#proverbs 1

The Proverbs of Solomon

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

2 To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, 3 to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; 4 to give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion— 5 a wise man will hear and will increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, 6 to understand a proverb and the interpretation, the words of the wise and their riddles.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Prologue: Embrace Wisdom

8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; 9 for they will be a garland of grace on your head, and chains about your neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. 11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12 let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole, as those who go down into the pit; 13 we will find all kinds of precious possessions; we will fill our houses with spoil; 14 cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purse”— 15 my son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; 16 for their feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 They lie in wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy of gain, which takes away the life of its owners.

The Call of Wisdom

20 Wisdom cries out in the street; she utters her voice in the markets. 21 She cries at the corner of the streets, in the openings of the gates; she speaks her words in the city, saying:

22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. 23 Turn at my reproof; surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded, 25 because you neglected all my counsel, and would have none of my reproof, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear comes, 27 when your fear comes as desolation and your destruction comes as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.

28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, but they will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, 30 they would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the prosperity of fools will destroy them. 33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure from fear of evil.” — Proverbs 1 | Modern English Version (MEV) The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. Cross References: Genesis 41:42; Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 4:6; Deuteronomy 21:18; Deuteronomy 28:63; 1 Samuel 19:10; 1 Kings 4:32; Job 4:8; Job 21:14; Job 27:9; Psalm 1:1; Psalm 10:8; Psalm 25:12-13; Psalm 28:1; Psalm 81:11; Psalm 116:6; Proverbs 2:1; Proverbs 4:1; Proverbs 5:12; Proverbs 5:22; Proverbs 8:1; Proverbs 9:9; Proverbs 15:27; Proverbs 16:19; Luke 7:30; John 7:39; Romans 2:5; Romans 10:21; Ephesians 5:11; James 4:3

Proverbs

The Proverbs of Solomon

1 The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel. 2 To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason: 3 To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour: 4 To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose: 5 (The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:) 6 To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings. 7 The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.

Advice to a Son

8 My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother: 9 For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck. 10 My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them. 11 If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause; 12 Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; 13 Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth; 14 Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag: 15 My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways: 16 For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life. 17 Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird: 18 And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves. 19 Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.

The Good Woman—Wisdom

Purpose of Proverbs

1 The proverbs of Solomon, King David’s son, from Israel: 2 Their purpose is to teach wisdom and discipline,    to help one understand wise sayings. 3 They provide insightful instruction,    which is righteous, just, and full of integrity. 4 They make the naive mature,    the young knowledgeable and discreet. 5 The wise hear them and grow in wisdom;    those with understanding gain guidance. 6 They help one understand proverbs and difficult sayings,    the words of the wise, and their puzzles. 7 Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord,    but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Avoid evil associations

8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction;    don’t neglect your mother’s teaching; 9        for they are a graceful wreath on your head,        and beads for your neck. 10 My son, don’t let sinners entice you.    Don’t go 11    when they say:        “Come with us.        Let’s set up a deadly ambush.        Let’s secretly wait for the innocent just for fun. 12        Let’s swallow up the living like the grave—        whole, like those who go down into the pit. 13        We’ll find all sorts of precious wealth;        we’ll fill our houses with plunder. 14        Throw in your lot with us;        we’ll share our money.” 15 My son, don’t go on the path with them;    keep your feet from their way, 16    because their feet run to evil;            they hurry to spill blood. 17 It’s useless to cast a net    in the sight of a bird. 18 But these sinners set up a deadly ambush;    they lie in wait for their own lives. 19 These are the ways of all who seek unjust gain;    it costs them their lives.

Listen to “Woman Wisdom”

1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, the son of David and king of Israel. 2 They will help you learn to be wise, to accept correction, and to understand wise sayings. 3 They will teach you to develop your mind in the right way. You will learn to do what is right and to be honest and fair. 4 These proverbs will make even those without education smart. They will teach young people what they need to know and how to use what they have learned. 5 Even the wise could become wiser by listening to these proverbs. They will gain understanding and learn to solve difficult problems. 6 These sayings will help you understand proverbs, stories with hidden meanings, words of the wise, and other difficult sayings.

7 Knowledge begins with fear and respect for the Lord, but stubborn fools hate wisdom and refuse to learn.

Advice to a Son

8 My son, listen to your father when he corrects you, and don’t ignore what your mother teaches you. 9 What you learn from your parents will bring you honor and respect, like a crown or a gold medal.

10 My son, those who love to do wrong will try to trick you. Don’t listen to them. 11 They will say, “Come with us. Let’s hide and beat to death anyone who happens to walk by. 12 We will swallow them whole, as the grave swallows the dying. 13 We will take everything they have and fill our houses with stolen goods. 14 So join us, and you can share everything we get.”

15 My son, don’t follow them. Don’t even take the first step along that path. 16 They run to do something evil, and they cannot wait to kill someone.

17 You cannot trap birds with a net if they see you spreading it out. 18 But evil people cannot see the trap they set for themselves. 19 This is what happens to those who are greedy. Whatever they get destroys them.

The Good Woman—Wisdom

20 Listen! Wisdom is shouting in the streets. She is crying out in the marketplace. 21 She is calling out where the noisy crowd gathers:

22 “Fools, how long will you love being ignorant? How long will you make fun of wisdom? How long will you hate knowledge? 23 I wanted to tell you everything I knew and give you all my knowledge, but you didn’t listen to my advice and teaching.

24 “I tried to help, but you refused to listen. I offered my hand, but you turned away from me. 25 You ignored my advice and refused to be corrected. 26 So I will laugh at your troubles and make fun of you when what you fear happens. 27 Disasters will strike you like a storm. Problems will pound you like a strong wind. Trouble and misery will weigh you down.

28 “Fools will call for me, but I will not answer. They will look for me, but they will not find me. 29 That is because they hated knowledge. They refused to fear and respect the Lord. 30 They ignored my advice and refused to be corrected. 31 They filled their lives with what they wanted. They went their own way, so they will get what they deserve.

The Beginning of Knowledge

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

2 To know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

3 To receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness and judgment and equity;

4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion:

5 That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; and that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:

6 To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

The Enticement of Sin

8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

9 For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;

12 Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit;

13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;

14 Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; we will all have one purse:

15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

16 For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

17 For in vain is the net spread, in the eyes of any bird:

18 And these lay wait for their own blood, they lurk privily for their own lives.

19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; it taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

Wisdom Calls Aloud

20 Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; she uttereth her voice in the broad places;

21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse; at the entering in of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and scorners delight them in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26 I also will laugh in the day of your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27 When your fear cometh as a storm, and your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you.

28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:

29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

30 They would none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof:

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32 For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

4 To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:

30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.