1 Kings 4:29-34

English Standard Version

²⁹^(A)And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind ^(B)like the sand on the seashore, ³⁰so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all ^(C)the people of the east ^(D)and all the wisdom of Egypt. ³¹For he was ^(E)wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. ³²^(F)He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, ^(G)and his songs were 1,005. ³³He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. ³⁴And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from ^(H)all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

Read full chapter

Proverbs 1-4

English Standard Version

The Beginning of Knowledge

1 ^(A)The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

²To know wisdom and instruction,
    to understand words of insight,
³to receive instruction in wise dealing,
    in ^(B)righteousness, justice, and equity;
⁴to give prudence to ^(C)the simple,
    knowledge and ^(D)discretion to the youth—
⁵Let the wise hear and ^(E)increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,
⁶to 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,
⁹for they are ^(J)a graceful garland for your head
    and ^(K)pendants for your neck.
¹⁰My son, if sinners ^(L)entice you,
    do not consent.
¹¹If they say, “Come with us, ^(M)let us lie in wait for blood;
    ^(N)let us ambush the innocent without reason;
¹²like Sheol let us ^(O)swallow them alive,
    and whole, like ^(P)those who go down to the pit;
¹³we shall find all precious goods,
    we shall fill our houses with plunder;
¹⁴throw in your lot among us;
    we will all have one purse”—
¹⁵my son, ^(Q)do not walk in the way with them;
    ^(R)hold back your foot from their paths,
¹⁶for ^(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,
¹⁸but 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;
²¹at 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?
²³If 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,
²⁵because you have ^(AI)ignored all my counsel
    and ^(AJ)would have none of my reproof,
²⁶I also ^(AK)will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when ^(AL)terror strikes you,
²⁷when 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.
²⁹Because 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,
³¹therefore they shall eat ^(AS)the fruit of their way,
    and have ^(AT)their fill of their own devices.
³²For the simple are killed by ^(AU)their turning away,
    and ^(AV)the complacency of fools destroys them;
³³but ^(AW)whoever listens to me will dwell secure
    and will be ^(AX)at ease, without dread of disaster.”

The Value of Wisdom

2 ^(AY)My son, ^(AZ)if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
²making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
³yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice ^(BA)for understanding,
⁴if you seek it like ^(BB)silver
    and search for it as for ^(BC)hidden treasures,
⁵then ^(BD)you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
⁶For ^(BE)the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
⁷he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is ^(BF)a shield to those who ^(BG)walk in integrity,
⁸guarding the paths of justice
    and ^(BH)watching over the way of his ^(BI)saints.
⁹^(BJ)Then you will understand ^(BK)righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path;
¹⁰for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
¹¹^(BL)discretion will ^(BM)watch over you,
    understanding will guard you,
¹²delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men of perverted speech,
¹³who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to ^(BN)walk in the ways of darkness,
¹⁴who ^(BO)rejoice in doing evil
    and ^(BP)delight in the perverseness of evil,
¹⁵men whose ^(BQ)paths are crooked,
    ^(BR)and who are ^(BS)devious in their ways.

¹⁶So ^(BT)you will be delivered from the forbidden^[b] woman,
    from ^(BU)the adulteress^[c] with ^(BV)her smooth words,
¹⁷who forsakes ^(BW)the companion of her youth
    and forgets ^(BX)the covenant of her God;
¹⁸^(BY)for her house sinks down to death,
    and her paths to the departed;^[d]
¹⁹none who go to her come back,
    nor do they regain the paths of life.

²⁰So you will walk in the way of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
²¹For the upright ^(BZ)will inhabit the land,
    and those with integrity will remain in it,
²²but the wicked will be ^(CA)cut off from the land,
    and the treacherous will be ^(CB)rooted out of it.

Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart

3 ^(CC)My son, do not forget my teaching,
^(CD)but let your heart keep my commandments,
²for ^(CE)length of days and years of life
and ^(CF)peace they will add to you.

³Let not ^(CG)steadfast love and ^(CH)faithfulness forsake you;
    ^(CI)bind them around your neck;
    ^(CJ)write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴So you will ^(CK)find favor and ^(CL)good success^[e]
    in the sight of God and man.

⁵^(CM)Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and ^(CN)do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶In all your ways ^(CO)acknowledge him,
    and he ^(CP)will make straight your paths.
⁷^(CQ)Be not wise in your own eyes;
    ^(CR)fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
⁸It will be ^(CS)healing to your flesh^[f]
    and ^(CT)refreshment^[g] to your bones.

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with ^(CU)the firstfruits of all your produce;
¹⁰then your ^(CV)barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.

¹¹^(CW)My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
¹²for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as ^(CX)a father the son in whom he delights.

Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom

¹³^(CY)Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
    and the one who gets understanding,
¹⁴^(CZ)for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
    and her profit better than ^(DA)gold.
¹⁵She is more precious than ^(DB)jewels,
    and ^(DC)nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶^(DD)Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are ^(DE)riches and honor.
¹⁷Her ^(DF)ways are ways of pleasantness,
    and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸She is ^(DG)a tree of life to those who ^(DH)lay hold of her;
    those who hold her fast are called blessed.

¹⁹^(DI)The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding ^(DJ)he established the heavens;
²⁰by his knowledge ^(DK)the deeps broke open,
and ^(DL)the clouds drop down the dew.

²¹My son, ^(DM)do not lose sight of these—
    keep sound wisdom and discretion,
²²and they will be ^(DN)life for your soul
    and ^(DO)adornment for your neck.
²³^(DP)Then you will walk on your way securely,
    ^(DQ)and your foot will not stumble.
²⁴^(DR)If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
    when you lie down, ^(DS)your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵^(DT)Do not be afraid of sudden terror
    or of ^(DU)the ruin^[h] of the wicked, when it comes,
²⁶for the Lord will be your confidence
    and will ^(DV)keep your foot from being caught.
²⁷^(DW)Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,^[i]
    when it is in your power to do it.

²⁸^(DX)Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
    tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
²⁹^(DY)Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
    who ^(DZ)dwells trustingly beside you.
³⁰^(EA)Do not contend with a man for no reason,
    when he has done you no harm.
³¹^(EB)Do not envy ^(EC)a man of violence
    and do not choose any of his ways,
³²for ^(ED)the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
    but the upright are ^(EE)in his confidence.
³³^(EF)The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,
    but he ^(EG)blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
³⁴Toward the ^(EH)scorners he ^(EI)is scornful,
    ^(EJ)but to the humble he gives favor.^[j]
³⁵The wise will inherit honor,
    but fools get^[k] disgrace.

A Father's Wise Instruction

4 ^(EK)Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may ^(EL)gain^[l] insight,
²for I give you good ^(EM)precepts;
    do not forsake my teaching.
³When I was a son with my father,
    ^(EN)tender, ^(EO)the only one in the sight of my mother,
⁴he ^(EP)taught me and said to me,
^(EQ)“Let your heart hold fast my words;
    ^(ER)keep my commandments, and live.
⁵^(ES)Get wisdom; get ^(ET)insight;
    do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
⁶Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
    ^(EU)love her, and she will guard you.
⁷^(EV)The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
    and whatever you get, get ^(EW)insight.
⁸Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
    she will ^(EX)honor you ^(EY)if you embrace her.
⁹She will place on your head ^(EZ)a graceful garland;
    she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

¹⁰^(FA)Hear, ^(FB)my son, and accept my words,
    that ^(FC)the years of your life may be many.
¹¹I have ^(FD)taught you the way of wisdom;
    I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
¹²When you walk, ^(FE)your step will not be hampered,
    and ^(FF)if you run, you will not stumble.
¹³^(FG)Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
    guard her, for she is your ^(FH)life.
¹⁴^(FI)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
    and do not walk in the way of the evil.
¹⁵Avoid it; do not go on it;
    turn away from it and pass on.
¹⁶For they ^(FJ)cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
    they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness
    ^(FK)and drink the wine of violence.
¹⁸But ^(FL)the path of the righteous is like ^(FM)the light of dawn,
    which shines ^(FN)brighter and brighter until ^(FO)full day.
¹⁹^(FP)The way of the wicked is like deep ^(FQ)darkness;
    they do not know over what they ^(FR)stumble.

²⁰^(FS)My son, be attentive to my words;
    incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹^(FT)Let them not escape from your sight;
    ^(FU)keep them within your heart.
²²For they are ^(FV)life to those who find them,
    and healing to all their^[m] flesh.
²³Keep your heart with all vigilance,
    for ^(FW)from it flow ^(FX)the springs of life.
²⁴Put away from you ^(FY)crooked speech,
    and put ^(FZ)devious talk far from you.
²⁵^(GA)Let your eyes look directly forward,
    and your gaze be straight before you.
²⁶^(GB)Ponder^[n] the path of your feet;
    ^(GC)then all your ways will be sure.
²⁷^(GD)Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
    turn your foot away from evil.