The Beginning of Knowledge

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

To know wisdom and instruction,
    to understand words of insight,
to receive instruction in wise dealing,
    in (B)righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to (C)the simple,
    knowledge and (D)discretion to the youth—
Let the wise hear and (E)increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,
to understand a proverb and a saying,
    (F)the words of the wise and their (G)riddles.

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

The Enticement of Sinners

(I)Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
    and forsake not your mother's teaching,
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

(AY)My son, (AZ)if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice (BA)for understanding,
if you seek it like (BB)silver
    and search for it as for (BC)hidden treasures,
then (BD)you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
For (BE)the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is (BF)a shield to those who (BG)walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice
    and (BH)watching over the way of his (BI)saints.
(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.

Notas al pie

  1. Proverbs 1:23 Or Will you turn away at my reproof?
  2. Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew strange
  3. Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew foreign woman
  4. Proverbs 2:18 Hebrew to the Rephaim

Purpose and Theme

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

for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a](D)
    knowledge and discretion(E) to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning,(F)
    and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,(G)
    the sayings and riddles(H) of the wise.[b](I)

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

Listen, my son,(M) to your father’s(N) instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(O)
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

My son,(AX) if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding(AY)
indeed, if you call out for insight(AZ)
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,(BA)
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.(BB)
For the Lord gives wisdom;(BC)
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(BD)
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield(BE) to those whose walk is blameless,(BF)
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.(BG)

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)

Notas al pie

  1. Proverbs 1:4 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
  2. Proverbs 1:6 Or understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles
  3. Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
  4. Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners
  5. Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God

Spiritual Gifts

12 Now (A)concerning[a] spiritual gifts,[b] brothers,[c] I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that (B)when you were pagans (C)you were led astray to (D)mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that (E)no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is (F)accursed!” and (G)no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

Now (H)there are varieties of gifts, but (I)the same Spirit; and (J)there are varieties of service, but (K)the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is (L)the same God who empowers them all in everyone. (M)To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of (N)wisdom, and to another the utterance of (O)knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another (P)faith by the same Spirit, to another (Q)gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another (R)the working of miracles, to another (S)prophecy, to another (T)the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another (U)various kinds of tongues, to another (V)the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, (W)who apportions to each one individually (X)as he wills.

One Body with Many Members

12 For just as (Y)the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, (Z)so it is with Christ. 13 For (AA)in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—(AB)Jews or Greeks, slaves[d] or free—and (AC)all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, (AD)God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, (AE)as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts,[e] yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, (AF)all rejoice together.

27 Now (AG)you are the body of Christ and individually (AH)members of it. 28 And (AI)God has appointed in the church first (AJ)apostles, second (AK)prophets, third teachers, then (AL)miracles, then (AM)gifts of healing, (AN)helping, (AO)administrating, and (AP)various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But (AQ)earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Notas al pie

  1. 1 Corinthians 12:1 The expression Now concerning introduces a reply to a question in the Corinthians' letter; see 7:1
  2. 1 Corinthians 12:1 Or spiritual persons
  3. 1 Corinthians 12:1 Or brothers and sisters
  4. 1 Corinthians 12:13 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
  5. 1 Corinthians 12:20 Or members; also verse 22

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit,(A) brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.(B) You know that when you were pagans,(C) somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.(D) Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,”(E) and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,”(F) except by the Holy Spirit.(G)

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit(H) distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone(I) it is the same God(J) at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.(K) To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom,(L) to another a message of knowledge(M) by means of the same Spirit, to another faith(N) by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing(O) by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers,(P) to another prophecy,(Q) to another distinguishing between spirits,(R) to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a](S) and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,(T) and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Unity and Diversity in the Body

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body,(U) so it is with Christ.(V) 13 For we were all baptized(W) by[c] one Spirit(X) so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free(Y)—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.(Z) 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.(AA)

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed(AB) the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.(AC) 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.(AD)

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ,(AE) and each one of you is a part of it.(AF) 28 And God has placed in the church(AG) first of all apostles,(AH) second prophets,(AI) third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing,(AJ) of helping, of guidance,(AK) and of different kinds of tongues.(AL) 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]?(AM) Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire(AN) the greater gifts.

Love Is Indispensable

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

Notas al pie

  1. 1 Corinthians 12:10 Or languages; also in verse 28
  2. 1 Corinthians 12:10 Or languages; also in verse 28
  3. 1 Corinthians 12:13 Or with; or in
  4. 1 Corinthians 12:30 Or other languages