Proverbs 1
Legacy Standard Bible
To Know Wisdom
1 The (A)proverbs of Solomon (B)the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know (C)wisdom and discipline,
To understand the sayings of (D)understanding,
3 To (E)receive discipline [a]that leads to insight,
(F)Righteousness, justice, and equity,
4 To give (G)prudence to the [b](H)simple,
To the youth (I)knowledge and discretion;
5 Let the wise man hear and (J)increase in learning,
And a (K)man of understanding will acquire guidance,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their (L)riddles.
7 (M)The fear of [c]Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge;
[d]Ignorant fools despise wisdom and discipline.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 (N)Hear, my son, your father’s discipline
And (O)do not abandon your mother’s [e]instruction;
9 For they are a (P)garland of grace for your head
And [f](Q)ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners (R)entice you,
(S)Do not be willing.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us (T)lie in wait for blood,
Let us (U)ambush the innocent without cause;
12 Let us (V)swallow them alive like Sheol,
And whole, as those who (W)go down to the pit;
13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast in your lot [g]with us,
We shall all have one purse,”
15 My son, (X)do not walk in the way with them.
(Y)Withhold your feet from their pathway,
16 For (Z)their feet run to evil
And they hasten to shed blood.
17 For it is [h]no use that a net is spread
In the sight of any [i]bird;
18 But they (AA)lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own [j]lives.
19 So are the paths of everyone who is (AB)greedy for gain;
It takes away the [k]life of its possessors.
The Call of Wisdom
20 (AC)Wisdom shouts in the street,
She gives forth her voice in the square;
21 At the head of the noisy streets she calls out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
22 “How long, O (AD)simple ones, will you love simplicity?
And (AE)scoffers delight in scoffing
And [l]fools (AF)hate knowledge?
23 Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will (AG)pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because (AH)I called and you (AI)refused,
I (AJ)stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you (AK)neglected all my counsel
And were not (AL)willing to accept my reproof;
26 I will also (AM)laugh at your (AN)disaster;
I will mock when your (AO)dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm
And your disaster comes like a (AP)whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will (AQ)call on me, but I will not answer;
They will (AR)seek me earnestly but they will not find me,
29 Because they (AS)hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of Yahweh.
30 They (AT)were not willing to accept my counsel,
They spurned all my reproof.
31 So they shall (AU)eat of the fruit of their way
And be (AV)satisfied with their own devices.
32 For the (AW)turning away of the simple will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But (AX)he who listens to me shall dwell securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:3 Lit of
- Proverbs 1:4 Or naive
- Proverbs 1:7 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
- Proverbs 1:7 One who lacks wisdom due to negligence or carelessness; so in Prov
- Proverbs 1:8 Or law
- Proverbs 1:9 Lit necklaces
- Proverbs 1:14 Lit in the midst of us
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit in vain
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit possessor of wing
- Proverbs 1:18 Lit souls
- Proverbs 1:19 Lit soul
- Proverbs 1:22 One who fails in wisdom due to willful sin
Proverbs 1
Revised Standard Version
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
Prologue
2 That men may know wisdom and instruction,
understand words of insight,
3 receive instruction in wise dealing,
righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 that prudence may be given to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 the wise man also may hear and increase in learning,
and the man of understanding acquire skill,
6 to understand a proverb and a figure,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Warnings against Evil Companions
8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and reject not your mother’s teaching;
9 for they are a fair garland for your head,
and pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood,
let us wantonly ambush the innocent;
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive
and whole, like those who go down to the Pit:
13 we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 throw in your lot among us,
we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, do not walk in the way with them,
hold back your foot from their paths;
16 for their feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
17 For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird;
18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood,
they set an ambush for their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of all who get gain by violence;
it takes away the life of its possessors.
The Call of Wisdom
20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street;
in the markets she raises her voice;
21 on the top of the walls[a] she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
23 Give heed[b] to my reproof;
behold, I will pour out my thoughts[c] to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 and you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when panic strikes you,
27 when panic strikes you like a storm,
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 would have none of my counsel,
and despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
and be sated with their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacence of fools destroys them;
33 but he who listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of evil.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:21 Heb uncertain
- Proverbs 1:23 Heb Turn
- Proverbs 1:23 Heb spirit
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