Pro 1 | ESV | STEP | The proverbs of Solomon , son of David , king of Israel :

ap[See ver. 22 above]

aq[Job 21:14]

ar[See ver. 25 above]

as[See ver. 25 above]

at Jer. 6:19

au ch. 14:14; Isa. 3:11; [Job 4:8]

‏ Proverbs 1

The Beginning of Knowledge

1 ^aThe proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in ^brighteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to ^cthe simple,
knowledge and ^ddiscretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and ^eincrease in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
^fthe words of the wise and their ^griddles.
7 ^hThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Enticement of Sinners

8 ⁱHear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
9 for they are ^ja graceful garland for your head
and ^kpendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners ^lentice you,
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, ^mlet us lie in wait for blood;
ⁿlet us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us ^oswallow them alive,
and whole, like ^pthose who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, ^qdo not walk in the way with them;
^rhold back your foot from their paths,
16 for ^stheir feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
17 ^tFor in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men ^ulie in wait for their own blood;
they ^vset an ambush for their own lives.
19 ^wSuch are the ways of everyone who is ^xgreedy for unjust gain;
^yit takes away the life of its possessors.

The Call of Wisdom

20 ^zWisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at ^aathe entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O ^absimple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will ^acscoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools ^adhate knowledge?
23 If you turn at my reproof, ^{▼▼Or Will you turn away at my reproof?}
behold, I will ^afpour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 ^agBecause I have called and ^ahyou refused to listen,
have ^aistretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have ^ajignored all my counsel
and ^akwould have none of my reproof,
26 I also ^alwill laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when ^amterror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like ^ana storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 ^aoThen they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they ^aphated knowledge
and ^aqdid not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 ^arwould have none of my counsel
and ^asdespised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat ^atthe fruit of their way,
and have ^autheir fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by ^avtheir turning away,
and ^awthe complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but ^axwhoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be ^ayat ease, without dread of disaster.”