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Proverbs 1-4
English Standard Version
Proverbs 1-4
English Standard Version
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 (A)The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in (B)righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to (C)the simple,
knowledge and (D)discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and (E)increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to 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,
9 for they are (J)a graceful garland for your head
and (K)pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners (L)entice you,
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, (M)let us lie in wait for blood;
(N)let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us (O)swallow them alive,
and whole, like (P)those who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, (Q)do not walk in the way with them;
(R)hold back your foot from their paths,
16 for (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,
18 but 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;
21 at 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?
23 If 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,
25 because you have (AI)ignored all my counsel
and (AJ)would have none of my reproof,
26 I also (AK)will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when (AL)terror strikes you,
27 when 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.
29 Because 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,
31 therefore they shall eat (AS)the fruit of their way,
and have (AT)their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by (AU)their turning away,
and (AV)the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but (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,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice (BA)for understanding,
4 if you seek it like (BB)silver
and search for it as for (BC)hidden treasures,
5 then (BD)you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For (BE)the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is (BF)a shield to those who (BG)walk in integrity,
8 guarding 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;
10 for 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,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
to (BN)walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who (BO)rejoice in doing evil
and (BP)delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose (BQ)paths are crooked,
(BR)and who are (BS)devious in their ways.
16 So (BT)you will be delivered from the forbidden[b] woman,
from (BU)the adulteress[c] with (BV)her smooth words,
17 who 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]
19 none who go to her come back,
nor do they regain the paths of life.
20 So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright (BZ)will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but 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,
2 for (CE)length of days and years of life
and (CF)peace they will add to you.
3 Let not (CG)steadfast love and (CH)faithfulness forsake you;
(CI)bind them around your neck;
(CJ)write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So 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.
6 In 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.
8 It will be (CS)healing to your flesh[f]
and (CT)refreshment[g] to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with (CU)the firstfruits of all your produce;
10 then 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,
12 for 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.
15 She 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.
17 Her (DF)ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She 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;
20 by his knowledge (DK)the deeps broke open,
and (DL)the clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, (DM)do not lose sight of these—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and 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,
26 for 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,
32 for (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.
34 Toward the (EH)scorners he (EI)is scornful,
(EJ)but to the humble he gives favor.[j]
35 The 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,
2 for I give you good (EM)precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
(EN)tender, (EO)the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he (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.
6 Do 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.
8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will (EX)honor you (EY)if you embrace her.
9 She 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.
11 I have (FD)taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When 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.
15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they (FJ)cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
(FK)and drink the wine of violence.
18 But (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.
22 For they are (FV)life to those who find them,
and healing to all their[m] flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for (FW)from it flow (FX)the springs of life.
24 Put 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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:23 Or Will you turn away at my reproof?
- Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew strange
- Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew foreign woman
- Proverbs 2:18 Hebrew to the Rephaim
- Proverbs 3:4 Or repute
- Proverbs 3:8 Hebrew navel
- Proverbs 3:8 Or medicine
- Proverbs 3:25 Hebrew storm
- Proverbs 3:27 Hebrew Do not withhold good from its owners
- Proverbs 3:34 Or grace
- Proverbs 3:35 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Proverbs 4:1 Hebrew know
- Proverbs 4:22 Hebrew his
- Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level
Proverbs 1-4
New International Version
Proverbs 1-4
New International Version
Purpose and Theme
1 The proverbs(A) of Solomon(B) son of David, king of Israel:(C)
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a](D)
knowledge and discretion(E) to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,(F)
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,(G)
the sayings and riddles(H) of the wise.[b](I)
7 The fear of the Lord(J) is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools[c] despise wisdom(K) and instruction.(L)
Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men
8 Listen, my son,(M) to your father’s(N) instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(O)
9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.(P)
10 My son, if sinful men entice(Q) you,
do not give in(R) to them.(S)
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait(T) for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow(U) them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;(V)
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot(W)”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot(X) on their paths;(Y)
16 for their feet rush into evil,(Z)
they are swift to shed blood.(AA)
17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait(AB) for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!(AC)
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.(AD)
Wisdom’s Rebuke
20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,(AE)
she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[d] she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:
22 “How long will you who are simple(AF) love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate(AG) knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse(AH) to listen when I call(AI)
and no one pays attention(AJ) when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh(AK) when disaster(AL) strikes you;
I will mock(AM) when calamity overtakes you(AN)—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster(AO) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;(AP)
they will look for me but will not find me,(AQ)
29 since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord.(AR)
30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,(AS)
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.(AT)
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;(AU)
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety(AV)
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”(AW)
Moral Benefits of Wisdom
2 My son,(AX) if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding(AY)—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight(AZ)
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,(BA)
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.(BB)
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;(BC)
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(BD)
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield(BE) to those whose walk is blameless,(BF)
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.(BG)
9 Then you will understand(BH) what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,(BI)
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.(BJ)
12 Wisdom will save(BK) you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,(BL)
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,(BM)
15 whose paths are crooked(BN)
and who are devious in their ways.(BO)
16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,(BP)
from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
and ignored the covenant she made before God.[e](BQ)
18 Surely her house leads down to death
and her paths to the spirits of the dead.(BR)
19 None who go to her return
or attain the paths of life.(BS)
20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,(BT)
and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked(BU) will be cut off from the land,(BV)
and the unfaithful will be torn from it.(BW)
Wisdom Bestows Well-Being
3 My son,(BX) do not forget my teaching,(BY)
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years(BZ)
and bring you peace and prosperity.(CA)
3 Let love and faithfulness(CB) never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.(CC)
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.(CD)
5 Trust in the Lord(CE) with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths(CF) straight.[f](CG)
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;(CH)
fear the Lord(CI) and shun evil.(CJ)
8 This will bring health to your body(CK)
and nourishment to your bones.(CL)
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits(CM) of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled(CN) to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.(CO)
11 My son,(CP) do not despise the Lord’s discipline,(CQ)
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,(CR)
as a father the son he delights in.[g](CS)
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.(CT)
15 She is more precious than rubies;(CU)
nothing you desire can compare with her.(CV)
16 Long life is in her right hand;(CW)
in her left hand are riches and honor.(CX)
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.(CY)
18 She is a tree of life(CZ) to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed.(DA)
19 By wisdom(DB) the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,(DC)
by understanding he set the heavens(DD) in place;
20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
21 My son,(DE) do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,(DF)
preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22 they will be life for you,(DG)
an ornament to grace your neck.(DH)
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,(DI)
and your foot will not stumble.(DJ)
24 When you lie down,(DK) you will not be afraid;(DL)
when you lie down, your sleep(DM) will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the Lord will be at your side(DN)
and will keep your foot(DO) from being snared.(DP)
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.(DQ)
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.(DR)
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm.
31 Do not envy(DS) the violent
or choose any of their ways.
32 For the Lord detests the perverse(DT)
but takes the upright into his confidence.(DU)
33 The Lord’s curse(DV) is on the house of the wicked,(DW)
but he blesses the home of the righteous.(DX)
34 He mocks(DY) proud mockers(DZ)
but shows favor to the humble(EA) and oppressed.
35 The wise inherit honor,
but fools get only shame.
Get Wisdom at Any Cost
4 Listen, my sons,(EB) to a father’s instruction;(EC)
pay attention and gain understanding.(ED)
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold(EE) of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.(EF)
5 Get wisdom,(EG) get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;(EH)
love her, and she will watch over you.(EI)
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[h] wisdom.
Though it cost all(EJ) you have,[i] get understanding.(EK)
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.(EL)
9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.(EM)”
10 Listen, my son,(EN) accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.(EO)
11 I instruct(EP) you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.(EQ)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.(ER)
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.(ES)
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.(ET)
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;(EU)
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.(EV)
18 The path of the righteous(EW) is like the morning sun,(EX)
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.(EY)
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;(EZ)
they do not know what makes them stumble.(FA)
20 My son,(FB) pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.(FC)
21 Do not let them out of your sight,(FD)
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.(FE)
23 Above all else, guard(FF) your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.(FG)
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes(FH) look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[j] paths for your feet(FI)
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;(FJ)
keep your foot from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:4 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
- Proverbs 1:6 Or understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles
- Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
- Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners
- Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God
- Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths
- Proverbs 3:12 Hebrew; Septuagint loves, / and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child
- Proverbs 4:7 Or Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
- Proverbs 4:7 Or wisdom. / Whatever else you get
- Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.