29Because they have hated instruction and received not the fear of the Lord,
30Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.
31Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices.
32The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.