1:1 The Proverbs 1 of 2 Solomon 3 son of David, 4 king of Israel: 5
1:2 To 6 learn 7 wisdom 8 and moral instruction, 9
and to discern 10 wise counsel. 11
1:3 To receive 12 moral instruction 13 in skillful living, 14
in 15 righteousness, 16 justice, 17 and equity. 18
1:4 To impart 19 shrewdness 20 to the morally naive, 21
and 22 a discerning 23 plan 24 to the young person. 25
1:5 (Let the wise also 26 hear 27 and gain 28 instruction,
and let the discerning 29 acquire 30 guidance! 31 )
1:6 To discern 32 the meaning of 33 a proverb and a parable, 34
the sayings of the wise 35 and their 36 riddles. 37
1:7 Fearing the Lord 38 is the beginning 39 of moral knowledge, 40
but 41 fools 42 despise 43 wisdom and instruction. 44
1:8 Listen, 45 my child, 46 to the instruction 47 from 48 your father,
and do not forsake the teaching 49 from 50 your mother.
1:9 For they will be like 51 an elegant 52 garland 53 on 54 your head,
and like 55 pendants 56 around 57 your neck.
1:10 My child, if sinners 58 try to entice 59 you,
do not consent! 60
1:11 If they say, “Come with us!
We will 61 lie in wait 62 to shed blood; 63
we will ambush 64 an innocent person 65 capriciously. 66
1:12 We will swallow them alive 67 like Sheol, 68
those full of vigor 69 like those going down to the Pit.
1:13 We will seize 70 all kinds 71 of precious wealth;
we will fill our houses with plunder. 72
1:14 Join with us! 73
We will all share 74 equally in what we steal.” 75
1:15 My child, do not go down 76 their way, 77
withhold yourself 78 from their path; 79
1:16 for they 80 are eager 81 to inflict harm, 82
and they hasten 83 to shed blood. 84
1:17 Surely it is futile to spread 85 a net
in plain sight of 86 any bird, 87
1:18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood, 88
they ambush their own lives! 89
1:19 Such 90 are the ways 91 of all who gain profit unjustly; 92
it 93 takes away the life 94 of those who obtain it! 95
1:20 Wisdom 96 calls out 97 in the street,
she shouts loudly 98 in the plazas; 99
1:21 at the head of the noisy 100 streets she calls,
in the entrances of the gates in the city 101 she utters her words: 102
1:22 “How long will you simpletons 103 love naiveté? 104
How long 105 will mockers 106 delight 107 in mockery 108
and fools 109 hate knowledge?
1:23 If only 110 you will respond 111 to my rebuke, 112
then 113 I will pour 114 out my thoughts 115 to you
and 116 I will make 117 my words known to you.
1:24 However, 118 because 119 I called but you refused to listen, 120
because 121 I stretched out my hand 122 but no one paid attention,
1:25 because 123 you neglected 124 all my advice,
and did not comply 125 with my rebuke,
1:26 so 126 I myself will laugh 127 when disaster strikes you, 128
I will mock when what you dread 129 comes,
1:27 when what you dread 130 comes like a whirlwind, 131
and disaster strikes you 132 like a devastating storm, 133
when distressing trouble 134 comes on you.
1:28 Then they will call to me, but I will not answer;
they will diligently seek 135 me, but they will not find me.
1:29 Because 136 they hated moral knowledge, 137
and did not choose to fear the Lord, 138
1:30 they did not comply with my advice,
they spurned 139 all my rebuke.
1:31 Therefore 140 they will eat from the fruit 141 of their way, 142
and they will be stuffed full 143 of their own counsel.
1:32 For the waywardness 144 of the
simpletons will kill 145 them,
and the careless ease 146 of fools will destroy them.
1:33 But the one who listens 147 to me will live in security, 148
and will be at ease 149 from the dread of harm.
2:1 My child, 151 if 152 you receive my words,
and store up 153 my commands within you,
2:2 by making 154 your ear 155 attentive to wisdom,
and 156 by turning 157 your heart 158 to understanding,
2:3 indeed, if 159 you call out for 160 discernment 161 –
raise your voice 162 for understanding –
2:4 if 163 you seek 164 it like silver, 165
and search for it 166 like hidden treasure,
2:5 then you will understand 167 how to fear the Lord, 168
and you will discover 169 knowledge 170 about God. 171
2:6 For 172 the Lord gives 173 wisdom,
and from his mouth 174 comes 175 knowledge and understanding.
2:7 He stores up 176 effective counsel 177 for the upright, 178
and is like 179 a shield 180 for those who live 181 with integrity, 182
2:8 to guard 183 the paths of the righteous 184
and to protect 185 the way of his pious ones. 186
2:9 Then you will understand 187 righteousness and justice
and equity – every 188 good 189 way. 190
2:10 For wisdom will enter your heart, 191
and moral knowledge 192 will be attractive 193 to you. 194
2:11 Discretion 195 will protect you, 196
understanding will guard you,
2:12 to deliver 197 you from the way of the wicked, 198
from those 199 speaking perversity, 200
2:13 who leave 201 the upright 202 paths
to walk on the dark 203 ways,
2:14 who delight 204 in doing 205 evil, 206
they rejoice in perverse evil; 207
2:15 whose paths 208 are morally crooked, 209
and who are devious 210 in their ways;
2:16 to deliver you 211 from the adulteress, 212
from the sexually loose woman 213 who speaks flattering 214 words; 215
2:17 who leaves 216 the husband 217 from her younger days, 218
and forgets her marriage covenant 219 made before God. 220
2:18 For her house 221 sinks 222 down to death,
and her paths lead 223 to the place of the departed spirits. 224
2:19 None who go in to her will return, 225
nor will they reach the paths of life. 226
2:20 So 227 you will walk in the way of good people, 228
and will keep on the paths of the righteous. 229
2:21 For the upright will reside in the land,
and those with integrity 230 will remain in it,
2:22 but the wicked 231 will be removed 232 from the land,
and the treacherous 233 will be torn away 234 from it.
3:1 My child, 236 do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep 237 my commandments,
3:2 for they will provide 238 a long and full life, 239
and they will add well-being 240 to you.
3:3 Do not let truth and mercy 241 leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart. 242
3:4 Then you will find 243 favor and good understanding, 244
in the sight of God and people. 245
3:5 Trust 246 in the Lord with all your heart, 247
and do not rely 248 on your own understanding. 249
3:6 Acknowledge 250 him in all your ways, 251
and he will make your paths straight. 252
3:7 Do not be wise in your own estimation; 253
fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 254
3:8 This will bring 255 healing to your body, 256
and refreshment 257 to your inner self. 258
3:9 Honor 259 the Lord from your wealth
and from the first fruits of all your crops; 260
3:10 then your barns will be filled completely, 261
and your vats 262 will overflow 263 with new wine.
3:11 My child, do not despise discipline from the Lord, 264
and do not loathe 265 his rebuke.
3:12 For the Lord disciplines 266 those he loves,
just as a father 267 disciplines 268 the son in whom he delights.
3:13 Blessed 269 is the one 270 who finds 271 wisdom,
and the one who obtains 272 understanding.
3:14 For her 273 benefit 274 is more profitable 275 than silver,
and her 276 gain 277 is better 278 than gold.
3:15 She is more precious than rubies,
and none of the things 279 you desire 280 can compare 281 with her. 282
3:16 Long life 283 is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
3:17 Her ways are very pleasant, 284
and all her paths are peaceful.
3:18 She is like 285 a tree of life 286 to those who obtain her, 287
and everyone who grasps hold of her will be blessed. 288
3:19 By wisdom the Lord laid the foundation of the earth; 289
he established the heavens by understanding. 290
3:20 By his knowledge the primordial sea 291 was broken open, 292
and the clouds drip down dew. 293
3:21 My child, do not let them 294 escape from your sight;
safeguard sound wisdom and discretion. 295
3:22 So 296 they will give 297 life to you, 298
and grace to adorn 299 your neck. 300
3:23 Then you will walk on your way 301 with security,
and you 302 will not stumble. 303
3:24 When 304 you lie down you will not be filled with fear; 305
when 306 you lie down your sleep will be pleasant. 307
3:25 You will not be afraid 308 of sudden 309 disaster, 310
or when destruction overtakes 311 the wicked; 312
3:26 for the Lord will be 313 the source of your confidence, 314
and he will guard your foot 315 from being caught in a trap. 316
3:27 Do not withhold good from those who need it, 317
when 318 you 319 have the ability 320 to help. 321
3:28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go! Return tomorrow
and I will give it,” when 322 you have it with you at the time. 323
3:29 Do not plot 324 evil against your neighbor
when 325 he dwells by you unsuspectingly.
3:30 Do not accuse 326 anyone 327 without legitimate cause, 328
if he has not treated you wrongly.
3:31 Do not envy a violent man, 329
and do not choose to imitate 330 any of his ways;
3:32 for one who goes astray 331 is an abomination 332 to the Lord,
but he reveals 333 his intimate counsel 334 to the upright.
3:33 The Lord’s curse 335 is on the household 336 of the wicked, 337
but he blesses 338 the home 339 of the righteous. 340
3:34 Although 341 he is scornful to arrogant scoffers, 342
yet 343 he shows favor to the humble. 344
3:35 The wise inherit honor,
but he holds fools up 345 to public contempt. 346