Proverbs 1-2

Common English Bible

1 The proverbs of Solomon, King David’s son, from Israel:
² Their purpose is to teach wisdom and discipline,
    to help one understand wise sayings.
³ They provide insightful instruction,
    which is righteous, just, and full of integrity.
⁴ They make the naive mature,
    the young knowledgeable and discreet.
⁵ The wise hear them and grow in wisdom;
    those with understanding gain guidance.
⁶ They help one understand proverbs and difficult sayings,
    the words of the wise, and their puzzles.
⁷ Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord,
    but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸ Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction;
    don’t neglect your mother’s teaching;
⁹         for they are a graceful wreath on your head,
        and beads for your neck.
¹⁰ My son, don’t let sinners entice you.
    Don’t go
¹¹     when they say:
        “Come with us.
        Let’s set up a deadly ambush.
        Let’s secretly wait for the innocent just for fun.
¹²         Let’s swallow up the living like the grave^[a]—
        whole, like those who go down into the pit.
¹³         We’ll find all sorts of precious wealth;
        we’ll fill our houses with plunder.
¹⁴         Throw in your lot with us;
        we’ll share our money.”
¹⁵ My son, don’t go on the path with them;
    keep your feet from their way,
¹⁶     because their feet run to evil;
            they hurry to spill blood.
¹⁷ It’s useless to cast a net
    in the sight of a bird.
¹⁸ But these sinners set up a deadly ambush;
    they lie in wait for their own lives.
¹⁹ These are the ways of all who seek unjust gain;
    it costs them their lives.

²⁰ Wisdom shouts in the street;
    in the public square she raises her voice.
²¹ Above the noisy crowd, she calls out.
    At the entrances of the city gates, she has her say:
²² “How long will you clueless people love your naïveté,
    mockers hold their mocking dear,
    and fools hate knowledge?
²³ You should respond when I correct you.
    Look, I’ll pour out my spirit on you.
    I’ll reveal my words to you.
²⁴ I invited you, but you rejected me;
    I stretched out my hand to you,
    but you paid no attention.
²⁵ You ignored all my advice,
    and you didn’t want me to correct you.
²⁶ So I’ll laugh at your disaster;
    I’ll make fun of you when dread comes over you,
²⁷         when terror hits you like a hurricane,
        and your disaster comes in like a tornado,
        when distress and oppression overcome you.
²⁸ Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;
    they will seek me, but won’t find me
²⁹         because they hated knowledge
        and didn’t choose the fear of the Lord.
³⁰ They didn’t want my advice;
    they rejected all my corrections.
³¹ They will eat from the fruit of their way,
    and they’ll be full of their own schemes.
³² The immature will die because they turn away;
    smugness will destroy fools.
³³ Those who obey me will dwell securely,
    untroubled by the dread of harm.”

2 My son, accept my words
    and store up my commands.
² Turn your ear toward wisdom,
    and stretch your mind toward understanding.
³ Call out for insight,
    and cry aloud for understanding.
⁴ Seek it like silver;
    search for it like hidden treasure.
⁵ Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
    and discover the knowledge of God.
⁶ The Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He reserves ability for those with integrity.
    He is a shield for those who live a blameless life.
⁸ He protects the paths of justice
    and guards the way of those who are loyal to him.
⁹ Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
    as well as integrity, every good course.
¹⁰ Wisdom will enter your mind,
    and knowledge will fill you with delight.
¹¹ Discretion will guard you;
    understanding will protect you.
¹² Wisdom will rescue you from the evil path,
    from people who twist their words.
¹³ They forsake the way of integrity
    and go on obscure paths.
¹⁴ They enjoy doing evil,
    rejoicing in their twisted evil.
¹⁵ Their paths are confused;
    they get lost on their way.
¹⁶ Wisdom will rescue you from the mysterious woman,
    from the foreign woman with her slick words.
¹⁷ She leaves behind the partner of her youth;
    she even forgets her covenant with God.
¹⁸ Her house sinks down to death,
    and her paths go down to the shadowy dead.
¹⁹ All those who go to her will never return;
    they will never again reach the ways of the living.
²⁰ So you should stay on the path of good people,
    guarding the road of the righteous.
²¹ Those who have integrity will dwell in the land;
    the innocent will remain in it.
²² But the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the treacherous will be ripped up.