1:1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
1:2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight;
1:3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;
1:4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,* knowledge and discretion to the young - / *The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
1:5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance -
1:6 for 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
1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools* despise wisdom and instruction. / *The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
1:8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
1:9 They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
1:10 My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them.
1:11 If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul;
1:12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
1:13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
1:14 cast lots with us; we will all share the loot” -
1:15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
1:16 for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.
1:17 How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!
1:18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves!
1:19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.
1:20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square;
1:21 on top of the wall* she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech: / *Septuagint; Hebrew at noisy street corners
1:22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
1:23 Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.
1:24 But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
1:25 since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke,
1:26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you -
1:27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
1:28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me,
1:29 since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord.
1:30 Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
1:31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
1:32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
1:33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”