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

Read full chapter

22 “How long, you (A)naive ones, will you love simplistic thinking?
And how long will (B)scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools (C)hate knowledge?

Read full chapter

32 For the (A)faithlessness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.

Read full chapter

You (A)naive ones, understand prudence;
And, you (B)fools, understand [a]wisdom!

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:5 Lit heart

13 [a]A woman of foolishness is (A)boisterous,
She has a lack of understanding and (B)knows nothing.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by (C)the high places of the city,
15 Calling to those who pass by,
Who are going straight on their paths:
16 (D)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks [b]understanding she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
And (E)bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the [c]dead are there,
That her guests are in the (F)depths of Sheol.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:13 Or A foolish woman
  2. Proverbs 9:16 Lit heart
  3. Proverbs 9:18 Lit departed spirits

The (A)wise of heart will receive commands,
But [a]a babbling fool will come to ruin.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:8 Lit the foolish of lips

18 One (A)who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And one who spreads slander is a fool.

Read full chapter

23 Doing wickedness is like (A)sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a person of understanding.

Read full chapter

29 One who (A)troubles his own house will (B)inherit wind,
And (C)the foolish will be servant to the wise-hearted.

Read full chapter

15 The (A)way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a person who listens to advice is wise.
16 A (B)fool’s anger is known at once,
But a prudent person conceals dishonor.

Read full chapter

23 A (A)prudent person conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.

Read full chapter

16 Every (A)prudent person acts with knowledge,
But a fool [a]displays foolishness.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:16 Lit spreads out

19 Desire realized is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.
20 (A)One who walks with wise people will be wise,
But a companion of fools will suffer harm.

Read full chapter

Leave the (A)presence of a fool,
Or you will not [a]discern [b]words of knowledge.
The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,
But (B)the foolishness of fools is deceit.
Fools mock at [c]sin,
But (C)among the upright there is [d]goodwill.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:7 Lit know
  2. Proverbs 14:7 Lit lips
  3. Proverbs 14:9 Lit guilt
  4. Proverbs 14:9 Or the favor of God

16 A wise person [a]is cautious and (A)turns away from evil,
But a fool is arrogant and careless.
17 A quick-tempered person acts foolishly,
And a person of evil devices is hated.
18 The naive inherit foolishness,
But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:16 Lit fears

29 One who is (A)slow to anger has great understanding;
But one who is [a]quick-tempered exalts foolishness.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:29 Lit short of spirit

A fool [a]rejects his father’s discipline,
But he who complies with rebuke is sensible.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:5 Or despises

14 The (A)mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.

Read full chapter

10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool.

Read full chapter

16 Why is there money in the hand of a fool to (A)buy wisdom,
When [a]he has no sense?

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:16 Lit there is no heart

24 Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding,
But the (A)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

Read full chapter

28 Even a fool, when he (A)keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

Read full chapter

Bible Gateway Recommends