Proverbs 1

Prologue: Purpose and Theme

1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2for attaining wisdom and discipline;

for understanding words of insight;

3for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,

doing what is right and just and fair;

4for giving prudence to the simple,

knowledge and discretion to the young—

5let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance—

6for understanding proverbs and parables,

the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools^a despise wisdom and discipline.

Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against Enticement

8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction

and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

9They will be a garland to grace your head

and a chain to adorn your neck.

10My son, if sinners entice you,

do not give in to them.

11If they say, “Come along with us;

let’s lie in wait for someone’s blood,

let’s waylay some harmless soul;

12let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,^b

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

13we will get all sorts of valuable things

and fill our houses with plunder;

14throw in your lot with us,

and we will share a common purse”—

15my son, do not go along with them,

do not set foot on their paths;

16for their feet rush into sin,

they are swift to shed blood.

17How useless to spread a net

in full view of all the birds!

18These men lie in wait for their own blood;

they waylay only themselves!

19Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;

it takes away the lives of those who get it.

Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom

20Wisdom calls aloud in the street,

she raises her voice in the public squares;

21at the head of the noisy streets^c she cries out,

in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

22“How long will you simple ones^d love your simple ways?

How long will mockers delight in mockery

and fools hate knowledge?

23If you had responded to my rebuke,

I would have poured out my heart to you

and made my thoughts known to you.

24But since you rejected me when I called

and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,

25since you ignored all my advice

and would not accept my rebuke,

26I in turn will laugh at your disaster;

I will mock when calamity overtakes you—

27when calamity overtakes you like a storm,

when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,

when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28“Then they will call to me but I will not answer;

they will look for me but will not find me.

29Since they hated knowledge

and did not choose to fear the Lord,

30since they would not accept my advice

and spurned my rebuke,

31they will eat the fruit of their ways

and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

32For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,

and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33but whoever listens to me will live in safety

and be at ease, without fear of harm.”