Proverbs 1
English Standard Version
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 (A)The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in (B)righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to (C)the simple,
knowledge and (D)discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and (E)increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
(F)the words of the wise and their (G)riddles.
7 (H)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 (I)Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
and forsake not your mother's teaching,
9 for they are (J)a graceful garland for your head
and (K)pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners (L)entice you,
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, (M)let us lie in wait for blood;
(N)let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us (O)swallow them alive,
and whole, like (P)those who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, (Q)do not walk in the way with them;
(R)hold back your foot from their paths,
16 for (S)their feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
17 (T)For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men (U)lie in wait for their own blood;
they (V)set an ambush for their own lives.
19 (W)Such are the ways of everyone who is (X)greedy for unjust gain;
(Y)it takes away the life of its possessors.
The Call of Wisdom
20 (Z)Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at (AA)the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O (AB)simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will (AC)scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools (AD)hate knowledge?
23 If you turn at my reproof,[a]
behold, I will (AE)pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 (AF)Because I have called and (AG)you refused to listen,
have (AH)stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have (AI)ignored all my counsel
and (AJ)would have none of my reproof,
26 I also (AK)will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when (AL)terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like (AM)a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 (AN)Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they (AO)hated knowledge
and (AP)did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 (AQ)would have none of my counsel
and (AR)despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat (AS)the fruit of their way,
and have (AT)their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by (AU)their turning away,
and (AV)the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but (AW)whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be (AX)at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:23 Or Will you turn away at my reproof?
Mishle 1
Orthodox Jewish Bible
1 Mishlei Sh’lomo Ben Dovid, Melech Yisroel;
2 To have da’as of chochmah and musar (discipline); to understand the words of binah;
3 To receive the musar of those with seichel, tzedek and mishpat, and meisharim (equity, uprightness);
4 To give subtlety to the simple, to the na’ar, da’as and discretion.
5 A chacham (wise person) will hear, and will increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6 To understand a mashal (proverb), and the melitzah (enigma); the divrei chachamim, and their chidot (riddles).
7 The Yirat Hashem is the reshit da’as, but fools despise chochmah and musar.
8 Beni (my son), hear the musar Avicha, and forsake not the Torat Immecha.
9 For they shall be a garland of chen unto thy rosh, and a chain about thy neck.
10 Beni (my son), if chatt’aim (sinners) entice thee, consent thou not.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for dahm, let us lurk secretly for the naki (innocent, harmless) chinnom (without cause);
12 Let us swallow them up chayyim (alive) like She’ol; and whole, as those that go down into the bor (pit);
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill bateinu (our houses) with plunder;
14 Throw in thy goral (lot) among us; let all of us have kis echad (one pouch, purse).
15 Beni (my son), walk not thou in the derech with them; refrain thy regel from their path;
16 For their raglayim run to rah, and make haste for shefach dahm (shedding of blood).
17 Surely in vain the reshet (net) is spread in the eyes of kol ba’al kanaf (all the birds, i.e., lit. master of [the] wing);
18 And they lie in wait for their own dahm; they lurk secretly for their own nafshot.
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy for betza (ill-gotten gain); which taketh away the nefesh of the be’alim (owners) thereof.
20 Chochmot crieth out in the street; she lifts up her voice in the rechovot (city squares);
21 She crieth out in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the she’arim (gates); in the Ir (city) she uttereth her words, saying,
22 Ad mosai, ye simple ones, will ye love being simpletons? And the scoffers delight in their mockery, and kesilim (fools) hate da’as?
23 Turn you at my tokhechah (reproof); hinei, I will pour out my ruach unto you, I will make known my devarim unto you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my yad, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have disdained all my etza (counsel), and would have none of my tokhechah (reproof);
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your pachad (terror) cometh;
27 When your pachad (terror) cometh like a storm, and your calamity cometh like a whirlwind; when tzarah (distress) and oppression cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall look for me diligently, but they shall not find me;
29 For that they hated da’as, and did not choose the Yirat Hashem;
30 They would have none of my etza (counsel); they despised all my tokhechah (reproof).
31 Therefore shall they eat of the p’ri (fruit) of their own derech, and be filled with their own mo’atzot (schemes, devices).
32 For the waywardness of the simple shall slay them, and the complacent contentment of kesilim (fools) shall destroy them.
33 But the one who payeth heed unto me [Chochmat Hashem, i.e., the Redemptive Word, not only Hashem’s creative agent (Ps 33:6; Prov 8:30; 30:4) but the one who comes with a healing mission according to Ps 107:20, though Moshiach has to die in the midst of his healing Mission to accomplish our healing from guilt and punitive dread-Isa 53:5] shall dwell safely, and shall be secure from pachad ra’ah (terror of evil).
Proverbs 1
New King James Version
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 The (A)proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To [a]perceive the words of understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the (B)simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5 (C)A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will [b]attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their (D)riddles.
7 (E)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Shun Evil Counsel
8 (F)My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9 For they will be a (G)graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
(H)Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us (I)lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like [c]Sheol,
And whole, (J)like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious [d]possessions,
We shall fill our houses with [e]spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15 My son, (K)do not walk in the way with them,
(L)Keep your foot from their path;
16 (M)For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in [f]vain the net is spread
In the sight of any [g]bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 (N)So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.
The Call of Wisdom
20 (O)Wisdom calls aloud [h]outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the [i]chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “How long, you [j]simple ones, will you love [k]simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke;
Surely (P)I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 (Q)Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you (R)disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 (S)I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When (T)your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then(U) they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they (V)hated knowledge
And did not (W)choose the fear of the Lord,
30 (X)They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore (Y)they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the [l]turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell (Z)safely,
And (AA)will be [m]secure, without fear of evil.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:2 understand or discern
- Proverbs 1:5 acquire
- Proverbs 1:12 Or the grave
- Proverbs 1:13 Lit. wealth
- Proverbs 1:13 plunder
- Proverbs 1:17 futility
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit. lord of the wing
- Proverbs 1:20 in the street
- Proverbs 1:21 LXX, Syr., Tg. top of the walls; Vg. the head of multitudes
- Proverbs 1:22 naive
- Proverbs 1:22 naivete
- Proverbs 1:32 waywardness
- Proverbs 1:33 at ease
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
