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To Know Wisdom

The (A)proverbs of Solomon (B)the son of David, king of Israel:

To know (C)wisdom and discipline,
To understand the sayings of (D)understanding,
To (E)receive discipline [a]that leads to insight,
(F)Righteousness, justice, and equity,
To give (G)prudence to the [b](H)simple,
To the youth (I)knowledge and discretion;
Let the wise man hear and (J)increase in learning,
And a (K)man of understanding will acquire guidance,
To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their (L)riddles.

(M)The fear of [c]Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge;
[d]Ignorant fools despise wisdom and discipline.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:3 Lit of
  2. Proverbs 1:4 Or naive
  3. Proverbs 1:7 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  4. Proverbs 1:7 One who lacks wisdom due to negligence or carelessness; so in Prov

The Purpose of Proverbs

These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.

Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
    to help them understand the insights of the wise.
Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
    to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
    knowledge and discernment to the young.

Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
    Let those with understanding receive guidance
by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

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