Proverbs 1
1
The Purpose of Proverbs
1The proverbs of Solomon#1Kg 4:32; Pr 10:1; 25:1; Ec 12:9 son of David, king of Israel:
2For learning wisdom and discipline;
for understanding insightful sayings;
3for receiving prudent instruction
in righteousness, justice, and integrity;#Pr 2:9
4for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced,#1:4 Or simple, or gullible#Pr 8:5
knowledge and discretion#Pr 2:11; 3:21 to a young man —
5let a wise person listen and increase learning,#Pr 9:9; 16:21,23
and let a discerning person obtain guidance —
6for understanding a proverb or a parable,#1:6 Or an enigma
the words of the wise, and their riddles.#Nm 12:8; Jdg 14:12; Ps 49:4; Hab 2:6
7The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of knowledge;#Jb 28:28; Ps 111:10; Pr 9:10; 15:33
fools despise wisdom and discipline.#Eph 5:17
Avoid the Path of the Violent
8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching,#Pr 6:20; 31:1
9for they will be a garland#Pr 4:9 of favor on your head
and pendants#1:9 Lit chains around your neck.#Gn 41:42; Pr 6:21; Dn 5:29
10My son, if sinners entice you,#Pr 16:29
don’t be persuaded.#Ps 141:4
11If they say — “Come with us!
Let’s set an ambush#Pr 12:6; Jr 5:26 and kill someone.#1:11 Lit Let’s ambush for blood
Let’s attack some innocent person#Ps 10:8 just for fun!#1:11 Lit person for no reason
12Let’s swallow them alive,#Ps 124:3 like Sheol,
whole, like those who go down to the Pit.#Ps 28:1
13We’ll find all kinds of valuable property
and fill our houses with plunder.#Pr 24:4
14Throw in your lot with us,
and we’ll all share the loot”#1:14 Lit us; one bag will be for all of us —
15my son, don’t travel that road with them#Ps 1:1; Pr 4:14
or set foot on their path,#Ps 119:101; Pr 16:19
16because their feet run toward evil
and they hurry to shed blood.#Pr 6:17–18; Is 59:7; Rm 3:15
17It is useless to spread a net
where any bird can see it,
18but they set an ambush to kill themselves;#1:18 Lit they ambush for their blood
they attack their own lives.
19Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly;#Pr 15:27; Ezk 22:27; Hab 2:6–12
it takes the lives of those who receive it.#1:19 Lit takes the life of its masters
Wisdom’s Plea
20Wisdom calls out in the street;
she makes her voice heard in the public squares.#Pr 8:1–3; 9:3
21She cries out above#1:21 Lit at the head of the commotion;
she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:
22“How long, inexperienced ones, will you love ignorance?
How long will you mockers#Ps 1:1 enjoy mocking
and you fools hate knowledge?#Jb 21:14; Pr 1:29; 5:12
23If you respond to my warning,#1:23 Lit you turn back to my reprimand#Pr 3:11; 15:5,31–32
then I will pour out my spirit on you#Jl 2:28
and teach you my words.
24Since I called out and you refused,#Is 65:12; 66:4; Jr 7:13; Zch 7:11
extended my hand and no one paid attention,#Is 65:2; Rm 10:21
25since you neglected all my counsel#Ps 107:11; Lk 7:30
and did not accept my correction,
26I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity.#Ps 2:4
I will mock when terror strikes you,
27when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when trouble and stress overcome you.
28Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;
they will search for me, but won’t find me.#1Sm 8:18
29Because they hated knowledge,
didn’t choose to fear the Lord,#Pr 1:7
30were not interested in my counsel,
and rejected all my correction,#Pr 5:12; 15:5
31they will eat the fruit of their way#Jr 6:19
and be glutted with their own schemes.#Pr 14:14; 28:19
32For the apostasy of the inexperienced will kill them,#Jr 2:19
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33But whoever listens to me will live securely
and be undisturbed by the dread of danger.”#Ps 112:7–8; Pr 3:24–26
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Proverbs 1: CSB
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