Proverbs 1-3
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.
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 1-3
New Living Translation
The Purpose of Proverbs
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.
2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.
3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young.
5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
Let those with understanding receive guidance
6 by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
A Father’s Exhortation: Acquire Wisdom
8 My child,[a] listen when your father corrects you.
Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
9 What you learn from them will crown you with grace
and be a chain of honor around your neck.
10 My child, if sinners entice you,
turn your back on them!
11 They may say, “Come and join us.
Let’s hide and kill someone!
Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!
12 Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave[b];
let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.
13 Think of the great things we’ll get!
We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.
14 Come, throw in your lot with us;
we’ll all share the loot.”
15 My child, don’t go along with them!
Stay far away from their paths.
16 They rush to commit evil deeds.
They hurry to commit murder.
17 If a bird sees a trap being set,
it knows to stay away.
18 But these people set an ambush for themselves;
they are trying to get themselves killed.
19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money;
it robs them of life.
Wisdom Shouts in the Streets
20 Wisdom shouts in the streets.
She cries out in the public square.
21 She calls to the crowds along the main street,
to those gathered in front of the city gate:
22 “How long, you simpletons,
will you insist on being simpleminded?
How long will you mockers relish your mocking?
How long will you fools hate knowledge?
23 Come and listen to my counsel.
I’ll share my heart with you
and make you wise.
24 “I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come.
I reached out to you, but you paid no attention.
25 You ignored my advice
and rejected the correction I offered.
26 So I will laugh when you are in trouble!
I will mock you when disaster overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone,
and anguish and distress overwhelm you.
28 “When they cry for help, I will not answer.
Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.
29 For they hated knowledge
and chose not to fear the Lord.
30 They rejected my advice
and paid no attention when I corrected them.
31 Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way,
choking on their own schemes.
32 For simpletons turn away from me—to death.
Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.
33 But all who listen to me will live in peace,
untroubled by fear of harm.”
The Benefits of Wisdom
2 My child,[c] listen to what I say,
and treasure my commands.
2 Tune your ears to wisdom,
and concentrate on understanding.
3 Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.
4 Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.
5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
and you will gain knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
8 He guards the paths of the just
and protects those who are faithful to him.
9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,
and you will find the right way to go.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will fill you with joy.
11 Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.
12 Wisdom will save you from evil people,
from those whose words are twisted.
13 These men turn from the right way
to walk down dark paths.
14 They take pleasure in doing wrong,
and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.
15 Their actions are crooked,
and their ways are wrong.
16 Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman,
from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman.
17 She has abandoned her husband
and ignores the covenant she made before God.
18 Entering her house leads to death;
it is the road to the grave.[d]
19 The man who visits her is doomed.
He will never reach the paths of life.
20 So follow the steps of the good,
and stay on the paths of the righteous.
21 For only the godly will live in the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be removed from the land,
and the treacherous will be uprooted.
Trusting in the Lord
3 My child,[e] never forget the things I have taught you.
Store my commands in your heart.
2 If you do this, you will live many years,
and your life will be satisfying.
3 Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!
Tie them around your neck as a reminder.
Write them deep within your heart.
4 Then you will find favor with both God and people,
and you will earn a good reputation.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce.
10 Then he will fill your barns with grain,
and your vats will overflow with good wine.
11 My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t be upset when he corrects you.
12 For the Lord corrects those he loves,
just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.[f]
13 Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,
the one who gains understanding.
14 For wisdom is more profitable than silver,
and her wages are better than gold.
15 Wisdom is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 She offers you long life in her right hand,
and riches and honor in her left.
17 She will guide you down delightful paths;
all her ways are satisfying.
18 Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
happy are those who hold her tightly.
19 By wisdom the Lord founded the earth;
by understanding he created the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth,
and the dew settles beneath the night sky.
21 My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.
Hang on to them,
22 for they will refresh your soul.
They are like jewels on a necklace.
23 They keep you safe on your way,
and your feet will not stumble.
24 You can go to bed without fear;
you will lie down and sleep soundly.
25 You need not be afraid of sudden disaster
or the destruction that comes upon the wicked,
26 for the Lord is your security.
He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.
27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it
when it’s in your power to help them.
28 If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say,
“Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”
29 Don’t plot harm against your neighbor,
for those who live nearby trust you.
30 Don’t pick a fight without reason,
when no one has done you harm.
31 Don’t envy violent people
or copy their ways.
32 Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord,
but he offers his friendship to the godly.
33 The Lord curses the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the upright.
34 The Lord mocks the mockers
but is gracious to the humble.[g]
35 The wise inherit honor,
but fools are put to shame!
Footnotes
- 1:8 Hebrew My son; also in 1:10, 15.
- 1:12 Hebrew like Sheol.
- 2:1 Hebrew My son.
- 2:18 Hebrew to the spirits of the dead.
- 3:1 Hebrew My son; also in 3:11, 21.
- 3:12 Greek version reads loves, / and he punishes those he accepts as his children. Compare Heb 12:6.
- 3:34 Greek version reads The Lord opposes the proud / but gives grace to the humble. Compare Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
