Proverbs 1:1-3:3

Purpose and Theme 1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight;

3for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;

4for giving prudence to those who are simple, The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil. 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. Or understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles

7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient. despise wisdom and instruction.

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men 8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

9They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.

10My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them.

11If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul;

12let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;

14cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”—

15my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;

16for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.

17How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!

18These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves!

19Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.

Wisdom’s Rebuke 20Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square;

21on top of the wall Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech:

22“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

23Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.

24But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,

25since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke,

26I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; 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.”

Moral Benefits of Wisdom 1My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,

2turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—

3indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,

4and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,

5then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

6For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

8for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

9Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.

10For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

12Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse,

13who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways,

14who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

15whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.

16Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words,

17who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. Or covenant of her God

18Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

19None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.

20Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.

21For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; 22but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being 1My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,

2for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.

3Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.