Proverbs 1 (New American Standard)

The Usefulness of Proverbs

1 The ¹proverbs of Solomon ²the son of David, king of Israel : 2 To know ³wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of ⁴understanding, 3 To ⁵receive instruction in wise behavior, ⁶Righteousness, justice and equity ; 4 To give ⁷prudence to the ^anaive, To the youth ⁸knowledge and discretion, 5 A wise man will hear and ⁹increase in learning, And a ¹⁰man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their ¹¹riddles. 7 ¹²The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge ; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Enticement of Sinners

8 ¹³Hear, my son, your father's instruction And ¹⁴do not forsake your mother's teaching ; 9 Indeed, they are a ¹⁵graceful wreath to your head And ^b16ornaments about your neck. 10 My son, if sinners ¹⁷entice you, ¹⁸Do not consent. 11 If they say, "Come with us, Let us ¹⁹lie in wait for blood, Let us ²⁰ambush the innocent without cause ; 12 Let us ²¹swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who ²²go down to the pit ; 13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil ; 14 Throw in your lot ^cwith us, We shall all have one purse," 15 My son, ²³do not walk in the way with them. ²⁴Keep your feet from their path, 16 For ²⁵their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood. 17 Indeed, it is ^duseless to spread the baited net In the sight of any ^ebird ; 18 But they ²⁶lie in wait for their own blood ; They ambush their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who ²⁷gains by violence ; It takes away the life of its possessors.

Wisdom Warns

20 ²⁸Wisdom shouts in the street, She ^flifts her voice in the square ; 21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings : 22 "How long , O ^g29naive ones, will you love ^hbeing simple-minded ? And ³⁰scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools ³¹hate knowledge ? 23 "Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will ³²pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 "Because ³³I called and you ³⁴refused, I ³⁵stretched out my hand and no one paid attention ; 25 And you ³⁶neglected all my counsel And did not ³⁷want my reproof ; 26 I will also ³⁸laugh at your ³⁹calamity ; I will mock when your ⁴⁰dread comes, 27 When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a ⁴¹whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 "Then they will ⁴²call on me, but I will not answer ; They will ⁴³seek me diligently but they will not find me, 29 Because they ⁴⁴hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. 30 "They ⁴⁵would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. 31 "So they shall ⁴⁶eat of the fruit of their own way And be ⁴⁷satiated with their own devices. 32 "For the ⁴⁸waywardness of the ⁱnaive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. 33 "But ⁴⁹he who listens to me shall ^jlive securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil."