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Proverbs 1-9
New International Version
Proverbs 1-9
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.
Warning Against Adultery
5 My son,(FK) pay attention to my wisdom,
turn your ear to my words(FL) of insight,
2 that you may maintain discretion
and your lips may preserve knowledge.
3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;(FM)
4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,(FN)
sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.(FO)
6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.(FP)
7 Now then, my sons, listen(FQ) to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.
8 Keep to a path far from her,(FR)
do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you lose your honor to others
and your dignity[k] to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich the house of another.(FS)
11 At the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are spent.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
How my heart spurned correction!(FT)
13 I would not obey my teachers
or turn my ear to my instructors.
14 And I was soon in serious trouble(FU)
in the assembly of God’s people.”(FV)
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
running water from your own well.
16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,
your streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be yours alone,
never to be shared with strangers.
18 May your fountain(FW) be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.(FX)
19 A loving doe, a graceful deer(FY)—
may her breasts satisfy you always,
may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?
21 For your ways are in full view(FZ) of the Lord,
and he examines(GA) all your paths.(GB)
22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;(GC)
the cords of their sins hold them fast.(GD)
23 For lack of discipline they will die,(GE)
led astray by their own great folly.(GF)
Warnings Against Folly
6 My son,(GG) if you have put up security(GH) for your neighbor,(GI)
if you have shaken hands in pledge(GJ) for a stranger,
2 you have been trapped by what you said,
ensnared by the words of your mouth.
3 So do this, my son, to free yourself,
since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:
Go—to the point of exhaustion—[l]
and give your neighbor no rest!
4 Allow no sleep to your eyes,
no slumber to your eyelids.(GK)
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle(GL) from the hand of the hunter,(GM)
like a bird from the snare of the fowler.(GN)
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;(GO)
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer(GP)
and gathers its food at harvest.(GQ)
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?(GR)
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest(GS)—
11 and poverty(GT) will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.
12 A troublemaker and a villain,
who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13 who winks maliciously with his eye,(GU)
signals with his feet
and motions with his fingers,(GV)
14 who plots evil(GW) with deceit in his heart—
he always stirs up conflict.(GX)
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;(GY)
he will suddenly(GZ) be destroyed—without remedy.(HA)
16 There are six things the Lord hates,(HB)
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,(HC)
a lying tongue,(HD)
hands that shed innocent blood,(HE)
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,(HF)
19 a false witness(HG) who pours out lies(HH)
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.(HI)
Warning Against Adultery
20 My son,(HJ) keep your father’s command
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(HK)
21 Bind them always on your heart;
fasten them around your neck.(HL)
22 When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.
23 For this command is a lamp,
this teaching is a light,(HM)
and correction and instruction
are the way to life,(HN)
24 keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,
from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.(HO)
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes.
26 For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,
but another man’s wife preys on your very life.(HP)
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals
without his feet being scorched?
29 So is he who sleeps(HQ) with another man’s wife;(HR)
no one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,(HS)
though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
32 But a man who commits adultery(HT) has no sense;(HU)
whoever does so destroys himself.
33 Blows and disgrace are his lot,
and his shame will never(HV) be wiped away.
34 For jealousy(HW) arouses a husband’s fury,(HX)
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will not accept any compensation;
he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.(HY)
Warning Against the Adulterous Woman
7 My son,(HZ) keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and you will live;(IA)
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.(IB)
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and to insight, “You are my relative.”
5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words.(IC)
6 At the window of my house
I looked down through the lattice.
7 I saw among the simple,
I noticed among the young men,
a youth who had no sense.(ID)
8 He was going down the street near her corner,
walking along in the direction of her house
9 at twilight,(IE) as the day was fading,
as the dark of night set in.
10 Then out came a woman to meet him,
dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
11 (She is unruly(IF) and defiant,
her feet never stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the squares,
at every corner she lurks.)(IG)
13 She took hold of him(IH) and kissed him
and with a brazen face she said:(II)
14 “Today I fulfilled my vows,
and I have food from my fellowship offering(IJ) at home.
15 So I came out to meet you;
I looked for you and have found you!
16 I have covered my bed
with colored linens from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed(IK)
with myrrh,(IL) aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
let’s enjoy ourselves with love!(IM)
19 My husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey.
20 He took his purse filled with money
and will not be home till full moon.”
21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
she seduced him with her smooth talk.(IN)
22 All at once he followed her
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer[m] stepping into a noose[n](IO)
23 till an arrow pierces(IP) his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
little knowing it will cost him his life.(IQ)
24 Now then, my sons, listen(IR) to me;
pay attention to what I say.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways
or stray into her paths.(IS)
26 Many are the victims she has brought down;
her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is a highway to the grave,
leading down to the chambers of death.(IT)
Wisdom’s Call
8 Does not wisdom call out?(IU)
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 At the highest point along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gate leading into the city,
at the entrance, she cries aloud:(IV)
4 “To you, O people, I call out;(IW)
I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple,(IX) gain prudence;(IY)
you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.[o]
6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,(IZ)
for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,(JA)
11 for wisdom is more precious(JB) than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.(JC)
12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.(JD)
13 To fear the Lord(JE) is to hate evil;(JF)
I hate(JG) pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have insight, I have power.(JH)
15 By me kings reign
and rulers(JI) issue decrees that are just;
16 by me princes govern,(JJ)
and nobles—all who rule on earth.[p]
17 I love those who love me,(JK)
and those who seek me find me.(JL)
18 With me are riches and honor,(JM)
enduring wealth and prosperity.(JN)
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;(JO)
what I yield surpasses choice silver.(JP)
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,(JQ)
along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
and making their treasuries full.(JR)
22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[q][r]
before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
when there were no springs overflowing with water;(JS)
25 before the mountains were settled in place,(JT)
before the hills, I was given birth,(JU)
26 before he made the world or its fields
or any of the dust of the earth.(JV)
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,(JW)
when he marked out the horizon(JX) on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above(JY)
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,(JZ)
29 when he gave the sea its boundary(KA)
so the waters would not overstep his command,(KB)
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.(KC)
30 Then I was constantly[s] at his side.(KD)
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.(KE)
32 “Now then, my children, listen(KF) to me;
blessed are(KG) those who keep my ways.(KH)
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
34 Blessed are those who listen(KI) to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35 For those who find me(KJ) find life(KK)
and receive favor from the Lord.(KL)
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;(KM)
all who hate me love death.”(KN)
Invitations of Wisdom and Folly
9 Wisdom has built(KO) her house;
she has set up[t] its seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;(KP)
she has also set her table.(KQ)
3 She has sent out her servants, and she calls(KR)
from the highest point of the city,(KS)
4 “Let all who are simple(KT) come to my house!”
To those who have no sense(KU) she says,
5 “Come,(KV) eat my food
and drink the wine I have mixed.(KW)
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live;(KX)
walk in the way of insight.”(KY)
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
- Proverbs 5:9 Or years
- Proverbs 6:3 Or Go and humble yourself,
- Proverbs 7:22 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew fool
- Proverbs 7:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
- Proverbs 8:5 Septuagint; Hebrew foolish, instruct your minds
- Proverbs 8:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; other Hebrew manuscripts all righteous rulers
- Proverbs 8:22 Or way; or dominion
- Proverbs 8:22 Or The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work; or The Lord brought me forth at the beginning of his work
- Proverbs 8:30 Or was the artisan; or was a little child
- Proverbs 9:1 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew has hewn out
- Proverbs 9:11 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew me
Proverbs 1-9
English Standard Version
Proverbs 1-9
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.
Warning Against Adultery
5 (GE)My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
(GF)incline your ear to my understanding,
2 that you may keep (GG)discretion,
and your lips may (GH)guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of (GI)a forbidden[o] woman drip honey,
and her speech[p] is (GJ)smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is (GK)bitter as (GL)wormwood,
(GM)sharp as (GN)a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet (GO)go down to death;
her steps follow the path to[q] Sheol;
6 she (GP)does not ponder the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
7 And (GQ)now, O sons, listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your (GR)labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and at the end of your life you (GS)groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, (GT)“How I hated discipline,
and my heart (GU)despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 (GV)I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”
15 Drink (GW)water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.
16 Should your (GX)springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water (GY)in the streets?
17 (GZ)Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for strangers with you.
18 Let your (HA)fountain be blessed,
and (HB)rejoice in (HC)the wife of your youth,
19 a lovely (HD)deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts (HE)fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated[r] always in her love.
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with (HF)a forbidden woman
and embrace the bosom of (HG)an adulteress?[s]
21 For (HH)a man's ways are (HI)before the eyes of the Lord,
and he (HJ)ponders[t] all his paths.
22 The (HK)iniquities of the wicked (HL)ensnare him,
and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
23 (HM)He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is (HN)led astray.
Practical Warnings
6 My son, if you have put up (HO)security for your neighbor,
have (HP)given your pledge for a stranger,
2 if you are (HQ)snared in the words of your mouth,
caught in the words of your mouth,
3 then do this, my son, and save yourself,
for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
go, hasten,[u] and (HR)plead urgently with your neighbor.
4 (HS)Give your eyes no sleep
and your eyelids no slumber;
5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,[v]
(HT)like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 (HU)Go to (HV)the ant, O (HW)sluggard;
consider her ways, and (HX)be wise.
7 (HY)Without having any chief,
(HZ)officer, or ruler,
8 she prepares her bread (IA)in summer
and (IB)gathers her food in harvest.
9 (IC)How long will you lie there, (ID)O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 (IE)A little sleep, a little slumber,
(IF)a little (IG)folding of the hands to rest,
11 (IH)and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
12 (II)A worthless person, a wicked man,
goes about with (IJ)crooked speech,
13 (IK)winks with his eyes, signals[w] with his feet,
points with his finger,
14 with (IL)perverted heart (IM)devises evil,
continually (IN)sowing discord;
15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
(IO)in a moment he will be broken (IP)beyond healing.
16 There are (IQ)six things that the Lord hates,
(IR)seven that are an abomination to him:
17 (IS)haughty eyes, (IT)a lying tongue,
and (IU)hands that shed innocent blood,
18 (IV)a heart that devises wicked plans,
(IW)feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 (IX)a false witness who (IY)breathes out lies,
and one who (IZ)sows discord among brothers.
Warnings Against Adultery
20 (JA)My son, keep your father's commandment,
(JB)and forsake not your mother's teaching.
21 (JC)Bind them on your heart always;
(JD)tie them around your neck.
22 (JE)When you walk, they[x] will lead you;
(JF)when you lie down, they will (JG)watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is (JH)a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the (JI)reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24 to preserve you from the evil woman,[y]
from the smooth tongue of (JJ)the adulteress.[z]
25 (JK)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her (JL)eyelashes;
26 for (JM)the price of a prostitute is only (JN)a loaf of bread,[aa]
but a married woman[ab] (JO)hunts down a precious life.
27 Can a man carry (JP)fire next to his (JQ)chest
and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one (JR)walk on hot coals
and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife;
none who touches her (JS)will go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to (JT)satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
31 but (JU)if he is caught, he will pay (JV)sevenfold;
he will give all the goods of his house.
32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
33 He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 For (JW)jealousy makes a man furious,
and he will not spare when (JX)he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation;
he will refuse though you multiply gifts.
Warning Against the Adulteress
7 (JY)My son, keep my words
and (JZ)treasure up my commandments with you;
2 (KA)keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as (KB)the apple of your eye;
3 (KC)bind them on your fingers;
(KD)write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,
5 to keep you from (KE)the forbidden[ac] woman,
from (KF)the adulteress[ad] with her smooth words.
6 For at (KG)the window of my house
I have looked out through my lattice,
7 and I have seen among (KH)the simple,
I have perceived among the youths,
a young man (KI)lacking sense,
8 passing along the street (KJ)near her corner,
taking the road to her house
9 in (KK)the twilight, in the evening,
at (KL)the time of night and darkness.
10 And behold, the woman meets him,
(KM)dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.[ae]
11 She is (KN)loud and (KO)wayward;
(KP)her feet do not stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the market,
and (KQ)at every corner she (KR)lies in wait.
13 She seizes him and kisses him,
and with (KS)bold face she says to him,
14 “I had to (KT)offer sacrifices,[af]
and today I have (KU)paid my vows;
15 so now I have come out to meet you,
to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with (KV)coverings,
colored linens from (KW)Egyptian linen;
17 I have perfumed my bed with (KX)myrrh,
aloes, and (KY)cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For (KZ)my husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey;
20 he took a bag of money with him;
at full moon he will come home.”
21 With much seductive speech she persuades him;
with (LA)her smooth talk she compels him.
22 All at once he follows her,
as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast[ag]
23 till an arrow pierces its liver;
as (LB)a bird rushes into a snare;
he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24 And (LC)now, O sons, listen to me,
and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her paths,
26 for many a victim has she laid low,
and all her slain are (LD)a mighty throng.
27 Her house is (LE)the way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.
The Blessings of Wisdom
8 Does not (LF)wisdom call?
Does not (LG)understanding raise her voice?
2 On (LH)the heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside (LI)the gates in front of (LJ)the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O (LK)men, I call,
and my cry is to (LL)the children of man.
5 O (LM)simple ones, learn (LN)prudence;
O (LO)fools, learn sense.
6 Hear, for I will speak (LP)noble things,
and from my lips will come (LQ)what is right,
7 for my (LR)mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing (LS)twisted or crooked in them.
9 They are all (LT)straight to him who understands,
and right to those who find knowledge.
10 (LU)Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 (LV)for wisdom is better than jewels,
and (LW)all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and (LX)discretion.
13 (LY)The fear of the Lord is (LZ)hatred of evil.
(MA)Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and (MB)perverted speech I hate.
14 I have (MC)counsel and (MD)sound wisdom;
I have insight; (ME)I have strength.
15 By me (MF)kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
16 by me princes rule,
and nobles, all who govern justly.[ah]
17 (MG)I love those who love me,
and (MH)those who seek me diligently find me.
18 (MI)Riches and honor are with me,
(MJ)enduring wealth and (MK)righteousness.
19 My fruit is (ML)better than (MM)gold, even fine gold,
and my yield than (MN)choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
in the paths of justice,
21 granting an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
22 (MO)“The Lord (MP)possessed[ai] me at the beginning of his work,[aj]
the first of his acts (MQ)of old.
23 Ages ago I was (MR)set up,
at the first, (MS)before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no (MT)depths I was (MU)brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains (MV)had been shaped,
(MW)before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he (MX)established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew (MY)a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he (MZ)made firm the skies above,
when he established[ak] the fountains of the deep,
29 when he (NA)assigned to the sea its (NB)limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out (NC)the foundations of the earth,
30 then (ND)I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his[al] (NE)delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31 (NF)rejoicing in his (NG)inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.
32 “And now, (NH)O sons, listen to me:
(NI)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 (NJ)Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
34 (NK)Blessed is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
35 For (NL)whoever finds me (NM)finds life
and (NN)obtains favor from the Lord,
36 but he who fails to find me (NO)injures himself;
all who (NP)hate me (NQ)love death.”
The Way of Wisdom
9 (NR)Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her (NS)seven (NT)pillars.
2 She has (NU)slaughtered her beasts; she has (NV)mixed her wine;
she has also (NW)set her table.
3 She has (NX)sent out her young women to (NY)call
from (NZ)the highest places in the town,
4 (OA)“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
(OB)To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, (OC)eat of my bread
and (OD)drink of (OE)the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave (OF)your simple ways,[am] and (OG)live,
(OH)and walk in the way of insight.”
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8 (OI)Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
(OJ)reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction[an] to a wise man, and he will be (OK)still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will (OL)increase in learning.
10 (OM)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and (ON)the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11 For by me (OO)your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12 (OP)If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
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 5:3 Hebrew strange; also verse 20
- Proverbs 5:3 Hebrew palate
- Proverbs 5:5 Hebrew lay hold of
- Proverbs 5:19 Hebrew be led astray; also verse 20
- Proverbs 5:20 Hebrew a foreign woman
- Proverbs 5:21 Or makes level
- Proverbs 6:3 Or humble yourself
- Proverbs 6:5 Hebrew lacks of the hunter
- Proverbs 6:13 Hebrew scrapes
- Proverbs 6:22 Hebrew it; three times in this verse
- Proverbs 6:24 Revocalization (compare Septuagint) yields from the wife of a neighbor
- Proverbs 6:24 Hebrew the foreign woman
- Proverbs 6:26 Or (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate) for a prostitute leaves a man with nothing but a loaf of bread
- Proverbs 6:26 Hebrew a man's wife
- Proverbs 7:5 Hebrew strange
- Proverbs 7:5 Hebrew the foreign woman
- Proverbs 7:10 Hebrew guarded in heart
- Proverbs 7:14 Hebrew peace offerings
- Proverbs 7:22 Probable reading (compare Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac); Hebrew as a chain to discipline a fool
- Proverbs 8:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint govern the earth
- Proverbs 8:22 Or fathered; Septuagint created
- Proverbs 8:22 Hebrew way
- Proverbs 8:28 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Proverbs 8:30 Or daily filled with
- Proverbs 9:6 Or Leave the company of the simple
- Proverbs 9:9 Hebrew lacks instruction
Proverbs 1-9
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 1-9
New American Standard Bible
The Usefulness of Proverbs
1 The (A)proverbs of Solomon (B)the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know (C)wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of (D)understanding,
3 To (E)receive instruction in wise behavior,
(F)Righteousness, justice, and integrity;
4 To give (G)prudence to the naive,
To the youth (H)knowledge and discretion,
5 A wise person will hear and (I)increase in learning,
And a (J)person of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and a saying,
The words of the wise and their (K)riddles.
7 (L)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 (M)Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
And (N)do not ignore your mother’s teaching;
9 For they are a (O)graceful wreath for your head
And (P)necklaces for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners (Q)entice you,
(R)Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let’s (S)lie in wait for blood,
Let’s (T)ambush the innocent without cause;
12 Let’s (U)swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, like those who (V)go down to the pit;
13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with plunder;
14 Throw in your lot [a]with us;
We will all have one money bag,”
15 My son, (W)do not walk on the way with them.
(X)Keep your feet from their path,
16 For (Y)their feet run to evil,
And they are quick to shed blood.
17 Indeed, it is [b]useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any [c]bird;
18 But they (Z)lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of everyone who (AA)makes unjust gain;
It takes away the life of its possessors.
Wisdom Warns
20 (AB)Wisdom shouts in the street,
She [d]raises her voice in the public square;
21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she declares her sayings:
22 “How long, you (AC)naive ones, will you love simplistic thinking?
And how long will (AD)scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools (AE)hate knowledge?
23 Turn to my rebuke,
Behold, I will (AF)pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because (AG)I called and you (AH)refused,
I (AI)stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you (AJ)neglected all my advice
And did not (AK)want my rebuke;
26 I will also (AL)laugh at your (AM)disaster;
I will mock when your (AN)dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm
And your disaster comes like a (AO)whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will (AP)call on me, but I will not answer;
They will (AQ)seek me diligently but will not find me,
29 Because they (AR)hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30 They (AS)did not accept my advice,
They disdainfully rejected every rebuke from me.
31 So they shall (AT)eat of the fruit of their own way,
And be (AU)filled with their own schemes.
32 For the (AV)faithlessness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But (AW)whoever listens to me will live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security
2 My son, if you will (AX)receive my words
And (AY)treasure my commandments within you,
2 (AZ)Make your ear attentive to wisdom;
Incline your heart to understanding.
3 For if you cry out for insight,
And [e]raise your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as (BA)silver
And search for her as for (BB)hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the (BC)fear of the Lord,
And discover the knowledge of God.
6 For (BD)the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a (BE)shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 Guarding the paths of justice,
And He (BF)watches over the way of His godly ones.
9 Then you will discern (BG)righteousness, justice,
And integrity, and every (BH)good path.
10 For (BI)wisdom will enter your heart,
And (BJ)knowledge will be delightful to your soul;
11 Discretion will (BK)watch over you,
Understanding will guard you,
12 To (BL)rescue you from the way of evil,
From a person who speaks (BM)perverse things;
13 From those who (BN)leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the (BO)ways of darkness;
14 Who (BP)delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are (BQ)crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;
16 To (BR)rescue you from the strange woman,
From the (BS)foreign woman who flatters with her words,
17 Who leaves the (BT)companion of her youth
And forgets the (BU)covenant of her God;
18 For (BV)her house sinks down to death,
And her tracks lead to the [f]dead;
19 None (BW)who go to her return,
Nor do they reach the (BX)paths of life.
20 So you will (BY)walk in the way of good people
And keep to the (BZ)paths of the righteous.
21 For (CA)the upright will live in the land,
And (CB)the blameless will remain in it;
22 But (CC)the wicked will be eliminated from the land,
And (CD)the treacherous will be (CE)torn away from it.
The Rewards of Wisdom
3 My son, (CF)do not forget my [g]teaching,
But have your heart (CG)comply with my commandments;
2 For (CH)length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
3 Do not let (CI)kindness and truth leave you;
(CJ)Bind them around your neck,
(CK)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will (CL)find favor and a (CM)good [h]reputation
In the sight of God and man.
5 (CN)Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And (CO)do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways (CP)acknowledge Him,
And He will (CQ)make your paths straight.
7 (CR)Do not be wise in your own eyes;
(CS)Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be (CT)healing to your [i]body
And (CU)refreshment to your bones.
9 (CV)Honor the Lord from your wealth,
And from the (CW)first of all your produce;
10 Then your (CX)barns will be filled with plenty,
And your (CY)vats will overflow with new wine.
11 (CZ)My son, do not reject the [j]discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His rebuke,
12 For (DA)whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
Just (DB)as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.
13 (DC)Blessed is a person who finds wisdom,
And one who obtains understanding.
14 For [k]her (DD)profit is better than the profit of silver,
And her produce better than gold.
15 She is (DE)more precious than [l]jewels,
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 [m](DF)Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are (DG)riches and honor.
17 Her (DH)ways are pleasant ways,
And all her paths are (DI)peace.
18 She is a (DJ)tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are those who hold on to her.
19 The Lord founded the earth (DK)by wisdom,
He (DL)established the heavens by understanding.
20 By His knowledge the (DM)ocean depths were burst open,
And the (DN)clouds drip with dew.
21 My son, see that (DO)they do not escape from your sight;
Comply with sound wisdom and discretion,
22 And they will be (DP)life to your soul
And (DQ)adornment to your neck.
23 Then you will (DR)walk in your way securely,
And your foot will not (DS)stumble.
24 When you (DT)lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 (DU)Do not be afraid of sudden danger,
Nor of (DV)trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be [n]your confidence,
And will (DW)keep your foot from being caught.
27 (DX)Do not withhold good from [o]those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
28 (DY)Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it to you,”
When you have it with you.
29 (DZ)Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
30 (EA)Do not contend with a person for no reason,
If he has done you no harm.
31 (EB)Do not envy a violent person,
And do not choose any of his ways.
32 For the (EC)devious are an abomination to the Lord;
But [p]He is (ED)intimate with the upright.
33 The (EE)curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He (EF)blesses the home of the righteous.
34 Though (EG)He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet (EH)He gives grace to the needy.
35 (EI)The wise will inherit honor,
But fools [q]increase dishonor.
A Father’s Instruction
4 Listen, my sons, to the (EJ)instruction of a father,
And (EK)pay attention so that you may [r]gain understanding,
2 For I give you good (EL)teaching;
(EM)Do not abandon my [s]instruction.
3 When I was a son to my father,
(EN)Tender and (EO)the only son in the sight of my mother,
4 He (EP)taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart (EQ)take hold of my words;
(ER)Keep my commandments and live;
5 (ES)Acquire wisdom! (ET)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not abandon her, and she will guard you;
(EU)Love her, and she will watch over you.
7 (EV)The [t]beginning of wisdom is: (EW)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your possessions, acquire understanding.
8 (EX)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place (EY)on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10 Listen, my son, and (EZ)accept my sayings,
And the (FA)years of your life will be many.
11 I have (FB)instructed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
12 When you walk, your (FC)steps will not be hampered;
And if you run, you (FD)will not stumble.
13 (FE)Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your (FF)life.
14 (FG)Do not enter the path of the wicked
And do not proceed in the way of evil people.
15 Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they (FH)cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And [u]they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
17 For they (FI)eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 But the (FJ)path of the righteous is like the (FK)light of dawn
That (FL)shines brighter and brighter until the (FM)full day.
19 The (FN)way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they [v](FO)stumble.
20 My son, (FP)pay attention to my words;
(FQ)Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 (FR)They are not to escape from your sight;
(FS)Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are (FT)life to those who find them,
And (FU)healing to all [w]their body.
23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For (FV)from it flow the springs of life.
24 Rid yourself of a (FW)deceitful mouth
And (FX)keep devious [x]speech far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your [y]gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 (FY)[z]Watch the path of your feet,
And all your (FZ)ways will be established.
27 (GA)Do not turn to the right or to the left;
(GB)Turn your foot from evil.
Pitfalls of Immorality
5 My son, (GC)pay attention to my wisdom,
(GD)Incline your ear to my understanding,
2 So that you may (GE)maintain discretion
And your (GF)lips may comply with knowledge.
3 For the lips of an [aa](GG)adulteress (GH)drip honey,
And her [ab]speech is (GI)smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is (GJ)bitter as wormwood,
(GK)Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet (GL)go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.
6 [ac]She does not ponder the (GM)path of life;
Her ways are (GN)unstable, she (GO)does not know it.
7 (GP)Now then, my sons, listen to me
And (GQ)do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
8 (GR)Keep your way far from her,
And do not go near the (GS)door of her house,
9 Otherwise you will give your vigor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
10 And strangers will be filled with your strength,
And your hard-earned possessions will go to the house of a foreigner;
11 And you will groan [ad]in [ae]the end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;
12 And you say, “How I (GT)hated instruction!
And my heart (GU)disdainfully rejected rebuke!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my (GV)teachers,
Nor incline my ear to my instructors!
14 I was almost in total ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
And [af]fresh water from your own well.
16 Should your (GW)springs overflow into the street,
Streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be yours alone,
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your (GX)fountain be blessed,
And (GY)rejoice in the (GZ)wife of your youth.
19 Like a loving (HA)doe and a graceful mountain goat,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be [ag]exhilarated always with her love.
20 For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an [ah](HB)adulteress,
And embrace the breasts of a (HC)foreigner?
21 For the (HD)ways of everyone are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He (HE)observes all his paths.
22 His (HF)own wrongdoings will trap the wicked,
And he will be held by the ropes of his sin.
23 He will (HG)die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his foolishness he will go astray.
Parental Counsel
6 My son, if you have become a (HH)guarantor for your neighbor,
Or have given a handshake for a stranger,
2 If you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth,
Or caught by the words of your mouth,
3 Then do this, my son, and save yourself:
Since you have come into the [ai]hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself.
4 Give no (HI)sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;
5 Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand,
And like a (HJ)bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the (HK)ant, you [aj](HL)lazy one,
Observe its ways and be wise,
7 Which, having (HM)no chief,
Officer, or ruler,
8 Prepares its food (HN)in the summer
And gathers its provision in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie down, you [ak]lazy one?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 “(HO)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to [al]rest,”
11 (HP)Then your poverty will come in like a [am]drifter,
And your need like [an]an armed man.
12 A (HQ)worthless person, a wicked man,
Is one who walks with a (HR)perverse mouth,
13 Who (HS)winks with his eyes, who [ao]signals with his feet,
Who [ap]points with his fingers;
14 Who, with (HT)perversion in his heart, continually (HU)devises evil,
Who [aq](HV)spreads strife.
15 Therefore (HW)his disaster will come suddenly;
(HX)Instantly he will be broken and there will be (HY)no healing.
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
Seven that are an abomination [ar]to Him:
17 (HZ)Haughty eyes, a (IA)lying tongue,
And hands that (IB)shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises (IC)wicked plans,
(ID)Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A (IE)false witness who declares lies,
And one who [as](IF)spreads strife among brothers.
20 (IG)My son, comply with the commandment of your father,
And do not ignore the [at]teaching of your mother;
21 (IH)Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you (II)walk, [au]they will guide you;
When you sleep, [av]they will watch over you;
And when you awake, [aw]they will talk to you.
23 For (IJ)the commandment is a lamp and the [ax]teaching is light;
And rebukes for discipline are the way of life
24 To (IK)keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.
25 (IL)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her capture you with her (IM)eyelids.
26 For (IN)the price of a prostitute reduces one to a loaf of bread,
And [ay]an adulteress (IO)hunts for a precious life.
27 Can anyone take fire in his lap
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can a person walk on hot coals
And his feet not be scorched?
29 So is the one who (IP)goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her (IQ)will not [az]go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
To (IR)satisfy [ba]himself when he is hungry;
31 But when he is found, he must (IS)repay seven times as much;
He must give up all the property of his house.
32 One who commits adultery with a woman is (IT)lacking [bb]sense;
He who would (IU)destroy [bc]himself commits it.
33 He will find wounds and disgrace,
And his shame will not be removed.
34 For (IV)jealousy [bd]enrages a man,
And he will not have compassion on the (IW)day of vengeance.
35 He will not [be]accept any settlement,
Nor will he be [bf]satisfied though you make it a large gift.
The Lures of the Prostitute
7 My son, (IX)keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.
2 (IY)Keep my commandments and live,
And my [bg]teaching (IZ)as the [bh]apple of your eye.
3 (JA)Bind them on your fingers;
(JB)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend,
5 So that they may keep you from an [bi]adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6 For (JC)at the window of my house
I looked out (JD)through my lattice,
7 And I saw among the (JE)naive,
And discerned among the [bj]youths
A young man (JF)lacking [bk]sense,
8 Passing through the street near (JG)her corner;
And he walks along the way to (JH)her house,
9 In the (JI)twilight, in the [bl]evening,
In the [bm]middle of the night and the darkness.
10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him,
(JJ)Dressed as a prostitute and cunning of heart.
11 She is (JK)boisterous and rebellious,
Her (JL)feet do not remain at home;
12 She is now in the streets, now (JM)in the public squares,
And (JN)lurks by every corner.
13 So she seizes him and kisses him,
[bn]And with a (JO)brazen face she says to him:
14 “[bo]I was due to offer (JP)peace offerings;
Today I have (JQ)paid my vows.
15 Therefore I have come out to meet you,
To seek your presence diligently, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with (JR)coverings,
With colored (JS)linens of Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my bed
With (JT)myrrh, aloes, and (JU)cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning;
Let’s delight ourselves with caresses.
19 For [bp]my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey.
20 He has taken a (JV)bag of money [bq]with him.
At the full moon he will come home.”
21 With her many persuasions she entices him;
With her [br](JW)flattering lips she seduces him.
22 Suddenly he follows her
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as [bs]one walks in ankle bracelets to the discipline of a fool,
23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
As a (JX)bird hurries to the snare,
So he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24 Now therefore, my sons, (JY)listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart (JZ)turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths.
26 For many are the [bt]victims she has brought to ruin,
And (KA)numerous are all those slaughtered by her.
27 Her (KB)house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.
The Commendation of Wisdom
8 Does not (KC)wisdom call,
And understanding [bu]raise her voice?
2 On top of (KD)the heights beside the way,
Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 Beside the (KE)gates, at the opening to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:
4 “To you, people, I call,
And my voice is to [bv]mankind.
5 You (KF)naive ones, understand prudence;
And, you (KG)fools, understand [bw]wisdom!
6 Listen, for I will speak (KH)noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal (KI)right things.
7 For my (KJ)mouth will proclaim truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing (KK)crooked or perverted in them.
9 They are all (KL)straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who (KM)find knowledge.
10 Accept my (KN)instruction and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is (KO)better than [bx]jewels;
And (KP)all desirable things cannot compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, (KQ)dwell with prudence,
And I find (KR)knowledge and discretion.
13 The (KS)fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
(KT)Pride, arrogance, (KU)the evil way,
And the (KV)perverted mouth, I hate.
14 (KW)Advice is mine and (KX)sound wisdom;
I am understanding, (KY)power is mine.
15 By me (KZ)kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.
17 I (LA)love those who love me;
And (LB)those who diligently seek me will find me.
18 (LC)Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring (LD)wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is (LE)better than gold, even pure gold;
And my yield better than (LF)choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 To endow those who love me with wealth,
That I may (LG)fill their treasuries.
22 “The Lord [by]created me (LH)at the beginning of His way,
Before His works [bz]of old.
23 From eternity I was [ca](LI)established,
From the beginning, (LJ)from the earliest times of the earth.
24 When there were no (LK)ocean depths, I was born,
When there were no springs abounding with water.
25 (LL)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was born;
26 While He had not yet made the earth and the [cb]fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.
27 When He (LM)established the heavens, I was there;
When (LN)He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became [cc]fixed,
29 When (LO)He set a boundary for the sea
So that the water would not violate His [cd]command,
When He marked out (LP)the foundations of the earth;
30 Then (LQ)I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was His delight daily,
[ce]Rejoicing always before Him,
31 [cf]Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having (LR)my delight in the sons of mankind.
32 “Now then, sons, (LS)listen to me,
For (LT)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 (LU)Listen to instruction and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
34 (LV)Blessed is the person who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.
35 For (LW)one who finds me finds life,
And (LX)obtains favor from the Lord.
36 But one who [cg]sins against me (LY)injures himself;
All those who (LZ)hate me (MA)love death.”
Wisdom’s Invitation
9 Wisdom has (MB)built her house,
She has carved out her seven pillars;
2 She has [ch](MC)prepared her food, she has (MD)mixed her wine;
She has also (ME)set her table;
3 She has (MF)sent out her attendants, she (MG)calls out
From the (MH)tops of the heights of the city:
4 “(MI)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who (MJ)lacks [ci]understanding she says,
5 “Come, (MK)eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 [cj]Abandon your foolishness and (ML)live,
And (MM)proceed in the way of understanding.”
7 One who (MN)corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And one who rebukes a wicked person gets [ck]insults for himself.
8 (MO)Do not rebuke a scoffer, or he will hate you;
(MP)Rebuke a wise person and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise person and he will become still wiser;
Teach a righteous person and he will (MQ)increase his insight.
10 The (MR)fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For (MS)by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise (MT)for yourself,
And if you (MU)scoff, you alone will [cl]suffer from it.
13 [cm]A woman of foolishness is (MV)boisterous,
She has a lack of understanding and (MW)knows nothing.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by (MX)the high places of the city,
15 Calling to those who pass by,
Who are going straight on their paths:
16 “(MY)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks [cn]understanding she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
And (MZ)bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the [co]dead are there,
That her guests are in the (NA)depths of Sheol.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:14 Lit in the midst of us
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit in vain
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit possessor of wing
- Proverbs 1:20 Lit gives
- Proverbs 2:3 Lit give
- Proverbs 2:18 Lit departed spirits
- Proverbs 3:1 Or law
- Proverbs 3:4 Lit understanding
- Proverbs 3:8 Lit navel
- Proverbs 3:11 Or instruction
- Proverbs 3:14 I.e., the profit from Wisdom (personified)
- Proverbs 3:15 Lit corals
- Proverbs 3:16 Lit Length of days
- Proverbs 3:26 Or at your side
- Proverbs 3:27 Lit its owners
- Proverbs 3:32 Lit His private counsel is
- Proverbs 3:35 Lit raise high
- Proverbs 4:1 Lit know
- Proverbs 4:2 Or law
- Proverbs 4:7 Or primary thing is wisdom
- Proverbs 4:16 Lit their sleep is robbed
- Proverbs 4:19 Or may stumble
- Proverbs 4:22 Lit his
- Proverbs 4:24 Or lips
- Proverbs 4:25 Or eyelids
- Proverbs 4:26 I.e., prob. stay on the path
- Proverbs 5:3 Lit strange woman
- Proverbs 5:3 Lit palate
- Proverbs 5:6 Lit That she not watch
- Proverbs 5:11 Or at
- Proverbs 5:11 Lit your end
- Proverbs 5:15 Lit flowing
- Proverbs 5:19 Lit intoxicated
- Proverbs 5:20 Lit strange woman
- Proverbs 6:3 Lit palm
- Proverbs 6:6 Lit idle one
- Proverbs 6:9 Lit idle one
- Proverbs 6:10 Lit lie down
- Proverbs 6:11 Lit one who moves about
- Proverbs 6:11 Lit a man with a shield
- Proverbs 6:13 Lit scrapes
- Proverbs 6:13 Lit instructs with
- Proverbs 6:14 Lit sends out
- Proverbs 6:16 Lit of His soul
- Proverbs 6:19 Lit sends out
- Proverbs 6:20 Or law
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:23 Or law
- Proverbs 6:26 Lit a man’s wife
- Proverbs 6:29 Lit be innocent
- Proverbs 6:30 Lit his soul
- Proverbs 6:32 Lit heart
- Proverbs 6:32 Lit his soul
- Proverbs 6:34 Lit is the rage of
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit lift up the face of any
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit willing
- Proverbs 7:2 Or law
- Proverbs 7:2 Lit pupil
- Proverbs 7:5 Lit strange woman
- Proverbs 7:7 Lit sons
- Proverbs 7:7 Lit heart
- Proverbs 7:9 Lit evening of the day
- Proverbs 7:9 Lit pupil (of the eye)
- Proverbs 7:13 Lit She makes bold her face and says
- Proverbs 7:14 Lit Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me
- Proverbs 7:19 Lit the man
- Proverbs 7:20 Lit in his hand
- Proverbs 7:21 Lit smooth
- Proverbs 7:22 Or as a stag goes into a trap; as in some ancient versions, Heb is uncertain
- Proverbs 7:26 Lit wounded
- Proverbs 8:1 Lit give
- Proverbs 8:4 Lit sons of mankind
- Proverbs 8:5 Lit heart
- Proverbs 8:11 Lit corals
- Proverbs 8:22 Or possessed
- Proverbs 8:22 Lit from then
- Proverbs 8:23 Or consecrated
- Proverbs 8:26 Lit outside places
- Proverbs 8:28 Lit strong
- Proverbs 8:29 Lit mouth
- Proverbs 8:30 Or Playing
- Proverbs 8:31 Or Playing
- Proverbs 8:36 Or misses me
- Proverbs 9:2 Lit slaughtered her slaughter
- Proverbs 9:4 Lit heart
- Proverbs 9:6 Or Abandon the naive
- Proverbs 9:7 Lit a blemish
- Proverbs 9:12 Lit bear
- Proverbs 9:13 Or A foolish woman
- Proverbs 9:16 Lit heart
- Proverbs 9:18 Lit departed spirits
Proverbs 1-9
New King James Version
Proverbs 1-9
New King James Version
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 The (A)proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To [a]perceive the words of understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the (B)simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5 (C)A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will [b]attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their (D)riddles.
7 (E)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Shun Evil Counsel
8 (F)My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9 For they will be a (G)graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
(H)Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us (I)lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like [c]Sheol,
And whole, (J)like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious [d]possessions,
We shall fill our houses with [e]spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15 My son, (K)do not walk in the way with them,
(L)Keep your foot from their path;
16 (M)For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in [f]vain the net is spread
In the sight of any [g]bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 (N)So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.
The Call of Wisdom
20 (O)Wisdom calls aloud [h]outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the [i]chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “How long, you [j]simple ones, will you love [k]simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke;
Surely (P)I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 (Q)Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you (R)disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 (S)I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When (T)your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then(U) they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they (V)hated knowledge
And did not (W)choose the fear of the Lord,
30 (X)They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore (Y)they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the [l]turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell (Z)safely,
And (AA)will be [m]secure, without fear of evil.”
The Value of Wisdom
2 My son, if you receive my words,
And (AB)treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
4 (AC)If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 (AD)Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
6 (AE)For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
(AF)He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice,
And (AG)preserves the way of His saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.
10 When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you;
(AH)Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things,
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To (AI)walk in the ways of darkness;
14 (AJ)Who rejoice in doing evil,
And delight in the perversity of the wicked;
15 (AK)Whose ways are crooked,
And who are devious in their paths;
16 To deliver you from (AL)the immoral woman,
(AM)From the seductress who flatters with her words,
17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God.
18 For (AN)her house [n]leads down to death,
And her paths to the dead;
19 None who go to her return,
Nor do they [o]regain the paths of life—
20 So you may walk in the way of goodness,
And keep to the paths of righteousness.
21 For the upright will dwell in the (AO)land,
And the blameless will remain in it;
22 But the wicked will be [p]cut off from the [q]earth,
And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
Guidance for the Young
3 My son, do not forget my law,
(AP)But let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life
And (AQ)peace they will add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
(AR)Bind them around your neck,
(AS)Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 (AT)And so find favor and [r]high esteem
In the sight of God and man.
5 (AU)Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
(AV)And lean not on your own understanding;
6 (AW)In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall [s]direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own (AX)eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your [t]flesh,
And (AY)strength[u] to your bones.
9 (AZ)Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 (BA)So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 (BB)My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor detest His correction;
12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
(BC)Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
13 (BD)Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
14 (BE)For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
And (BF)all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16 (BG)Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 (BH)Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is (BI)a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who [v]retain her.
19 (BJ)The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;
20 By His knowledge the depths were (BK)broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
22 So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.
23 (BL)Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25 (BM)Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.
27 (BN)Do not withhold good from [w]those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
28 (BO)Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.
30 (BP)Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
31 (BQ)Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;
32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord,
(BR)But His secret counsel is with the upright.
33 (BS)The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But (BT)He blesses the home of the just.
34 (BU)Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.
Security in Wisdom
4 Hear, (BV)my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my father’s son,
(BW)Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 (BX)He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
(BY)Keep my commands, and live.
5 (BZ)Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
(CA)Love her, and she will keep you.
7 (CB)Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
8 (CC)Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head (CD)an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
(CE)And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have (CF)taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
12 When you walk, (CG)your steps will not be hindered,
(CH)And when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.
14 (CI)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 (CJ)For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is [x]taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 (CK)But the path of the just (CL)is like the shining [y]sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
19 (CM)The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of (CN)life.
24 Put away from you a [z]deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your (CO)feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.
The Peril of Adultery
5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
[aa]Lend your ear to my understanding,
2 That you may [ab]preserve discretion,
And your lips (CP)may keep knowledge.
3 (CQ)For the lips of [ac]an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is (CR)smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death,
(CS)Her steps lay hold of [ad]hell.
6 Lest you ponder her path of life—
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.
7 Therefore hear me now, my children,
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Remove your way far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house,
9 Lest you give your [ae]honor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
10 Lest aliens be filled with your [af]wealth,
And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;
11 And you mourn at last,
When your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 And say:
“How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!
13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!
14 I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
And running water from your own well.
16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,
[ag]Streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be only your own,
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with (CT)the wife of your youth.
19 (CU)As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be [ah]enraptured with her love.
20 For why should you, my son, be enraptured by (CV)an immoral woman,
And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?
21 (CW)For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He [ai]ponders all his paths.
22 (CX)His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.
23 (CY)He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Dangerous Promises
6 My son, (CZ)if you become [aj]surety for your friend,
If you have [ak]shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,
2 You are snared by the words of your mouth;
You are taken by the words of your mouth.
3 So do this, my son, and deliver yourself;
For you have come into the hand of your friend:
Go and humble yourself;
Plead with your friend.
4 (DA)Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
And like a bird from the hand of the [al]fowler.
The Folly of Indolence
6 (DB)Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no [am]captain,
Overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her [an]supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
9 (DC)How long will you [ao]slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 (DD)So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.
The Wicked Man
12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
Walks with a perverse mouth;
13 (DE)He winks with his eyes,
He [ap]shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;
14 Perversity is in his heart,
(DF)He devises evil continually,
(DG)He sows discord.
15 Therefore his calamity shall come (DH)suddenly;
Suddenly he shall (DI)be broken (DJ)without remedy.
16 These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to [aq]Him:
17 (DK)A[ar] proud look,
(DL)A lying tongue,
(DM)Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 (DN)A heart that devises wicked plans,
(DO)Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 (DP)A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who (DQ)sows discord among brethren.
Beware of Adultery
20 (DR)My son, keep your father’s command,
And do not forsake the law of your mother.
21 (DS)Bind them continually upon your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 (DT)When you roam, [as]they will lead you;
When you sleep, (DU)they will keep you;
And when you awake, they will speak with you.
23 (DV)For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 (DW)To keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattering tongue of a seductress.
25 (DX)Do not lust after her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.
26 For (DY)by means of a harlot
A man is reduced to a crust of bread;
(DZ)And [at]an adulteress will (EA)prey upon his precious life.
27 Can a man take fire to his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one walk on hot coals,
And his feet not be seared?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
30 People do not despise a thief
If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.
31 Yet when he is found, (EB)he must restore sevenfold;
He may have to give up all the substance of his house.
32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman (EC)lacks understanding;
He who does so destroys his own soul.
33 Wounds and dishonor he will get,
And his reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For (ED)jealousy is a husband’s fury;
Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will [au]accept no recompense,
Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.
The Wiles of a Harlot
7 My son, keep my words,
And (EE)treasure my commands within you.
2 (EF)Keep my commands and live,
(EG)And my law as the apple of your eye.
3 (EH)Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your nearest kin,
5 (EI)That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.
The Crafty Harlot
6 For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
7 And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the [av]youths,
A young man (EJ)devoid[aw] of understanding,
8 Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
9 (EK)In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.
10 And there a woman met him,
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
11 (EL)She was loud and rebellious,
(EM)Her feet would not stay at home.
12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him and kissed him;
With an [ax]impudent face she said to him:
14 “I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
16 I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of (EN)Egyptian linen.
17 I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For [ay]my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money [az]with him,
And will come home [ba]on the appointed day.”
21 [bb]With (EO)her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
(EP)With her flattering lips she [bc]seduced him.
22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or [bd]as a fool to the correction of the [be]stocks,
23 Till an arrow struck his liver.
(EQ)As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it [bf]would cost his life.
24 Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
26 For she has cast down many wounded,
And (ER)all who were slain by her were strong men.
27 (ES)Her house is the way to [bg]hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.
The Excellence of Wisdom
8 Does not (ET)wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the [bh]high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you [bi]simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak of (EU)excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 (EV)For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 (EW)The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
(EX)Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And (EY)the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, (EZ)I have strength.
15 (FA)By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of [bj]the earth.
17 (FB)I love those who love me,
And (FC)those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 (FD)Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I [bk]traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.
22 “The(FE) Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 (FF)I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 (FG)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the [bl]fields,
Or the [bm]primal dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 (FH)When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When (FI)He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 (FJ)Then I was beside Him as [bn]a master craftsman;
(FK)And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And (FL)my delight was with the sons of men.
32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For (FM)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 (FN)Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And (FO)obtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me (FP)wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”
The Way of Wisdom
9 Wisdom has (FQ)built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 (FR)She has slaughtered her meat,
(FS)She has mixed her wine,
She has also [bo]furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
4 “Whoever(FT) is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5 “Come,(FU) eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.
7 “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
8 (FV)Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
(FW)Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, (FX)and he will increase in learning.
10 “The(FY) fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 (FZ)For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 (GA)If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”
The Way of Folly
13 (GB)A foolish woman is [bp]clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat (GC)by the highest places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever(GD) is [bq]simple, let him turn in here”;
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
17 “Stolen(GE) water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that (GF)the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of [br]hell.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:2 understand or discern
- Proverbs 1:5 acquire
- Proverbs 1:12 Or the grave
- Proverbs 1:13 Lit. wealth
- Proverbs 1:13 plunder
- Proverbs 1:17 futility
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit. lord of the wing
- Proverbs 1:20 in the street
- Proverbs 1:21 LXX, Syr., Tg. top of the walls; Vg. the head of multitudes
- Proverbs 1:22 naive
- Proverbs 1:22 naivete
- Proverbs 1:32 waywardness
- Proverbs 1:33 at ease
- Proverbs 2:18 sinks
- Proverbs 2:19 Lit. reach
- Proverbs 2:22 destroyed
- Proverbs 2:22 land
- Proverbs 3:4 Lit. good understanding
- Proverbs 3:6 Or make smooth or straight
- Proverbs 3:8 Body, lit. navel
- Proverbs 3:8 Lit. drink
- Proverbs 3:18 hold her fast
- Proverbs 3:27 Lit. its owners
- Proverbs 4:16 Lit. robbed
- Proverbs 4:18 Lit. light
- Proverbs 4:24 devious
- Proverbs 5:1 Lit. Bow
- Proverbs 5:2 appreciate good judgment
- Proverbs 5:3 Lit. a strange
- Proverbs 5:5 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 5:9 vigor
- Proverbs 5:10 Lit. strength
- Proverbs 5:16 Channels
- Proverbs 5:19 Lit. intoxicated
- Proverbs 5:21 observes, lit. weighs
- Proverbs 6:1 guaranty or collateral
- Proverbs 6:1 Lit. struck
- Proverbs 6:5 One who catches birds in a trap or snare
- Proverbs 6:7 Lit. leader
- Proverbs 6:8 Lit. bread
- Proverbs 6:9 Lit. lie down
- Proverbs 6:13 gives signals, lit. scrapes
- Proverbs 6:16 Lit. His soul
- Proverbs 6:17 Lit. Haughty eyes
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit. it
- Proverbs 6:26 Wife of another, lit. a man’s wife
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit. lift up the face of any
- Proverbs 7:7 Lit. sons
- Proverbs 7:7 lacking
- Proverbs 7:13 shameless
- Proverbs 7:19 Lit. the man
- Proverbs 7:20 Lit. in his hand
- Proverbs 7:20 at the full moon
- Proverbs 7:21 By the greatness of her words
- Proverbs 7:21 compelled
- Proverbs 7:22 LXX, Syr., Tg. as a dog to bonds; Vg. as a lamb . . . to bonds
- Proverbs 7:22 shackles
- Proverbs 7:23 Lit. is for
- Proverbs 7:27 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 8:2 Lit. heights
- Proverbs 8:5 naive
- Proverbs 8:16 MT, Syr., Tg., Vg. righteousness; LXX, Bg., some mss. and editions earth
- Proverbs 8:20 walk about on
- Proverbs 8:26 outer places
- Proverbs 8:26 Lit. beginning of the dust
- Proverbs 8:30 A Jewish tradition one brought up
- Proverbs 9:2 arranged
- Proverbs 9:13 boisterous
- Proverbs 9:16 naive
- Proverbs 9:18 Or Sheol
Proverbs 1-9
The Message
Proverbs 1-9
The Message
Wise Sayings of Solomon
A Manual for Living
1 1-6 These are the wise sayings of Solomon,
David’s son, Israel’s king—
Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right,
to understand what life means and where it’s going;
A manual for living,
for learning what’s right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes
and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There’s something here also for seasoned men and women,
still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—
Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.
Start with God
7 Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.
8-19 Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you;
never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee.
Wear their counsel like a winning crown,
like rings on your fingers.
Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you,
don’t go along with them.
If they say—“Let’s go out and raise some hell.
Let’s beat up some old man, mug some old woman.
Let’s pick them clean
and get them ready for their funerals.
We’ll load up on top-quality loot.
We’ll haul it home by the truckload.
Join us for the time of your life!
With us, it’s share and share alike!”—
Oh, friend, don’t give them a second look;
don’t listen to them for a minute.
They’re racing to a very bad end,
hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on.
Nobody robs a bank
with everyone watching,
Yet that’s what these people are doing—
they’re doing themselves in.
When you grab all you can get, that’s what happens:
the more you get, the less you are.
Lady Wisdom
20-21 Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts.
At the town center she makes her speech.
In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand.
At the busiest corner she calls out:
22-24 “Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance?
Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism?
Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn?
About face! I can revise your life.
Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you;
I’m ready to tell you all I know.
As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear;
I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me.
25-28 “Since you laugh at my counsel
and make a joke of my advice,
How can I take you seriously?
I’ll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!
What if the roof falls in,
and your whole life goes to pieces?
What if catastrophe strikes and there’s nothing
to show for your life but rubble and ashes?
You’ll need me then. You’ll call for me, but don’t expect an answer.
No matter how hard you look, you won’t find me.
29-33 “Because you hated Knowledge
and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God,
Because you wouldn’t take my advice
and brushed aside all my offers to train you,
Well, you’ve made your bed—now lie in it;
you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it?
Don’t you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?
Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.
First pay attention to me, and then relax.
Now you can take it easy—you’re in good hands.”
Make Insight Your Priority
2 1-5 Good friend, take to heart what I’m telling you;
collect my counsels and guard them with your life.
Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom;
set your heart on a life of Understanding.
That’s right—if you make Insight your priority,
and won’t take no for an answer,
Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold,
like an adventurer on a treasure hunt,
Believe me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours;
you’ll have come upon the Knowledge of God.
6-8 And here’s why: God gives out Wisdom free,
is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding.
He’s a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well,
a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere.
He keeps his eye on all who live honestly,
and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones.
9-15 So now you can pick out what’s true and fair,
find all the good trails!
Lady Wisdom will be your close friend,
and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion.
Good Sense will scout ahead for danger,
Insight will keep an eye out for you.
They’ll keep you from making wrong turns,
or following the bad directions
Of those who are lost themselves
and can’t tell a trail from a tumbleweed,
These losers who make a game of evil
and throw parties to celebrate perversity,
Traveling paths that go nowhere,
wandering in a maze of detours and dead ends.
16-19 Wise friends will rescue you from the Temptress—
that smooth-talking Seductress
Who’s faithless to the husband she married years ago,
never gave a second thought to her promises before God.
Her whole way of life is doomed;
every step she takes brings her closer to hell.
No one who joins her company ever comes back,
ever sets foot on the path to real living.
20-22 So—join the company of good men and women,
keep your feet on the tried-and-true paths.
It’s the men who walk straight who will settle this land,
the women with integrity who will last here.
The corrupt will lose their lives;
the dishonest will be gone for good.
Don’t Assume You Know It All
3 1-2 Good friend, don’t forget all I’ve taught you;
take to heart my commands.
They’ll help you live a long, long time,
a long life lived full and well.
3-4 Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.
Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.
Earn a reputation for living well
in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people.
5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
a father’s delight is behind all this.
The Very Tree of Life
13-18 You’re blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom,
when you make friends with Madame Insight.
She’s worth far more than money in the bank;
her friendship is better than a big salary.
Her value exceeds all the trappings of wealth;
nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.
With one hand she gives long life,
with the other she confers recognition.
Her manner is beautiful,
her life wonderfully complete.
She’s the very Tree of Life to those who embrace her.
Hold her tight—and be blessed!
19-20 With Lady Wisdom, God formed Earth;
with Madame Insight, he raised Heaven.
They knew when to signal rivers and springs to the surface,
and dew to descend from the night skies.
Never Walk Away
21-26 Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life;
don’t for a minute lose sight of them.
They’ll keep your soul alive and well,
they’ll keep you fit and attractive.
You’ll travel safely,
you’ll neither tire nor trip.
You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry,
you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises,
or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner,
Because God will be right there with you;
he’ll keep you safe and sound.
27-29 Never walk away from someone who deserves help;
your hand is God’s hand for that person.
Don’t tell your neighbor “Maybe some other time”
or “Try me tomorrow”
when the money’s right there in your pocket.
Don’t figure ways of taking advantage of your neighbor
when he’s sitting there trusting and unsuspecting.
30-32 Don’t walk around with a chip on your shoulder,
always spoiling for a fight.
Don’t try to be like those who shoulder their way through life.
Why be a bully?
“Why not?” you say. Because God can’t stand twisted souls.
It’s the straightforward who get his respect.
33-35 God’s curse blights the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
He gives proud skeptics a cold shoulder,
but if you’re down on your luck, he’s right there to help.
Wise living gets rewarded with honor;
stupid living gets the booby prize.
Your Life Is at Stake
4 1-2 Listen, friends, to some fatherly advice;
sit up and take notice so you’ll know how to live.
I’m giving you good counsel;
don’t let it go in one ear and out the other.
3-9 When I was a boy at my father’s knee,
the pride and joy of my mother,
He would sit me down and drill me:
“Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live!
Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding!
Don’t forget one word! Don’t deviate an inch!
Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life;
love her—she keeps her eye on you.
Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom!
Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding!
Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won’t regret it;
never let her go—she’ll make your life glorious.
She’ll garland your life with grace,
she’ll festoon your days with beauty.”
10-15 Dear friend, take my advice;
it will add years to your life.
I’m writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way,
I’m drawing a map to Righteous Road.
I don’t want you ending up in blind alleys,
or wasting time making wrong turns.
Hold tight to good advice; don’t relax your grip.
Guard it well—your life is at stake!
Don’t take Wicked Bypass;
don’t so much as set foot on that road.
Stay clear of it; give it a wide berth.
Make a detour and be on your way.
16-17 Evil people are restless
unless they’re making trouble;
They can’t get a good night’s sleep
unless they’ve made life miserable for somebody.
Perversity is their food and drink,
violence their drug of choice.
18-19 The ways of right-living people glow with light;
the longer they live, the brighter they shine.
But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker—
travelers can’t see a thing; they fall flat on their faces.
Learn It by Heart
20-22 Dear friend, listen well to my words;
tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
body and soul, they’re bursting with health.
23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that’s where life starts.
Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust.
Nothing but Sin and Bones
5 1-2 Dear friend, pay close attention to this, my wisdom;
listen very closely to the way I see it.
Then you’ll acquire a taste for good sense;
what I tell you will keep you out of trouble.
3-6 The lips of a seductive woman are oh so sweet,
her soft words are oh so smooth.
But it won’t be long before she’s gravel in your mouth,
a pain in your gut, a wound in your heart.
She’s dancing down the perfumed path to Death;
she’s headed straight for Hell and taking you with her.
She hasn’t a clue about Real Life,
about who she is or where she’s going.
7-14 So, my friend, listen closely;
don’t treat my words casually.
Keep your distance from such a woman;
absolutely stay out of her neighborhood.
You don’t want to squander your wonderful life,
to waste your precious life among the hardhearted.
Why should you allow strangers to take advantage of you?
Why be exploited by those who care nothing for you?
You don’t want to end your life full of regrets,
nothing but sin and bones,
Saying, “Oh, why didn’t I do what they told me?
Why did I reject a disciplined life?
Why didn’t I listen to my mentors,
or take my teachers seriously?
My life is ruined!
I haven’t one blessed thing to show for my life!”
Never Take Love for Granted
15-16 Do you know the saying, “Drink from your own rain barrel,
draw water from your own spring-fed well”?
It’s true. Otherwise, you may one day come home
and find your barrel empty and your well polluted.
17-20 Your spring water is for you and you only,
not to be passed around among strangers.
Bless your fresh-flowing fountain!
Enjoy the wife you married as a young man!
Lovely as an angel, beautiful as a rose—
don’t ever quit taking delight in her body.
Never take her love for granted!
Why would you trade enduring intimacies for cheap thrills with a prostitute?
for dalliance with a promiscuous stranger?
21-23 Mark well that God doesn’t miss a move you make;
he’s aware of every step you take.
The shadow of your sin will overtake you;
you’ll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark.
Death is the reward of an undisciplined life;
your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.
Like a Deer from the Hunter
6 1-5 Dear friend, if you’ve gone into hock with your neighbor
or locked yourself into a deal with a stranger,
If you’ve impulsively promised the shirt off your back
and now find yourself shivering out in the cold,
Friend, don’t waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess.
You’re in that man’s clutches!
Go, put on a long face; act desperate.
Don’t procrastinate—
there’s no time to lose.
Run like a deer from the hunter,
fly like a bird from the trapper!
A Lesson from the Ant
6-11 You lazy fool, look at an ant.
Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.
Nobody has to tell it what to do.
All summer it stores up food;
at harvest it stockpiles provisions.
So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?
How long before you get out of bed?
A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,
sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next?
Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,
poverty your permanent houseguest!
Always Cooking Up Something Nasty
12-15 Swindlers and scoundrels
talk out of both sides of their mouths.
They wink at each other, they shuffle their feet,
they cross their fingers behind their backs.
Their perverse minds are always cooking up something nasty,
always stirring up trouble.
Catastrophe is just around the corner for them,
a total wreck, their lives ruined beyond repair.
Seven Things God Hates
16-19 Here are six things God hates,
and one more that he loathes with a passion:
eyes that are arrogant,
a tongue that lies,
hands that murder the innocent,
a heart that hatches evil plots,
feet that race down a wicked track,
a mouth that lies under oath,
a troublemaker in the family.
Warning on Adultery
20-23 Good friend, follow your father’s good advice;
don’t wander off from your mother’s teachings.
Wrap yourself in them from head to foot;
wear them like a scarf around your neck.
Wherever you walk, they’ll guide you;
whenever you rest, they’ll guard you;
when you wake up, they’ll tell you what’s next.
For sound advice is a beacon,
good teaching is a light,
moral discipline is a life path.
24-35 They’ll protect you from promiscuous women,
from the seductive talk of some temptress.
Don’t lustfully fantasize on her beauty,
nor be taken in by her bedroom eyes.
You can buy an hour with a prostitute for a loaf of bread,
but a promiscuous woman may well eat you alive.
Can you build a fire in your lap
and not burn your pants?
Can you walk barefoot on hot coals
and not get blisters?
It’s the same when you have sex with your neighbor’s wife:
Touch her and you’ll pay for it. No excuses.
Hunger is no excuse
for a thief to steal;
When he’s caught he has to pay it back,
even if he has to put his whole house in hock.
Adultery is a brainless act,
soul-destroying, self-destructive;
Expect a bloody nose, a black eye,
and a reputation ruined for good.
For jealousy detonates rage in a cheated husband;
wild for revenge, he won’t make allowances.
Nothing you say or pay will make it all right;
neither bribes nor reason will satisfy him.
Dressed to Seduce
7 1-5 Dear friend, do what I tell you;
treasure my careful instructions.
Do what I say and you’ll live well.
My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!
Write it out on the back of your hands;
etch it on the chambers of your heart.
Talk to Wisdom as to a sister.
Treat Insight as your companion.
They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress—
that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.
6-12 As I stood at the window of my house
looking out through the shutters,
Watching the mindless crowd stroll by,
I spotted a young man without any sense
Arriving at the corner of the street where she lived,
then turning up the path to her house.
It was dusk, the evening coming on,
the darkness thickening into night.
Just then, a woman met him—
she’d been lying in wait for him, dressed to seduce him.
Brazen and brash she was,
restless and roaming, never at home,
Walking the streets, loitering in the mall,
hanging out at every corner in town.
13-20 She threw her arms around him and kissed him,
boldly took his arm and said,
“I’ve got all the makings for a feast—
today I made my offerings, my vows are all paid,
So now I’ve come to find you,
hoping to catch sight of your face—and here you are!
I’ve spread fresh, clean sheets on my bed,
colorful imported linens.
My bed is aromatic with spices
and exotic fragrances.
Come, let’s make love all night,
spend the night in ecstatic lovemaking!
My husband’s not home; he’s away on business,
and he won’t be back for a month.”
21-23 Soon she has him eating out of her hand,
bewitched by her honeyed speech.
Before you know it, he’s trotting behind her,
like a calf led to the butcher shop,
Like a stag lured into ambush
and then shot with an arrow,
Like a bird flying into a net
not knowing that its flying life is over.
24-27 So, friends, listen to me,
take these words of mine most seriously.
Don’t fool around with a woman like that;
don’t even stroll through her neighborhood.
Countless victims come under her spell;
she’s the death of many a poor man.
She runs a halfway house to hell,
fits you out with a shroud and a coffin.
Lady Wisdom Calls Out
8 1-11 Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling?
Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?
She’s taken her stand at First and Main,
at the busiest intersection.
Right in the city square
where the traffic is thickest, she shouts,
“You—I’m talking to all of you,
everyone out here on the streets!
Listen, you idiots—learn good sense!
You blockheads—shape up!
Don’t miss a word of this—I’m telling you how to live well,
I’m telling you how to live at your best.
My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth—
I can’t stand the taste of evil!
You’ll only hear true and right words from my mouth;
not one syllable will be twisted or skewed.
You’ll recognize this as true—you with open minds;
truth-ready minds will see it at once.
Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money,
and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.
For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth;
nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.
12-21 “I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity;
Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street.
The Fear-of-God means hating Evil,
whose ways I hate with a passion—
pride and arrogance and crooked talk.
Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics;
I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out.
With my help, leaders rule,
and lawmakers legislate fairly;
With my help, governors govern,
along with all in legitimate authority.
I love those who love me;
those who look for me find me.
Wealth and Glory accompany me—
also substantial Honor and a Good Name.
My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary;
the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus.
You can find me on Righteous Road—that’s where I walk—
at the intersection of Justice Avenue,
Handing out life to those who love me,
filling their arms with life—armloads of life!
22-31 “God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—
before he did anything else.
I was brought into being a long time ago,
well before Earth got its start.
I arrived on the scene before Ocean,
yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes.
Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape,
I was already there, newborn;
Long before God stretched out Earth’s Horizons,
and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather,
And set Sky firmly in place,
I was there.
When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean,
built the vast vault of Heaven,
and installed the fountains that fed Ocean,
When he drew a boundary for Sea,
posted a sign that said no trespassing,
And then staked out Earth’s Foundations,
I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.
Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause,
always enjoying his company,
Delighted with the world of things and creatures,
happily celebrating the human family.
32-36 “So, my dear friends, listen carefully;
those who embrace these my ways are most blessed.
Mark a life of discipline and live wisely;
don’t squander your precious life.
Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,
awake and ready for me each morning,
alert and responsive as I start my day’s work.
When you find me, you find life, real life,
to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.
But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul;
when you reject me, you’re flirting with death.”
Lady Wisdom Gives a Dinner Party
9 1-6 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home;
it’s supported by seven hewn timbers.
The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted,
wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers.
Having dismissed her serving maids,
Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place,
and invites everyone within sound of her voice:
“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?
Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!
I’ve prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread,
roast lamb, carefully selected wines.
Leave your impoverished confusion and live!
Walk up the street to a life with meaning.”
* * *
7-12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face;
confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins.
So don’t waste your time on a scoffer;
all you’ll get for your pains is abuse.
But if you correct those who care about life,
that’s different—they’ll love you for it!
Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it;
tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it.
Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God,
insight into life from knowing a Holy God.
It’s through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,
and the years of your life ripen.
Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life;
mock life and life will mock you.
Madame Prostitute Calls Out, Too
13-18 Then there’s this other woman, Madame Prostitute—
brazen, empty-headed, frivolous.
She sits on the front porch
of her house on Main Street,
And as people walk by minding
their own business, calls out,
“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?
Steal off with me, I’ll show you a good time!
No one will ever know—I’ll give you the time of your life.”
But they don’t know about all the skeletons in her closet,
that all her guests end up in hell.
Proverbs 1-9
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 1-9
New American Standard Bible
The Usefulness of Proverbs
1 The (A)proverbs of Solomon (B)the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know (C)wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of (D)understanding,
3 To (E)receive instruction in wise behavior,
(F)Righteousness, justice, and integrity;
4 To give (G)prudence to the naive,
To the youth (H)knowledge and discretion,
5 A wise person will hear and (I)increase in learning,
And a (J)person of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and a saying,
The words of the wise and their (K)riddles.
7 (L)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 (M)Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
And (N)do not ignore your mother’s teaching;
9 For they are a (O)graceful wreath for your head
And (P)necklaces for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners (Q)entice you,
(R)Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let’s (S)lie in wait for blood,
Let’s (T)ambush the innocent without cause;
12 Let’s (U)swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, like those who (V)go down to the pit;
13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with plunder;
14 Throw in your lot [a]with us;
We will all have one money bag,”
15 My son, (W)do not walk on the way with them.
(X)Keep your feet from their path,
16 For (Y)their feet run to evil,
And they are quick to shed blood.
17 Indeed, it is [b]useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any [c]bird;
18 But they (Z)lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of everyone who (AA)makes unjust gain;
It takes away the life of its possessors.
Wisdom Warns
20 (AB)Wisdom shouts in the street,
She [d]raises her voice in the public square;
21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she declares her sayings:
22 “How long, you (AC)naive ones, will you love simplistic thinking?
And how long will (AD)scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools (AE)hate knowledge?
23 Turn to my rebuke,
Behold, I will (AF)pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because (AG)I called and you (AH)refused,
I (AI)stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you (AJ)neglected all my advice
And did not (AK)want my rebuke;
26 I will also (AL)laugh at your (AM)disaster;
I will mock when your (AN)dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm
And your disaster comes like a (AO)whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will (AP)call on me, but I will not answer;
They will (AQ)seek me diligently but will not find me,
29 Because they (AR)hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30 They (AS)did not accept my advice,
They disdainfully rejected every rebuke from me.
31 So they shall (AT)eat of the fruit of their own way,
And be (AU)filled with their own schemes.
32 For the (AV)faithlessness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But (AW)whoever listens to me will live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security
2 My son, if you will (AX)receive my words
And (AY)treasure my commandments within you,
2 (AZ)Make your ear attentive to wisdom;
Incline your heart to understanding.
3 For if you cry out for insight,
And [e]raise your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as (BA)silver
And search for her as for (BB)hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the (BC)fear of the Lord,
And discover the knowledge of God.
6 For (BD)the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a (BE)shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 Guarding the paths of justice,
And He (BF)watches over the way of His godly ones.
9 Then you will discern (BG)righteousness, justice,
And integrity, and every (BH)good path.
10 For (BI)wisdom will enter your heart,
And (BJ)knowledge will be delightful to your soul;
11 Discretion will (BK)watch over you,
Understanding will guard you,
12 To (BL)rescue you from the way of evil,
From a person who speaks (BM)perverse things;
13 From those who (BN)leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the (BO)ways of darkness;
14 Who (BP)delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are (BQ)crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;
16 To (BR)rescue you from the strange woman,
From the (BS)foreign woman who flatters with her words,
17 Who leaves the (BT)companion of her youth
And forgets the (BU)covenant of her God;
18 For (BV)her house sinks down to death,
And her tracks lead to the [f]dead;
19 None (BW)who go to her return,
Nor do they reach the (BX)paths of life.
20 So you will (BY)walk in the way of good people
And keep to the (BZ)paths of the righteous.
21 For (CA)the upright will live in the land,
And (CB)the blameless will remain in it;
22 But (CC)the wicked will be eliminated from the land,
And (CD)the treacherous will be (CE)torn away from it.
The Rewards of Wisdom
3 My son, (CF)do not forget my [g]teaching,
But have your heart (CG)comply with my commandments;
2 For (CH)length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
3 Do not let (CI)kindness and truth leave you;
(CJ)Bind them around your neck,
(CK)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will (CL)find favor and a (CM)good [h]reputation
In the sight of God and man.
5 (CN)Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And (CO)do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways (CP)acknowledge Him,
And He will (CQ)make your paths straight.
7 (CR)Do not be wise in your own eyes;
(CS)Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be (CT)healing to your [i]body
And (CU)refreshment to your bones.
9 (CV)Honor the Lord from your wealth,
And from the (CW)first of all your produce;
10 Then your (CX)barns will be filled with plenty,
And your (CY)vats will overflow with new wine.
11 (CZ)My son, do not reject the [j]discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His rebuke,
12 For (DA)whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
Just (DB)as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.
13 (DC)Blessed is a person who finds wisdom,
And one who obtains understanding.
14 For [k]her (DD)profit is better than the profit of silver,
And her produce better than gold.
15 She is (DE)more precious than [l]jewels,
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 [m](DF)Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are (DG)riches and honor.
17 Her (DH)ways are pleasant ways,
And all her paths are (DI)peace.
18 She is a (DJ)tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are those who hold on to her.
19 The Lord founded the earth (DK)by wisdom,
He (DL)established the heavens by understanding.
20 By His knowledge the (DM)ocean depths were burst open,
And the (DN)clouds drip with dew.
21 My son, see that (DO)they do not escape from your sight;
Comply with sound wisdom and discretion,
22 And they will be (DP)life to your soul
And (DQ)adornment to your neck.
23 Then you will (DR)walk in your way securely,
And your foot will not (DS)stumble.
24 When you (DT)lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 (DU)Do not be afraid of sudden danger,
Nor of (DV)trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be [n]your confidence,
And will (DW)keep your foot from being caught.
27 (DX)Do not withhold good from [o]those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
28 (DY)Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it to you,”
When you have it with you.
29 (DZ)Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
30 (EA)Do not contend with a person for no reason,
If he has done you no harm.
31 (EB)Do not envy a violent person,
And do not choose any of his ways.
32 For the (EC)devious are an abomination to the Lord;
But [p]He is (ED)intimate with the upright.
33 The (EE)curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He (EF)blesses the home of the righteous.
34 Though (EG)He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet (EH)He gives grace to the needy.
35 (EI)The wise will inherit honor,
But fools [q]increase dishonor.
A Father’s Instruction
4 Listen, my sons, to the (EJ)instruction of a father,
And (EK)pay attention so that you may [r]gain understanding,
2 For I give you good (EL)teaching;
(EM)Do not abandon my [s]instruction.
3 When I was a son to my father,
(EN)Tender and (EO)the only son in the sight of my mother,
4 He (EP)taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart (EQ)take hold of my words;
(ER)Keep my commandments and live;
5 (ES)Acquire wisdom! (ET)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not abandon her, and she will guard you;
(EU)Love her, and she will watch over you.
7 (EV)The [t]beginning of wisdom is: (EW)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your possessions, acquire understanding.
8 (EX)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place (EY)on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10 Listen, my son, and (EZ)accept my sayings,
And the (FA)years of your life will be many.
11 I have (FB)instructed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
12 When you walk, your (FC)steps will not be hampered;
And if you run, you (FD)will not stumble.
13 (FE)Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your (FF)life.
14 (FG)Do not enter the path of the wicked
And do not proceed in the way of evil people.
15 Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they (FH)cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And [u]they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
17 For they (FI)eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 But the (FJ)path of the righteous is like the (FK)light of dawn
That (FL)shines brighter and brighter until the (FM)full day.
19 The (FN)way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they [v](FO)stumble.
20 My son, (FP)pay attention to my words;
(FQ)Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 (FR)They are not to escape from your sight;
(FS)Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are (FT)life to those who find them,
And (FU)healing to all [w]their body.
23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For (FV)from it flow the springs of life.
24 Rid yourself of a (FW)deceitful mouth
And (FX)keep devious [x]speech far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your [y]gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 (FY)[z]Watch the path of your feet,
And all your (FZ)ways will be established.
27 (GA)Do not turn to the right or to the left;
(GB)Turn your foot from evil.
Pitfalls of Immorality
5 My son, (GC)pay attention to my wisdom,
(GD)Incline your ear to my understanding,
2 So that you may (GE)maintain discretion
And your (GF)lips may comply with knowledge.
3 For the lips of an [aa](GG)adulteress (GH)drip honey,
And her [ab]speech is (GI)smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is (GJ)bitter as wormwood,
(GK)Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet (GL)go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.
6 [ac]She does not ponder the (GM)path of life;
Her ways are (GN)unstable, she (GO)does not know it.
7 (GP)Now then, my sons, listen to me
And (GQ)do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
8 (GR)Keep your way far from her,
And do not go near the (GS)door of her house,
9 Otherwise you will give your vigor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
10 And strangers will be filled with your strength,
And your hard-earned possessions will go to the house of a foreigner;
11 And you will groan [ad]in [ae]the end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;
12 And you say, “How I (GT)hated instruction!
And my heart (GU)disdainfully rejected rebuke!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my (GV)teachers,
Nor incline my ear to my instructors!
14 I was almost in total ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
And [af]fresh water from your own well.
16 Should your (GW)springs overflow into the street,
Streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be yours alone,
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your (GX)fountain be blessed,
And (GY)rejoice in the (GZ)wife of your youth.
19 Like a loving (HA)doe and a graceful mountain goat,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be [ag]exhilarated always with her love.
20 For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an [ah](HB)adulteress,
And embrace the breasts of a (HC)foreigner?
21 For the (HD)ways of everyone are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He (HE)observes all his paths.
22 His (HF)own wrongdoings will trap the wicked,
And he will be held by the ropes of his sin.
23 He will (HG)die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his foolishness he will go astray.
Parental Counsel
6 My son, if you have become a (HH)guarantor for your neighbor,
Or have given a handshake for a stranger,
2 If you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth,
Or caught by the words of your mouth,
3 Then do this, my son, and save yourself:
Since you have come into the [ai]hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself.
4 Give no (HI)sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;
5 Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand,
And like a (HJ)bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the (HK)ant, you [aj](HL)lazy one,
Observe its ways and be wise,
7 Which, having (HM)no chief,
Officer, or ruler,
8 Prepares its food (HN)in the summer
And gathers its provision in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie down, you [ak]lazy one?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 “(HO)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to [al]rest,”
11 (HP)Then your poverty will come in like a [am]drifter,
And your need like [an]an armed man.
12 A (HQ)worthless person, a wicked man,
Is one who walks with a (HR)perverse mouth,
13 Who (HS)winks with his eyes, who [ao]signals with his feet,
Who [ap]points with his fingers;
14 Who, with (HT)perversion in his heart, continually (HU)devises evil,
Who [aq](HV)spreads strife.
15 Therefore (HW)his disaster will come suddenly;
(HX)Instantly he will be broken and there will be (HY)no healing.
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
Seven that are an abomination [ar]to Him:
17 (HZ)Haughty eyes, a (IA)lying tongue,
And hands that (IB)shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises (IC)wicked plans,
(ID)Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A (IE)false witness who declares lies,
And one who [as](IF)spreads strife among brothers.
20 (IG)My son, comply with the commandment of your father,
And do not ignore the [at]teaching of your mother;
21 (IH)Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you (II)walk, [au]they will guide you;
When you sleep, [av]they will watch over you;
And when you awake, [aw]they will talk to you.
23 For (IJ)the commandment is a lamp and the [ax]teaching is light;
And rebukes for discipline are the way of life
24 To (IK)keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.
25 (IL)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her capture you with her (IM)eyelids.
26 For (IN)the price of a prostitute reduces one to a loaf of bread,
And [ay]an adulteress (IO)hunts for a precious life.
27 Can anyone take fire in his lap
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can a person walk on hot coals
And his feet not be scorched?
29 So is the one who (IP)goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her (IQ)will not [az]go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
To (IR)satisfy [ba]himself when he is hungry;
31 But when he is found, he must (IS)repay seven times as much;
He must give up all the property of his house.
32 One who commits adultery with a woman is (IT)lacking [bb]sense;
He who would (IU)destroy [bc]himself commits it.
33 He will find wounds and disgrace,
And his shame will not be removed.
34 For (IV)jealousy [bd]enrages a man,
And he will not have compassion on the (IW)day of vengeance.
35 He will not [be]accept any settlement,
Nor will he be [bf]satisfied though you make it a large gift.
The Lures of the Prostitute
7 My son, (IX)keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.
2 (IY)Keep my commandments and live,
And my [bg]teaching (IZ)as the [bh]apple of your eye.
3 (JA)Bind them on your fingers;
(JB)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend,
5 So that they may keep you from an [bi]adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6 For (JC)at the window of my house
I looked out (JD)through my lattice,
7 And I saw among the (JE)naive,
And discerned among the [bj]youths
A young man (JF)lacking [bk]sense,
8 Passing through the street near (JG)her corner;
And he walks along the way to (JH)her house,
9 In the (JI)twilight, in the [bl]evening,
In the [bm]middle of the night and the darkness.
10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him,
(JJ)Dressed as a prostitute and cunning of heart.
11 She is (JK)boisterous and rebellious,
Her (JL)feet do not remain at home;
12 She is now in the streets, now (JM)in the public squares,
And (JN)lurks by every corner.
13 So she seizes him and kisses him,
[bn]And with a (JO)brazen face she says to him:
14 “[bo]I was due to offer (JP)peace offerings;
Today I have (JQ)paid my vows.
15 Therefore I have come out to meet you,
To seek your presence diligently, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with (JR)coverings,
With colored (JS)linens of Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my bed
With (JT)myrrh, aloes, and (JU)cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning;
Let’s delight ourselves with caresses.
19 For [bp]my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey.
20 He has taken a (JV)bag of money [bq]with him.
At the full moon he will come home.”
21 With her many persuasions she entices him;
With her [br](JW)flattering lips she seduces him.
22 Suddenly he follows her
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as [bs]one walks in ankle bracelets to the discipline of a fool,
23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
As a (JX)bird hurries to the snare,
So he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24 Now therefore, my sons, (JY)listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart (JZ)turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths.
26 For many are the [bt]victims she has brought to ruin,
And (KA)numerous are all those slaughtered by her.
27 Her (KB)house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.
The Commendation of Wisdom
8 Does not (KC)wisdom call,
And understanding [bu]raise her voice?
2 On top of (KD)the heights beside the way,
Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 Beside the (KE)gates, at the opening to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:
4 “To you, people, I call,
And my voice is to [bv]mankind.
5 You (KF)naive ones, understand prudence;
And, you (KG)fools, understand [bw]wisdom!
6 Listen, for I will speak (KH)noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal (KI)right things.
7 For my (KJ)mouth will proclaim truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing (KK)crooked or perverted in them.
9 They are all (KL)straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who (KM)find knowledge.
10 Accept my (KN)instruction and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is (KO)better than [bx]jewels;
And (KP)all desirable things cannot compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, (KQ)dwell with prudence,
And I find (KR)knowledge and discretion.
13 The (KS)fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
(KT)Pride, arrogance, (KU)the evil way,
And the (KV)perverted mouth, I hate.
14 (KW)Advice is mine and (KX)sound wisdom;
I am understanding, (KY)power is mine.
15 By me (KZ)kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.
17 I (LA)love those who love me;
And (LB)those who diligently seek me will find me.
18 (LC)Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring (LD)wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is (LE)better than gold, even pure gold;
And my yield better than (LF)choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 To endow those who love me with wealth,
That I may (LG)fill their treasuries.
22 “The Lord [by]created me (LH)at the beginning of His way,
Before His works [bz]of old.
23 From eternity I was [ca](LI)established,
From the beginning, (LJ)from the earliest times of the earth.
24 When there were no (LK)ocean depths, I was born,
When there were no springs abounding with water.
25 (LL)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was born;
26 While He had not yet made the earth and the [cb]fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.
27 When He (LM)established the heavens, I was there;
When (LN)He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became [cc]fixed,
29 When (LO)He set a boundary for the sea
So that the water would not violate His [cd]command,
When He marked out (LP)the foundations of the earth;
30 Then (LQ)I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was His delight daily,
[ce]Rejoicing always before Him,
31 [cf]Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having (LR)my delight in the sons of mankind.
32 “Now then, sons, (LS)listen to me,
For (LT)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 (LU)Listen to instruction and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
34 (LV)Blessed is the person who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.
35 For (LW)one who finds me finds life,
And (LX)obtains favor from the Lord.
36 But one who [cg]sins against me (LY)injures himself;
All those who (LZ)hate me (MA)love death.”
Wisdom’s Invitation
9 Wisdom has (MB)built her house,
She has carved out her seven pillars;
2 She has [ch](MC)prepared her food, she has (MD)mixed her wine;
She has also (ME)set her table;
3 She has (MF)sent out her attendants, she (MG)calls out
From the (MH)tops of the heights of the city:
4 “(MI)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who (MJ)lacks [ci]understanding she says,
5 “Come, (MK)eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 [cj]Abandon your foolishness and (ML)live,
And (MM)proceed in the way of understanding.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:14 Lit in the midst of us
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit in vain
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit possessor of wing
- Proverbs 1:20 Lit gives
- Proverbs 2:3 Lit give
- Proverbs 2:18 Lit departed spirits
- Proverbs 3:1 Or law
- Proverbs 3:4 Lit understanding
- Proverbs 3:8 Lit navel
- Proverbs 3:11 Or instruction
- Proverbs 3:14 I.e., the profit from Wisdom (personified)
- Proverbs 3:15 Lit corals
- Proverbs 3:16 Lit Length of days
- Proverbs 3:26 Or at your side
- Proverbs 3:27 Lit its owners
- Proverbs 3:32 Lit His private counsel is
- Proverbs 3:35 Lit raise high
- Proverbs 4:1 Lit know
- Proverbs 4:2 Or law
- Proverbs 4:7 Or primary thing is wisdom
- Proverbs 4:16 Lit their sleep is robbed
- Proverbs 4:19 Or may stumble
- Proverbs 4:22 Lit his
- Proverbs 4:24 Or lips
- Proverbs 4:25 Or eyelids
- Proverbs 4:26 I.e., prob. stay on the path
- Proverbs 5:3 Lit strange woman
- Proverbs 5:3 Lit palate
- Proverbs 5:6 Lit That she not watch
- Proverbs 5:11 Or at
- Proverbs 5:11 Lit your end
- Proverbs 5:15 Lit flowing
- Proverbs 5:19 Lit intoxicated
- Proverbs 5:20 Lit strange woman
- Proverbs 6:3 Lit palm
- Proverbs 6:6 Lit idle one
- Proverbs 6:9 Lit idle one
- Proverbs 6:10 Lit lie down
- Proverbs 6:11 Lit one who moves about
- Proverbs 6:11 Lit a man with a shield
- Proverbs 6:13 Lit scrapes
- Proverbs 6:13 Lit instructs with
- Proverbs 6:14 Lit sends out
- Proverbs 6:16 Lit of His soul
- Proverbs 6:19 Lit sends out
- Proverbs 6:20 Or law
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:23 Or law
- Proverbs 6:26 Lit a man’s wife
- Proverbs 6:29 Lit be innocent
- Proverbs 6:30 Lit his soul
- Proverbs 6:32 Lit heart
- Proverbs 6:32 Lit his soul
- Proverbs 6:34 Lit is the rage of
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit lift up the face of any
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit willing
- Proverbs 7:2 Or law
- Proverbs 7:2 Lit pupil
- Proverbs 7:5 Lit strange woman
- Proverbs 7:7 Lit sons
- Proverbs 7:7 Lit heart
- Proverbs 7:9 Lit evening of the day
- Proverbs 7:9 Lit pupil (of the eye)
- Proverbs 7:13 Lit She makes bold her face and says
- Proverbs 7:14 Lit Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me
- Proverbs 7:19 Lit the man
- Proverbs 7:20 Lit in his hand
- Proverbs 7:21 Lit smooth
- Proverbs 7:22 Or as a stag goes into a trap; as in some ancient versions, Heb is uncertain
- Proverbs 7:26 Lit wounded
- Proverbs 8:1 Lit give
- Proverbs 8:4 Lit sons of mankind
- Proverbs 8:5 Lit heart
- Proverbs 8:11 Lit corals
- Proverbs 8:22 Or possessed
- Proverbs 8:22 Lit from then
- Proverbs 8:23 Or consecrated
- Proverbs 8:26 Lit outside places
- Proverbs 8:28 Lit strong
- Proverbs 8:29 Lit mouth
- Proverbs 8:30 Or Playing
- Proverbs 8:31 Or Playing
- Proverbs 8:36 Or misses me
- Proverbs 9:2 Lit slaughtered her slaughter
- Proverbs 9:4 Lit heart
- Proverbs 9:6 Or Abandon the naive
Proverbs 1-17
New King James Version
Proverbs 1-17
New King James Version
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 The (A)proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To [a]perceive the words of understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the (B)simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5 (C)A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will [b]attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their (D)riddles.
7 (E)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Shun Evil Counsel
8 (F)My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9 For they will be a (G)graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
(H)Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us (I)lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like [c]Sheol,
And whole, (J)like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious [d]possessions,
We shall fill our houses with [e]spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15 My son, (K)do not walk in the way with them,
(L)Keep your foot from their path;
16 (M)For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in [f]vain the net is spread
In the sight of any [g]bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 (N)So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.
The Call of Wisdom
20 (O)Wisdom calls aloud [h]outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the [i]chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “How long, you [j]simple ones, will you love [k]simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke;
Surely (P)I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 (Q)Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you (R)disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 (S)I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When (T)your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then(U) they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they (V)hated knowledge
And did not (W)choose the fear of the Lord,
30 (X)They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore (Y)they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the [l]turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell (Z)safely,
And (AA)will be [m]secure, without fear of evil.”
The Value of Wisdom
2 My son, if you receive my words,
And (AB)treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
4 (AC)If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 (AD)Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
6 (AE)For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
(AF)He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice,
And (AG)preserves the way of His saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.
10 When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you;
(AH)Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things,
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To (AI)walk in the ways of darkness;
14 (AJ)Who rejoice in doing evil,
And delight in the perversity of the wicked;
15 (AK)Whose ways are crooked,
And who are devious in their paths;
16 To deliver you from (AL)the immoral woman,
(AM)From the seductress who flatters with her words,
17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God.
18 For (AN)her house [n]leads down to death,
And her paths to the dead;
19 None who go to her return,
Nor do they [o]regain the paths of life—
20 So you may walk in the way of goodness,
And keep to the paths of righteousness.
21 For the upright will dwell in the (AO)land,
And the blameless will remain in it;
22 But the wicked will be [p]cut off from the [q]earth,
And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
Guidance for the Young
3 My son, do not forget my law,
(AP)But let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life
And (AQ)peace they will add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
(AR)Bind them around your neck,
(AS)Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 (AT)And so find favor and [r]high esteem
In the sight of God and man.
5 (AU)Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
(AV)And lean not on your own understanding;
6 (AW)In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall [s]direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own (AX)eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your [t]flesh,
And (AY)strength[u] to your bones.
9 (AZ)Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 (BA)So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 (BB)My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor detest His correction;
12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
(BC)Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
13 (BD)Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
14 (BE)For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
And (BF)all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16 (BG)Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 (BH)Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is (BI)a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who [v]retain her.
19 (BJ)The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;
20 By His knowledge the depths were (BK)broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
22 So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.
23 (BL)Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25 (BM)Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.
27 (BN)Do not withhold good from [w]those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
28 (BO)Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.
30 (BP)Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
31 (BQ)Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;
32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord,
(BR)But His secret counsel is with the upright.
33 (BS)The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But (BT)He blesses the home of the just.
34 (BU)Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.
Security in Wisdom
4 Hear, (BV)my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my father’s son,
(BW)Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 (BX)He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
(BY)Keep my commands, and live.
5 (BZ)Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
(CA)Love her, and she will keep you.
7 (CB)Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
8 (CC)Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head (CD)an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
(CE)And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have (CF)taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
12 When you walk, (CG)your steps will not be hindered,
(CH)And when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.
14 (CI)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 (CJ)For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is [x]taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 (CK)But the path of the just (CL)is like the shining [y]sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
19 (CM)The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of (CN)life.
24 Put away from you a [z]deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your (CO)feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.
The Peril of Adultery
5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
[aa]Lend your ear to my understanding,
2 That you may [ab]preserve discretion,
And your lips (CP)may keep knowledge.
3 (CQ)For the lips of [ac]an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is (CR)smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death,
(CS)Her steps lay hold of [ad]hell.
6 Lest you ponder her path of life—
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.
7 Therefore hear me now, my children,
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Remove your way far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house,
9 Lest you give your [ae]honor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
10 Lest aliens be filled with your [af]wealth,
And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;
11 And you mourn at last,
When your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 And say:
“How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!
13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!
14 I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
And running water from your own well.
16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,
[ag]Streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be only your own,
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with (CT)the wife of your youth.
19 (CU)As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be [ah]enraptured with her love.
20 For why should you, my son, be enraptured by (CV)an immoral woman,
And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?
21 (CW)For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He [ai]ponders all his paths.
22 (CX)His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.
23 (CY)He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Dangerous Promises
6 My son, (CZ)if you become [aj]surety for your friend,
If you have [ak]shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,
2 You are snared by the words of your mouth;
You are taken by the words of your mouth.
3 So do this, my son, and deliver yourself;
For you have come into the hand of your friend:
Go and humble yourself;
Plead with your friend.
4 (DA)Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
And like a bird from the hand of the [al]fowler.
The Folly of Indolence
6 (DB)Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no [am]captain,
Overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her [an]supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
9 (DC)How long will you [ao]slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 (DD)So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.
The Wicked Man
12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
Walks with a perverse mouth;
13 (DE)He winks with his eyes,
He [ap]shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;
14 Perversity is in his heart,
(DF)He devises evil continually,
(DG)He sows discord.
15 Therefore his calamity shall come (DH)suddenly;
Suddenly he shall (DI)be broken (DJ)without remedy.
16 These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to [aq]Him:
17 (DK)A[ar] proud look,
(DL)A lying tongue,
(DM)Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 (DN)A heart that devises wicked plans,
(DO)Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 (DP)A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who (DQ)sows discord among brethren.
Beware of Adultery
20 (DR)My son, keep your father’s command,
And do not forsake the law of your mother.
21 (DS)Bind them continually upon your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 (DT)When you roam, [as]they will lead you;
When you sleep, (DU)they will keep you;
And when you awake, they will speak with you.
23 (DV)For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 (DW)To keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattering tongue of a seductress.
25 (DX)Do not lust after her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.
26 For (DY)by means of a harlot
A man is reduced to a crust of bread;
(DZ)And [at]an adulteress will (EA)prey upon his precious life.
27 Can a man take fire to his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one walk on hot coals,
And his feet not be seared?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
30 People do not despise a thief
If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.
31 Yet when he is found, (EB)he must restore sevenfold;
He may have to give up all the substance of his house.
32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman (EC)lacks understanding;
He who does so destroys his own soul.
33 Wounds and dishonor he will get,
And his reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For (ED)jealousy is a husband’s fury;
Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will [au]accept no recompense,
Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.
The Wiles of a Harlot
7 My son, keep my words,
And (EE)treasure my commands within you.
2 (EF)Keep my commands and live,
(EG)And my law as the apple of your eye.
3 (EH)Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your nearest kin,
5 (EI)That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.
The Crafty Harlot
6 For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
7 And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the [av]youths,
A young man (EJ)devoid[aw] of understanding,
8 Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
9 (EK)In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.
10 And there a woman met him,
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
11 (EL)She was loud and rebellious,
(EM)Her feet would not stay at home.
12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him and kissed him;
With an [ax]impudent face she said to him:
14 “I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
16 I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of (EN)Egyptian linen.
17 I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For [ay]my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money [az]with him,
And will come home [ba]on the appointed day.”
21 [bb]With (EO)her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
(EP)With her flattering lips she [bc]seduced him.
22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or [bd]as a fool to the correction of the [be]stocks,
23 Till an arrow struck his liver.
(EQ)As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it [bf]would cost his life.
24 Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
26 For she has cast down many wounded,
And (ER)all who were slain by her were strong men.
27 (ES)Her house is the way to [bg]hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.
The Excellence of Wisdom
8 Does not (ET)wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the [bh]high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you [bi]simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak of (EU)excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 (EV)For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 (EW)The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
(EX)Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And (EY)the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, (EZ)I have strength.
15 (FA)By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of [bj]the earth.
17 (FB)I love those who love me,
And (FC)those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 (FD)Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I [bk]traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.
22 “The(FE) Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 (FF)I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 (FG)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the [bl]fields,
Or the [bm]primal dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 (FH)When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When (FI)He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 (FJ)Then I was beside Him as [bn]a master craftsman;
(FK)And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And (FL)my delight was with the sons of men.
32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For (FM)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 (FN)Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And (FO)obtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me (FP)wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”
The Way of Wisdom
9 Wisdom has (FQ)built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 (FR)She has slaughtered her meat,
(FS)She has mixed her wine,
She has also [bo]furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
4 “Whoever(FT) is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5 “Come,(FU) eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.
7 “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
8 (FV)Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
(FW)Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, (FX)and he will increase in learning.
10 “The(FY) fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 (FZ)For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 (GA)If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”
The Way of Folly
13 (GB)A foolish woman is [bp]clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat (GC)by the highest places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever(GD) is [bq]simple, let him turn in here”;
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
17 “Stolen(GE) water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that (GF)the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of [br]hell.
Wise Sayings of Solomon
10 The proverbs of (GG)Solomon:
(GH)A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
2 (GI)Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
(GJ)But righteousness delivers from death.
3 (GK)The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish,
But He casts away the desire of the wicked.
4 (GL)He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But (GM)the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in (GN)summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is (GO)a son who causes shame.
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
7 (GP)The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
9 (GR)He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.
10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble,
But a prating fool will fall.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But (GS)love covers all sins.
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,
But (GT)a rod is for the back of him who [bu]is devoid of understanding.
14 Wise people store up knowledge,
But (GU)the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
15 The (GV)rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
16 The labor of the righteous leads to (GW)life,
The wages of the wicked to sin.
17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses correction [bv]goes astray.
19 (GZ)In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But (HA)he who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of [bw]wisdom.
22 (HB)The blessing of the Lord makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.
23 (HC)To do evil is like sport to a fool,
But a man of understanding has wisdom.
24 (HD)The fear of the wicked will come upon him,
And (HE)the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the whirlwind passes by, (HF)the wicked is no more,
But (HG)the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy man to those who send him.
27 (HH)The fear of the Lord prolongs days,
But (HI)the years of the wicked will be shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness,
But the (HJ)expectation of the wicked will perish.
29 The way of the Lord is strength for the upright,
But (HK)destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
30 (HL)The righteous will never be removed,
But the wicked will not inhabit the [bx]earth.
31 (HM)The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
But the perverse tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.
The Folly of Wickedness
2 When pride comes, then comes (HO)shame;
But with the humble is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright will guide (HP)them,
But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.
4 (HQ)Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But (HR)righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless will [ca]direct his way aright,
But the wicked will fall by his own (HS)wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.
7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will (HT)perish,
And the hope of the unjust perishes.
8 (HU)The righteous is delivered from trouble,
And it comes to the wicked instead.
9 The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
10 (HV)When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices;
And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is (HW)exalted,
But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
12 He who [cb]is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of understanding holds his peace.
14 (HZ)Where there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
15 He who is (IA)surety[cc] for a stranger will suffer,
But one who hates [cd]being surety is secure.
16 A gracious woman retains honor,
But ruthless men retain riches.
17 (IB)The merciful man does good for his own soul,
But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
18 The wicked man does deceptive work,
But (IC)he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.
19 As righteousness leads to (ID)life,
So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own (IE)death.
20 Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the blameless in their ways are His delight.
21 (IF)Though they join [ce]forces, the wicked will not go unpunished;
But (IG)the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.
22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,
So is a lovely woman who lacks [cf]discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked (IH)is wrath.
24 There is one who (II)scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.
25 (IJ)The generous soul will be made rich,
(IK)And he who waters will also be watered himself.
26 The people will curse (IL)him who withholds grain,
But (IM)blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
29 He who troubles his own house (IQ)will inherit the wind,
And the fool will be (IR)servant to the wise of heart.
31 (IT)If the righteous will be [ci]recompensed on the earth,
How much more the ungodly and the sinner.
The House of the Righteous Shall Stand
12 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,
But he who hates correction is stupid.
2 A good man obtains favor from the Lord,
But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.
3 A man is not established by wickedness,
But the (IU)root of the righteous cannot be moved.
4 (IV)An[cj] excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who causes shame is (IW)like rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are right,
But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
6 (IX)The words of the wicked are, “Lie in wait for blood,”
(IY)But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.
7 (IZ)The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
But the house of the righteous will stand.
8 A man will be commended according to his wisdom,
(JA)But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised.
9 (JB)Better is the one who is [ck]slighted but has a servant,
Than he who honors himself but lacks bread.
10 (JC)A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 (JD)He who [cl]tills his land will be satisfied with (JE)bread,
But he who follows [cm]frivolity (JF)is devoid of [cn]understanding.
12 The wicked covet the catch of evil men,
But the root of the righteous yields fruit.
13 (JG)The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
(JH)But the righteous will come through trouble.
14 (JI)A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
(JJ)And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.
15 (JK)The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But he who heeds counsel is wise.
16 (JL)A fool’s wrath is known at once,
But a prudent man covers shame.
17 (JM)He who speaks truth declares righteousness,
But a false witness, deceit.
18 (JN)There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever,
(JO)But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.
21 (JP)No grave [co]trouble will overtake the righteous,
But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
22 (JQ)Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
23 (JR)A prudent man conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.
24 (JS)The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.
26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully,
For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man’s precious possession.
28 In the way of righteousness is life,
And in its pathway there is no death.
Wisdom Loves Righteousness
13 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
(JV)But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
2 (JW)A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth,
But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.
3 (JX)He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
4 (JY)The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
5 A righteous man hates lying,
But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame.
6 (JZ)Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,
But wickedness overthrows the sinner.
7 (KA)There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;
And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.
8 The ransom of a man’s life is his riches,
But the poor does not hear rebuke.
9 The light of the righteous rejoices,
(KB)But the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
10 By pride comes nothing but (KC)strife,
But with the well-advised is wisdom.
11 (KD)Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished,
But he who gathers by labor will increase.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But (KE)when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
13 He who (KF)despises the word will be destroyed,
But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.
14 (KG)The law of the wise is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from (KH)the snares of death.
15 Good understanding [cp]gains (KI)favor,
But the way of the unfaithful is hard.
16 (KJ)Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
But a fool lays open his folly.
17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
But (KK)a faithful ambassador brings health.
18 Poverty and shame will come to him who [cq]disdains correction,
But (KL)he who regards a rebuke will be honored.
19 A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.
20 He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
21 (KM)Evil pursues sinners,
But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
But (KN)the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
23 (KO)Much food is in the [cr]fallow ground of the poor,
And for lack of justice there is [cs]waste.
25 (KQ)The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul,
But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.
The Ways of Life and Death
14 The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.
2 He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
(KR)But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.
3 In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,
(KS)But the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4 Where no oxen are, the [cu]trough is clean;
But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it,
But (KV)knowledge is easy to him who understands.
7 Go from the presence of a foolish man,
When you do not perceive in him the lips of (KW)knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,
But the folly of fools is deceit.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.
11 (KY)The house of the wicked will be overthrown,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.
13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow,
And (LC)the end of mirth may be grief.
14 The backslider in heart will be (LD)filled with his own ways,
But a good man will be satisfied [cw]from (LE)above.
15 The simple believes every word,
But the prudent considers well his steps.
16 (LF)A wise man fears and departs from evil,
But a fool rages and is self-confident.
17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly,
But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil will bow before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 (LG)The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor,
But [cx]the rich has many (LH)friends.
21 He who despises his neighbor sins;
(LI)But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.
22 Do they not go astray who devise evil?
But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.
23 In all labor there is profit,
But [cy]idle chatter leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is folly.
26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
27 (LK)The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.
28 In a multitude of people is a king’s honor,
But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.
31 (LO)He who oppresses the poor reproaches (LP)his Maker,
But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.
32 The wicked is banished in his wickedness,
But (LQ)the righteous has a refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
But (LR)what is in the heart of fools is made known.
35 (LT)The king’s favor is toward a wise servant,
But his wrath is against him who causes shame.
A Soft Answer Turns Away Wrath
15 A (LU)soft answer turns away wrath,
But (LV)a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
(LW)But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
3 (LX)The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A [dc]wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.
7 The lips of the wise [de]disperse knowledge,
But the heart of the fool does not do so.
8 (MA)The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves him who (MB)follows righteousness.
11 (ME)Hell[df] and [dg]Destruction are before the Lord;
So how much more (MF)the hearts of the sons of men.
12 (MG)A scoffer does not love one who corrects him,
Nor will he go to the wise.
13 (MH)A merry heart makes a cheerful [dh]countenance,
But (MI)by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
(MJ)But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.
16 (MK)Better is a little with the fear of the Lord,
Than great treasure with trouble.
17 (ML)Better is a dinner of [di]herbs where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred.
18 (MM)A wrathful man stirs up strife,
But he who is slow to anger allays contention.
19 (MN)The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns,
But the way of the upright is a highway.
20 (MO)A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man despises his mother.
21 (MP)Folly is joy to him who is destitute of [dj]discernment,
(MQ)But a man of understanding walks uprightly.
22 (MR)Without counsel, plans go awry,
But in the multitude of counselors they are established.
23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth,
And (MS)a word spoken [dk]in due season, how good it is!
25 (MV)The Lord will destroy the house of the proud,
But (MW)He will establish the boundary of the widow.
26 (MX)The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
(MY)But the words of the pure are pleasant.
27 (MZ)He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,
But he who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous (NA)studies how to answer,
But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.
30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
And a good report makes the bones [dm]healthy.
31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life
Will abide among the wise.
32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
33 (ND)The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom,
And (NE)before honor is humility.
Wisdom Is Better Than Gold
16 The (NF)preparations[dn] of the heart belong to man,
(NG)But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own (NH)eyes,
But the Lord weighs the spirits.
5 (NL)Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Though they join [dq]forces, none will go unpunished.
6 (NM)In mercy and truth
Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And (NN)by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
7 When a man’s ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 (NO)Better is a little with righteousness,
Than vast revenues without justice.
10 Divination is on the lips of the king;
His mouth must not transgress in judgment.
11 (NR)Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s;
All the weights in the bag are His [dr]work.
12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,
For (NS)a throne is established by righteousness.
13 (NT)Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And they love him who speaks what is right.
14 As messengers of death is the king’s wrath,
But a wise man will (NU)appease it.
15 In the light of the king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a (NV)cloud of the latter rain.
16 (NW)How much better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before [ds]a fall.
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the [dt]spoil with the proud.
20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever (NX)trusts in the Lord, happy is he.
21 The wise in heart will be called prudent,
And sweetness of the lips increases learning.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.
But the correction of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
And adds learning to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of (NY)death.
26 The person who labors, labors for himself,
For his hungry mouth drives (NZ)him on.
27 [du]An ungodly man digs up evil,
And it is on his lips like a burning (OA)fire.
28 A perverse man sows strife,
And (OB)a whisperer separates the best of friends.
29 A violent man entices his neighbor,
And leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things;
He [dv]purses his lips and brings about evil.
31 (OC)The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness.
32 (OD)He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the Lord.
The Lord Tests Hearts
2 A wise servant will rule over (OF)a son who causes shame,
And will share an inheritance among the brothers.
3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
(OG)But the Lord tests the hearts.
4 An evildoer gives heed to false lips;
A liar listens eagerly to a [dx]spiteful tongue.
5 (OH)He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;
(OI)He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
6 (OJ)Children’s children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father.
7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
Much less lying lips to a prince.
8 A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
10 (OM)Rebuke is more effective for a wise man
Than a hundred blows on a fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion;
Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet (ON)a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
13 Whoever (OO)rewards evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water;
Therefore (OP)stop contention before a quarrel starts.
15 (OQ)He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,
Since he has no heart for it?
17 (OR)A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18 (OS)A man devoid of [dy]understanding [dz]shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes [ea]surety for his friend.
19 He who loves transgression loves strife,
And (OT)he who exalts his gate seeks destruction.
20 He who has a [eb]deceitful heart finds no good,
And he who has (OU)a perverse tongue falls into evil.
21 He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
23 A wicked man accepts a bribe [ed]behind the back
To pervert the ways of justice.
24 (OW)Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A (OX)foolish son is a grief to his father,
And bitterness to her who bore him.
26 Also, to punish the righteous is not good,
Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.
27 (OY)He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
28 (OZ)Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:2 understand or discern
- Proverbs 1:5 acquire
- Proverbs 1:12 Or the grave
- Proverbs 1:13 Lit. wealth
- Proverbs 1:13 plunder
- Proverbs 1:17 futility
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit. lord of the wing
- Proverbs 1:20 in the street
- Proverbs 1:21 LXX, Syr., Tg. top of the walls; Vg. the head of multitudes
- Proverbs 1:22 naive
- Proverbs 1:22 naivete
- Proverbs 1:32 waywardness
- Proverbs 1:33 at ease
- Proverbs 2:18 sinks
- Proverbs 2:19 Lit. reach
- Proverbs 2:22 destroyed
- Proverbs 2:22 land
- Proverbs 3:4 Lit. good understanding
- Proverbs 3:6 Or make smooth or straight
- Proverbs 3:8 Body, lit. navel
- Proverbs 3:8 Lit. drink
- Proverbs 3:18 hold her fast
- Proverbs 3:27 Lit. its owners
- Proverbs 4:16 Lit. robbed
- Proverbs 4:18 Lit. light
- Proverbs 4:24 devious
- Proverbs 5:1 Lit. Bow
- Proverbs 5:2 appreciate good judgment
- Proverbs 5:3 Lit. a strange
- Proverbs 5:5 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 5:9 vigor
- Proverbs 5:10 Lit. strength
- Proverbs 5:16 Channels
- Proverbs 5:19 Lit. intoxicated
- Proverbs 5:21 observes, lit. weighs
- Proverbs 6:1 guaranty or collateral
- Proverbs 6:1 Lit. struck
- Proverbs 6:5 One who catches birds in a trap or snare
- Proverbs 6:7 Lit. leader
- Proverbs 6:8 Lit. bread
- Proverbs 6:9 Lit. lie down
- Proverbs 6:13 gives signals, lit. scrapes
- Proverbs 6:16 Lit. His soul
- Proverbs 6:17 Lit. Haughty eyes
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit. it
- Proverbs 6:26 Wife of another, lit. a man’s wife
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit. lift up the face of any
- Proverbs 7:7 Lit. sons
- Proverbs 7:7 lacking
- Proverbs 7:13 shameless
- Proverbs 7:19 Lit. the man
- Proverbs 7:20 Lit. in his hand
- Proverbs 7:20 at the full moon
- Proverbs 7:21 By the greatness of her words
- Proverbs 7:21 compelled
- Proverbs 7:22 LXX, Syr., Tg. as a dog to bonds; Vg. as a lamb . . . to bonds
- Proverbs 7:22 shackles
- Proverbs 7:23 Lit. is for
- Proverbs 7:27 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 8:2 Lit. heights
- Proverbs 8:5 naive
- Proverbs 8:16 MT, Syr., Tg., Vg. righteousness; LXX, Bg., some mss. and editions earth
- Proverbs 8:20 walk about on
- Proverbs 8:26 outer places
- Proverbs 8:26 Lit. beginning of the dust
- Proverbs 8:30 A Jewish tradition one brought up
- Proverbs 9:2 arranged
- Proverbs 9:13 boisterous
- Proverbs 9:16 naive
- Proverbs 9:18 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 10:8 Lit. the foolish of lips
- Proverbs 10:8 be thrust down or ruined
- Proverbs 10:13 Lit. lacks heart
- Proverbs 10:17 leads
- Proverbs 10:21 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 10:30 land
- Proverbs 11:1 deceptive
- Proverbs 11:1 Lit. perfect stone
- Proverbs 11:5 Or make smooth or straight
- Proverbs 11:12 Lit. lacks heart
- Proverbs 11:15 guaranty
- Proverbs 11:15 those pledging guaranty, lit. those who strike hands
- Proverbs 11:21 Lit. hand to hand
- Proverbs 11:22 taste
- Proverbs 11:27 Lit. seeks
- Proverbs 11:30 Lit. takes, in the sense of brings, cf. 1 Sam. 16:11
- Proverbs 11:31 rewarded
- Proverbs 12:4 Lit. A wife of valor
- Proverbs 12:9 lightly esteemed
- Proverbs 12:11 works or cultivates
- Proverbs 12:11 Lit. vain things
- Proverbs 12:11 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 12:21 harm
- Proverbs 13:15 gives
- Proverbs 13:18 Lit. ignores
- Proverbs 13:23 uncultivated
- Proverbs 13:23 Lit. what is swept away
- Proverbs 13:24 early
- Proverbs 14:4 manger or feed trough
- Proverbs 14:9 Lit. guilt
- Proverbs 14:14 Lit. from above himself
- Proverbs 14:20 Lit. many are the lovers of the rich
- Proverbs 14:23 Lit. talk of the lips
- Proverbs 14:25 saves lives
- Proverbs 14:29 Lit. short of spirit
- Proverbs 14:34 shame or disgrace
- Proverbs 15:4 Lit. healing
- Proverbs 15:5 Lit. keeps
- Proverbs 15:7 spread
- Proverbs 15:11 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 15:11 Heb. Abaddon
- Proverbs 15:13 face
- Proverbs 15:17 Or vegetables
- Proverbs 15:21 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 15:23 Lit. in its time
- Proverbs 15:24 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 15:30 Lit. fat
- Proverbs 16:1 plans
- Proverbs 16:3 Lit. Roll
- Proverbs 16:4 Lit. evil
- Proverbs 16:5 Lit. hand to hand
- Proverbs 16:11 concern
- Proverbs 16:18 stumbling
- Proverbs 16:19 plunder
- Proverbs 16:27 Lit. A man of Belial
- Proverbs 16:30 Lit. compresses
- Proverbs 17:1 Or sacrificial meals
- Proverbs 17:4 Lit. destructive
- Proverbs 17:18 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 17:18 Lit. strikes the hands
- Proverbs 17:18 guaranty or collateral
- Proverbs 17:20 crooked
- Proverbs 17:22 Or makes medicine even better
- Proverbs 17:23 Under cover, lit. from the bosom
Proverbs 1-17
The Message
Proverbs 1-17
The Message
Wise Sayings of Solomon
A Manual for Living
1 1-6 These are the wise sayings of Solomon,
David’s son, Israel’s king—
Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right,
to understand what life means and where it’s going;
A manual for living,
for learning what’s right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes
and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There’s something here also for seasoned men and women,
still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—
Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.
Start with God
7 Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.
8-19 Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you;
never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee.
Wear their counsel like a winning crown,
like rings on your fingers.
Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you,
don’t go along with them.
If they say—“Let’s go out and raise some hell.
Let’s beat up some old man, mug some old woman.
Let’s pick them clean
and get them ready for their funerals.
We’ll load up on top-quality loot.
We’ll haul it home by the truckload.
Join us for the time of your life!
With us, it’s share and share alike!”—
Oh, friend, don’t give them a second look;
don’t listen to them for a minute.
They’re racing to a very bad end,
hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on.
Nobody robs a bank
with everyone watching,
Yet that’s what these people are doing—
they’re doing themselves in.
When you grab all you can get, that’s what happens:
the more you get, the less you are.
Lady Wisdom
20-21 Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts.
At the town center she makes her speech.
In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand.
At the busiest corner she calls out:
22-24 “Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance?
Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism?
Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn?
About face! I can revise your life.
Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you;
I’m ready to tell you all I know.
As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear;
I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me.
25-28 “Since you laugh at my counsel
and make a joke of my advice,
How can I take you seriously?
I’ll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!
What if the roof falls in,
and your whole life goes to pieces?
What if catastrophe strikes and there’s nothing
to show for your life but rubble and ashes?
You’ll need me then. You’ll call for me, but don’t expect an answer.
No matter how hard you look, you won’t find me.
29-33 “Because you hated Knowledge
and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God,
Because you wouldn’t take my advice
and brushed aside all my offers to train you,
Well, you’ve made your bed—now lie in it;
you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it?
Don’t you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?
Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.
First pay attention to me, and then relax.
Now you can take it easy—you’re in good hands.”
Make Insight Your Priority
2 1-5 Good friend, take to heart what I’m telling you;
collect my counsels and guard them with your life.
Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom;
set your heart on a life of Understanding.
That’s right—if you make Insight your priority,
and won’t take no for an answer,
Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold,
like an adventurer on a treasure hunt,
Believe me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours;
you’ll have come upon the Knowledge of God.
6-8 And here’s why: God gives out Wisdom free,
is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding.
He’s a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well,
a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere.
He keeps his eye on all who live honestly,
and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones.
9-15 So now you can pick out what’s true and fair,
find all the good trails!
Lady Wisdom will be your close friend,
and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion.
Good Sense will scout ahead for danger,
Insight will keep an eye out for you.
They’ll keep you from making wrong turns,
or following the bad directions
Of those who are lost themselves
and can’t tell a trail from a tumbleweed,
These losers who make a game of evil
and throw parties to celebrate perversity,
Traveling paths that go nowhere,
wandering in a maze of detours and dead ends.
16-19 Wise friends will rescue you from the Temptress—
that smooth-talking Seductress
Who’s faithless to the husband she married years ago,
never gave a second thought to her promises before God.
Her whole way of life is doomed;
every step she takes brings her closer to hell.
No one who joins her company ever comes back,
ever sets foot on the path to real living.
20-22 So—join the company of good men and women,
keep your feet on the tried-and-true paths.
It’s the men who walk straight who will settle this land,
the women with integrity who will last here.
The corrupt will lose their lives;
the dishonest will be gone for good.
Don’t Assume You Know It All
3 1-2 Good friend, don’t forget all I’ve taught you;
take to heart my commands.
They’ll help you live a long, long time,
a long life lived full and well.
3-4 Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.
Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.
Earn a reputation for living well
in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people.
5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
a father’s delight is behind all this.
The Very Tree of Life
13-18 You’re blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom,
when you make friends with Madame Insight.
She’s worth far more than money in the bank;
her friendship is better than a big salary.
Her value exceeds all the trappings of wealth;
nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.
With one hand she gives long life,
with the other she confers recognition.
Her manner is beautiful,
her life wonderfully complete.
She’s the very Tree of Life to those who embrace her.
Hold her tight—and be blessed!
19-20 With Lady Wisdom, God formed Earth;
with Madame Insight, he raised Heaven.
They knew when to signal rivers and springs to the surface,
and dew to descend from the night skies.
Never Walk Away
21-26 Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life;
don’t for a minute lose sight of them.
They’ll keep your soul alive and well,
they’ll keep you fit and attractive.
You’ll travel safely,
you’ll neither tire nor trip.
You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry,
you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises,
or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner,
Because God will be right there with you;
he’ll keep you safe and sound.
27-29 Never walk away from someone who deserves help;
your hand is God’s hand for that person.
Don’t tell your neighbor “Maybe some other time”
or “Try me tomorrow”
when the money’s right there in your pocket.
Don’t figure ways of taking advantage of your neighbor
when he’s sitting there trusting and unsuspecting.
30-32 Don’t walk around with a chip on your shoulder,
always spoiling for a fight.
Don’t try to be like those who shoulder their way through life.
Why be a bully?
“Why not?” you say. Because God can’t stand twisted souls.
It’s the straightforward who get his respect.
33-35 God’s curse blights the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
He gives proud skeptics a cold shoulder,
but if you’re down on your luck, he’s right there to help.
Wise living gets rewarded with honor;
stupid living gets the booby prize.
Your Life Is at Stake
4 1-2 Listen, friends, to some fatherly advice;
sit up and take notice so you’ll know how to live.
I’m giving you good counsel;
don’t let it go in one ear and out the other.
3-9 When I was a boy at my father’s knee,
the pride and joy of my mother,
He would sit me down and drill me:
“Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live!
Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding!
Don’t forget one word! Don’t deviate an inch!
Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life;
love her—she keeps her eye on you.
Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom!
Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding!
Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won’t regret it;
never let her go—she’ll make your life glorious.
She’ll garland your life with grace,
she’ll festoon your days with beauty.”
10-15 Dear friend, take my advice;
it will add years to your life.
I’m writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way,
I’m drawing a map to Righteous Road.
I don’t want you ending up in blind alleys,
or wasting time making wrong turns.
Hold tight to good advice; don’t relax your grip.
Guard it well—your life is at stake!
Don’t take Wicked Bypass;
don’t so much as set foot on that road.
Stay clear of it; give it a wide berth.
Make a detour and be on your way.
16-17 Evil people are restless
unless they’re making trouble;
They can’t get a good night’s sleep
unless they’ve made life miserable for somebody.
Perversity is their food and drink,
violence their drug of choice.
18-19 The ways of right-living people glow with light;
the longer they live, the brighter they shine.
But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker—
travelers can’t see a thing; they fall flat on their faces.
Learn It by Heart
20-22 Dear friend, listen well to my words;
tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
body and soul, they’re bursting with health.
23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that’s where life starts.
Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust.
Nothing but Sin and Bones
5 1-2 Dear friend, pay close attention to this, my wisdom;
listen very closely to the way I see it.
Then you’ll acquire a taste for good sense;
what I tell you will keep you out of trouble.
3-6 The lips of a seductive woman are oh so sweet,
her soft words are oh so smooth.
But it won’t be long before she’s gravel in your mouth,
a pain in your gut, a wound in your heart.
She’s dancing down the perfumed path to Death;
she’s headed straight for Hell and taking you with her.
She hasn’t a clue about Real Life,
about who she is or where she’s going.
7-14 So, my friend, listen closely;
don’t treat my words casually.
Keep your distance from such a woman;
absolutely stay out of her neighborhood.
You don’t want to squander your wonderful life,
to waste your precious life among the hardhearted.
Why should you allow strangers to take advantage of you?
Why be exploited by those who care nothing for you?
You don’t want to end your life full of regrets,
nothing but sin and bones,
Saying, “Oh, why didn’t I do what they told me?
Why did I reject a disciplined life?
Why didn’t I listen to my mentors,
or take my teachers seriously?
My life is ruined!
I haven’t one blessed thing to show for my life!”
Never Take Love for Granted
15-16 Do you know the saying, “Drink from your own rain barrel,
draw water from your own spring-fed well”?
It’s true. Otherwise, you may one day come home
and find your barrel empty and your well polluted.
17-20 Your spring water is for you and you only,
not to be passed around among strangers.
Bless your fresh-flowing fountain!
Enjoy the wife you married as a young man!
Lovely as an angel, beautiful as a rose—
don’t ever quit taking delight in her body.
Never take her love for granted!
Why would you trade enduring intimacies for cheap thrills with a prostitute?
for dalliance with a promiscuous stranger?
21-23 Mark well that God doesn’t miss a move you make;
he’s aware of every step you take.
The shadow of your sin will overtake you;
you’ll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark.
Death is the reward of an undisciplined life;
your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.
Like a Deer from the Hunter
6 1-5 Dear friend, if you’ve gone into hock with your neighbor
or locked yourself into a deal with a stranger,
If you’ve impulsively promised the shirt off your back
and now find yourself shivering out in the cold,
Friend, don’t waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess.
You’re in that man’s clutches!
Go, put on a long face; act desperate.
Don’t procrastinate—
there’s no time to lose.
Run like a deer from the hunter,
fly like a bird from the trapper!
A Lesson from the Ant
6-11 You lazy fool, look at an ant.
Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.
Nobody has to tell it what to do.
All summer it stores up food;
at harvest it stockpiles provisions.
So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?
How long before you get out of bed?
A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,
sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next?
Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,
poverty your permanent houseguest!
Always Cooking Up Something Nasty
12-15 Swindlers and scoundrels
talk out of both sides of their mouths.
They wink at each other, they shuffle their feet,
they cross their fingers behind their backs.
Their perverse minds are always cooking up something nasty,
always stirring up trouble.
Catastrophe is just around the corner for them,
a total wreck, their lives ruined beyond repair.
Seven Things God Hates
16-19 Here are six things God hates,
and one more that he loathes with a passion:
eyes that are arrogant,
a tongue that lies,
hands that murder the innocent,
a heart that hatches evil plots,
feet that race down a wicked track,
a mouth that lies under oath,
a troublemaker in the family.
Warning on Adultery
20-23 Good friend, follow your father’s good advice;
don’t wander off from your mother’s teachings.
Wrap yourself in them from head to foot;
wear them like a scarf around your neck.
Wherever you walk, they’ll guide you;
whenever you rest, they’ll guard you;
when you wake up, they’ll tell you what’s next.
For sound advice is a beacon,
good teaching is a light,
moral discipline is a life path.
24-35 They’ll protect you from promiscuous women,
from the seductive talk of some temptress.
Don’t lustfully fantasize on her beauty,
nor be taken in by her bedroom eyes.
You can buy an hour with a prostitute for a loaf of bread,
but a promiscuous woman may well eat you alive.
Can you build a fire in your lap
and not burn your pants?
Can you walk barefoot on hot coals
and not get blisters?
It’s the same when you have sex with your neighbor’s wife:
Touch her and you’ll pay for it. No excuses.
Hunger is no excuse
for a thief to steal;
When he’s caught he has to pay it back,
even if he has to put his whole house in hock.
Adultery is a brainless act,
soul-destroying, self-destructive;
Expect a bloody nose, a black eye,
and a reputation ruined for good.
For jealousy detonates rage in a cheated husband;
wild for revenge, he won’t make allowances.
Nothing you say or pay will make it all right;
neither bribes nor reason will satisfy him.
Dressed to Seduce
7 1-5 Dear friend, do what I tell you;
treasure my careful instructions.
Do what I say and you’ll live well.
My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!
Write it out on the back of your hands;
etch it on the chambers of your heart.
Talk to Wisdom as to a sister.
Treat Insight as your companion.
They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress—
that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.
6-12 As I stood at the window of my house
looking out through the shutters,
Watching the mindless crowd stroll by,
I spotted a young man without any sense
Arriving at the corner of the street where she lived,
then turning up the path to her house.
It was dusk, the evening coming on,
the darkness thickening into night.
Just then, a woman met him—
she’d been lying in wait for him, dressed to seduce him.
Brazen and brash she was,
restless and roaming, never at home,
Walking the streets, loitering in the mall,
hanging out at every corner in town.
13-20 She threw her arms around him and kissed him,
boldly took his arm and said,
“I’ve got all the makings for a feast—
today I made my offerings, my vows are all paid,
So now I’ve come to find you,
hoping to catch sight of your face—and here you are!
I’ve spread fresh, clean sheets on my bed,
colorful imported linens.
My bed is aromatic with spices
and exotic fragrances.
Come, let’s make love all night,
spend the night in ecstatic lovemaking!
My husband’s not home; he’s away on business,
and he won’t be back for a month.”
21-23 Soon she has him eating out of her hand,
bewitched by her honeyed speech.
Before you know it, he’s trotting behind her,
like a calf led to the butcher shop,
Like a stag lured into ambush
and then shot with an arrow,
Like a bird flying into a net
not knowing that its flying life is over.
24-27 So, friends, listen to me,
take these words of mine most seriously.
Don’t fool around with a woman like that;
don’t even stroll through her neighborhood.
Countless victims come under her spell;
she’s the death of many a poor man.
She runs a halfway house to hell,
fits you out with a shroud and a coffin.
Lady Wisdom Calls Out
8 1-11 Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling?
Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?
She’s taken her stand at First and Main,
at the busiest intersection.
Right in the city square
where the traffic is thickest, she shouts,
“You—I’m talking to all of you,
everyone out here on the streets!
Listen, you idiots—learn good sense!
You blockheads—shape up!
Don’t miss a word of this—I’m telling you how to live well,
I’m telling you how to live at your best.
My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth—
I can’t stand the taste of evil!
You’ll only hear true and right words from my mouth;
not one syllable will be twisted or skewed.
You’ll recognize this as true—you with open minds;
truth-ready minds will see it at once.
Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money,
and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.
For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth;
nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.
12-21 “I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity;
Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street.
The Fear-of-God means hating Evil,
whose ways I hate with a passion—
pride and arrogance and crooked talk.
Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics;
I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out.
With my help, leaders rule,
and lawmakers legislate fairly;
With my help, governors govern,
along with all in legitimate authority.
I love those who love me;
those who look for me find me.
Wealth and Glory accompany me—
also substantial Honor and a Good Name.
My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary;
the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus.
You can find me on Righteous Road—that’s where I walk—
at the intersection of Justice Avenue,
Handing out life to those who love me,
filling their arms with life—armloads of life!
22-31 “God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—
before he did anything else.
I was brought into being a long time ago,
well before Earth got its start.
I arrived on the scene before Ocean,
yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes.
Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape,
I was already there, newborn;
Long before God stretched out Earth’s Horizons,
and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather,
And set Sky firmly in place,
I was there.
When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean,
built the vast vault of Heaven,
and installed the fountains that fed Ocean,
When he drew a boundary for Sea,
posted a sign that said no trespassing,
And then staked out Earth’s Foundations,
I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.
Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause,
always enjoying his company,
Delighted with the world of things and creatures,
happily celebrating the human family.
32-36 “So, my dear friends, listen carefully;
those who embrace these my ways are most blessed.
Mark a life of discipline and live wisely;
don’t squander your precious life.
Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,
awake and ready for me each morning,
alert and responsive as I start my day’s work.
When you find me, you find life, real life,
to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.
But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul;
when you reject me, you’re flirting with death.”
Lady Wisdom Gives a Dinner Party
9 1-6 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home;
it’s supported by seven hewn timbers.
The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted,
wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers.
Having dismissed her serving maids,
Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place,
and invites everyone within sound of her voice:
“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?
Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!
I’ve prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread,
roast lamb, carefully selected wines.
Leave your impoverished confusion and live!
Walk up the street to a life with meaning.”
* * *
7-12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face;
confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins.
So don’t waste your time on a scoffer;
all you’ll get for your pains is abuse.
But if you correct those who care about life,
that’s different—they’ll love you for it!
Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it;
tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it.
Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God,
insight into life from knowing a Holy God.
It’s through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,
and the years of your life ripen.
Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life;
mock life and life will mock you.
Madame Prostitute Calls Out, Too
13-18 Then there’s this other woman, Madame Prostitute—
brazen, empty-headed, frivolous.
She sits on the front porch
of her house on Main Street,
And as people walk by minding
their own business, calls out,
“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?
Steal off with me, I’ll show you a good time!
No one will ever know—I’ll give you the time of your life.”
But they don’t know about all the skeletons in her closet,
that all her guests end up in hell.
The Wise Sayings of Solomon
An Honest Life Is Immortal
10 Wise son, glad father;
stupid son, sad mother.
2 Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere;
an honest life is immortal.
3 God won’t starve an honest soul,
but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.
4 Sloth makes you poor;
diligence brings wealth.
5 Make hay while the sun shines—that’s smart;
go fishing during harvest—that’s stupid.
6 Blessings accrue on a good and honest life,
but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
7 A good and honest life is a blessed memorial;
a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.
8 A wise heart takes orders;
an empty head will come unglued.
9 Honesty lives confident and carefree,
but Shifty is sure to be exposed.
10 An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead,
but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.
11 The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well,
but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
12 Hatred starts fights,
but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.
13 You’ll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight,
but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.
14 The wise accumulate knowledge—a true treasure;
know-it-alls talk too much—a sheer waste.
The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life
15 The wealth of the rich is their security;
the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.
16 The wage of a good person is exuberant life;
an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.
17 The road to life is a disciplined life;
ignore correction and you’re lost for good.
18 Liars secretly hoard hatred;
fools openly spread slander.
19 The more talk, the less truth;
the wise measure their words.
20 The speech of a good person is worth waiting for;
the blabber of the wicked is worthless.
21 The talk of a good person is rich fare for many,
but chatterboxes die of an empty heart.
Fear-of-God Expands Your Life
22 God’s blessing makes life rich;
nothing we do can improve on God.
23 An empty-head thinks mischief is fun,
but a mindful person relishes wisdom.
24 The nightmares of the wicked come true;
what the good people desire, they get.
25 When the storm is over, there’s nothing left of the wicked;
good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren’t even fazed.
26 A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble;
it’s vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.
27 The Fear-of-God expands your life;
a wicked life is a puny life.
28 The aspirations of good people end in celebration;
the ambitions of bad people crash.
29 God is solid backing to a well-lived life,
but he calls into question a shabby performance.
30 Good people last—they can’t be moved;
the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.
31 A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom;
a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.
32 The speech of a good person clears the air;
the words of the wicked pollute it.
Without Good Direction, People Lose Their Way
11 God hates cheating in the marketplace;
he loves it when business is aboveboard.
2 The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,
but down-to-earth people stand firm.
3 The integrity of the honest keeps them on track;
the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.
4 A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart,
but a principled life can stand up to the worst.
5 Moral character makes for smooth traveling;
an evil life is a hard life.
6 Good character is the best insurance;
crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.
7 When the wicked die, that’s it—
the story’s over, end of hope.
8 A good person is saved from much trouble;
a bad person runs straight into it.
9 The loose tongue of the godless spreads destruction;
the common sense of the godly preserves them.
10 When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers;
when it goes badly for bad people, the town celebrates.
11 When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes;
evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time.
12 Mean-spirited slander is heartless;
quiet discretion accompanies good sense.
13 A gadabout gossip can’t be trusted with a secret,
but someone of integrity won’t violate a confidence.
14 Without good direction, people lose their way;
the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.
15 Whoever makes deals with strangers is sure to get burned;
if you keep a cool head, you’ll avoid rash bargains.
16 A woman of gentle grace gets respect,
but men of rough violence grab for loot.
A God-Shaped Life
17 When you’re kind to others, you help yourself;
when you’re cruel to others, you hurt yourself.
18 Bad work gets paid with a bad check;
good work gets solid pay.
19 Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live,
or chase after phantoms of evil and die.
20 God can’t stand deceivers,
but oh how he relishes integrity.
21 Count on this: The wicked won’t get off scot-free,
and God’s loyal people will triumph.
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful face on an empty head.
23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best,
but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.
24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
those who help others are helped.
26 Curses on those who drive a hard bargain!
Blessings on all who play fair and square!
27 The one who seeks good finds delight;
the student of evil becomes evil.
28 A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump;
a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.
29 Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air;
common sense tells you it’s a stupid way to live.
30 A good life is a fruit-bearing tree;
a violent life destroys souls.
31 If good people barely make it,
what’s in store for the bad!
If You Love Learning
12 If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it—
how shortsighted to refuse correction!
2 A good person basks in the delight of God,
and he wants nothing to do with devious schemers.
3 You can’t find firm footing in a swamp,
but life rooted in God stands firm.
4 A hearty wife invigorates her husband,
but a frigid woman is cancer in the bones.
5 The thinking of principled people makes for justice;
the plots of degenerates corrupt.
6 The words of the wicked kill;
the speech of the upright saves.
7 Wicked people fall to pieces—there’s nothing to them;
the homes of good people hold together.
8 A person who talks sense is honored;
airheads are held in contempt.
9 Better to be ordinary and work for a living
than act important and starve in the process.
10 Good people are good to their animals;
the “good-hearted” bad people kick and abuse them.
11 The one who stays on the job has food on the table;
the witless chase whims and fancies.
12 What the wicked construct finally falls into ruin,
while the roots of the righteous give life, and more life.
Wise People Take Advice
13 The gossip of bad people gets them in trouble;
the conversation of good people keeps them out of it.
14 Well-spoken words bring satisfaction;
well-done work has its own reward.
15 Fools are headstrong and do what they like;
wise people take advice.
16 Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly;
the prudent quietly shrug off insults.
17 Truthful witness by a good person clears the air,
but liars lay down a smoke screen of deceit.
18 Rash language cuts and maims,
but there is healing in the words of the wise.
19 Truth lasts;
lies are here today, gone tomorrow.
20 Evil scheming distorts the schemer;
peace-planning brings joy to the planner.
21 No evil can overwhelm a good person,
but the wicked have their hands full of it.
22 God can’t stomach liars;
he loves the company of those who keep their word.
23 Prudent people don’t flaunt their knowledge;
talkative fools broadcast their silliness.
24 The diligent find freedom in their work;
the lazy are oppressed by work.
25 Worry weighs us down;
a cheerful word picks us up.
26 A good person survives misfortune,
but a wicked life invites disaster.
27 A lazy life is an empty life,
but “early to rise” gets the job done.
28 Good men and women travel right into life;
sin’s detours take you straight to hell.
Walk with the Wise
13 Intelligent children listen to their parents;
foolish children do their own thing.
2 The good acquire a taste for helpful conversation;
bullies push and shove their way through life.
3 Careful words make for a careful life;
careless talk may ruin everything.
4 Indolence wants it all and gets nothing;
the energetic have something to show for their lives.
5 A good person hates false talk;
a bad person wallows in gibberish.
6 A God-loyal life keeps you on track;
sin dumps the wicked in the ditch.
7 A pretentious, showy life is an empty life;
a plain and simple life is a full life.
8 The rich can be sued for everything they have,
but the poor are free of such threats.
9 The lives of good people are brightly lit streets;
the lives of the wicked are dark alleys.
10 Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord,
but wise men and women listen to each other’s counsel.
11 Easy come, easy go,
but steady diligence pays off.
12 Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick,
but a sudden good break can turn life around.
13 Ignore the Word and suffer;
honor God’s commands and grow rich.
14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
so, no more drinking from death-tainted wells!
15 Sound thinking makes for gracious living,
but liars walk a rough road.
16 A commonsense person lives good sense;
fools litter the country with silliness.
17 Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things,
but a reliable reporter is a healing presence.
18 Refuse discipline and end up homeless;
embrace correction and live an honored life.
19 Souls who follow their hearts thrive;
fools bent on evil despise matters of soul.
20 Become wise by walking with the wise;
hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.
21 Disaster entraps sinners,
but God-loyal people get a good life.
22 A good life gets passed on to the grandchildren;
ill-gotten wealth ends up with good people.
23 Banks foreclose on the farms of the poor,
or else the poor lose their shirts to crooked lawyers.
24 A refusal to correct is a refusal to love;
love your children by disciplining them.
25 An appetite for good brings much satisfaction,
but the belly of the wicked always wants more.
A Way That Leads to Hell
14 Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home;
Sir Fool comes along and tears it down brick by brick.
2 An honest life shows respect for God;
a degenerate life is a slap in his face.
3 Frivolous talk provokes a derisive smile;
wise speech evokes nothing but respect.
4 No cattle, no crops;
a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow.
5 A true witness never lies;
a false witness makes a business of it.
6 Cynics look high and low for wisdom—and never find it;
the open-minded find it right on their doorstep!
7 Escape quickly from the company of fools;
they’re a waste of your time, a waste of your words.
8 The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track;
the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch.
9 The stupid ridicule right and wrong,
but a moral life is a favored life.
10 The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends
will be an outsider at their celebrations.
11 Lives of careless wrongdoing are run-down shacks;
holy living builds soaring cathedrals.
12-13 There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough;
look again—it leads straight to hell.
Sure, those people appear to be having a good time,
but all that laughter will end in heartbreak.
Sift and Weigh Every Word
14 A mean person gets paid back in meanness,
a gracious person in grace.
15 The gullible believe anything they’re told;
the prudent sift and weigh every word.
16 The wise watch their steps and avoid evil;
fools are headstrong and reckless.
17 The hotheaded do things they’ll later regret;
the coldhearted get the cold shoulder.
18 Foolish dreamers live in a world of illusion;
wise realists plant their feet on the ground.
19 Eventually, evil will pay tribute to good;
the wicked will respect God-loyal people.
20 An unlucky loser is shunned by all,
but everyone loves a winner.
21 It’s criminal to ignore a neighbor in need,
but compassion for the poor—what a blessing!
22 Isn’t it obvious that conspirators lose out,
while the thoughtful win love and trust?
23 Hard work always pays off;
mere talk puts no bread on the table.
24 The wise accumulate wisdom;
fools get stupider by the day.
25 Souls are saved by truthful witness
and betrayed by the spread of lies.
26 The Fear-of-God builds up confidence,
and makes a world safe for your children.
27 The Fear-of-God is a spring of living water
so you won’t go off drinking from poisoned wells.
28 The mark of a good leader is loyal followers;
leadership is nothing without a following.
29 Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding;
a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity.
30 A sound mind makes for a robust body,
but runaway emotions corrode the bones.
31 You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless;
when you’re kind to the poor, you honor God.
32 The evil of bad people leaves them out in the cold;
the integrity of good people creates a safe place for living.
33 Lady Wisdom is at home in an understanding heart—
fools never even get to say hello.
34 God-devotion makes a country strong;
God-avoidance leaves people weak.
35 Diligent work gets a warm commendation;
shiftless work earns an angry rebuke.
God Doesn’t Miss a Thing
15 A gentle response defuses anger,
but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.
2 Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise;
fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.
3 God doesn’t miss a thing—
he’s alert to good and evil alike.
4 Kind words heal and help;
cutting words wound and maim.
5 Moral dropouts won’t listen to their elders;
welcoming correction is a mark of good sense.
6 The lives of God-loyal people flourish;
a misspent life is soon bankrupt.
7 Perceptive words spread knowledge;
fools are hollow—there’s nothing to them.
8 God can’t stand pious poses,
but he delights in genuine prayers.
9 A life frittered away disgusts God;
he loves those who run straight for the finish line.
10 It’s a school of hard knocks for those who leave God’s path,
a dead-end street for those who hate God’s rules.
11 Even hell holds no secrets from God—
do you think he can’t read human hearts?
Life Ascends to the Heights
12 Know-it-alls don’t like being told what to do;
they avoid the company of wise men and women.
13 A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face;
a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.
14 An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth;
fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.
15 A miserable heart means a miserable life;
a cheerful heart fills the day with song.
16 A simple life in the Fear-of-God
is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches.
17 Better a bread crust shared in love
than a slab of prime rib served in hate.
18 Hot tempers start fights;
a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.
19 The path of lazy people is overgrown with briers;
the diligent walk down a smooth road.
20 Intelligent children make their parents proud;
lazy students embarrass their parents.
21 The empty-headed treat life as a plaything;
the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it.
22 Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail;
take good counsel and watch them succeed.
23 Congenial conversation—what a pleasure!
The right word at the right time—beautiful!
24 Life ascends to the heights for the thoughtful—
it’s a clean about-face from descent into hell.
25 God smashes the pretensions of the arrogant;
he stands with those who have no standing.
26 God can’t stand evil scheming,
but he puts words of grace and beauty on display.
27 A greedy and grasping person destroys community;
those who refuse to exploit live and let live.
28 Prayerful answers come from God-loyal people;
the wicked are sewers of abuse.
29 God keeps his distance from the wicked;
he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people.
30 A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart,
and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle.
31 Listen to good advice if you want to live well,
an honored guest among wise men and women.
32 An undisciplined, self-willed life is puny;
an obedient, God-willed life is spacious.
33 Fear-of-God is a school in skilled living—
first you learn humility, then you experience glory.
Everything with a Place and a Purpose
16 Mortals make elaborate plans,
but God has the last word.
2 Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good;
God probes for what is good.
3 Put God in charge of your work,
then what you’ve planned will take place.
4 God made everything with a place and purpose;
even the wicked are included—but for judgment.
5 God can’t stomach arrogance or pretense;
believe me, he’ll put those braggarts in their place.
6 Guilt is banished through love and truth;
Fear-of-God deflects evil.
7 When God approves of your life,
even your enemies will end up shaking your hand.
8 Far better to be right and poor
than to be wrong and rich.
9 We plan the way we want to live,
but only God makes us able to live it.
It Pays to Take Life Seriously
10 A good leader motivates,
doesn’t mislead, doesn’t exploit.
11 God cares about honesty in the workplace;
your business is his business.
12 Good leaders abhor wrongdoing of all kinds;
sound leadership has a moral foundation.
13 Good leaders cultivate honest speech;
they love advisors who tell them the truth.
14 An intemperate leader wreaks havoc in lives;
you’re smart to stay clear of someone like that.
15 Good-tempered leaders invigorate lives;
they’re like spring rain and sunshine.
16 Get wisdom—it’s worth more than money;
choose insight over income every time.
17 The road of right living bypasses evil;
watch your step and save your life.
18 First pride, then the crash—
the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.
19 It’s better to live humbly among the poor
than to live it up among the rich and famous.
20 It pays to take life seriously;
things work out when you trust in God.
21 A wise person gets known for insight;
gracious words add to one’s reputation.
22 True intelligence is a spring of fresh water,
while fools sweat it out the hard way.
23 They make a lot of sense, these wise folks;
whenever they speak, their reputation increases.
24 Gracious speech is like clover honey—
good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body.
25 There’s a way that looks harmless enough;
look again—it leads straight to hell.
26 Appetite is an incentive to work;
hunger makes you work all the harder.
27 Mean people spread mean gossip;
their words smart and burn.
28 Troublemakers start fights;
gossips break up friendships.
29 Calloused climbers betray their very own friends;
they’d stab their own grandmothers in the back.
30 A shifty eye betrays an evil intention;
a clenched jaw signals trouble ahead.
31 Gray hair is a mark of distinction,
the award for a God-loyal life.
32 Moderation is better than muscle,
self-control better than political power.
33 Make your motions and cast your votes,
but God has the final say.
A Whack on the Head of a Fool
17 A meal of bread and water in contented peace
is better than a banquet spiced with quarrels.
2 A wise servant takes charge of an unruly child
and is honored as one of the family.
3 As silver in a crucible and gold in a pan,
so our lives are refined by God.
4 Evil people relish malicious conversation;
the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.
5 Whoever mocks poor people insults their Creator;
gloating over misfortune is a punishable crime.
6 Old people are distinguished by grandchildren;
children take pride in their parents.
7 We don’t expect eloquence from fools,
nor do we expect lies from our leaders.
8 Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone;
any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted.
9 Overlook an offense and bond a friendship;
fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend!
10 A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense
does more than a whack on the head of a fool.
11 Criminals out looking for nothing but trouble
won’t have to wait long—they’ll meet it coming and going!
12 Better to meet a grizzly robbed of her cubs
than a fool hellbent on folly.
13 Those who return evil for good
will meet their own evil returning.
14 The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam,
so stop it before it bursts.
15 Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people
are equally abhorrent to God.
16 What’s this? Fools out shopping for wisdom!
They wouldn’t recognize it if they saw it!
One Who Knows Much Says Little
17 Friends love through all kinds of weather,
and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.
18 It’s stupid to try to get something for nothing,
or run up huge bills you can never pay.
19 The person who courts sin marries trouble;
build a wall, invite a burglar.
20 A bad motive can’t achieve a good end;
double-talk brings you double trouble.
21 Having a fool for a child is misery;
it’s no fun being the parent of a dolt.
22 A cheerful disposition is good for your health;
gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.
23 The wicked take bribes under the table;
they show nothing but contempt for justice.
24 The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard;
fools look for it everywhere but right here.
25 A surly, stupid child is sheer pain to a father,
a bitter pill for a mother to swallow.
26 It’s wrong to penalize good behavior,
or make good citizens pay for the crimes of others.
27 The one who knows much says little;
an understanding person remains calm.
28 Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise;
as long as they keep their mouths shut, they’re smart.
Proverbs 1-9
New King James Version
Proverbs 1-9
New King James Version
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 The (A)proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To [a]perceive the words of understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the (B)simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5 (C)A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will [b]attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their (D)riddles.
7 (E)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Shun Evil Counsel
8 (F)My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9 For they will be a (G)graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
(H)Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us (I)lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like [c]Sheol,
And whole, (J)like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious [d]possessions,
We shall fill our houses with [e]spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15 My son, (K)do not walk in the way with them,
(L)Keep your foot from their path;
16 (M)For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in [f]vain the net is spread
In the sight of any [g]bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 (N)So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.
The Call of Wisdom
20 (O)Wisdom calls aloud [h]outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the [i]chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “How long, you [j]simple ones, will you love [k]simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke;
Surely (P)I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 (Q)Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you (R)disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 (S)I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When (T)your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then(U) they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they (V)hated knowledge
And did not (W)choose the fear of the Lord,
30 (X)They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore (Y)they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the [l]turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell (Z)safely,
And (AA)will be [m]secure, without fear of evil.”
The Value of Wisdom
2 My son, if you receive my words,
And (AB)treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
4 (AC)If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 (AD)Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
6 (AE)For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
(AF)He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice,
And (AG)preserves the way of His saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.
10 When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you;
(AH)Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things,
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To (AI)walk in the ways of darkness;
14 (AJ)Who rejoice in doing evil,
And delight in the perversity of the wicked;
15 (AK)Whose ways are crooked,
And who are devious in their paths;
16 To deliver you from (AL)the immoral woman,
(AM)From the seductress who flatters with her words,
17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God.
18 For (AN)her house [n]leads down to death,
And her paths to the dead;
19 None who go to her return,
Nor do they [o]regain the paths of life—
20 So you may walk in the way of goodness,
And keep to the paths of righteousness.
21 For the upright will dwell in the (AO)land,
And the blameless will remain in it;
22 But the wicked will be [p]cut off from the [q]earth,
And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
Guidance for the Young
3 My son, do not forget my law,
(AP)But let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life
And (AQ)peace they will add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
(AR)Bind them around your neck,
(AS)Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 (AT)And so find favor and [r]high esteem
In the sight of God and man.
5 (AU)Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
(AV)And lean not on your own understanding;
6 (AW)In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall [s]direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own (AX)eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your [t]flesh,
And (AY)strength[u] to your bones.
9 (AZ)Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 (BA)So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 (BB)My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor detest His correction;
12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
(BC)Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
13 (BD)Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
14 (BE)For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
And (BF)all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16 (BG)Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 (BH)Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is (BI)a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who [v]retain her.
19 (BJ)The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;
20 By His knowledge the depths were (BK)broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
22 So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.
23 (BL)Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25 (BM)Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.
27 (BN)Do not withhold good from [w]those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
28 (BO)Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.
30 (BP)Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
31 (BQ)Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;
32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord,
(BR)But His secret counsel is with the upright.
33 (BS)The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But (BT)He blesses the home of the just.
34 (BU)Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.
Security in Wisdom
4 Hear, (BV)my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my father’s son,
(BW)Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 (BX)He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
(BY)Keep my commands, and live.
5 (BZ)Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
(CA)Love her, and she will keep you.
7 (CB)Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
8 (CC)Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head (CD)an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
(CE)And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have (CF)taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
12 When you walk, (CG)your steps will not be hindered,
(CH)And when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.
14 (CI)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 (CJ)For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is [x]taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 (CK)But the path of the just (CL)is like the shining [y]sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
19 (CM)The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of (CN)life.
24 Put away from you a [z]deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your (CO)feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.
The Peril of Adultery
5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
[aa]Lend your ear to my understanding,
2 That you may [ab]preserve discretion,
And your lips (CP)may keep knowledge.
3 (CQ)For the lips of [ac]an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is (CR)smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death,
(CS)Her steps lay hold of [ad]hell.
6 Lest you ponder her path of life—
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.
7 Therefore hear me now, my children,
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Remove your way far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house,
9 Lest you give your [ae]honor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
10 Lest aliens be filled with your [af]wealth,
And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;
11 And you mourn at last,
When your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 And say:
“How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!
13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!
14 I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
And running water from your own well.
16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,
[ag]Streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be only your own,
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with (CT)the wife of your youth.
19 (CU)As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be [ah]enraptured with her love.
20 For why should you, my son, be enraptured by (CV)an immoral woman,
And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?
21 (CW)For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He [ai]ponders all his paths.
22 (CX)His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.
23 (CY)He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Dangerous Promises
6 My son, (CZ)if you become [aj]surety for your friend,
If you have [ak]shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,
2 You are snared by the words of your mouth;
You are taken by the words of your mouth.
3 So do this, my son, and deliver yourself;
For you have come into the hand of your friend:
Go and humble yourself;
Plead with your friend.
4 (DA)Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
And like a bird from the hand of the [al]fowler.
The Folly of Indolence
6 (DB)Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no [am]captain,
Overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her [an]supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
9 (DC)How long will you [ao]slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 (DD)So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.
The Wicked Man
12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
Walks with a perverse mouth;
13 (DE)He winks with his eyes,
He [ap]shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;
14 Perversity is in his heart,
(DF)He devises evil continually,
(DG)He sows discord.
15 Therefore his calamity shall come (DH)suddenly;
Suddenly he shall (DI)be broken (DJ)without remedy.
16 These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to [aq]Him:
17 (DK)A[ar] proud look,
(DL)A lying tongue,
(DM)Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 (DN)A heart that devises wicked plans,
(DO)Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 (DP)A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who (DQ)sows discord among brethren.
Beware of Adultery
20 (DR)My son, keep your father’s command,
And do not forsake the law of your mother.
21 (DS)Bind them continually upon your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 (DT)When you roam, [as]they will lead you;
When you sleep, (DU)they will keep you;
And when you awake, they will speak with you.
23 (DV)For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 (DW)To keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattering tongue of a seductress.
25 (DX)Do not lust after her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.
26 For (DY)by means of a harlot
A man is reduced to a crust of bread;
(DZ)And [at]an adulteress will (EA)prey upon his precious life.
27 Can a man take fire to his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one walk on hot coals,
And his feet not be seared?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
30 People do not despise a thief
If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.
31 Yet when he is found, (EB)he must restore sevenfold;
He may have to give up all the substance of his house.
32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman (EC)lacks understanding;
He who does so destroys his own soul.
33 Wounds and dishonor he will get,
And his reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For (ED)jealousy is a husband’s fury;
Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will [au]accept no recompense,
Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.
The Wiles of a Harlot
7 My son, keep my words,
And (EE)treasure my commands within you.
2 (EF)Keep my commands and live,
(EG)And my law as the apple of your eye.
3 (EH)Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your nearest kin,
5 (EI)That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.
The Crafty Harlot
6 For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
7 And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the [av]youths,
A young man (EJ)devoid[aw] of understanding,
8 Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
9 (EK)In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.
10 And there a woman met him,
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
11 (EL)She was loud and rebellious,
(EM)Her feet would not stay at home.
12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him and kissed him;
With an [ax]impudent face she said to him:
14 “I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
16 I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of (EN)Egyptian linen.
17 I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For [ay]my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money [az]with him,
And will come home [ba]on the appointed day.”
21 [bb]With (EO)her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
(EP)With her flattering lips she [bc]seduced him.
22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or [bd]as a fool to the correction of the [be]stocks,
23 Till an arrow struck his liver.
(EQ)As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it [bf]would cost his life.
24 Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
26 For she has cast down many wounded,
And (ER)all who were slain by her were strong men.
27 (ES)Her house is the way to [bg]hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.
The Excellence of Wisdom
8 Does not (ET)wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the [bh]high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you [bi]simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak of (EU)excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 (EV)For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 (EW)The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
(EX)Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And (EY)the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, (EZ)I have strength.
15 (FA)By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of [bj]the earth.
17 (FB)I love those who love me,
And (FC)those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 (FD)Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I [bk]traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.
22 “The(FE) Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 (FF)I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 (FG)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the [bl]fields,
Or the [bm]primal dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 (FH)When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When (FI)He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 (FJ)Then I was beside Him as [bn]a master craftsman;
(FK)And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And (FL)my delight was with the sons of men.
32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For (FM)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 (FN)Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And (FO)obtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me (FP)wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”
The Way of Wisdom
9 Wisdom has (FQ)built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 (FR)She has slaughtered her meat,
(FS)She has mixed her wine,
She has also [bo]furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
4 “Whoever(FT) is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5 “Come,(FU) eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:2 understand or discern
- Proverbs 1:5 acquire
- Proverbs 1:12 Or the grave
- Proverbs 1:13 Lit. wealth
- Proverbs 1:13 plunder
- Proverbs 1:17 futility
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit. lord of the wing
- Proverbs 1:20 in the street
- Proverbs 1:21 LXX, Syr., Tg. top of the walls; Vg. the head of multitudes
- Proverbs 1:22 naive
- Proverbs 1:22 naivete
- Proverbs 1:32 waywardness
- Proverbs 1:33 at ease
- Proverbs 2:18 sinks
- Proverbs 2:19 Lit. reach
- Proverbs 2:22 destroyed
- Proverbs 2:22 land
- Proverbs 3:4 Lit. good understanding
- Proverbs 3:6 Or make smooth or straight
- Proverbs 3:8 Body, lit. navel
- Proverbs 3:8 Lit. drink
- Proverbs 3:18 hold her fast
- Proverbs 3:27 Lit. its owners
- Proverbs 4:16 Lit. robbed
- Proverbs 4:18 Lit. light
- Proverbs 4:24 devious
- Proverbs 5:1 Lit. Bow
- Proverbs 5:2 appreciate good judgment
- Proverbs 5:3 Lit. a strange
- Proverbs 5:5 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 5:9 vigor
- Proverbs 5:10 Lit. strength
- Proverbs 5:16 Channels
- Proverbs 5:19 Lit. intoxicated
- Proverbs 5:21 observes, lit. weighs
- Proverbs 6:1 guaranty or collateral
- Proverbs 6:1 Lit. struck
- Proverbs 6:5 One who catches birds in a trap or snare
- Proverbs 6:7 Lit. leader
- Proverbs 6:8 Lit. bread
- Proverbs 6:9 Lit. lie down
- Proverbs 6:13 gives signals, lit. scrapes
- Proverbs 6:16 Lit. His soul
- Proverbs 6:17 Lit. Haughty eyes
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit. it
- Proverbs 6:26 Wife of another, lit. a man’s wife
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit. lift up the face of any
- Proverbs 7:7 Lit. sons
- Proverbs 7:7 lacking
- Proverbs 7:13 shameless
- Proverbs 7:19 Lit. the man
- Proverbs 7:20 Lit. in his hand
- Proverbs 7:20 at the full moon
- Proverbs 7:21 By the greatness of her words
- Proverbs 7:21 compelled
- Proverbs 7:22 LXX, Syr., Tg. as a dog to bonds; Vg. as a lamb . . . to bonds
- Proverbs 7:22 shackles
- Proverbs 7:23 Lit. is for
- Proverbs 7:27 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 8:2 Lit. heights
- Proverbs 8:5 naive
- Proverbs 8:16 MT, Syr., Tg., Vg. righteousness; LXX, Bg., some mss. and editions earth
- Proverbs 8:20 walk about on
- Proverbs 8:26 outer places
- Proverbs 8:26 Lit. beginning of the dust
- Proverbs 8:30 A Jewish tradition one brought up
- Proverbs 9:2 arranged
Proverbs 1-13
The Message
Proverbs 1-13
The Message
Wise Sayings of Solomon
A Manual for Living
1 1-6 These are the wise sayings of Solomon,
David’s son, Israel’s king—
Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right,
to understand what life means and where it’s going;
A manual for living,
for learning what’s right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes
and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There’s something here also for seasoned men and women,
still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—
Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.
Start with God
7 Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.
8-19 Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you;
never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee.
Wear their counsel like a winning crown,
like rings on your fingers.
Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you,
don’t go along with them.
If they say—“Let’s go out and raise some hell.
Let’s beat up some old man, mug some old woman.
Let’s pick them clean
and get them ready for their funerals.
We’ll load up on top-quality loot.
We’ll haul it home by the truckload.
Join us for the time of your life!
With us, it’s share and share alike!”—
Oh, friend, don’t give them a second look;
don’t listen to them for a minute.
They’re racing to a very bad end,
hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on.
Nobody robs a bank
with everyone watching,
Yet that’s what these people are doing—
they’re doing themselves in.
When you grab all you can get, that’s what happens:
the more you get, the less you are.
Lady Wisdom
20-21 Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts.
At the town center she makes her speech.
In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand.
At the busiest corner she calls out:
22-24 “Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance?
Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism?
Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn?
About face! I can revise your life.
Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you;
I’m ready to tell you all I know.
As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear;
I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me.
25-28 “Since you laugh at my counsel
and make a joke of my advice,
How can I take you seriously?
I’ll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!
What if the roof falls in,
and your whole life goes to pieces?
What if catastrophe strikes and there’s nothing
to show for your life but rubble and ashes?
You’ll need me then. You’ll call for me, but don’t expect an answer.
No matter how hard you look, you won’t find me.
29-33 “Because you hated Knowledge
and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God,
Because you wouldn’t take my advice
and brushed aside all my offers to train you,
Well, you’ve made your bed—now lie in it;
you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it?
Don’t you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?
Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.
First pay attention to me, and then relax.
Now you can take it easy—you’re in good hands.”
Make Insight Your Priority
2 1-5 Good friend, take to heart what I’m telling you;
collect my counsels and guard them with your life.
Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom;
set your heart on a life of Understanding.
That’s right—if you make Insight your priority,
and won’t take no for an answer,
Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold,
like an adventurer on a treasure hunt,
Believe me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours;
you’ll have come upon the Knowledge of God.
6-8 And here’s why: God gives out Wisdom free,
is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding.
He’s a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well,
a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere.
He keeps his eye on all who live honestly,
and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones.
9-15 So now you can pick out what’s true and fair,
find all the good trails!
Lady Wisdom will be your close friend,
and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion.
Good Sense will scout ahead for danger,
Insight will keep an eye out for you.
They’ll keep you from making wrong turns,
or following the bad directions
Of those who are lost themselves
and can’t tell a trail from a tumbleweed,
These losers who make a game of evil
and throw parties to celebrate perversity,
Traveling paths that go nowhere,
wandering in a maze of detours and dead ends.
16-19 Wise friends will rescue you from the Temptress—
that smooth-talking Seductress
Who’s faithless to the husband she married years ago,
never gave a second thought to her promises before God.
Her whole way of life is doomed;
every step she takes brings her closer to hell.
No one who joins her company ever comes back,
ever sets foot on the path to real living.
20-22 So—join the company of good men and women,
keep your feet on the tried-and-true paths.
It’s the men who walk straight who will settle this land,
the women with integrity who will last here.
The corrupt will lose their lives;
the dishonest will be gone for good.
Don’t Assume You Know It All
3 1-2 Good friend, don’t forget all I’ve taught you;
take to heart my commands.
They’ll help you live a long, long time,
a long life lived full and well.
3-4 Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.
Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.
Earn a reputation for living well
in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people.
5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
a father’s delight is behind all this.
The Very Tree of Life
13-18 You’re blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom,
when you make friends with Madame Insight.
She’s worth far more than money in the bank;
her friendship is better than a big salary.
Her value exceeds all the trappings of wealth;
nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.
With one hand she gives long life,
with the other she confers recognition.
Her manner is beautiful,
her life wonderfully complete.
She’s the very Tree of Life to those who embrace her.
Hold her tight—and be blessed!
19-20 With Lady Wisdom, God formed Earth;
with Madame Insight, he raised Heaven.
They knew when to signal rivers and springs to the surface,
and dew to descend from the night skies.
Never Walk Away
21-26 Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life;
don’t for a minute lose sight of them.
They’ll keep your soul alive and well,
they’ll keep you fit and attractive.
You’ll travel safely,
you’ll neither tire nor trip.
You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry,
you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises,
or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner,
Because God will be right there with you;
he’ll keep you safe and sound.
27-29 Never walk away from someone who deserves help;
your hand is God’s hand for that person.
Don’t tell your neighbor “Maybe some other time”
or “Try me tomorrow”
when the money’s right there in your pocket.
Don’t figure ways of taking advantage of your neighbor
when he’s sitting there trusting and unsuspecting.
30-32 Don’t walk around with a chip on your shoulder,
always spoiling for a fight.
Don’t try to be like those who shoulder their way through life.
Why be a bully?
“Why not?” you say. Because God can’t stand twisted souls.
It’s the straightforward who get his respect.
33-35 God’s curse blights the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
He gives proud skeptics a cold shoulder,
but if you’re down on your luck, he’s right there to help.
Wise living gets rewarded with honor;
stupid living gets the booby prize.
Your Life Is at Stake
4 1-2 Listen, friends, to some fatherly advice;
sit up and take notice so you’ll know how to live.
I’m giving you good counsel;
don’t let it go in one ear and out the other.
3-9 When I was a boy at my father’s knee,
the pride and joy of my mother,
He would sit me down and drill me:
“Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live!
Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding!
Don’t forget one word! Don’t deviate an inch!
Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life;
love her—she keeps her eye on you.
Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom!
Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding!
Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won’t regret it;
never let her go—she’ll make your life glorious.
She’ll garland your life with grace,
she’ll festoon your days with beauty.”
10-15 Dear friend, take my advice;
it will add years to your life.
I’m writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way,
I’m drawing a map to Righteous Road.
I don’t want you ending up in blind alleys,
or wasting time making wrong turns.
Hold tight to good advice; don’t relax your grip.
Guard it well—your life is at stake!
Don’t take Wicked Bypass;
don’t so much as set foot on that road.
Stay clear of it; give it a wide berth.
Make a detour and be on your way.
16-17 Evil people are restless
unless they’re making trouble;
They can’t get a good night’s sleep
unless they’ve made life miserable for somebody.
Perversity is their food and drink,
violence their drug of choice.
18-19 The ways of right-living people glow with light;
the longer they live, the brighter they shine.
But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker—
travelers can’t see a thing; they fall flat on their faces.
Learn It by Heart
20-22 Dear friend, listen well to my words;
tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
body and soul, they’re bursting with health.
23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that’s where life starts.
Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust.
Nothing but Sin and Bones
5 1-2 Dear friend, pay close attention to this, my wisdom;
listen very closely to the way I see it.
Then you’ll acquire a taste for good sense;
what I tell you will keep you out of trouble.
3-6 The lips of a seductive woman are oh so sweet,
her soft words are oh so smooth.
But it won’t be long before she’s gravel in your mouth,
a pain in your gut, a wound in your heart.
She’s dancing down the perfumed path to Death;
she’s headed straight for Hell and taking you with her.
She hasn’t a clue about Real Life,
about who she is or where she’s going.
7-14 So, my friend, listen closely;
don’t treat my words casually.
Keep your distance from such a woman;
absolutely stay out of her neighborhood.
You don’t want to squander your wonderful life,
to waste your precious life among the hardhearted.
Why should you allow strangers to take advantage of you?
Why be exploited by those who care nothing for you?
You don’t want to end your life full of regrets,
nothing but sin and bones,
Saying, “Oh, why didn’t I do what they told me?
Why did I reject a disciplined life?
Why didn’t I listen to my mentors,
or take my teachers seriously?
My life is ruined!
I haven’t one blessed thing to show for my life!”
Never Take Love for Granted
15-16 Do you know the saying, “Drink from your own rain barrel,
draw water from your own spring-fed well”?
It’s true. Otherwise, you may one day come home
and find your barrel empty and your well polluted.
17-20 Your spring water is for you and you only,
not to be passed around among strangers.
Bless your fresh-flowing fountain!
Enjoy the wife you married as a young man!
Lovely as an angel, beautiful as a rose—
don’t ever quit taking delight in her body.
Never take her love for granted!
Why would you trade enduring intimacies for cheap thrills with a prostitute?
for dalliance with a promiscuous stranger?
21-23 Mark well that God doesn’t miss a move you make;
he’s aware of every step you take.
The shadow of your sin will overtake you;
you’ll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark.
Death is the reward of an undisciplined life;
your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.
Like a Deer from the Hunter
6 1-5 Dear friend, if you’ve gone into hock with your neighbor
or locked yourself into a deal with a stranger,
If you’ve impulsively promised the shirt off your back
and now find yourself shivering out in the cold,
Friend, don’t waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess.
You’re in that man’s clutches!
Go, put on a long face; act desperate.
Don’t procrastinate—
there’s no time to lose.
Run like a deer from the hunter,
fly like a bird from the trapper!
A Lesson from the Ant
6-11 You lazy fool, look at an ant.
Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.
Nobody has to tell it what to do.
All summer it stores up food;
at harvest it stockpiles provisions.
So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?
How long before you get out of bed?
A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,
sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next?
Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,
poverty your permanent houseguest!
Always Cooking Up Something Nasty
12-15 Swindlers and scoundrels
talk out of both sides of their mouths.
They wink at each other, they shuffle their feet,
they cross their fingers behind their backs.
Their perverse minds are always cooking up something nasty,
always stirring up trouble.
Catastrophe is just around the corner for them,
a total wreck, their lives ruined beyond repair.
Seven Things God Hates
16-19 Here are six things God hates,
and one more that he loathes with a passion:
eyes that are arrogant,
a tongue that lies,
hands that murder the innocent,
a heart that hatches evil plots,
feet that race down a wicked track,
a mouth that lies under oath,
a troublemaker in the family.
Warning on Adultery
20-23 Good friend, follow your father’s good advice;
don’t wander off from your mother’s teachings.
Wrap yourself in them from head to foot;
wear them like a scarf around your neck.
Wherever you walk, they’ll guide you;
whenever you rest, they’ll guard you;
when you wake up, they’ll tell you what’s next.
For sound advice is a beacon,
good teaching is a light,
moral discipline is a life path.
24-35 They’ll protect you from promiscuous women,
from the seductive talk of some temptress.
Don’t lustfully fantasize on her beauty,
nor be taken in by her bedroom eyes.
You can buy an hour with a prostitute for a loaf of bread,
but a promiscuous woman may well eat you alive.
Can you build a fire in your lap
and not burn your pants?
Can you walk barefoot on hot coals
and not get blisters?
It’s the same when you have sex with your neighbor’s wife:
Touch her and you’ll pay for it. No excuses.
Hunger is no excuse
for a thief to steal;
When he’s caught he has to pay it back,
even if he has to put his whole house in hock.
Adultery is a brainless act,
soul-destroying, self-destructive;
Expect a bloody nose, a black eye,
and a reputation ruined for good.
For jealousy detonates rage in a cheated husband;
wild for revenge, he won’t make allowances.
Nothing you say or pay will make it all right;
neither bribes nor reason will satisfy him.
Dressed to Seduce
7 1-5 Dear friend, do what I tell you;
treasure my careful instructions.
Do what I say and you’ll live well.
My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!
Write it out on the back of your hands;
etch it on the chambers of your heart.
Talk to Wisdom as to a sister.
Treat Insight as your companion.
They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress—
that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.
6-12 As I stood at the window of my house
looking out through the shutters,
Watching the mindless crowd stroll by,
I spotted a young man without any sense
Arriving at the corner of the street where she lived,
then turning up the path to her house.
It was dusk, the evening coming on,
the darkness thickening into night.
Just then, a woman met him—
she’d been lying in wait for him, dressed to seduce him.
Brazen and brash she was,
restless and roaming, never at home,
Walking the streets, loitering in the mall,
hanging out at every corner in town.
13-20 She threw her arms around him and kissed him,
boldly took his arm and said,
“I’ve got all the makings for a feast—
today I made my offerings, my vows are all paid,
So now I’ve come to find you,
hoping to catch sight of your face—and here you are!
I’ve spread fresh, clean sheets on my bed,
colorful imported linens.
My bed is aromatic with spices
and exotic fragrances.
Come, let’s make love all night,
spend the night in ecstatic lovemaking!
My husband’s not home; he’s away on business,
and he won’t be back for a month.”
21-23 Soon she has him eating out of her hand,
bewitched by her honeyed speech.
Before you know it, he’s trotting behind her,
like a calf led to the butcher shop,
Like a stag lured into ambush
and then shot with an arrow,
Like a bird flying into a net
not knowing that its flying life is over.
24-27 So, friends, listen to me,
take these words of mine most seriously.
Don’t fool around with a woman like that;
don’t even stroll through her neighborhood.
Countless victims come under her spell;
she’s the death of many a poor man.
She runs a halfway house to hell,
fits you out with a shroud and a coffin.
Lady Wisdom Calls Out
8 1-11 Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling?
Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?
She’s taken her stand at First and Main,
at the busiest intersection.
Right in the city square
where the traffic is thickest, she shouts,
“You—I’m talking to all of you,
everyone out here on the streets!
Listen, you idiots—learn good sense!
You blockheads—shape up!
Don’t miss a word of this—I’m telling you how to live well,
I’m telling you how to live at your best.
My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth—
I can’t stand the taste of evil!
You’ll only hear true and right words from my mouth;
not one syllable will be twisted or skewed.
You’ll recognize this as true—you with open minds;
truth-ready minds will see it at once.
Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money,
and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.
For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth;
nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.
12-21 “I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity;
Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street.
The Fear-of-God means hating Evil,
whose ways I hate with a passion—
pride and arrogance and crooked talk.
Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics;
I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out.
With my help, leaders rule,
and lawmakers legislate fairly;
With my help, governors govern,
along with all in legitimate authority.
I love those who love me;
those who look for me find me.
Wealth and Glory accompany me—
also substantial Honor and a Good Name.
My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary;
the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus.
You can find me on Righteous Road—that’s where I walk—
at the intersection of Justice Avenue,
Handing out life to those who love me,
filling their arms with life—armloads of life!
22-31 “God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—
before he did anything else.
I was brought into being a long time ago,
well before Earth got its start.
I arrived on the scene before Ocean,
yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes.
Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape,
I was already there, newborn;
Long before God stretched out Earth’s Horizons,
and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather,
And set Sky firmly in place,
I was there.
When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean,
built the vast vault of Heaven,
and installed the fountains that fed Ocean,
When he drew a boundary for Sea,
posted a sign that said no trespassing,
And then staked out Earth’s Foundations,
I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.
Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause,
always enjoying his company,
Delighted with the world of things and creatures,
happily celebrating the human family.
32-36 “So, my dear friends, listen carefully;
those who embrace these my ways are most blessed.
Mark a life of discipline and live wisely;
don’t squander your precious life.
Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,
awake and ready for me each morning,
alert and responsive as I start my day’s work.
When you find me, you find life, real life,
to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.
But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul;
when you reject me, you’re flirting with death.”
Lady Wisdom Gives a Dinner Party
9 1-6 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home;
it’s supported by seven hewn timbers.
The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted,
wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers.
Having dismissed her serving maids,
Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place,
and invites everyone within sound of her voice:
“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?
Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!
I’ve prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread,
roast lamb, carefully selected wines.
Leave your impoverished confusion and live!
Walk up the street to a life with meaning.”
* * *
7-12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face;
confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins.
So don’t waste your time on a scoffer;
all you’ll get for your pains is abuse.
But if you correct those who care about life,
that’s different—they’ll love you for it!
Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it;
tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it.
Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God,
insight into life from knowing a Holy God.
It’s through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,
and the years of your life ripen.
Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life;
mock life and life will mock you.
Madame Prostitute Calls Out, Too
13-18 Then there’s this other woman, Madame Prostitute—
brazen, empty-headed, frivolous.
She sits on the front porch
of her house on Main Street,
And as people walk by minding
their own business, calls out,
“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?
Steal off with me, I’ll show you a good time!
No one will ever know—I’ll give you the time of your life.”
But they don’t know about all the skeletons in her closet,
that all her guests end up in hell.
The Wise Sayings of Solomon
An Honest Life Is Immortal
10 Wise son, glad father;
stupid son, sad mother.
2 Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere;
an honest life is immortal.
3 God won’t starve an honest soul,
but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.
4 Sloth makes you poor;
diligence brings wealth.
5 Make hay while the sun shines—that’s smart;
go fishing during harvest—that’s stupid.
6 Blessings accrue on a good and honest life,
but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
7 A good and honest life is a blessed memorial;
a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.
8 A wise heart takes orders;
an empty head will come unglued.
9 Honesty lives confident and carefree,
but Shifty is sure to be exposed.
10 An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead,
but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.
11 The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well,
but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
12 Hatred starts fights,
but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.
13 You’ll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight,
but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.
14 The wise accumulate knowledge—a true treasure;
know-it-alls talk too much—a sheer waste.
The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life
15 The wealth of the rich is their security;
the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.
16 The wage of a good person is exuberant life;
an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.
17 The road to life is a disciplined life;
ignore correction and you’re lost for good.
18 Liars secretly hoard hatred;
fools openly spread slander.
19 The more talk, the less truth;
the wise measure their words.
20 The speech of a good person is worth waiting for;
the blabber of the wicked is worthless.
21 The talk of a good person is rich fare for many,
but chatterboxes die of an empty heart.
Fear-of-God Expands Your Life
22 God’s blessing makes life rich;
nothing we do can improve on God.
23 An empty-head thinks mischief is fun,
but a mindful person relishes wisdom.
24 The nightmares of the wicked come true;
what the good people desire, they get.
25 When the storm is over, there’s nothing left of the wicked;
good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren’t even fazed.
26 A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble;
it’s vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.
27 The Fear-of-God expands your life;
a wicked life is a puny life.
28 The aspirations of good people end in celebration;
the ambitions of bad people crash.
29 God is solid backing to a well-lived life,
but he calls into question a shabby performance.
30 Good people last—they can’t be moved;
the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.
31 A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom;
a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.
32 The speech of a good person clears the air;
the words of the wicked pollute it.
Without Good Direction, People Lose Their Way
11 God hates cheating in the marketplace;
he loves it when business is aboveboard.
2 The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,
but down-to-earth people stand firm.
3 The integrity of the honest keeps them on track;
the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.
4 A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart,
but a principled life can stand up to the worst.
5 Moral character makes for smooth traveling;
an evil life is a hard life.
6 Good character is the best insurance;
crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.
7 When the wicked die, that’s it—
the story’s over, end of hope.
8 A good person is saved from much trouble;
a bad person runs straight into it.
9 The loose tongue of the godless spreads destruction;
the common sense of the godly preserves them.
10 When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers;
when it goes badly for bad people, the town celebrates.
11 When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes;
evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time.
12 Mean-spirited slander is heartless;
quiet discretion accompanies good sense.
13 A gadabout gossip can’t be trusted with a secret,
but someone of integrity won’t violate a confidence.
14 Without good direction, people lose their way;
the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.
15 Whoever makes deals with strangers is sure to get burned;
if you keep a cool head, you’ll avoid rash bargains.
16 A woman of gentle grace gets respect,
but men of rough violence grab for loot.
A God-Shaped Life
17 When you’re kind to others, you help yourself;
when you’re cruel to others, you hurt yourself.
18 Bad work gets paid with a bad check;
good work gets solid pay.
19 Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live,
or chase after phantoms of evil and die.
20 God can’t stand deceivers,
but oh how he relishes integrity.
21 Count on this: The wicked won’t get off scot-free,
and God’s loyal people will triumph.
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful face on an empty head.
23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best,
but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.
24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
those who help others are helped.
26 Curses on those who drive a hard bargain!
Blessings on all who play fair and square!
27 The one who seeks good finds delight;
the student of evil becomes evil.
28 A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump;
a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.
29 Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air;
common sense tells you it’s a stupid way to live.
30 A good life is a fruit-bearing tree;
a violent life destroys souls.
31 If good people barely make it,
what’s in store for the bad!
If You Love Learning
12 If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it—
how shortsighted to refuse correction!
2 A good person basks in the delight of God,
and he wants nothing to do with devious schemers.
3 You can’t find firm footing in a swamp,
but life rooted in God stands firm.
4 A hearty wife invigorates her husband,
but a frigid woman is cancer in the bones.
5 The thinking of principled people makes for justice;
the plots of degenerates corrupt.
6 The words of the wicked kill;
the speech of the upright saves.
7 Wicked people fall to pieces—there’s nothing to them;
the homes of good people hold together.
8 A person who talks sense is honored;
airheads are held in contempt.
9 Better to be ordinary and work for a living
than act important and starve in the process.
10 Good people are good to their animals;
the “good-hearted” bad people kick and abuse them.
11 The one who stays on the job has food on the table;
the witless chase whims and fancies.
12 What the wicked construct finally falls into ruin,
while the roots of the righteous give life, and more life.
Wise People Take Advice
13 The gossip of bad people gets them in trouble;
the conversation of good people keeps them out of it.
14 Well-spoken words bring satisfaction;
well-done work has its own reward.
15 Fools are headstrong and do what they like;
wise people take advice.
16 Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly;
the prudent quietly shrug off insults.
17 Truthful witness by a good person clears the air,
but liars lay down a smoke screen of deceit.
18 Rash language cuts and maims,
but there is healing in the words of the wise.
19 Truth lasts;
lies are here today, gone tomorrow.
20 Evil scheming distorts the schemer;
peace-planning brings joy to the planner.
21 No evil can overwhelm a good person,
but the wicked have their hands full of it.
22 God can’t stomach liars;
he loves the company of those who keep their word.
23 Prudent people don’t flaunt their knowledge;
talkative fools broadcast their silliness.
24 The diligent find freedom in their work;
the lazy are oppressed by work.
25 Worry weighs us down;
a cheerful word picks us up.
26 A good person survives misfortune,
but a wicked life invites disaster.
27 A lazy life is an empty life,
but “early to rise” gets the job done.
28 Good men and women travel right into life;
sin’s detours take you straight to hell.
Walk with the Wise
13 Intelligent children listen to their parents;
foolish children do their own thing.
2 The good acquire a taste for helpful conversation;
bullies push and shove their way through life.
3 Careful words make for a careful life;
careless talk may ruin everything.
4 Indolence wants it all and gets nothing;
the energetic have something to show for their lives.
5 A good person hates false talk;
a bad person wallows in gibberish.
6 A God-loyal life keeps you on track;
sin dumps the wicked in the ditch.
7 A pretentious, showy life is an empty life;
a plain and simple life is a full life.
8 The rich can be sued for everything they have,
but the poor are free of such threats.
9 The lives of good people are brightly lit streets;
the lives of the wicked are dark alleys.
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.
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 American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson