1 These are the proverbs of King Solomon of Israel, David’s son:

² He wrote them to teach his people how to live—how to act in every circumstance, ³ for he wanted them to be understanding, just, and fair in everything they did. ⁴ “I want to make the simpleminded wise!” he said. “I want to warn young men about some problems they will face. ^5-6 I want those already wise to become wiser and become leaders by exploring the depths of meaning in these nuggets of truth.”

^7-9 How does a man become wise? The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord!

Only fools refuse to be taught. Listen to your father and mother. What you learn from them will stand you in good stead; it will gain you many honors.^[a]

¹⁰ If young toughs tell you, “Come and join us”—turn your back on them! ¹¹ “We’ll hide and rob and kill,” they say. ¹² “Good or bad, we’ll treat them all alike. ¹³ And the loot we’ll get! All kinds of stuff! ¹⁴ Come on, throw in your lot with us; we’ll split with you in equal shares.”

¹⁵ Don’t do it, son! Stay far from men like that, ¹⁶ for crime is their way of life, and murder is their specialty. ¹⁷ When a bird sees a trap being set, it stays away, ¹⁸ but not these men; they trap themselves! They lay a booby trap for their own lives. ¹⁹ Such is the fate of all who live by violence and murder.^[b] They will die a violent death.

²⁰ Wisdom shouts in the streets for a hearing. ²¹ She calls out to the crowds along Main Street, and to the judges in their courts, and to everyone in all the land: ²² “You simpletons!” she cries. “How long will you go on being fools? How long will you scoff at wisdom and fight the facts? ²³ Come here and listen to me! I’ll pour out the spirit of wisdom upon you and make you wise. ²⁴ I have called you so often, but still you won’t come. I have pleaded, but all in vain. ²⁵ For you have spurned my counsel and reproof. ²⁶ Some day you’ll be in trouble, and I’ll laugh! Mock me, will you?—I’ll mock you! ²⁷ When a storm of terror surrounds you, and when you are engulfed by anguish and distress, ²⁸ then I will not answer your cry for help. It will be too late though you search for me ever so anxiously.

²⁹ “For you closed your eyes to the facts and did not choose to reverence and trust the Lord, ³⁰ and you turned your back on me, spurning my advice. ³¹ That is why you must eat the bitter fruit of having your own way and experience the full terrors of the pathway you have chosen. ³² For you turned away from me—to death; your own complacency will kill you. Fools! ³³ But all who listen to me shall live in peace and safety, unafraid.”

2 ^1-2 Every young man who listens to me and obeys my instructions will be given wisdom and good sense. ^3-5 Yes, if you want better insight and discernment, and are searching for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure, then wisdom will be given you and knowledge of God himself; you will soon learn the importance of reverence for the Lord and of trusting him.

⁶ For the Lord grants wisdom! His every word is a treasure of knowledge and understanding. ^7-8 He grants good sense to the godly—his saints. He is their shield, protecting them and guarding their pathway. ⁹ He shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time. ¹⁰ For wisdom and truth will enter the very center of your being, filling your life with joy. ^11-13 You will be given the sense to stay away from evil men who want you to be their partners in crime—men who turn from God’s ways to walk down dark and evil paths ¹⁴ and exult in doing wrong, for they thoroughly enjoy their sins. ¹⁵ Everything they do is crooked and wrong.

^16-17 Only wisdom from the Lord can save a man from the flattery of prostitutes; these girls have abandoned their husbands and flouted the laws of God. ¹⁸ Their houses lie along the road to death and hell. ¹⁹ The men who enter them are doomed. None of these men will ever be the same again.^[c]

²⁰ Follow the steps of the godly instead, and stay on the right path, ²¹ for only good men enjoy life to the full;^{[d] 22} evil men lose the good things they might have had,^[e] and they themselves shall be destroyed.

3 ^1-2 My son, never forget the things I’ve taught you. If you want a long and satisfying life, closely follow my instructions. ³ Never tire of loyalty and kindness. Hold these virtues tightly. Write them deep within your heart. ^4-5 If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. ⁶ In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

^7-8 Don’t be conceited, sure of your own wisdom. Instead, trust and reverence the Lord, and turn your back on evil; when you do that, then you will be given renewed health and vitality.

^9-10 Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines.

^11-12 Young man, do not resent it when God chastens and corrects you, for his punishment is proof of his love. Just as a father punishes a son he delights in to make him better, so the Lord corrects you.

^13-15 The man who knows right from wrong^[f] and has good judgment and common sense is happier than the man who is immensely rich! For such wisdom is far more valuable than precious jewels. Nothing else compares with it. ^16-17 Wisdom gives: a long, good life, riches, honor, pleasure, peace. ¹⁸ Wisdom is a tree of life to those who eat her fruit; happy is the man who keeps on eating it.

¹⁹ The Lord’s wisdom founded the earth; his understanding established all the universe and space. ²⁰ The deep fountains of the earth were broken open by his knowledge, and the skies poured down rain.

²¹ Have two goals: wisdom—that is, knowing and doing right—and common sense. Don’t let them slip away, ²² for they fill you with living energy and bring you honor and respect.^{[g] 23} They keep you safe from defeat and disaster and from stumbling off the trail. ^24-26 With them on guard you can sleep without fear; you need not be afraid of disaster or the plots of wicked men, for the Lord is with you; he protects you.

^27-28 Don’t withhold repayment of your debts. Don’t say “some other time,” if you can pay now. ²⁹ Don’t plot against your neighbor; he is trusting you. ³⁰ Don’t get into needless fights. ³¹ Don’t envy violent men. Don’t copy their ways. ³² For such men are an abomination to the Lord, but he gives his friendship to the godly.

³³ The curse of God is on the wicked, but his blessing is on the upright. ³⁴ The Lord mocks at mockers, but helps the humble. ³⁵ The wise are promoted to honor, but fools are promoted to shame!

4 ^1-2 Young men, listen to me as you would to your father. Listen, and grow wise, for I speak the truth—don’t turn away. ³ For I, too, was once a son, tenderly loved by my mother as an only child, and the companion of my father. ⁴ He told me never to forget his words. “If you follow them,” he said, “you will have a long and happy life. ⁵ Learn to be wise,” he said, “and develop good judgment and common sense! I cannot overemphasize this point.”^{[h] 6} Cling to wisdom—she will protect you. Love her—she will guard you.

⁷ Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And with your wisdom, develop common sense and good judgment. ^8-9 If you exalt wisdom, she will exalt you. Hold her fast, and she will lead you to great honor; she will place a beautiful crown upon your head. ¹⁰ My son, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life.

¹¹ I would have you learn this great fact: that a life of doing right is the wisest life there is. ¹² If you live that kind of life, you’ll not limp or stumble as you run. ¹³ Carry out my instructions; don’t forget them, for they will lead you to real living.

¹⁴ Don’t do as the wicked do. ¹⁵ Avoid their haunts—turn away, go somewhere else, ¹⁶ for evil men can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day. They can’t rest unless they cause someone to stumble and fall. ¹⁷ They eat and drink wickedness and violence!

¹⁸ But the good man walks along in the ever-brightening light of God’s favor; the dawn gives way to morning splendor, ¹⁹ while the evil man gropes and stumbles in the dark.

²⁰ Listen, son of mine, to what I say. Listen carefully. ²¹ Keep these thoughts ever in mind; let them penetrate deep within your heart, ²² for they will mean real life for you and radiant health.

²³ Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life. ²⁴ Spurn the careless kiss of a prostitute.^[i] Stay far from her. ²⁵ Look straight ahead; don’t even turn your head to look. ²⁶ Watch your step. Stick to the path and be safe. ²⁷ Don’t sidetrack; pull back your foot from danger.

5 Listen to me, my son! I know what I am saying; listen! ² Watch yourself, lest you be indiscreet and betray some vital information. ³ For the lips of a prostitute^[j] are as sweet as honey, and smooth flattery is her stock-in-trade. ⁴ But afterwards only a bitter conscience is left to you,^[k] sharp as a double-edged sword. ⁵ She leads you down to death and hell. ⁶ For she does not know the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t even realize where it leads.

⁷ Young men, listen to me, and never forget what I’m about to say: ⁸ Run from her! Don’t go near her house, ⁹ lest you fall to her temptation and lose your honor, and give the remainder of your life to the cruel and merciless;^{[l] 10} lest strangers obtain your wealth, and you become a slave of foreigners. ¹¹ Lest afterwards you groan in anguish and in shame when syphilis^[m] consumes your body, ¹² and you say, “Oh, if only I had listened! If only I had not demanded my own way! ¹³ Oh, why wouldn’t I take advice? Why was I so stupid? ¹⁴ For now I must face public disgrace.”

¹⁵ Drink from your own well, my son—be faithful and true to your wife. ¹⁶ Why should you beget children with women of the street? ¹⁷ Why share your children with those outside your home? ¹⁸ Be happy, yes, rejoice in the wife of your youth. ¹⁹ Let her breasts and tender embrace^[n] satisfy you. Let her love alone fill you with delight. ²⁰ Why delight yourself with prostitutes, embracing what isn’t yours? ²¹ For God is closely watching you, and he weighs carefully everything you do.

²² The wicked man is doomed by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. ²³ He shall die because he will not listen to the truth; he has let himself be led away into incredible folly.

6 Son, if you endorse a note for someone you hardly know, guaranteeing his debt, you are in serious trouble. ² You may have trapped yourself by your agreement. ³ Quick! Get out of it if you possibly can! Swallow your pride; don’t let embarrassment stand in the way. Go and beg to have your name erased. ⁴ Don’t put it off. Do it now. Don’t rest until you do. ⁵ If you can get out of this trap you have saved yourself like a deer that escapes from a hunter or a bird from the net.

⁶ Take a lesson from the ants, you lazy fellow. Learn from their ways and be wise! ⁷ For though they have no king to make them work, ⁸ yet they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. ⁹ But you—all you do is sleep. When will you wake up? ¹⁰ “Let me sleep a little longer!” Sure, just a little more! ¹¹ And as you sleep, poverty creeps upon you like a robber and destroys you; want attacks you in full armor.

^12-13 Let me describe for you a worthless and a wicked man; first, he is a constant liar; he signals his true intentions to his friends with eyes and feet and fingers. ¹⁴ He is always thinking up new schemes to swindle people. He stirs up trouble everywhere. ¹⁵ But he will be destroyed suddenly, broken beyond hope of healing.

^16-19 For there are six things the Lord hates—no, seven: haughtiness, lying, murdering, plotting evil, eagerness to do wrong, a false witness, sowing discord among brothers.

²⁰ Young man, obey your father and your mother. ²¹ Take to heart all of their advice; keep in mind everything they tell you. ²² Every day and all night long their counsel will lead you and save you from harm; when you wake up in the morning, let their instructions guide you into the new day. ²³ For their advice is a beam of light directed into the dark corners of your mind to warn you of danger and to give you a good life. ²⁴ Their counsel will keep you far away from prostitutes, with all their flatteries, and unfaithful wives of other men.

²⁵ Don’t lust for their beauty. Don’t let their coyness seduce you. ²⁶ For a prostitute will bring a man to poverty, and an adulteress may cost him his very life. ²⁷ Can a man hold fire against his chest and not be burned? ²⁸ Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? ²⁹ So it is with the man who commits adultery with another’s wife. He shall not go unpunished for this sin. ³⁰ Excuses might even be found for a thief if he steals when he is starving! ³¹ But even so, he is fined seven times as much as he stole, though it may mean selling everything in his house to pay it back.

³² But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys his own soul. ³³ Wounds and constant disgrace are his lot, ³⁴ for the woman’s husband will be furious in his jealousy, and he will have no mercy on you in his day of vengeance. ³⁵ You won’t be able to buy him off no matter what you offer.

7 Follow my advice, my son; always keep it in mind and stick to it. ² Obey me and live! Guard my words as your most precious possession. ³ Write them down,^[o] and also keep them deep within your heart. ⁴ Love wisdom like a sweetheart; make her a beloved member of your family. ⁵ Let her hold you back from affairs with other women—from listening to their flattery.

⁶ I was looking out the window of my house one day ⁷ and saw a simpleminded lad, a young man lacking common sense, ^8-9 walking at twilight down the street to the house of this wayward girl, a prostitute. ¹⁰ She approached him, saucy and pert, and dressed seductively. ^11-12 She was the brash, coarse type, seen often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner for men to be her lovers.

¹³ She put her arms around him and kissed him, and with a saucy look she said, “I was just coming to look for you and here you are! ^14-17 Come home with me, and I’ll fix you a wonderful dinner,^[p] and after that—well, my bed is spread with lovely, colored sheets of finest linen imported from Egypt, perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. ¹⁸ Come on, let’s take our fill of love until morning, ¹⁹ for my husband is away on a long trip. ²⁰ He has taken a wallet full of money with him and won’t return for several days.”

²¹ So she seduced him with her pretty speech, her coaxing and her wheedling, until he yielded to her. He couldn’t resist her flattery. ²² He followed her as an ox going to the butcher or as a stag that is trapped, ²³ waiting to be killed with an arrow through its heart. He was as a bird flying into a snare, not knowing the fate awaiting it there.

²⁴ Listen to me, young men, and not only listen but obey; ²⁵ don’t let your desires get out of hand; don’t let yourself think about her. Don’t go near her; stay away from where she walks, lest she tempt you and seduce you. ²⁶ For she has been the ruin of multitudes—a vast host of men have been her victims. ²⁷ If you want to find the road to hell, look for her house.

8 ^1-3 Can’t you hear the voice of wisdom? She is standing at the city gates and at every fork in the road, and at the door of every house. Listen to what she says: ^4-5 “Listen, men!” she calls. “How foolish and naive you are! Let me give you understanding. O foolish ones, let me show you common sense! ^6-7 Listen to me! For I have important information for you. Everything I say is right and true, for I hate lies and every kind of deception. ⁸ My advice is wholesome and good. There is nothing of evil in it. ⁹ My words are plain and clear to anyone with half a mind—if it is only open! ¹⁰ My instruction is far more valuable than silver or gold.”

¹¹ For the value of wisdom is far above rubies; nothing can be compared with it. ¹² Wisdom and good judgment live together, for wisdom knows where to discover knowledge and understanding. ¹³ If anyone respects and fears God, he will hate evil. For wisdom hates pride, arrogance, corruption, and deceit of every kind.

^14-16 “I, Wisdom, give good advice and common sense. Because of my strength, kings reign in power, and rulers make just laws. ¹⁷ I love all who love me. Those who search for me shall surely find me. ¹⁸ Unending riches, honor, justice, and righteousness are mine to distribute. ¹⁹ My gifts are better than the purest gold or sterling silver! ²⁰ My paths are those of justice and right. ²¹ Those who love and follow me are indeed wealthy. I fill their treasuries. ²² The Lord formed me in the beginning, before he created anything else.^{[q] 23} From ages past, I am. I existed before the earth began. ²⁴ I lived before the oceans were created, before the springs bubbled forth their waters onto the earth, ²⁵ before the mountains and the hills were made. ²⁶ Yes, I was born before God made the earth and fields and the first handfuls of soil.

^27-29 “I was there when he established the heavens and formed the great springs in the depths of the oceans. I was there when he set the limits of the seas and gave them his instructions not to spread beyond their boundaries. I was there when he made the blueprint for the earth and oceans. ³⁰ I was the craftsman at his side. I was his constant delight, rejoicing always in his presence. ³¹ And how happy I was with what he created—his wide world and all his family of mankind! ³² And so, young men, listen to me, for how happy are all who follow my instructions.

³³ “Listen to my counsel—oh, don’t refuse it—and be wise. ³⁴ Happy is the man who is so anxious to be with me that he watches for me daily at my gates, or waits for me outside my home! ³⁵ For whoever finds me finds life and wins approval from the Lord. ³⁶ But the one who misses me has injured himself irreparably. Those who refuse me show that they love death.”

9 Wisdom has built a palace supported on seven pillars, ² and has prepared a great banquet, and mixed the wines, ³ and sent out her maidens inviting all to come. She calls from the busiest intersections in the city, ⁴ “Come, you simple ones without good judgment; ⁵ come to wisdom’s banquet and drink the wines that I have mixed. ⁶ Leave behind your foolishness and begin to live; learn how to be wise.”

^7-8 If you rebuke a mocker, you will only get a smart retort; yes, he will snarl at you. So don’t bother with him; he will only hate you for trying to help him. But a wise man, when rebuked, will love you all the more. ⁹ Teach a wise man, and he will be the wiser; teach a good man, and he will learn more. ¹⁰ For the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom. Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding. ¹¹ “I, Wisdom, will make the hours of your day more profitable and the years of your life more fruitful.” ¹² Wisdom is its own reward, and if you scorn her, you hurt only yourself.

¹³ A prostitute is loud and brash and never has enough of lust and shame. ¹⁴ She sits at the door of her house or stands at the street corners of the city, ¹⁵ whispering to men going by and to those minding their own business. ¹⁶ “Come home with me,” she urges simpletons. ¹⁷ “Stolen melons^[r] are the sweetest; stolen apples taste the best!” ¹⁸ But they don’t realize that her former guests are now citizens of hell.