Proverbs 1 / 31
- 1The proverbs of Solomon, the sonof David, king of Israel:
- 2To know wisdom and instruction; To discern the words of understanding;
- 3To receive instruction in wise dealing, In righteousness, justice, and equity;
- 4for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young
- 5let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-
- 6for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
- 7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. ( Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom ) ( Warning Against Enticement )
- 8Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
- 9For they will be a garland tograce your head, And chains around your neck.
- 10My son, if sinners entice you,don't consent.
- 11If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul;
- 12let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
- 13we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
- 14throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"-
- 15my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
- 16for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.
- 17How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!
- 18These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!
- 19Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it. ( Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom )
- 20Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
- 21at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
- 22"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
- 23If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
- 24But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
- 25since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,
- 26I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-
- 27when 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.
- 29Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD ,
- 30since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
- 31they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
- 32For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
- 33but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."