Proverbs 1

1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a]knowledge and discretion to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.[b]
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools[c] despise wisdom and instruction.

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

8

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
9 They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
10 My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them.
11 If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”—
15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves!
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.

Wisdom’s Rebuke

20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[d] 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?
23 Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27 when 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,
29 since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD.
30 Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

Images for Proverbs 1

Cross References 49

  • 1. Matthew 13:3
  • 2. 1 Kings 4:29-34
  • 3. Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 25:1; Ecclesiastes 1:1
  • 4. Proverbs 8:5
  • 5. Proverbs 2:10-11; Proverbs 8:12
  • 6. Proverbs 9:9
  • 7. S Psalms 49:4; Psalms 78:2; Matthew 13:10-17
  • 8. S Numbers 12:8; S Judges 14:12
  • 9. Proverbs 22:17; Proverbs 24:23
  • 10. S Exodus 20:20; S Job 23:15; Psalms 34:4-22; S Psalms 112:1; Job 28:28; Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 15:33; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Isaiah 33:6; Isaiah 50:10; Isaiah 59:19
  • 11. S Deuteronomy 4:6; Jeremiah 8:9
  • 12. Proverbs 8:33-36; Proverbs 9:7-9; Proverbs 12:1; Proverbs 13:18; Proverbs 15:32
  • 13. ver 8-9; Proverbs 2:1; Proverbs 3:1; Proverbs 4:1; Proverbs 5:1; Proverbs 6:1; Proverbs 7:1; Proverbs 19:27; Proverbs 22:17; Proverbs 23:26-28
  • 14. Jeremiah 35:8
  • 15. S Deuteronomy 21:18; Proverbs 6:20
  • 16. Proverbs 3:21-22; Proverbs 4:1-9
  • 17. Genesis 39:7; S Job 24:15
  • 18. Deuteronomy 13:8
  • 19. ver 15; Psalms 1:1; Proverbs 16:29; Ephesians 5:11
  • 20. S Psalms 10:8
  • 21. S Psalms 35:25
  • 22. ver 16-18; S Job 33:18; S Psalms 30:3; Psalms 28:1
  • 23. ver 19
  • 24. S Psalms 119:101
  • 25. S Genesis 49:6; Psalms 1:1; Proverbs 4:14
  • 26. S Job 15:31
  • 27. Proverbs 6:18; Isaiah 59:7
  • 28. S Psalms 71:10
  • 29. S ver 11-12
  • 30. S ver 13-14; Proverbs 4:14-17; Proverbs 11:19; Proverbs 15:27
  • 31. S Proverbs 8:12">Job 2Proverbs 8:12; Proverbs 7:10-13; Proverbs 8:1; Proverbs 9:1-3,13-15
  • 32. Proverbs 6:32; Proverbs 7:7; Proverbs 8:5; Proverbs 9:4,16
  • 33. Psalms 50:17
  • 34. Jeremiah 26:5; Jeremiah 35:17; Jeremiah 36:31
  • 35. Isaiah 65:12; Isaiah 66:4; Jeremiah 7:13; Zechariah 7:11
  • 36. S 1 Samuel 8:19
  • 37. S Psalms 2:4
  • 38. ver 33; S Psalms 59:8
  • 39. S 2 Kings 19:21
  • 40. Deuteronomy 28:63; Proverbs 6:15; Proverbs 10:24
  • 41. S Psalms 18:18; Proverbs 5:12-14
  • 42. S Deuteronomy 1:45; S 1 Samuel 8:18; Isaiah 1:15; S Jeremiah 11:11; Micah 3:4
  • 43. S Job 27:9; Proverbs 8:17; Ezekiel 8:18; Hosea 5:6; Zechariah 7:13
  • 44. S Job 21:14
  • 45. ver 25; Psalms 81:11
  • 46. S 2 Chronicles 36:16; Job 4:8; Proverbs 14:14; Isaiah 3:11; Jeremiah 6:19; Jeremiah 14:16; Jeremiah 21:14; Jeremiah 30:15
  • 47. Proverbs 5:22; Proverbs 15:10; Isaiah 66:4; Jeremiah 2:19
  • 48. S Numbers 24:21; S Deuteronomy 33:28; Psalms 25:12; Proverbs 3:23
  • 49. S ver 21-26; S Psalms 112:8

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. The Hebrew word rendered "simple" in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
  • [b]. Or "understanding a proverb, namely, a parable," / "and the sayings of the wise, their riddles"
  • [c]. The Hebrew words rendered "fool" in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
  • [d]. Septuagint; Hebrew "/ at noisy street corners"

Proverbs 1 Commentaries

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