Proverbs 1-4

Christian Standard Bible

1 The proverbs of Solomon^(A) son of David, king of Israel:
² For learning wisdom and discipline;
for understanding insightful sayings;
³ for receiving prudent instruction
in righteousness, justice, and integrity;^(B)
4 for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced,^[a](C)
knowledge and discretion^(D) to a young man—
⁵ let a wise person listen and increase learning,^(E)
and let a discerning person obtain guidance—
⁶ for understanding a proverb or a parable,^[b]
the words of the wise, and their riddles.^(F)

⁸ Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching,^(I)
9 for they will be a garland^(J) of favor on your head
and pendants^[c] around your neck.^(K)
10 My son, if sinners entice you,^(L)
don’t be persuaded.^(M)
11 If they say—“Come with us!
Let’s set an ambush^(N) and kill someone.^[d]
Let’s attack some innocent person^(O) just for fun!^[e]
12 Let’s swallow them alive,^(P) like Sheol,
whole, like those who go down to the Pit.^(Q)
13 We’ll find all kinds of valuable property
and fill our houses with plunder.^(R)
14 Throw in your lot with us,
and we’ll all share the loot”^[f]—
¹⁵ my son, don’t travel that road with them^(S)
or set foot on their path,^(T)
16 because their feet run toward evil
and they hurry to shed blood.^(U)
17 It is useless to spread a net
where any bird can see it,
¹⁸ but they set an ambush to kill themselves;^[g]
they attack their own lives.
¹⁹ Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly;^(V)
it takes the lives of those who receive it.^[h]

²⁰ Wisdom calls out in the street;
she makes her voice heard in the public squares.^(W)
21 She cries out above^[i] 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^(X) enjoy mocking
and you fools hate knowledge?^(Y)
23 If you respond to my warning,^[j](Z)
then I will pour out my spirit on you^(AA)
and teach you my words.
²⁴ Since I called out and you refused,^(AB)
extended my hand and no one paid attention,^(AC)
25 since you neglected all my counsel^(AD)
and did not accept my correction,
²⁶ I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity.^(AE)
I will mock when terror strikes you,
²⁷ when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when trouble and stress overcome you.
²⁸ Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;
they will search for me, but won’t find me.^(AF)
29 Because they hated knowledge,
didn’t choose to fear the Lord,^(AG)
30 were not interested in my counsel,
and rejected all my correction,^(AH)
31 they will eat the fruit of their way^(AI)
and be glutted with their own schemes.^(AJ)
32 For the apostasy of the inexperienced will kill them,^(AK)
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
³³ But whoever listens to me will live securely
and be undisturbed by the dread of danger.”^(AL)

2 My son, if you accept my words^(AM)
and store up my commands within you,
² listening closely^[k] to wisdom
and directing your heart to understanding;
³ furthermore, if you call out to insight
and lift your voice to understanding,
⁴ if you seek it like silver
and search for it like hidden treasure,^(AN)
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and discover the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.^(AO)
7 He stores up success^[l] for the upright;
He is a shield for those who live with integrity^(AP)
8 so that he may guard the paths of justice
and protect the way of his faithful followers.^(AQ)
9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice,
and integrity—every good path.
¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will delight you.
¹¹ Discretion will watch over you,
and understanding will guard you.^(AR)
12 It will rescue you from the way of evil—
from anyone who says perverse things,
¹³ from those who abandon the right paths
to walk in ways of darkness,^(AS)
14 from those who enjoy doing evil^(AT)
and celebrate perversion,
¹⁵ whose paths are crooked,^(AU)
and whose ways are devious.^(AV)
16 It will rescue you from a forbidden woman,^(AW)
from a wayward woman with her flattering talk,^(AX)
17 who abandons the companion of her youth^(AY)
and forgets the covenant of her God;
¹⁸ for her house sinks down to death
and her ways to the land of the departed spirits.^(AZ)
19 None return who go to her;
none reach the paths of life.^(BA)
20 So follow the way of the good,^(BB)
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
²¹ For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those of integrity will remain in it;^(BC)
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,^(BD)
and the treacherous ripped out of it.^(BE)

3 My son, don’t forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commands;^(BF)
2 for they will bring you
many days, a full life,^[m](BG) and well-being.^(BH)
3 Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you.
Tie them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.^(BI)
4 Then you will find favor and high regard
with God and people.^(BJ)

¹³ Happy is a man who finds wisdom^(BV)
and who acquires understanding,
¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver,
and her revenue is better than gold.^(BW)
15 She is more precious than jewels;^(BX)
nothing you desire can equal her.^(BY)
16 Long life^[o] is in her right hand;
in her left, riches and honor.^(BZ)
17 Her ways are pleasant,^(CA)
and all her paths, peaceful.
¹⁸ She is a tree of life^(CB) to those who embrace her,
and those who hold on to her are happy.

²⁷ When it is in your power,^[t]
don’t withhold good^(CL) from the one to whom it belongs.
²⁸ Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go away! Come back later.
I’ll give it tomorrow”—when it is there with you.^(CM)
29 Don’t plan any harm against your neighbor,^(CN)
for he trusts you and lives near you.
³⁰ Don’t accuse anyone without cause,^(CO)
when he has done you no harm.
³¹ Don’t envy a violent man^(CP)
or choose any of his ways;
³² for the devious are detestable to the Lord,
but he is a friend^[u] to the upright.^(CQ)
33 The Lord’s curse is on the household of the wicked,^(CR)
but he blesses the home of the righteous;
³⁴ He mocks those who mock
but gives grace to the humble.^(CS)
35 The wise will inherit honor,
but he holds up fools to dishonor.^[v]

4 Listen, sons, to a father’s discipline,^(CT)
and pay attention so that you may gain understanding,
² for I am giving you good instruction.^(CU)
Don’t abandon my teaching.
³ When I was a son with my father,
tender and precious to my mother,
⁴ he taught me and said,
“Your heart must hold on to my words.
Keep my commands and live.^(CV)
5 Get wisdom, get understanding;^(CW)
don’t forget or turn away from the words from my mouth.
⁶ Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you;
love her,^(CX) and she will guard you.
⁷ Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom.
And whatever else you get, get understanding.^(CY)
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
if you embrace her, she will honor you.^(CZ)
9 She will place a garland of favor on your head;
she will give you a crown of beauty.”^(DA)

¹⁰ Listen, my son. Accept my words,^(DB)
and you will live many years.^(DC)
11 I am teaching you the way of wisdom;
I am guiding you on straight paths.^(DD)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered;^(DE)
when you run, you will not stumble.^(DF)
13 Hold on to instruction; don’t let go.^(DG)
Guard it, for it is your life.
¹⁴ Keep off the path of the wicked;^(DH)
don’t proceed on the way of evil ones.
¹⁵ Avoid it; don’t travel on it.
Turn away from it, and pass it by.
¹⁶ For they can’t sleep
unless they have done what is evil;
they are robbed of sleep
unless they make someone stumble.^(DI)
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
¹⁸ The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,^(DJ)
shining brighter and brighter until midday.
¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;^(DK)
they don’t know what makes them stumble.^(DL)

²⁰ My son, pay attention to my words;
listen closely to my sayings.^(DM)
21 Don’t lose sight of them;^(DN)
keep them within your heart.
²² For they are life to those who find them,
and health to one’s whole body.
²³ Guard your heart above all else,^[w]
for it is the source of life.^(DO)
24 Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly,^(DP)
and don’t let your lips talk deviously.
²⁵ Let your eyes look forward;
fix your gaze^[x] straight ahead.^(DQ)
26 Carefully consider the path^[y] for your feet,^(DR)
and all your ways will be established.
²⁷ Don’t turn to the right or to the left;^(DS)
keep your feet away from evil.