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The Value of Proverbs

(A)The proverbs of Solomon, son of David and king of Israel.

Here are proverbs that will help you recognize wisdom and good advice, and understand sayings with deep meaning. They can teach you how to live intelligently and how to be honest, just, and fair. They can make an inexperienced person clever and teach young people how to be resourceful. These proverbs can even add to the knowledge of the wise and give guidance to the educated, so that they can understand the hidden meanings of proverbs and the problems that the wise raise.

Advice to the Young

(B)To have knowledge, you must first have reverence for the Lord.[a] Stupid people have no respect for wisdom and refuse to learn.

My child, pay attention to what your father and mother tell you. Their teaching will improve your character as a handsome turban or a necklace improves your appearance.

10 My child, when sinners tempt you, don't give in. 11 Suppose they say, “Come on; let's find someone to kill! Let's attack some innocent people for the fun of it! 12 They may be alive and well when we find them, but they'll be dead when we're through with them! 13 We'll find all kinds of riches and fill our houses with loot! 14 Come and join us, and we'll all share what we steal.”

15 My child, don't go with people like that. Stay away from them. 16 They can't wait to do something bad. They're always ready to kill. 17 It does no good to spread a net when the bird you want to catch is watching, 18 but people like that are setting a trap for themselves, a trap in which they will die. 19 Robbery always claims the life of the robber—this is what happens to[b] anyone who lives by violence.

Wisdom Calls

20 (C)Listen! Wisdom is calling out in the streets and marketplaces, 21 calling loudly at the city gates and wherever people come together:

22 “Foolish people! How long do you want to be foolish? How long will you enjoy making fun of knowledge? Will you never learn? 23 Listen when I reprimand you; I will give you good advice and share my knowledge with you. 24 I have been calling you, inviting you to come, but you would not listen. You paid no attention to me. 25 You have ignored all my advice and have not been willing to let me correct you. 26 So when you get into trouble, I will laugh at you. I will make fun of you when terror strikes— 27 when it comes on you like a storm, bringing fierce winds of trouble, and you are in pain and misery. 28 Then you will call for wisdom, but I will not answer. You may look for me everywhere, but you will not find me. 29 You have never had any use for knowledge and have always refused to obey the Lord. 30 You have never wanted my advice or paid any attention when I corrected you. 31 So then, you will get what you deserve, and your own actions will make you sick. 32 Inexperienced people die because they reject wisdom. Stupid people are destroyed by their own lack of concern. 33 But whoever listens to me will have security. He will be safe, with no reason to be afraid.”

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:7 To … Lord; or The most important part of knowledge is having reverence for the Lord.
  2. Proverbs 1:19 One ancient translation what happens to; Hebrew the path of.

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

Prologue

For learning about wisdom and instruction,
    for understanding words of insight,
for gaining instruction in wise dealing,
    righteousness, justice, and equity;(B)
to teach shrewdness to the simple,
    knowledge and prudence to the young—(C)
let the wise, too, hear and gain in learning
    and the discerning acquire skill,(D)
to understand a proverb and a figure,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.(E)

Warnings against Evil Companions

Hear, my child, your father’s instruction,
    and do not reject your mother’s teaching,(F)
for they are a fair garland for your head
    and pendants for your neck.(G)
10 My child, if sinners entice you,
    do not consent.(H)
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
    let us wantonly ambush the innocent;(I)
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive
    and whole, like those who go down to the Pit.(J)
13 We shall find all kinds of costly things;
    we shall fill our houses with spoil.
14 Throw in your lot among us;
    we will all have one purse”—
15 my child, do not walk in their way;
    keep your foot from their paths,(K)
16 for their feet run to evil,
    and they hurry to shed blood.(L)
17 For in vain is the net baited
    while the bird is looking on;
18 yet they lie in wait—to kill themselves!
    and set an ambush—for their own lives!
19 Such is the end[a] of all who are greedy for gain;
    it takes away the life of its possessors.(M)

The Call of Wisdom

20 Wisdom cries out in the street;
    in the squares she raises her voice.(N)
21 At the busiest corner she cries out;
    at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools hate knowledge?(O)
23 Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
    I will make my words known to you.(P)
24 Because I have called and you refused,
    have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,(Q)
25 and because you have ignored all my counsel
    and would have none of my reproof,(R)
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when panic strikes you,(S)
27 when panic strikes you like a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.(T)
29 Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 would have none of my counsel
    and despised all my reproof,(U)
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
    and be sated with their own devices.(V)
32 For waywardness kills the simple,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;(W)
33 but those who listen to me will be secure
    and will live at ease without dread of disaster.”(X)

Footnotes

  1. 1.19 Gk: Heb are the ways

The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.

To know wisdom, and instruction:

To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:

To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.

A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth, shall possess governments.

He shall understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.

10 My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.

11 If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:

12 Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit.

13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.

14 Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.

15 My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.

16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

17 But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.

18 And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.

19 So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.

20 Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21 At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:

22 O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?

23 Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.

24 Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded.

25 You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions.

26 I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.

27 When sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon you:

28 Then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning and shall not find me:

29 Because they have hated instruction and received not the fear of the Lord,

30 Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof.

31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices.

32 The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils.