Proverbs 1:20-33
Amplified Bible
Wisdom Warns
20
[a]Wisdom shouts in the street,
She raises her voice in the markets;
21
She calls out at the head of the noisy streets [where large crowds gather];
At the entrance of the city gates she speaks her words:
22
“How long, O naive ones [you who are easily misled], will you love being simple-minded and undiscerning?
How long will scoffers [who ridicule and deride] delight in scoffing,
How long will fools [who obstinately mock truth] hate knowledge?
23
“If you will turn and pay attention to my rebuke,
Behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.(A)
24
“Because I called and you refused [to answer],
I stretched out my hand and no one has paid attention [to my offer];(B)
25
And you treated all my counsel as nothing
And would not accept my reprimand,
26
I also will laugh at your disaster;
I will mock when your dread and panic come,
27
When your dread and panic come like a storm,
And your disaster comes like a whirlwind,
When anxiety and distress come upon you [as retribution].
28
“Then they will call upon me (Wisdom), but I will not answer;
They will seek me eagerly but they will not find me,(C)
29
Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord [that is, obeying Him with reverence and awe-filled respect],(D)
30
They would not accept my counsel,
And they spurned all my rebuke.
31
“Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own [wicked] way
And be satiated with [the penalty of] their own devices.
32
“For the turning away of the [b]naive will kill them,
And the careless ease of [self-righteous] fools will destroy them.(E)
33
“But whoever listens to me (Wisdom) will live securely and in confident trust
And will be at ease, without fear or dread of evil.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom is personified as a woman in vv 20-33 and speaks, in the first person, of godly wisdom. Read the word “wisdom” as “the wisdom of God” and see the wonderful power of this book.
- Proverbs 1:32 Lit simple ones.
Proverbs 1:20-33
New American Standard Bible
Wisdom Warns
20 (A)Wisdom shouts in the street,
She [a]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 (B)naive ones, will you love simplistic thinking?
And how long will (C)scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools (D)hate knowledge?
23 Turn to my rebuke,
Behold, I will (E)pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because (F)I called and you (G)refused,
I (H)stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you (I)neglected all my advice
And did not (J)want my rebuke;
26 I will also (K)laugh at your (L)disaster;
I will mock when your (M)dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm
And your disaster comes like a (N)whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will (O)call on me, but I will not answer;
They will (P)seek me diligently but will not find me,
29 Because they (Q)hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30 They (R)did not accept my advice,
They disdainfully rejected every rebuke from me.
31 So they shall (S)eat of the fruit of their own way,
And be (T)filled with their own schemes.
32 For the (U)faithlessness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But (V)whoever listens to me will live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:20 Lit gives
Proverbs 5:1-2
Amplified Bible
Pitfalls of Immorality
5 My son, be attentive to my wisdom [godly wisdom learned by costly experience],
Incline your ear to my understanding;(A)
2
That you may exercise discrimination and discretion (good judgment),
And your lips may reserve knowledge and answer wisely [to temptation].
Proverbs 5:1-2
New American Standard Bible
Pitfalls of Immorality
5 My son, (A)pay attention to my wisdom,
(B)Incline your ear to my understanding,
2 So that you may (C)maintain discretion
And your (D)lips may comply with knowledge.
Proverbs 6:20-23
Amplified Bible
20
My son, be guided by your father’s [God-given] commandment (instruction)
And do not [a]reject the teaching of your mother;(A)
21
Bind them continually upon your heart (in your thoughts),
And tie them around your neck.(B)
22
When you walk about, they (the godly teachings of your parents) will guide you;
When you sleep, they will keep watch over you;
And when you awake, they will talk to you.
23
For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching [of the law] is light,
And reproofs (rebukes) for discipline are the way of life,(C)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:20 Lit forsake.
Proverbs 6:20-23
New American Standard Bible
20 (A)My son, comply with the commandment of your father,
And do not ignore the [a]teaching of your mother;
21 (B)Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you (C)walk, [b]they will guide you;
When you sleep, [c]they will watch over you;
And when you awake, [d]they will talk to you.
23 For (D)the commandment is a lamp and the [e]teaching is light;
And rebukes for discipline are the way of life
Footnotes
- 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 7:1-2
Amplified Bible
The Wiles of the Prostitute
7 My son, keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you [so they are readily available to guide you].
2
Keep my commandments and live,
And keep my teaching and law as the apple of your eye.
Proverbs 7:1-2
New American Standard Bible
The Lures of the Prostitute
7 My son, (A)keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.
2 (B)Keep my commandments and live,
And my [a]teaching (C)as the [b]apple of your eye.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:2 Or law
- Proverbs 7:2 Lit pupil
Proverbs 10:31
Amplified Bible
31
The mouth of the righteous flows with [skillful and godly] wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.
Proverbs 10:31
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 11:14
Amplified Bible
14
Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm],
But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory.
Proverbs 11:14
New American Standard Bible
14 Where there is no (A)guidance the people fall,
But in an abundance of counselors there is [a]victory.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:14 Lit deliverance
Proverbs 12:5
Amplified Bible
5
The thoughts and purposes of the [consistently] righteous are just (honest, reliable),
But the counsels and schemes of the wicked are deceitful.
Proverbs 12:5
New American Standard Bible
5 The thoughts of the righteous are just,
But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
Proverbs 12:26
Amplified Bible
26
The righteous man is a guide to his neighbor,
But the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Proverbs 12:26
New American Standard Bible
26 The righteous person is a guide to his neighbor,
But the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Proverbs 13:13
Amplified Bible
13
Whoever despises the word and counsel [of God] brings destruction upon himself,
But he who [reverently] fears and respects the commandment [of God] will be rewarded.
Proverbs 13:13
New American Standard Bible
13 One who (A)despises the word will do badly,
But one who fears the commandment will be (B)rewarded.
Proverbs 15:7
Amplified Bible
7
The lips of the wise spread knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain];
But the hearts of [shortsighted] fools are not so.
Proverbs 15:7
New American Standard Bible
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
But the hearts of fools are not so.
Proverbs 15:22
Amplified Bible
22
Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated,
But with many counselors they are established and succeed.
Proverbs 15:22
New American Standard Bible
22 Without consultation, plans are frustrated,
But with many counselors they [a]succeed.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:22 Or are established
Proverbs 19:20
Amplified Bible
20
Listen to counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction,
That you may be wise in the time to come.
Proverbs 19:20
New American Standard Bible
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:20 Lit in your latter end
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.