Proverbs 1-13  New American Standard Bible

² To know ^(C)wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of ^(D)understanding,
³ To ^(E)receive instruction in wise behavior,
^(F)Righteousness, justice, and integrity;
⁴ To give ^(G)prudence to the naive,
To the youth ^(H)knowledge and discretion,
⁵ A wise person will hear and ^(I)increase in learning,
And a ^(J)person of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
⁶ To understand a proverb and a saying,
The words of the wise and their ^(K)riddles.

^8 (M)Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
And ^(N)do not ignore your mother’s teaching;
⁹ For they are a ^(O)graceful wreath for your head
And ^(P)necklaces for your neck.
¹⁰ My son, if sinners ^(Q)entice you,
^(R)Do not consent.
¹¹ If they say, “Come with us,
Let’s ^(S)lie in wait for blood,
Let’s ^(T)ambush the innocent without cause;
¹² Let’s ^(U)swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, like those who ^(V)go down to the pit;
¹³ We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with plunder;
¹⁴ Throw in your lot ^[a]with us;
We will all have one money bag,”
¹⁵ My son, ^(W)do not walk on the way with them.
^(X)Keep your feet from their path,
¹⁶ For ^(Y)their feet run to evil,
And they are quick to shed blood.
¹⁷ Indeed, it is ^[b]useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any ^[c]bird;
¹⁸ But they ^(Z)lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own lives.
¹⁹ Such are the ways of everyone who ^(AA)makes unjust gain;
It takes away the life of its possessors.

^20 (AB)Wisdom shouts in the street,
She ^[d]raises her voice in the public square;
²¹ At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she declares her sayings:
²² “How long, you ^(AC)naive ones, will you love simplistic thinking?
And how long will ^(AD)scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools ^(AE)hate knowledge?
²³ Turn to my rebuke,
Behold, I will ^(AF)pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
²⁴ Because ^(AG)I called and you ^(AH)refused,
I ^(AI)stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
²⁵ And you ^(AJ)neglected all my advice
And did not ^(AK)want my rebuke;
²⁶ I will also ^(AL)laugh at your ^(AM)disaster;
I will mock when your ^(AN)dread comes,
²⁷ When your dread comes like a storm
And your disaster comes like a ^(AO)whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
²⁸ Then they will ^(AP)call on me, but I will not answer;
They will ^(AQ)seek me diligently but will not find me,
²⁹ Because they ^(AR)hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord.
³⁰ They ^(AS)did not accept my advice,
They disdainfully rejected every rebuke from me.
³¹ So they shall ^(AT)eat of the fruit of their own way,
And be ^(AU)filled with their own schemes.
³² For the ^(AV)faithlessness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
³³ But ^(AW)whoever listens to me will live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

2 My son, if you will ^(AX)receive my words
And ^(AY)treasure my commandments within you,
^2 (AZ)Make your ear attentive to wisdom;
Incline your heart to understanding.
³ For if you cry out for insight,
And ^[e]raise your voice for understanding;
⁴ If you seek her as ^(BA)silver
And search for her as for ^(BB)hidden treasures;
⁵ Then you will understand the ^(BC)fear of the Lord,
And discover the knowledge of God.
⁶ For ^(BD)the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a ^(BE)shield to those who walk in integrity,
⁸ Guarding the paths of justice,
And He ^(BF)watches over the way of His godly ones.
⁹ Then you will discern ^(BG)righteousness, justice,
And integrity, and every ^(BH)good path.
¹⁰ For ^(BI)wisdom will enter your heart,
And ^(BJ)knowledge will be delightful to your soul;
¹¹ Discretion will ^(BK)watch over you,
Understanding will guard you,
¹² To ^(BL)rescue you from the way of evil,
From a person who speaks ^(BM)perverse things;
¹³ From those who ^(BN)leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ^(BO)ways of darkness;
¹⁴ Who ^(BP)delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
¹⁵ Whose paths are ^(BQ)crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;
¹⁶ To ^(BR)rescue you from the strange woman,
From the ^(BS)foreign woman who flatters with her words,
¹⁷ Who leaves the ^(BT)companion of her youth
And forgets the ^(BU)covenant of her God;
¹⁸ For ^(BV)her house sinks down to death,
And her tracks lead to the ^[f]dead;
¹⁹ None ^(BW)who go to her return,
Nor do they reach the ^(BX)paths of life.
²⁰ So you will ^(BY)walk in the way of good people
And keep to the ^(BZ)paths of the righteous.
²¹ For ^(CA)the upright will live in the land,
And ^(CB)the blameless will remain in it;
²² But ^(CC)the wicked will be eliminated from the land,
And ^(CD)the treacherous will be ^(CE)torn away from it.

3 My son, ^(CF)do not forget my ^[g]teaching,
But have your heart ^(CG)comply with my commandments;
² For ^(CH)length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
³ Do not let ^(CI)kindness and truth leave you;
^(CJ)Bind them around your neck,
^(CK)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ So you will ^(CL)find favor and a ^(CM)good ^[h]reputation
In the sight of God and man.
^5 (CN)Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And ^(CO)do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways ^(CP)acknowledge Him,
And He will ^(CQ)make your paths straight.
^7 (CR)Do not be wise in your own eyes;
^(CS)Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
⁸ It will be ^(CT)healing to your ^[i]body
And ^(CU)refreshment to your bones.
^9 (CV)Honor the Lord from your wealth,
And from the ^(CW)first of all your produce;
¹⁰ Then your ^(CX)barns will be filled with plenty,
And your ^(CY)vats will overflow with new wine.
^11 (CZ)My son, do not reject the ^[j]discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His rebuke,
¹² For ^(DA)whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
Just ^(DB)as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

4 Listen, my sons, to the ^(EJ)instruction of a father,
And ^(EK)pay attention so that you may ^[r]gain understanding,
² For I give you good ^(EL)teaching;
^(EM)Do not abandon my ^[s]instruction.
³ When I was a son to my father,
^(EN)Tender and ^(EO)the only son in the sight of my mother,
⁴ He ^(EP)taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart ^(EQ)take hold of my words;
^(ER)Keep my commandments and live;
^5 (ES)Acquire wisdom! ^(ET)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
⁶ Do not abandon her, and she will guard you;
^(EU)Love her, and she will watch over you.
^7 (EV)The ^[t]beginning of wisdom is: ^(EW)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your possessions, acquire understanding.
^8 (EX)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
⁹ She will place ^(EY)on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”

5 My son, ^(GC)pay attention to my wisdom,
^(GD)Incline your ear to my understanding,
² So that you may ^(GE)maintain discretion
And your ^(GF)lips may comply with knowledge.
³ For the lips of an ^[aa](GG)adulteress ^(GH)drip honey,
And her ^[ab]speech is ^(GI)smoother than oil;
⁴ But in the end she is ^(GJ)bitter as wormwood,
^(GK)Sharp as a two-edged sword.
⁵ Her feet ^(GL)go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.
^6 [ac]She does not ponder the ^(GM)path of life;
Her ways are ^(GN)unstable, she ^(GO)does not know it.

6 My son, if you have become a ^(HH)guarantor for your neighbor,
Or have given a handshake for a stranger,
² If you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth,
Or caught by the words of your mouth,
³ Then do this, my son, and save yourself:
Since you have come into the ^[ai]hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself.
⁴ Give no ^(HI)sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;
⁵ Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand,
And like a ^(HJ)bird from the hand of the fowler.

7 My son, ^(IX)keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.
^2 (IY)Keep my commandments and live,
And my ^[bg]teaching ^(IZ)as the ^[bh]apple of your eye.
^3 (JA)Bind them on your fingers;
^(JB)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend,
⁵ So that they may keep you from an ^[bi]adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

8 Does not ^(KC)wisdom call,
And understanding ^[bu]raise her voice?
² On top of ^(KD)the heights beside the way,
Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
³ Beside the ^(KE)gates, at the opening to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:
⁴ “To you, people, I call,
And my voice is to ^[bv]mankind.
⁵ You ^(KF)naive ones, understand prudence;
And, you ^(KG)fools, understand ^[bw]wisdom!
⁶ Listen, for I will speak ^(KH)noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal ^(KI)right things.
⁷ For my ^(KJ)mouth will proclaim truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸ All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing ^(KK)crooked or perverted in them.
⁹ They are all ^(KL)straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who ^(KM)find knowledge.
¹⁰ Accept my ^(KN)instruction and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold.
¹¹ For wisdom is ^(KO)better than ^[bx]jewels;
And ^(KP)all desirable things cannot compare with her.

9 Wisdom has ^(MB)built her house,
She has carved out her seven pillars;
² She has ^[ch](MC)prepared her food, she has ^(MD)mixed her wine;
She has also ^(ME)set her table;
³ She has ^(MF)sent out her attendants, she ^(MG)calls out
From the ^(MH)tops of the heights of the city:
⁴ “^(MI)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who ^(MJ)lacks ^[ci]understanding she says,
⁵ “Come, ^(MK)eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
^6 [cj]Abandon your foolishness and ^(ML)live,
And ^(MM)proceed in the way of understanding.”

^(NC)A wise son makes a father glad,
But ^(ND)a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
^2 [cp](NE)Ill-gotten gains do not benefit,
But righteousness rescues from death.
³ The Lord ^(NF)will not allow the ^[cq]righteous to hunger,
But He ^(NG)will ^[cr]reject the craving of the wicked.
⁴ Poor is one who works with ^[cs]a lazy hand,
But the ^(NH)hand of the diligent makes rich.
⁵ He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.
^6 (NI)Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But ^(NJ)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
⁷ The ^(NK)mentioning of the righteous is a blessing,
But ^(NL)the name of the wicked will rot.
⁸ The ^(NM)wise of heart will receive commands,
But ^[ct]a babbling fool will come to ruin.
⁹ One ^(NN)who walks in integrity walks securely,
But ^(NO)one who perverts his ways will be found out.
¹⁰ He ^(NP)who winks the eye causes trouble,
And ^[cu](NQ)a babbling fool will come to ruin.
¹¹ The ^(NR)mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But ^(NS)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
¹² Hatred stirs up strife,
But ^(NT)love covers all offenses.
¹³ On ^(NU)the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But ^(NV)a rod is for the back of him who has no ^[cv]sense.
¹⁴ Wise people ^(NW)store up knowledge,
But with ^(NX)the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
¹⁵ The ^(NY)rich person’s wealth is his ^[cw]fortress,
The ^(NZ)ruin of the poor is their poverty.
¹⁶ The ^[cx](OA)wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.
¹⁷ One who ^(OB)is on the path of life follows instruction,
But one who ignores a rebuke goes astray.
¹⁸ One ^(OC)who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And one who spreads slander is a fool.
¹⁹ When there are ^(OD)many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable,
But ^(OE)one who restrains his lips is wise.
²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is like ^(OF)choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
²¹ The ^(OG)lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools ^(OH)die for lack of ^[cy]understanding.
²² It is the ^(OI)blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.
²³ Doing wickedness is like ^(OJ)sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a person of understanding.
²⁴ What ^(OK)the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the ^(OL)desire of the righteous will be granted.
²⁵ When the ^(OM)whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the ^(ON)righteous has an everlasting foundation.
²⁶ Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the ^[cz](OO)lazy one to those who send him.
²⁷ The ^(OP)fear of the Lord prolongs ^[da]life,
But the ^(OQ)years of the wicked will be shortened.
²⁸ The ^(OR)hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the ^(OS)expectation of the wicked perishes.
²⁹ The ^(OT)way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright,
But ^(OU)ruin to the workers of injustice.
³⁰ The ^(OV)righteous will never be shaken,
But ^(OW)the wicked will not live in the land.
³¹ The ^(OX)mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the ^(OY)perverted tongue will be cut out.
³² The lips of the righteous know ^(OZ)what is acceptable,
But the ^(PA)mouth of the wicked, what is perverted.

11 A ^(PB)false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
But a ^(PC)just weight is His delight.
² When ^(PD)pride comes, then comes dishonor;
But with the humble there is wisdom.
³ The ^(PE)integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the ^(PF)perversity of the treacherous will destroy them.
^4 (PG)Riches do not benefit on the day of wrath,
But ^(PH)righteousness rescues from death.
⁵ The ^(PI)righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way,
But ^(PJ)the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
⁶ The righteousness of the upright will rescue them,
But the treacherous will ^(PK)be caught by their own greed.
⁷ When a wicked person dies, his ^(PL)expectation will perish,
And the ^(PM)hope of strong people perishes.
⁸ The righteous is rescued from trouble,
But the wicked ^[db]takes his place.
⁹ With his ^(PN)mouth the godless person destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the ^(PO)righteous will be rescued.
¹⁰ When things ^(PP)go well for the righteous, the city rejoices,
And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.
¹¹ By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
But by the mouth of the wicked, it is torn down.
¹² One who despises his neighbor lacks ^[dc]sense,
But a person of understanding keeps silent.
¹³ One ^(PQ)who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
But one who is ^[dd]trustworthy ^(PR)conceals a matter.
¹⁴ Where there is no ^(PS)guidance the people fall,
But in an abundance of counselors there is ^[de]victory.
¹⁵ One who is a ^(PT)guarantor for a stranger will certainly suffer for it,
But one who hates ^[df]being a guarantor is secure.
¹⁶ A ^(PU)gracious woman attains honor,
And ruthless men attain riches.
¹⁷ A ^(PV)merciful person does ^[dg]himself good,
But the cruel person ^[dh]does himself harm.
¹⁸ A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
But one who ^(PW)sows righteousness gets a true reward.
¹⁹ One who is steadfast in ^(PX)righteousness attains life,
But ^(PY)one who pursues evil attains his own death.
²⁰ The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the ^(PZ)blameless in their ^[di]walk are His ^(QA)delight.
^21 [dj]Be assured, the evil person will not go unpunished,
But the ^[dk]descendants of the righteous will be rescued.
²² As a ^(QB)ring of gold in a pig’s snout
So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
²³ The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the ^(QC)expectation of the wicked is wrath.
²⁴ There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in poverty.
²⁵ A ^[dl](QD)generous person will be ^[dm]prosperous,
And one who ^(QE)gives others plenty of water will himself be given plenty.
²⁶ One who withholds grain, the ^(QF)people will curse him,
But ^(QG)blessing will be on the head of him who ^(QH)sells it.
²⁷ One who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But ^(QI)one who seeks evil, evil will come to him.
²⁸ One who ^(QJ)trusts in his riches will fall,
But ^(QK)the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.
²⁹ One who ^(QL)troubles his own house will ^(QM)inherit wind,
And ^(QN)the foolish will be servant to the wise-hearted.
³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is ^(QO)a tree of life,
And ^(QP)one who is wise ^[dn]gains souls.
³¹ If ^(QQ)the righteous will be repaid on the earth,
How much more the wicked and the sinner!

12 One who loves ^[do]discipline loves knowledge,
But one who hates rebuke is stupid.
² A ^(QR)good person will obtain favor from the Lord,
But He will condemn a person ^[dp]who devises evil.
³ A person will ^(QS)not be established by wickedness,
But the root of the ^(QT)righteous will not be moved.
⁴ An ^[dq](QU)excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who shames him is like ^(QV)rottenness in his bones.
⁵ The thoughts of the righteous are just,
But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
⁶ The ^(QW)words of the wicked wait in ambush for blood,
But the ^(QX)mouth of the upright will rescue them.
⁷ The ^(QY)wicked are overthrown and are no more,
But the ^(QZ)house of the righteous will stand.
⁸ A person will be praised according to his insight,
But one of perverse ^[dr]mind will be despised.
⁹ Better is one who is lightly esteemed and has a servant,
Than one who honors himself and lacks bread.
¹⁰ A ^(RA)righteous person has regard for the life of his animal,
But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
¹¹ One ^(RB)who works his land will have plenty of bread,
But one who pursues worthless things lacks ^[ds]sense.
¹² The ^(RC)wicked person desires the ^[dt]plunder of evil people,
But the root of the righteous ^(RD)yields fruit.
^13 [du]An evil person is ensnared by the offense of his lips,
But the ^(RE)righteous will escape from trouble.
¹⁴ A person will be ^(RF)satisfied with good by the fruit of his ^[dv]words,
And the ^(RG)deeds of a person’s hands will return to him.
¹⁵ The ^(RH)way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a person who listens to advice is wise.
¹⁶ A ^(RI)fool’s anger is known at once,
But a prudent person conceals dishonor.
¹⁷ One who declares truth tells what is right,
But a false witness, deceit.
¹⁸ There is one who ^(RJ)speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,
But the ^(RK)tongue of the wise brings healing.
¹⁹ Truthful lips will endure forever,
But a ^(RL)lying tongue is only for a moment.
²⁰ Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.
^21 (RM)No harm happens to the righteous,
But the wicked are filled with trouble.
^22 (RN)Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
But those who deal faithfully are His delight.
²³ A ^(RO)prudent person conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.
²⁴ The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the ^[dw]lazy hand will be ^(RP)put to forced labor.
^25 (RQ)Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down,
But a ^(RR)good word makes it glad.
²⁶ The righteous person is a guide to his neighbor,
But the way of the wicked leads them astray.
^27 [dx]A lazy person does not ^[dy]roast his prey,
But the ^(RS)precious possession of a person is diligence.
^28 (RT)In the way of righteousness there is life,
And in its pathway there is no death.

13 A ^(RU)wise son accepts his father’s discipline,
But a ^(RV)scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
² From the fruit of a person’s mouth he ^[dz](RW)enjoys good,
But the ^[ea]desire of the treacherous is ^(RX)violence.
³ One who ^(RY)guards his mouth protects his life;
One who ^(RZ)opens wide his lips ^[eb]comes to ruin.
⁴ The soul of the ^[ec]lazy one craves and gets nothing,
But the soul of the diligent is made ^[ed]prosperous.
⁵ A righteous person ^(SA)hates a false statement,
But a wicked person ^[ee](SB)acts disgustingly and shamefully.
⁶ Righteousness ^(SC)guards the ^[ef]one whose way is blameless,
But wickedness brings the ^[eg]sinner to ruin.
⁷ There is one who ^(SD)pretends to be rich but has nothing;
Another pretends to be ^(SE)poor, but has great wealth.
⁸ The ransom of a person’s life is his wealth,
But the poor hears no rebuke.
⁹ The ^(SF)light of the righteous ^[eh]rejoices,
But the ^(SG)lamp of the wicked goes out.
¹⁰ Through overconfidence ^[ei]comes nothing but strife,
But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.
¹¹ Wealth obtained from ^[ej]nothing dwindles,
But one who gathers ^[ek]by labor increases it.
¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire ^[el]fulfilled is a tree of life.
¹³ One who ^(SH)despises the word will do badly,
But one who fears the commandment will be ^(SI)rewarded.
¹⁴ The ^[em]teaching of the wise is a ^(SJ)fountain of life,
To turn aside from the ^(SK)snares of death.
^15 (SL)Good understanding produces favor,
But the way of the treacherous is ^[en]their own disaster.
¹⁶ Every ^(SM)prudent person acts with knowledge,
But a fool ^[eo]displays foolishness.
¹⁷ A wicked messenger falls into adversity,
But ^(SN)a faithful messenger brings healing.
¹⁸ Poverty and shame will come to one who ^(SO)neglects ^[ep]discipline,
But one who complies with rebuke will be honored.
¹⁹ Desire realized is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.
^20 (SP)One who walks with wise people will be wise,
But a companion of fools will suffer harm.
^21 (SQ)Adversity pursues sinners,
But the ^(SR)righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.
²² A good person ^(SS)leaves an inheritance to his ^[eq]grandchildren,
And the ^(ST)wealth of a sinner is stored up for the righteous.
^23 (SU)Abundant food is in the uncultivated ground of the poor,
But ^[er]it is swept away by injustice.
²⁴ He who ^(SV)withholds his ^[es]rod hates his son,
But he who loves him ^[et](SW)disciplines him diligently.
²⁵ The ^(SX)righteous ^[eu]has enough to satisfy his appetite,
But the stomach of the ^(SY)wicked is in need.